The Secret of Moonacre is based on The Little White Horse, a novel by Elizabeth Goudge, that was one of my favourites as a child and was apparently also much loved by one Joanne Rowling (a quote from her appears on the cover of a recent paperback edition). It is the story of Maria Merryweather (Richards), a plain (ginger!) orphan sent with her dyspeptic governess to live with her only surviving relative, Sir Benjamin (Gruffudd), in the picturesque Moonacre valley. There she discovers a mystery and an ancient wrong that only she, her friend Robin, and their variously magical animal friends must put right in order to bring peace to the land.

As is usual with film adaptations, it sounds as if the ante has been upped. The official synopsis reads as follows:

Maria Merryweather’s father dies, leaving her orphaned and homeless, she is forced to leave her luxurious London life to go and live with Sir Benjamin, an eccentric uncle she didn't know she had, at the mysterious Moonacre Manor. Soon Maria finds herself in a crumbling moonlit world torn apart by the hatred of an ancient feud with the dark and sinister De Noir family. Maria discovers that she is the last Moon Princess and, guided by an unlikely mix of allies, she must overcome her family's pride in order to unearth the secrets of the past before the 5000th moon rises and Moonacre disappears into the sea forever.

The same in the broad strokes, but also very different. Moonacre *is* mysterious and even dangerous in the novel, but also a friendly, enchanting and beautiful place, not a crumbling world, and though Maria must work to bring peace, there is no danger of Moonacre disappearing into the sea. As for the 5000th moon…

Elizabeth Goudge was a deeply Christian and moral writer. One of the key points of The Little White Horse was that outward ‘show’ and inner character did not necessarily match. Miss Heliotrope (Stevenson), Maria’s governess, suffers from indigestion, and has a huge, puce nose. Maria herself is tiny, with reddish hair, while Sir Benjamin is described as fat, ruddy faced, and balding, with a nose to put Miss Heliotrope’s in the shade – a far cry from the gorgeous Gruffudd. Yet they are all delightful characters nonetheless. But hey, this is Hollywood. Pleasingly, though, all of the main characters from the novel are still on the cast list and director Gabor Csupo did a good job bringing Bridge To Terabithia to life last year. Fingers crossed, this could be a charming family adventure with a decent story and fine performances.