Starring: Nigel Le Vaillant, Greta Scacchi, James Wilby, Arlene Cockburn, Florence Hoath, David Bradley, Liz Smith

Directed by: Willard Carroll

One summer, back in the 1950s, 14-year-old Tom goes away to the country to spend some time with his Uncle and Aunt. They live in an ordinary flat in what must once have been a fine old Edwardian family home. There seems to be nothing much to do - no other children his own age, not even a garden... or so it seems.

Tom notices an old grandfather clock which stands in the shadows of the gloomy hallway. But one night, just before he goes to sleep, Tom is woken by the chimes of the clock which strike the thirteenth hour. Slowly he creeps downstaries, unlatches the backdoor and is greeted by a miracle. Instead of the disused backyard, a garden of intense beauty has appeared: beautifully-shaped hedges, soft lawns and deep flowerbeds.

A secret, haunted place half-a-century back in time: based on Philippa Pearce's beloved children's novel, this is the world of Tom's Midnight Garden - a tale of enchantment, shadows and lost memories.

viewer's comments:

- heart warming and touching

I read the book a few years back and was surprised they made a movie out of it. The movie follows very close to the book and is a heartwarming tale.There is a little more character development in the book but the movie is a very good adaption.

- Grabbed Me and Wouldn't Let Go

I'd never heard of this movie before today, and had no intention of watching it. I stopped by my parents' house to feed their cat, and offhandedly flipped the TV on, about 10 minutes into the movie. Oh look, I thought, another dry British film. Wow, Greta Scacchi does a pretty good accent. Next thing I knew, I had my coat off, it was 2 hours later, and the film was over. It grabbed me just like that. Of course, I may be biased -- I have a thing for "time travel" stories of any kind, and this one was so subtle that I found it especially intriguing. Anybody who's ever felt a bit alone or abandoned at some point in their life should get a lift from this story. And there's a nice underlying message about the ability of true friendship to transcend both gender and age.

Anthony Way (I) .... Tom
Nigel Le Vaillant .... Tom Long (adult)
Greta Scacchi .... Aunt Gwen Kitson
James Wilby .... Uncle Alan Kitson
Florence Hoath .... Hatty (12/13 years)
Caroline Carver .... Hatty (young woman)
David Bradley (IV) .... Abel
Arlene Cockburn .... Susan the Maid
Liz Smith (I) .... Mrs. Willows
Tom Bowles .... Mr. Ferguson
Rory Jennings .... James (12 years)
Noah Huntley .... James (20 years)
Guy Witcher .... Edgar
Stuart Piper .... Hubert
Joan Plowright .... Mrs. Bartholomew


Duration: 103 mins