Screenwriter Jack Thorne adds magical realism to the film's lush paradise. The shift from metaphor to reality's magical healing might not please long-time admirers of the novel, but the script maintains enough ambiguity to suggest that it, too, might just be the result of childish wonder and imagination. There's no question that any plot embellishments add time-tested appeal to Frances Hodgson Burnett 's story. But its fun should be unobstructed for the generation that is first exposed to it. While the emphasis on captivating visuals slightly overshadows the acting, the cast is solid, and perfectionists of the novel The Secret Garden will realize that Colin Firth played the father of his character in the 1987 TV movie
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CGI-enhanced plants, sets and costumes in this film adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's work can only be described as "spectacular". Screenwriter Jack Thorne tweaked the story's timeline and tried to explore some interesting ideas, such as the impact of colonialism on lower-class Britons. But the plot is so clumsy and crazy that nothing convinces the audience. By contrast, Colin Firth and Julie Walters are natural comedians, which draws viewers' attention to the lame performance of the third act. When a mansion catches fire, Pan's Labyrinth is more emotional than Acorn Antiques
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