Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming magical realism sequel set in 1940s England.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Back to the Secret Garden
What's the Story?
Lizzie Buscana is an orphan from Brooklyn who lives in an orphanage in Alexandria, Virginia. When the wife of an English diplomat, Lady Mary Craven (Cherie Lunghi) invites Lizzie to live in Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire, England, Lizzie accepts. It is there, under the care of the new headmistress Martha Sowerby (Joan Plowright), that Lizzie learns about the secret garden. Born with a green thumb, Lizzie begins to find ways into the secret garden (even as the entrance mysteriously closes to Miss Sowerby) and is determined to find out why the flowers don't grow as they once did. As she tries to enlist the help of her fellow classmates and teachers, Lizzie learns that the secret garden is going to need more than sunshine, water, air, and soil to return it to its former grandeur.
Is It Any Good?
BACK TO THE SECRET GARDEN is a charming mix of magical realism and mystery set in 1946 Yorkshire, England. The characters are very much of their time -- prim, proper, yet inclined to mischief -- and fully drawn and developed. The acting -- from the largest to the smallest roles -- is excellent. The story is engaging, and stands among the best of English children's stories.
Even if you haven't seen the 1993 film The Secret Garden (of which this is a sequel), Back to the Secret Garden stands on its own. Parents and kids alike will find much to enjoy in this film.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the time and place in which this movie is set. What objects inform the viewer that it's set in the 1940s? How is the culture of the movie different from today?
How do boys and girls act with each other in this movie? How is this movie similar and different from other coming of age movies?
What are the movie's messages? Why do you think the creators brought magic into the story?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 23, 2002
- Cast : Aled Roberts , Cherie Lunghi , Joan Plowright
- Director : Michael Tuchner
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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