The Secret Garden (G)
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Caution: potential spoilers.

This came out in 1993, but I didn't see it until 2013, when I got it on a DVD that also contains the movie A Little Princess. (I feel compelled to mention that the case says the DVD has both movies in both widescreen and full-screen, but when I watched them, I found no way to watch the movies in widescreen.) Anyway, the movie is based on a 1910 book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which I've never read. There've been several adaptations of the book, over the decades, including a 1987 TV movie, which I saw at some point- whether it was in 1987 or later I'm not sure, but it couldn't have been later than the early 90s. I'm fairly sure I liked that version better than this one, and I'd certainly like to see it again, someday. But this version was decent, too.

So, there's this 10-year-old girl named Mary Lennox, who was born in India to British parents. (I believe the story is set around the time the book was written.) Her parents never had any time for her (and apparently were not at all interested in her), so she was raised by servants. Then, at the start of the film, her parents die in an earthquake, and Mary is sent to England to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven. But she doesn't get to see him, because he is reclusive and often leaves his estate for extended periods. Mary is looked after by the head servant, Mrs. Medlock, who is very strict and doesn't want Mary exploring the manor or doing much of anything. There's also a younger, much kinder servant named Martha. And an old gardener named Ben. In the beginning, Mary is quite contrary, but she soon warms up to Martha a bit. And she becomes friends with Martha's younger brother, Dickon (who I would guess is a couple of years older than Mary; he still seems younger to me here than he did in the TV movie).

Mary soon discovers a secret garden, which had belonged to her aunt (her mother's twin sister). But when her aunt died ten years ago, her uncle had ordered the garden locked forever. However, Mary discovers the key, and begins visiting the garden, along with Dickon. Soon after that, she meets her cousin, Colin... Archibald's son. Colin, who is the same age as Mary, is bedridden, and expected to die... people have been expecting that ever since he was born. And no one ever told Mary that he even existed. So at first they keep the fact that they've met a secret. She visits him as often as she can, though for some time their relationship seems to fluctuate between friendship and mutual dislike. But eventually she gets him to go outside with her and Dickon, and visit their garden. And they help him learn to walk. Colin still keeps the fact that he can walk secret from the household servants, wanting his father to be the first person (other than Mary and Dickon) to see him do so. Meanwhile, his relationship with Mary greatly improves... though I did get the vague sense that he was jealous of her friendship with Dickon, that was never really explored as a plot point.

And, I dunno what else to say. The movie was pleasant enough, but like I said, I preferred the TV version, even though I don't remember it very well. I don't think there was anything truly fantastic about either version, but I feel like that version was somehow a bit more magical than this one. I will say that probably my favorite character in this movie was Martha, whom I didn't remember at all from the TV movie. In that version, I'm fairly sure my favorite character was Dickon. Anyway, I'm glad to have seen this version, but... I'm not sure if I'll ever feel the need to watch it again.