1. The Secret Garden is steeped in a part of history that's worth a bigger conversation with your kids.
Set in 1947 on the Eve of Partition between India and Pakistan, the movie's opening notes that thousands of families were fleeing disease and conflict at this time. Viewers quickly learn that Mary's parents have both passed away due to the cholera outbreak while living in India, rendering her an orphan.
Although Mary moves to England to live with her uncle early on, your children may have questions about what cholera is, or why the beginning scenes are so frantic. While there's no violence shown, the imagery could open up a larger conversation about what colonization is and the effect it had on people at the time.
2. Mary comes off as entitled at first, but her character improves over time.
Throughout the movie, we learn that Mary was neglected by her mother, who was suffering from depression before she passed away. Given her upbringing, Mary is often rude to the manor's staff and quick to lose her temper.
Although her first impression certainly comes off shaky at first, she eventually rebuilds her relationships by being kind. Her character development is best illustrated when interacting with Lord Craven's son Colin (Edan Hayhurst) and
Dickon (Amir Wilson), a boy who works on the property. She's certainly untrusting of them in the beginning, but their friendship eventually blossoms.