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 2008 fantasy film based on the 1946 novel The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge. The film was directed by Gábor Csupó and starred Dakota Blue Richards in the leading role and with Ioan Gruffudd, Tim Curry, Natascha McElhone and Juliet Stevenson in supporting roles. The film premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2009 by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Plot
Thirteen-year-old Maria Merryweather attends her father's funeral and notices a strange boy watching, but he disappears before she looks again. Maria's father has left her a book: "The Ancient Chronicles of Moonacre Valley" and she reads of the first Moon Princess receiving magical pearls from the moon. At her wedding with a Merryweather, her father, a de Noir, presented the couple with a black lion, while the groom gifted his bride a unicorn. When the princess revealed the pearls, the two families were possessed by greed. Maria stops reading.
Forced to leave her London home, Maria and her governess, Miss Heliotrope, go to stay with an uncle she has never met: Sir Benjamin Merryweather, at Moonacre Manor. When they reach the manor gate their carriage is attacked by bandits, with the strange boy among them. Maria and Miss Heliotrope fend off their assailants and are saved by the closing gate. Sir Benjamin is cruel towards them and instructs Maria to stay away from the forest and the de Noirs; the rival family. She is shown to her room and is delighted by its whimsical nature, especially the stars on the ceiling. The next morning, Sir Benjamin confiscates the book. Each night Maria sees a star shoot across the ceiling and disappear.
Sir Benjamin takes Maria out riding and on returning, she hears a distressed cry and sneaks into the forest. She finds a rabbit in a cage and is suddenly surrounded by bandits, including the boy, whose name is Robin de Noir. Before they can kidnap her, Sir Benjamin's intimidating black dog, Wrolf, frightens them away. She returns to the manor with the rabbit and names her Serena. That night she sees a unicorn outside.
The next day Maria finally finds the kitchen. The magical chef, Marmaduke, tells her where to find her book. In it, she reads that when the two families fought over the pearls, the Moon Princess cursed Moonacre Valley to be plunged into eternal darkness at the rising of the 5000th moon, unless a "pure heart" is heard. Marmaduke tells Maria she is the new Moon Princess, as she can see the unicorn, and only such a one can undo the curse. Maria figures out that the very next moon will be the 5000th. Frightened, she runs away and finds a cave where a woman named Loveday lives. Loveday reveals she herself was a Moon Princess, but failed to unite the families and break the curse. Maria realises that the de Noirs stole the chest containing the pearls and the Merryweathers took the key to it. She pulls the key from the book's bookmark. Loveday takes her to the de Noir fortress and runs away.
Maria sneaks into the fortress but is spotted by Robin's father Coeur de Noir, the leader. She gives him the key but he reveals that the chest is empty. He believes the Merryweathers stole the pearls and the curse will consume them. Maria is locked in a dungeon, but she tricks the guard and escapes. Robin and the bandits pursue her, but she escapes into the forest and Wrolf leads her back to the manor. There she is severely scolded by her uncle and sent to her room. Loveday enters through a secret door and Maria takes her to the piano room. Looking in a magic mirror, she learns that Loveday and Sir Benjamin were once engaged, until Loveday revealed she was a de Noir: Sir Benjamin, furious, broke off the engagement, and Loveday ran away. Maria then notices a painting of the first Moon Princess, which shows her the pearls are hidden inside a tree in the forest. Marmaduke tells her only Robin can help her find it. Maria sends forged letters to Sir Benjamin and Loveday, each telling the other that they want to meet. Using Serena as bait, she traps Robin and makes him promise to listen. She then frees him and persuades him to help her end the curse.
Meanwhile, Loveday and Sir Benjamin meet and discover Maria's deception. Together with Miss Heliotrope, the "halfwit" servant Digweed, and Marmaduke, they set out to search for her. Miss Heliotrope and Loveday each decide to search away from the group. Back in the forest, Robin is captured by his father's men and Wrolf falls into a trap, leaving Maria to find the tree by herself. The unicorn appears and guides her to the tree; but Coeur appears demanding she give him the pearls. Wrolf escapes and saves Robin but is shot and seemingly dies. 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 the roots, closely followed by Coeur's men. Maria finds the pearls and the pair exit through a secret tunnel.
Coeur reaches the cliff where the valley was cursed and the moon is about to rise from the sea. Sir Benjamin then arrives with Digweed and Marmaduke, followed moments later by Maria and Robin with the pearls. Loveday, revealed to be Coeur's daughter, also arrives. Maria pleads to her uncle and Coeur to put aside their pride and so break the curse, but fails and realises 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, and the pearls sink to the ocean floor just as the moon rises. A huge wave surges towards the cliff and Maria appears, on the back of the white unicorn. A revived Wrolf appears, having resumed his true form: the black lion. Sir Benjamin and Loveday reconcile, and Miss Heliotrope finally arrives. The Merryweathers and the de Noirs are united, the curse has been lifted and Moonacre Valley restored.
Cast
In order of appearance:
- Dakota Blue Richards as Maria Merryweather/The Little Moon Princess
- Juliet Stevenson as Miss Heliotrope
- Augustus Prew as Robin de Noir
- Michael Webber as Digweed
- Ioan Gruffudd as Sir Benjamin Merryweather / Sir Wrolf Merryweather
- Tim Curry as Coeur de Noir / Sir William de Noir
- Andy Linden as Marmaduke Scarlet
- Natascha McElhone as Loveday de Noir/The Moon Princess
See also
In Spanish: The Secret of Moonacre para niños
