With all the mystery and psychological intrigue, The Chalk Garden could have been an Alfred Hitchcock movie! Deborah Kerr applies for a job as a governess to a very difficult young girl, Hayley Mills. Hayley's grandmother Edith Evans doesn't know how to handle her intense moods and pyromania, and Deborah Kerr instantly sees a kindred spirit in the lost little girl.
Hayley makes it her mission to discover secrets about her new governess and to drive her away, and she tries to recruit the butler, John Mills, to join her mission. But with the tension crackling away, John doesn't want Deborah to leave!
While Deborah Kerr and Hayley Mills give excellent performances enshrouded in deceit, mystery, and deep-seated pain, it's the scenes between father and daughter that steal the show. If you've seen the Millses in The Family Way, you know how sweet it is to watch them act together, and The Chalk Garden is no exception. While this isn't my favorite film, because I don't generally sympathize with emotionally disturbed children, I recognize that it's a well-acted film with a suspenseful story and that lots of other people might like it. Watch it with your mom and see what you think!
Hayley makes it her mission to discover secrets about her new governess and to drive her away, and she tries to recruit the butler, John Mills, to join her mission. But with the tension crackling away, John doesn't want Deborah to leave!
While Deborah Kerr and Hayley Mills give excellent performances enshrouded in deceit, mystery, and deep-seated pain, it's the scenes between father and daughter that steal the show. If you've seen the Millses in The Family Way, you know how sweet it is to watch them act together, and The Chalk Garden is no exception. While this isn't my favorite film, because I don't generally sympathize with emotionally disturbed children, I recognize that it's a well-acted film with a suspenseful story and that lots of other people might like it. Watch it with your mom and see what you think!