"The Secret Garden" (2020) - SPOILER ALERT

Admittedly, I was not at all familiar with "The Secret Garden" - the book, nor any movie adaptation of it. I saw a while ago that it was streaming on Hulu and I saved it with the intention of watching it in the spring. Surely a movie with such a title would be perfect for springtime, right? Not so much.

Most of the movie seemed dark, but the garden scenes were a feast for the eyes. Although clearly not real, the birds were charming.  It was also a pleasant surprise to see Colin Firth in this film. He'll always be Mr. Darcy to me, but I enjoy seeing him in other movies as well. Unfortunately, "The Secret Garden" is my least favorite Colin Firth movie that I've seen so far and I'm appalled that he (or anyone) would even think of making a movie like this (though to its credit, my understanding is that it is very much like the original classic book).

Overall, "The Secret Garden" is a disaster. It is not at all what I expected. I didn't know it had anything to do with disability until I started watching it. That actually sparked my interest in the beginning, but as the movie unfolded, I could see that disability was portrayed in a negative, unrealistic way - basically that people with disabilities are miserable, a burden on others, helpless, need to fixed, and can be fixed by sheer will or magic. Then everyone is happy once that happens. This is not an accurate representation of people with disabilities. It is, in fact, a misrepresentation. I understand that they were trying to stay true to the original story as much as possible, but stories like that should no longer be told.

Also, it is my understanding that the actor who played the disabled character is not disabled in real life. There are disabled actors out there who could have played this role. Even though he was a wheelchair user turned abled-bodied walker, there are lots of disabled individuals out there who are wheelchair users, but can also walk. Why not hire an actor who can play the role authentically? I think I know the answer to that question. Most disabled actors most likely would not want a role like that because the story is not an accurate representation of them.

This movie was released last year. I would expect better from a movie released in 2020. "A Secret Garden" is a huge disappointment and I would not recommend it.