Grow Review – A Refined Gourd Cultivation Adventure Filled with Lively Appeal and Comedic Talent
This upbeat British children's film boasts a team of five scribes listed for the screenplay, including two who contributed “extra content”. This could explain why the narrative rhythm unfold with such metronomic precision, while the personalities feel as if they were cultivated hydroponically in a lab. Paradoxically, the backdrop is a homestead farm where farm-owner Dinah, an agronomist chooses organic methods after being inspired by her gifted niece Charlie, who can sense plants’ emotions through touch.
A Budding Relationship and a Contest-Winning Gourd
Having only recently met, for motives the otherwise sleek screenplay doesn't clarify, Dinah and Charlie get to know each other over several seasons – which aligns with the duration needed to cultivate a pumpkin for the annual village competition. Charlie hopes to use the prize money to find her mother, said to have left for become a movie star in California.
The supporting cast is filled with charming comic performances by veteran British actors.
Star-Studded Appearances and Villainous Rivals
The mother character eventually appears portrayed by a familiar face, who, like Rosheuvel, comes from in popular series. Additionally, the lineup features an eccentric gardener played by Nick Frost, who offers pumpkin-growing tips to Dinah and Charlie. Meanwhile, Tim McInnerny and Jane Horrocks play the Smythe-Gherkins, the evil local elites set on winning the contest purely for prestige since they don’t need the cash prize.
- Nick Frost excels as a hippy horticulturist.
- The antagonists bring humorous conflict as wealthy rivals.
- Young Dominic McLaughlin plays Charlie’s school friend Oliver.
Youthful Talent and Directorial Flair
Though his Scottish accent seems somewhat out of place in this context, his dry underplaying and comic timing are so adept it’s no surprise he has been cast for a major role in an upcoming series. Filmmaker John McPhail keeps a buoyant comedy tone and doesn’t interfere with what is destined to serve as pre-bedtime entertainment during a particular time of year.
