🔗 Share this article

This upbeat British children's film boasts a team of five scribes credited for the screenplay, including two who provided “additional material”. This might clarify why the story beats progress with clockwork accuracy, while the personalities seem as though they were developed hydroponically in a lab. Paradoxically, the setting is a family-run farm where agronomist-owner Dinah chooses organic methods motivated by her magical niece Charlie, who feels plants’ emotions by touching them.

A Growing Bond and a Prize Pumpkin

Having only recently met, for motives the otherwise polished script doesn't clarify, Dinah and Charlie get to know each other across a few seasons – which aligns with the duration needed to cultivate a pumpkin for the local yearly contest. Charlie aims to use the prize money to find her mother, rumored to have left for become a movie star in California.

The supporting cast is packed with delightful humorous roles by veteran British actors.

Notable Cameos and Antagonistic Foes

The mother character later emerges portrayed by a familiar face, who, like Rosheuvel, has a background in hit shows. Additionally, the cast includes an eccentric gardener played by Nick Frost, who provides advice on growing pumpkins for the duo. Meanwhile, Tim McInnerny and Jane Horrocks play the Smythe-Gherkins, the villainous upper-class neighbors set on winning the contest purely for prestige since they don’t need the monetary reward.

• Nick Frost excels as a hippy horticulturist.
• The antagonists bring humorous conflict as wealthy rivals.
• Young Dominic McLaughlin stars as Charlie’s pal Oliver.

Youthful Talent and Filmmaking Style

Though his Scottish accent seems somewhat out of place in this context, his subtle performance and comic timing are so skillful it’s no surprise he was chosen for a major role in a future show. Director John McPhail keeps a buoyant comedy tone and stays unobtrusive with what is meant to serve as pre-bedtime entertainment for a specific seasonal period.