Following the death of her father, 13-year old Maria Merryweather (Dakota Blue Richards) goes to live with her eccentric Uncle Benjamin (Ioan Gruffudd) at Moonacre Manor, a mysterious, crumbling house in a world of magic and mythical beasts. From a book given to her by her father, Maria learns that the ancestors of the Merryweathers and the De Noir family have been locked in an ancient feud that only she, as a true Moon Princess, can end, but she only has until the next moon to accomplish it before the valley disappears for ever.
The Secret of Moonacre is adapted from the children's book The Little White Horse (1946) by English author Elizabeth Goudge [1900-1984]. The novel was adapted for the movie by screenwriters Lucy Shuttleworth and Graham Albourough.
Miss Heliotrope (Juliet Stevenson) is having 'kedgeree' for breakfast. Based on an Indian dish (khichri) of rice, lentils, and curry, the British adopted the dish, adding smoked haddock, cream, and hard-boiled eggs.
That cagelike thing is a 'crinolette', popular in the mid-1800s in Great Britain. The crinolette eventually evolved into what became known in the late-1800s as the 'bustle.'
Being chased by Coeur De Noir (Tim Curry) and his men, Maria and Robin (Augustus Prew) take refuge in a cave under the twisted branches of a tree. Maria realizes that this must be the hiding place of the first Moon Princess, and she and Robin search the cave, finding the pearls hidden in a painting. When Maria touches them, they begin to glow, showing them another way out of the cave just as De Noir breaks in looking for them. Suddenly, the white unicorn appears to Maria and guides them out of the dark passage to a circle near the sea where De Noir, Benjamin, Digweed (Michael Webber), Chef Marmaduke Scarlet (Andy Linden), and Loveday (Natascha McElhone) have come together. Maria attempts to get De Noir and Benjamin to end their feud, but they remain unyielding, so Maria tosses the pearls into the sea. However, the pearls come back to her. She breaks the strand and tosses them again, but again they return, embedding themselves in her gown. Maria realizes that she must sacrifice herself so that the pearls will be returned to the sea and throws herself into the water. The pearls detach from her dress, and Maria sinks to the bottom. Suddenly, the moon rises fully, and a large wave heads for the shore. The wave turns into a band of white horses, led by the white unicorn on whose back Maria is carried. Benjamin hugs his niece, glad that she's still alive. In the forest, the seemingly dead Wrolf is restored to life as the black lion. Benjamin and Loveday make up, but just as he gets down on one knee, one of the De Noirs points his gun at Maria, intending to kill her. Miss Heliotrope suddenly appears and begins hitting him with her umbrella. robin and his father hug each other, Benjamin and Loveday kiss, and Digweed takes Miss Heliotrope's hand. In the final scene, Maria's picture can be seen in The Ancient Chronicles of Moonacre Valley, as the lid closes over the book.
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- How long is The Secret of Moonacre?1 hour and 43 minutes
- When was The Secret of Moonacre released?August 12, 2010
- What is the IMDb rating of The Secret of Moonacre?6 out of 10
- Who stars in The Secret of Moonacre?
- Who wrote The Secret of Moonacre?
- Who directed The Secret of Moonacre?
- Who was the composer for The Secret of Moonacre?
- Who was the producer of The Secret of Moonacre?
- Who was the executive producer of The Secret of Moonacre?
- Who was the cinematographer for The Secret of Moonacre?
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- Who are the characters in The Secret of Moonacre?Maria Merryweather, Miss Heliotrope, Simon Blackheart, Robin De Noir, Loveday, Sir Benjamin Merryweather, Digweed, Wrolf the Dog, and Marmaduke Scarlet
- What is the plot of The Secret of Moonacre?Maria inherits a book of secrets from her dad. She moves to her uncle's Moonacre estate. A family curse was cast on the valley. Only Maria can break it using her book.
- What was the budget for The Secret of Moonacre?$32 million
- How much did The Secret of Moonacre earn at the worldwide box office?$7.16 million
- What is The Secret of Moonacre rated?PG
- What genre is The Secret of Moonacre?Adventure, Family, Fantasy, and Romance
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