The Secret Garden

The 2020 adaptation was a beautiful picture which unfortunately didn't come alive thank to the stagnant acting. Here however the acting is very much alive and it becomes a much more enjoyable experience. That's mainly because of young Margaret O'Brien and also Dean Stockwell, even if his constant screaming was annoying. That shift from black & white to color, helped give it that adventure feel, while they kept intact that spooky feeling. A weird, wonderful and confusing encounter.

good movie

Director Wilcox lacks focus and pacing, and he makes little of the gothic atmosphere and noir possibilities of this bleak Victorian fairy tale, yet he deserves credit for three of the best performances by child actors ever seen in a single movie. Bryan Roper's monologue near the film's end is particularly effective, and shows he deserves to be remembered in the company of Margaret O'Brien and Dean Stockwell.

The Agnieszka Holland gets all the attention but this version is much better. Maybe it's the black and white