The Secret Garden
[10/10] I couldn’t even begin to guess how many times I’ve seen _The Secret Garden_. I grew up with it—it was one of the very first movies I ever owned. I still have my original VHS, and for most of my life, that was how I watched it over and over again. This time, I found it through the Internet Archive.
To me, the film is perfect. There’s nothing I would change. It always surprises me a little that I loved it so much as such a young child. I think a lot of kids might find it a bit boring. Adults, too. But the opening shots, along with the music, have never failed to suck me in immediately. I always related to Mary so much—not about the loss in her life, but in the way she felt misunderstood and longed for discovery and purpose. In many ways, I still feel that way, even though it looks different now at 35.
Everything about this film—the music, the performances, the characters, the story—makes it something I will cherish forever. I remember the first time I watched as a young adult. I was 21 and had just gone through something incredibly difficult. It was the first time the film brought me to tears. That moment in the film gets me every time now (still in the best, most cathartic way).
I honestly don’t know how to describe _The Secret Garden_ other than captivating. I know not everyone will feel the same, but I’m just grateful that I do. I think this movie is either for you or it isn’t—but for me, it has shaped the way I see the world. It created a love for all things inexplicably magical, and it has allowed me to find magic in my own life whenever I look for it… and often even when I’m not looking. Needless to say, I look forward to my next watch.
Mar 19, 2025