this version of france hodgson burnett the secret garden take the novel and eliminate all but the most crucial element to make sure the story make sense and but there be so much leave out from the book that it take away a lot of the magic . rather than have the garden act a a magical entity in itself and it be more of an escape from the creepy dreariness of misselthwaite manor and a gigantic monstrosity of a mansion that do justice to the enormity of the one portrayed in the novel but be such a brooding and unpleasant place that the escape of it overshadow the magical curiosity that should be entail by the garden . the film create a great sense of atmosphere and with the long hallway and the tremendously and unnecessarily elaborate living quarter that mary be place in and and we see some wonderful thing a mary sneak around to explore the mansion and although she really only go into one room and then her exploration be over . kate maberly delivers a wonderful performance a mary lennox and the spoiled little girl who be send to live with her uncle and the reclusive lord craven and when her parent die of cholera in india and an event which never seem to affect her since her parent be always too busy for her anyway . mary doesn not seem to care too much where she be be move to beyond the fact that it be such an inconvenience for her and and she soon have to face the fact that she be no longer go to be wait on hand and foot like she be by her ayah in india . heydon prowse also give a great performance a colin craven and the young boy who be so extraordinarily spoil that he have become literally incapable of care for himself or even stand up . the young actor in this film be much more impressive than young actor often be ( this be the kind of actor that be most likely to be forgive for a bad performance because theyre so darn cute ) and each portray wonderfully the character a they be present in the novel . andrew knott a dickon be the other major example and perfectly portray the magical young boy who have a way with animal . the thing that make the movie not compare to the novel be that there be some important thing from the book that be leave out of this film version and some of which i can understand be do for time purpose but there be some thing that just should have be put in and in one way or another . there be nothing and for example and about the exercise that colin indirectly learn from bob haworth in order to strengthen his leg and there nothing about colin plan to become a scientist and an explorer and a lecturer ( this kid want to be indiana jones and they do not even mention it in the movie . ) and we see nothing of colin extravagant plan for how he should present his newfound health and strength to his father and there very little say about the magic that all three of them have find in the garden and and even dickon entire family ( which be enormous in size as well a significance to the story ) be leave out entirely . these be just a few of the thing that i notice to be miss and and i be sure the list go on . the story itself be also hugely simplify and but if you take into consideration a film adaptation of something like frankenstein and you can see that this could have be a lot bad . the 1933 film version of mary shelley 1818 novel cover maybe 3 5 % of the novel and which completely change the meaning of the story and transform frankenstein monster ( frankenstein be and of course and not the monster and but you already know that because you have read the book and right . ) from an enormously intelligent creature who only want to fit in to the world that he have be place in and into a hulking and thoughtless beast . in this case and this version of the secret garden could have be a lot bad and but on the other hand and it could also have be a lot well and hence my conflict . for the most part and the story be here and which be a good thing . we know that the garden once belong to and be love by lord craven wife and and we know that she die give birth to colin which be why lord craven lock up the garden forever and can scarcely stand even to look at his crippled son and who he fear will turn out to be a hunchback like himself ( although neither of them look like hunchback at any time during the film ) . we briefly see mary life in india and we see a heavily dilute version of the part where she realize what have happen to her parent and and then she be move to misselthwaite . the movie divert from the book almost immediately and but mostly when mary go to misselthwaite manor . she be urge to go outside and explore by the endlessly patient martha and and almost immediately run into the secret garden . the ground be bitterly cold and it almost uncomfortable watch this portion of the film and which remind me of other uncomfortable but wonderful film like buffalo 66 and affliction and but this be the sort of thing that replace the real magic in the book . rather than find the garden a a truly magical place and it be an escape from the dreariness of the rest of misselthwaite . the robin be an important part of the story and it be find in the movie and but thankfully it be not present quite as much a in the book . this be one of the only thing that be fortunately subdue a little bit and since in the book the robin go through a mating period and there be actually one chapter late in the novel where the robin and his mate have a conversation about dickon and his strange friend and whom theyre not too sure about . there be certainly some thing from the novel that be leave out of the movie with good reason and such a this scene where the narrative go into the thought of the robin and which can only be disorient and awkward unless it be do much earlier in the novel ( and even then it would not have fit too well with the rest of the story ) . the ham hand delivery of the moral at the beginning of chapter 17 be also leave out with good reason and but then there be little thing change as well and such a the simplification of the plot which take away from the magic of the story a a whole and and even small thing and like the fact that the command that mary teach colin to tell her servant that he be do with them be change from ` you have my permission to go and in the novel and to ` i have speak and all depart and in the book . do you ever see sphere . that bad science fiction movie from 1998 that be base on the michael crichton novel . they do something similar in that movie and change some of the name of the character for no apparent reason . i can never understand why they would do thing like that when make book into movie . on the one hand and i can understand that there be some book that could be make a lot well with a little tweaking here and there and but the secret garden be a classic novel that and with a few tweak here and there and be most likely to be change into a movie that could have be a lot well with a few small change . or and a it be and without a few small change . this movie be sure to entertain and delight it target audience and but it should not be take in place of the novel and which be hugely superior . i have speak . all depart .