For lots of folks, Friday night is movie night so we’d thought we’d get into the spirit and find the most memorable garden related moments as seen on the silver screen! If you can think of any more let us know on social media, we’d love to know what you think! (Beware some spoilers below!)
The Shining (1980, Kubrick)
It is the dead of winter at Overlook Hotel and the Torrance family are going through a bit of a domestic crisis. The finale of this eighties horror takes place in an enormous hedge maze, with poor Danny being chased by his Dad who has gone slightly insane under the influence of the hotel’s ghostly patrons. A thrilling claustrophobic end to a classic film.
Edward Scissorhands (1990, Burton)
A far less life-threatening form of topiary is found in Edward Scissorhands, even though the main protagonist has shears for fingers. In this dark fable, Edward finally wins the sympathy of the beautiful Kim after creating an ice sculpture in the back yard. He showers her in tiny icy shavings, making it snow in the height of summer. As you do.
Atonement (2007, J. Wright)
Another film that takes place in the height of summer, the key scene here involves a dip in the water feature on the vast grounds of the manor. Stuffy Keira Knightly and Housekeeper’s son James McAvoy fight over a broken vase, with her fishing the pieces out of the fountain. The moment leaves them (and audiences) breathless as they both realise they’re fighting over more than just porcelain.
Pride and Prejudice (2005, J. Wright)
The Queen of all period dramas, Pride and Prejudice originated the stately home love story. The turning point takes place out on the grounds of Stourhead Estate. Darcy professes his love in a rain soaked Temple of Apollo to a shocked Elizabeth. She promptly rejects him accusing him of both pride and prejudice. It’s almost as if it was the name of the film or something.
Shaun of the Dead (2004, E. Wright)
This popular rom-zom-com follows the hapless Shaun and his buddy Ed as he tries to win back his girlfriend during a zombie apocalypse. Shaun and Ed’s feeble attempts to deal with a zombie they assume is a drunk woman stumbling around their North London back garden, cements this as a British comedy classic. Their best defence is to throw vinyl records at her (of course it is).
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001, Jackson)
The introduction to Hobbiton perfectly sets the stage for this grand fantasy epic, with wizard Gandalf making his way to the door of Bilbo Baggins and setting in motion a quest that involves the fate of the whole of Middle Earth. Inspiration was taken from traditional West Country gardens, and you can actually walk the set if you’re in New Zealand. Well worth a visit for movie fans and gardeners alike!
Rear Window (1954, Hitchcock)
James Stewart’s bed ridden photographer spies on his apartment block neighbours in this Hitchcock classic. Soon he becomes obsessed with the notion one of them might be a killer, especially when a dead dog turns up in the courtyard. Hitchcock plays with the ethics of voyeurism, with the viewer expertly drawn into the game, so much so that you’ll never trust your neighbours again.
The Godfather (1972, Coppolla)
Hailed by some as the pinnacle of cinematic achievement, gangster drama The Godfather follows Michael Corleone as he is slowly sucked into the family crime business after returning from war. The event that seals the deal happens as his father the Don, the Godfather, is entertaining his grandson in the orange garden. He runs about the plants until he is struck down, not by a rival, but by a heart attack.
Alice in Wonderland (1951, Geronimi/Jackson/Luske)
The gardens of the Red Queen are the place you learn just how twisted Wonderland can be in this Disney classic. Two great scenes happen in the gardens, one being Alice witnessing the guards painting the roses red. The other is a croquet game where the hammer is a flamingo and the ball is a hedgehog! Alice comes very close to losing her head, which was perfectly acceptable children’s entertainment in 1951!
Notting Hill (1999, Curtis)
Happy endings do exist, at least in a Richard Curtis film. The London garden floppy-haired Hugh Grant ‘whoopsy-daisyed’ his way into Julia Roberts’ heart is the same place the film ends, with the two of them lounging on a bench as he reads Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Ronan Keating crooning over the top.
