The Secret of Moonacre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Secret of Moonacre |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Gábor Csupó |
| Produced by | David Brown Michael Cowan Brian Donovan Meredith Garlick Monica Penders Jason Piette |
| Screenplay by | Graham Alborough Lucy Shuttleworth |
| Starring | Ioan Gruffudd Tim Curry Natascha McElhone Juliet Stevenson Dakota Blue Richards |
| Music by | Christian Henson |
| Cinematography | David Eggby |
| Editing by | Julian Rodd |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 6 September 2008 (TIFF) 6 February 2009 (United Kingdom) 13 May 2009 (France) 19 November 2009 (Hungary) |
| Running time | 103 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $27 million |
| Money made | $7 million |
The Secret of Moonacre is a magical fantasy movie from 2008. It's based on a classic book called The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge. The film was directed by Gábor Csupó and stars Dakota Blue Richards as the main character, Maria. Other famous actors like Ioan Gruffudd, Tim Curry, Natascha McElhone, and Juliet Stevenson are also in the movie. It first showed at a film festival in Toronto in 2008 and came out in the United Kingdom in 2009.
Contents
The Story of Moonacre
Maria's New Home
The movie begins with 13-year-old Maria Merryweather at her father's funeral. She sees a mysterious boy watching her. Maria's father leaves her a special book called "The Ancient Chronicles of Moonacre Valley." She starts reading about the first Moon Princess, who received magical pearls from the moon. The story mentions two families, the Merryweathers and the de Noirs, who became greedy over the pearls. Maria stops reading there.
Maria and her governess, Miss Heliotrope, have to leave their home in London. They go to live with Maria's uncle, Sir Benjamin Merryweather, at Moonacre Manor. On their way, bandits attack their carriage. The mysterious boy from the funeral is among them. Maria and Miss Heliotrope manage to scare them off. Sir Benjamin is not very kind to them. He tells Maria to stay away from the forest and the de Noirs, who are a rival family. Maria loves her new room with its whimsical style and stars on the ceiling. The next morning, Sir Benjamin takes her book away. Every night, Maria sees a star shoot across her ceiling and vanish.
Discovering the Curse
One day, Sir Benjamin takes Maria riding. When they return, Maria hears a cry and sneaks into the forest. She finds a rabbit in a cage. Suddenly, bandits, including the boy named Robin de Noir, surround her. Sir Benjamin's large black dog, Wrolf, scares them away. Maria returns to the manor with the rabbit and names her Serena. That night, she sees a unicorn outside her window.
The next day, Maria finds the kitchen and meets the magical chef, Marmaduke. He tells her where to find her book. In the book, Maria reads that the two families fought over the pearls. Because of this, the Moon Princess cursed Moonacre Valley to be dark forever when the 5000th moon rises. The curse can only be broken by a "pure heart." Marmaduke tells Maria that she is the new Moon Princess because she can see the unicorn. Only the Moon Princess can break the curse. Maria realizes that the very next moon will be the 5000th.
Seeking Answers
Frightened, Maria runs away and finds a cave where a woman named Loveday lives. Loveday tells Maria that she was once a Moon Princess too, but she failed to unite the families and break the curse. Maria learns that the de Noirs stole the chest with the pearls, and the Merryweathers took the key. She finds the key hidden in her book's bookmark. Loveday takes Maria to the de Noir fortress and then leaves.
Maria sneaks into the fortress but is seen by Robin's father, Coeur de Noir, who is the leader. She gives him the key, but he shows her that the chest is empty. He believes the Merryweathers stole the pearls. Coeur de Noir thinks the curse will destroy them all. Maria is locked in a dungeon, but she tricks the guard and escapes. Robin and the bandits chase her, but she gets away into the forest. Wrolf leads her back to the manor. Her uncle scolds her and sends her to her room.
Uniting the Families
Loveday enters Maria's room through a secret door. Maria takes her to the piano room. Looking into a magic mirror, Maria discovers that Loveday and Sir Benjamin were once going to get married. But Loveday revealed she was a de Noir, and Sir Benjamin angrily broke off their engagement. Loveday then ran away. Maria notices a painting of the first Moon Princess. It shows her that the pearls are hidden inside a tree in the forest. Marmaduke tells Maria that only Robin can help her find the tree.
Maria sends fake letters to Sir Benjamin and Loveday, making them think the other wants to meet. She uses Serena the rabbit as bait to trap Robin and makes him promise to listen. She frees him and convinces him to help her end the curse. Meanwhile, Loveday and Sir Benjamin meet and realize Maria tricked them. They, along with Miss Heliotrope and the servant Digweed, set out to find Maria. Miss Heliotrope and Loveday decide to search separately.
Breaking the Curse
Back in the forest, Robin is captured by his father's men. Wrolf falls into a trap, leaving Maria to find the tree alone. The unicorn appears and guides her to the tree. Coeur de Noir appears, demanding the pearls. Wrolf escapes and saves Robin but is shot and seems to die. Hearing Maria's screams, Robin finds her and forces his father to let her go. Maria and Robin find the tree and enter an opening in its roots. Coeur's men follow them. Maria finds the pearls, and she and Robin exit through a secret tunnel.
Coeur de Noir reaches the cliff where the valley was cursed. The moon is about to rise from the sea. Sir Benjamin arrives with Digweed and Marmaduke. Maria and Robin arrive moments later with the pearls. Loveday, who is Coeur's daughter, also arrives. Maria begs her uncle and Coeur to forget their pride and break the curse, but they refuse. Maria realizes she must do it herself. She throws the pearls toward the sea, but they return and stick to her dress. Maria then jumps into the sea, sacrificing herself. The pearls sink to the ocean floor just as the moon rises.
A huge wave surges toward the cliff. Maria appears, riding the white unicorn. Wrolf, who is alive, appears in his true form: the black lion. Sir Benjamin and Loveday make up. Miss Heliotrope finally arrives. The Merryweathers and the de Noirs are united. The curse is lifted, and Moonacre Valley is restored to its beauty.
Cast
Here are the main actors and the characters they play:
- Dakota Blue Richards as Maria Merryweather, also known as The Little Moon Princess.
- Juliet Stevenson as Miss Heliotrope, Maria's governess.
- Augustus Prew as Robin de Noir, the mysterious boy.
- Michael Webber as Digweed, a servant.
- Ioan Gruffudd as Sir Benjamin Merryweather, Maria's uncle, who is also Sir Wrolf Merryweather.
- Tim Curry as Coeur de Noir, the leader of the de Noirs, also known as Sir William de Noir.
- Andy Linden as Marmaduke Scarlet, the magical chef.
- Natascha McElhone as Loveday de Noir, who was once a Moon Princess.
See also
In Spanish: The Secret of Moonacre para niños
