This was decent and not nearly as horrible as the other two reviewers would have you believe. Just remember this is made for young school age children who have not reached their preteens. Any child 11 or 12 years old, and certainly older, would find this too childish as it is targeted to a younger audience.
I would think most would realize this, as the original Secret Garden was also for made young children. Yes, it is American made, and it looks to have been filmed at the Biltmore House and grounds which is near Asheville, North Carolina USA.
My guess is this was a budget film and since the Biltmore House was modeled after an European château, that this was the nearest building that could be used in the United States to simulate a manor in Yorkshire, England. However,the young previous reviewer is right, I have no seen any English castles that look like this. The château's look is more Continental than British.
To the young teen reviewer I must also clarify, those were bad supposed British accents, not Australian. If he thinks those were bad, he should hear some bad accents of the supposed southern United States done by actors from other areas of the United States in many a top box office movie. I am from Georgia, USA, so I know this even if others from other areas of the world do not. As far as the accents, I am guessing though, this being a children's movie, it was assumed most young children would not notice.
As far as the Biltmore House being an American hotel, this reviewer's American friends stirred him wrong. It was built in the late 1800's as a home for the wealthy Vanderbilt's, who had many homes all over the United States and elsewhere. It seems they spent a lot of time in Europe and wanted a home that looked like an European château.
It is now a museum, not a hotel, and it is really something to see, between the house, the attached winery and green houses, and the basement boiling alley. I enjoyed the movie just for seeing the house and it's secret passages!
I must say though that "Back to the Secret Garden" is a better sequel. Although it is more a sequel to the 80's Hallmark adaptation than the novel. Highclere Castle does make a better Yorkshire manor than Biltmore House. I believe that was also produced by an American company, the difference is they used a real castle in England instead of "America's castle", Biltmore House. Even though both stories are overall only mediocre entertainment for anyone over the age of twelve, being targeted to a very young audience; the better location did make a better movie for atmosphere alone.
I would think most would realize this, as the original Secret Garden was also for made young children. Yes, it is American made, and it looks to have been filmed at the Biltmore House and grounds which is near Asheville, North Carolina USA.
My guess is this was a budget film and since the Biltmore House was modeled after an European château, that this was the nearest building that could be used in the United States to simulate a manor in Yorkshire, England. However,the young previous reviewer is right, I have no seen any English castles that look like this. The château's look is more Continental than British.
To the young teen reviewer I must also clarify, those were bad supposed British accents, not Australian. If he thinks those were bad, he should hear some bad accents of the supposed southern United States done by actors from other areas of the United States in many a top box office movie. I am from Georgia, USA, so I know this even if others from other areas of the world do not. As far as the accents, I am guessing though, this being a children's movie, it was assumed most young children would not notice.
As far as the Biltmore House being an American hotel, this reviewer's American friends stirred him wrong. It was built in the late 1800's as a home for the wealthy Vanderbilt's, who had many homes all over the United States and elsewhere. It seems they spent a lot of time in Europe and wanted a home that looked like an European château.
It is now a museum, not a hotel, and it is really something to see, between the house, the attached winery and green houses, and the basement boiling alley. I enjoyed the movie just for seeing the house and it's secret passages!
I must say though that "Back to the Secret Garden" is a better sequel. Although it is more a sequel to the 80's Hallmark adaptation than the novel. Highclere Castle does make a better Yorkshire manor than Biltmore House. I believe that was also produced by an American company, the difference is they used a real castle in England instead of "America's castle", Biltmore House. Even though both stories are overall only mediocre entertainment for anyone over the age of twelve, being targeted to a very young audience; the better location did make a better movie for atmosphere alone.