You probably grew up with the 1993 version. Most people did. That lush, gothic, Maggie Smith-led masterpiece is burned into the collective memory of every 90s kid. So, when the news broke about a new adaptation, the first question everyone asked was about the Secret Garden 2020 cast. Could they actually live up to the legacy?
It’s a tough gig. Remaking a classic is basically asking for a comparison trap.
But here’s the thing: the 2020 film isn't trying to be the 1993 version. It’s weird. It’s surreal. It leans heavily into the "magical" part of magical realism, and the actors had to carry that weight without looking ridiculous against a backdrop of CGI plants that grow ten feet in three seconds. Honestly, the casting choices are the only reason the movie stays grounded when the visual effects start going off the rails.
Dixie Egerickx and the Grumpy Mary Lennox
Finding a kid who can play "unlikeable" without making the audience want to turn off the TV is an art form. Mary Lennox is, by design, a brat. She’s neglected, sour, and frankly, a bit of a nightmare at the start. Dixie Egerickx takes on this role with a sort of sharp-edged vulnerability that feels very real.
She isn't just a "movie kid."
Egerickx had already put in some serious work before landing this. You might have spotted her in The Little Stranger or Patrick Melrose. In the 2020 film, she’s tasked with playing a Mary who isn't just lonely, but actively traumatized. The script moves her story from the Edwardian era to 1947, right on the heels of the Partition of India and World War II. This changes the vibe. Her Mary feels like a shell-shocked survivor, and Egerickx plays that transition from frozen to "thawed out" with a lot of nuance.
She's the heart of the Secret Garden 2020 cast, and if she hadn't landed the "sour expression that hides a broken heart" look, the whole movie would have collapsed.
Colin Craven and the New Dickon
Then you have the boys.
Edan Hayhurst plays Colin Craven. If you thought the 1993 Colin was dramatic, Hayhurst takes it to a new level of hypochondria. He’s spent his whole life convinced his spine is curving and that the very air will kill him. It’s a claustrophobic performance. Most of his scenes are spent in a massive, four-poster bed that looks like it’s swallowing him whole. The chemistry between him and Egerickx is prickly. It’s not an immediate friendship; it’s two broken kids figuring out how to be human again.
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And then there’s Dickon.
Amir Wilson, who many now recognize as Will Parry from His Dark Materials, brings a totally different energy to Dickon than we’ve seen in the past. Usually, Dickon is portrayed as this earthy, almost feral forest sprite. Wilson keeps the nature-lover vibe but adds a layer of modern capability. He’s the bridge between the grim reality of Misselthwaite Manor and the exploding color of the garden.
Interestingly, the film chooses to make Dickon Martha’s brother—standard—but Wilson plays him with a quiet confidence that makes him feel older than he is. He’s the one who isn't afraid of the ghosts in the house.
The Heavy Hitters: Firth and Walters
Let’s talk about the adults. Because, let’s be real, you don’t hire Colin Firth and Julie Walters unless you want some gravitas.
Colin Firth plays Lord Archibald Craven. This is a bit of a full-circle moment for him, considering he actually played the adult Colin Craven in the 1987 TV movie version of The Secret Garden. Talk about a meta-casting choice.
Firth’s Archibald is... well, he’s a mess.
He’s hunched, he’s grieving, and he’s almost ghost-like himself. Unlike some versions where Archibald is just a distant, cold father, Firth plays him with a palpable sense of physical pain. You can see the grief in his posture. He’s not a villain; he’s a man who has completely given up on life. It’s a quiet performance, maybe even a bit too quiet for some viewers who wanted more screen time for him, but he commands every room he’s in.
Then there’s Julie Walters as Mrs. Medlock.
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If you’re expecting the terrifying, stern Medlock of the book, you might be surprised. Walters is definitely strict, but there’s a flicker of "I’m just trying to keep this crumbling house together" in her eyes. She’s less of a gothic villain and more of a tired administrator. It’s a shift that works for the 1947 setting. The world is changing, the British Empire is shifting, and she’s just trying to make sure the kids don’t burn the house down while the Master is moping in the west wing.
Why the 1947 Setting Changed Everything
The decision to move the timeline was a big one for the Secret Garden 2020 cast to navigate.
Usually, this story is set in the early 1900s. By moving it to 1947, director Marc Munden and writer Jack Thorne (the guy behind Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) added a layer of post-war grit.
- The Costumes: They aren't just pretty dresses. They look heavy, wooly, and lived-in.
- The House: Misselthwaite looks like it’s dying. There’s damp on the walls and shadows everywhere.
- The Garden: It’s not just a walled garden anymore; it’s a sprawling, supernatural jungle that seems to exist in a different dimension.
This setting forced the actors to play against a lot of green screen. While the 1993 film used incredible practical gardens, the 2020 version uses VFX to make the plants move and grow in real-time. This can be a trap for actors—sometimes they look like they’re staring at nothing. But the younger cast, especially Egerickx, manages to sell the awe of it.
The Role of Martha Sowerby
Isis Hainsworth plays Martha, the housemaid. In previous versions, Martha is often the comic relief—the bubbly, Yorkshire-accented girl who teaches Mary how to tie her own shoes.
Hainsworth plays it a bit more grounded.
She’s still the friendly face, but you get the sense that she has her own life outside of Mary’s tantrums. She’s a working-class girl in a post-war world, and she doesn't have time for Mary’s "I’m a princess" routine. It’s a small role but a vital one. She provides the first bit of warmth Mary experiences in England. Without Martha, Mary remains a block of ice.
Misconceptions About the 2020 Adaptation
A lot of people went into this movie expecting a shot-for-shot remake of the book. It isn't that.
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The 2020 version takes massive liberties with the "ghost" elements of the story. There are actual visions and memories that manifest physically. The cast has to interact with these "memories" of Mary’s mother and her aunt (Lilias). This adds a psychological layer that wasn't as prominent in the original text.
Some critics felt the CGI overshadowed the actors. It’s a fair point. When you have a garden that looks like something out of Avatar, it can be hard to focus on a small girl talking to a dog. However, if you watch closely, the performances are actually quite intimate. They’re playing a story about grief and recovery, just with a very high special-effects budget.
The Real Stars: The Locations
While we’re talking about the Secret Garden 2020 cast, we have to mention the locations, because they act like characters themselves.
The production didn't just use one garden. They stitched together a "Frankenstein" garden from some of the most stunning spots in the UK:
- Iford Manor in Wiltshire (the cloisters and statues).
- Bodnant Garden in North Wales (the famous Laburnum Arch).
- Trebah Garden in Cornwall (for that jungle-like, subtropical feel).
- Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean (the mossy, ancient woods).
The actors had to travel all over the country to film bits and pieces of "the garden," which probably helped them get into that sense of discovery. Imagine walking through the prehistoric-looking ferns of Cornwall and then the manicured arches of Wales—it would feel like magic to a kid.
Is This Version Worth Your Time?
If you’re a purist, you might struggle with the 2020 version. It’s loud, it’s fast, and it’s very "fantasy."
But if you look at the performances of the Secret Garden 2020 cast, there is something really special there. Dixie Egerickx is a powerhouse. Colin Firth brings a sadness that stays with you. The movie treats childhood trauma with a level of seriousness that feels very modern and very necessary.
It’s a story about how nature—and friendship—can literally heal a broken mind. Even if the plants are CGI, the emotions the actors bring to the screen are very much real.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans of the Movie
If you've watched the film and want to dive deeper into the world of Misselthwaite, here is what you should do next:
- Compare the Portrayals: Watch the 1993 version and the 2020 version back-to-back. Focus specifically on the dinner scene between Mary and Mrs. Medlock. Notice how Julie Walters plays the authority figure compared to Maggie Smith’s legendary performance.
- Visit the Real Locations: If you’re in the UK, skip the movie sets and visit Puzzlewood or Bodnant Garden. Seeing the Laburnum Arch in person (usually in late May) is exactly like stepping into the film.
- Read the Source Material: Go back to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s original 1911 novel. You’ll notice that while the 2020 film adds a lot of "magic," the book's focus on the "magic" of simple gardening is even more grounded and philosophical.
- Track the Young Cast: Keep an eye on Dixie Egerickx and Amir Wilson. Both have moved into major projects (Wilson in His Dark Materials and Egerickx in various period dramas), proving that this film was a massive launching pad for the next generation of British talent.
- Explore the 1947 Context: Research the "Winter of 1947" in the UK. It was one of the harshest winters on record, which makes the choice of setting the movie in this year even more poignant—the "thaw" of the garden represents the literal and metaphorical end of a very dark time for the country.
The 2020 adaptation might not replace the 1993 version in the hearts of many, but as a standalone piece of cinema, it offers a haunting, visual-heavy exploration of what happens when we let light back into a dark house. It’s worth a watch just to see Firth and Walters do what they do best, and to see a new Mary Lennox find her way home.