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This upbeat British children's film boasts a team of five scribes listed with the script, with a pair who contributed “extra content”. This could explain why the story beats progress with clockwork accuracy, while the personalities seem as though they were developed hydroponically in a lab. Ironically, the setting is a family-run farm where farm-owner Dinah, an agronomist decides to go organic motivated by her gifted niece Charlie, who feels the feelings of plants through touch.

A Growing Bond and a Contest-Winning Gourd

Recently introduced, for reasons the otherwise polished script doesn't clarify, Charlie and Dinah bond with one another over several seasons – which coincides with the time required to grow a pumpkin for the local yearly contest. Charlie hopes to utilize the award cash 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.

Notable Cameos and Villainous Rivals

The mother character eventually appears portrayed by a well-known actress, who, like Rosheuvel, comes from in hit shows. Additionally, the cast includes an eccentric gardener portrayed by Nick Frost, who provides advice on growing pumpkins for the duo. At the same time, Jane Horrocks and Tim McInnerny depict the Smythe-Gherkins, the villainous upper-class neighbors determined to win the contest for glory alone as they lack need for 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.

Young Actor's Skill and Directorial Flair

While his Scottish tone appears a bit random in this context, his dry underplaying and comic timing are so adept it’s no surprise he was chosen 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 be suitable pre-bedtime entertainment for a specific seasonal period.