( possible spoiler ahead ) ninety year ago france hodgson burnett write the classic book of childhood and the secret garden and unleash into the world of literature one of the most remarkable character ever and mary lennox . mary be a plain look ten year old child who be raise in india . she be all but completely ignore by her self absorbed parent and put under the care of ayah and who indulge her in order to keep her from bother her parent . she have no friend or playmate of her age and so she never experience the give and take of interact with other child . thus and she grow to the age of ten generally helpless and unable to care for herself and demand and and lack in basic social skill . contrary to some critical opinion and mary isn not so much nasty bratty a haughty arrogant . but she have a seemingly insatiable thirst for learning and and the capacity and wisdom to read and understand the way of her world . and she have a driving will to achieve her goal . she also be able to recognize and appreciate offer of friendship and love from whatever source . ( spoiler ) consider the depth and power give her character by author burnett in the first half of the story of the secret garden and it ironic that with the introduction of colin craven and her cousin and mary seem to be elbow out of the way in favor of a big emphasis on colin story line . indeed and in the original story and most of it movie incarnation and she isn not even give the privilege of share in the dramatic end where colin and his estrange father be at last united . it especially ironic in light of the fact that it be through mary effort that the garden and it magic be resurrect and colin grow strong and and the reconciliation of colin and his father be enable . the secret garden be not mary story while however and it the story mary make possible . ( spoiler ) director agnieszka holland and a devoted admirer of the original novel and understood mary importance and and bring the story around in a full circle to end in the scene where lord craven and colin father and give mary her deserved recognition . you bring u back to life and mary and he tell her . so this movie start with an arrogant child throw her name at you and not care whether you like her or not and and it end with a messiah who learn how to cry . the whole cast be great and especially the child heydon prowse ( colin ) and andrew knott ( dickon ) and especially and especially kate maberly who play mary with such power and depth . also and recognition should go to maggie smith a the intimidate mrs. medlock and john lynch a colin somber bereft father lord craven and and to laura crossley for her heart warm portrayal of the bright and sensitive and humble martha .