I'm starting to think my mom would enjoy prison, as long as she gets sentenced to the country-club haven featured in Greenfingers. Based on a true story (see the 1998 New York Times article entitled "Free To Grow Bluebells in England") prisoners garden their hearts out to pass their lonely days.
Set in one of Britains "alternative prisons," where inmates are chosen on their potential for rehabilitation, Greenfingers follows Colin Briggs, jailed for accidentally killing his younger brother, as he plants a small violet garden in the prison's recreational yard, only to realize the peace and joy involved in maintaining a garden.
Enter the British version of Martha Stewart, Georgina Woodhouse (Mirren) to profile the inmates endeavors. Georgina is impressed by Colin and company, and decides to sponsor them in the highly competitive Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Their exposure increases, and Colin even gets a love interest in Georgina's lovely daughter, the aptly named Primrose (Natasha Little). From this point on, stereotypes run rampant and there isn't even a nice prison brawl to break up the monotony. Set out to be a tale of conquering adversity in the state prison system, the movie becomes an advertisement encouraging hard crime, as its inmates are given more of a holiday than a prison sentence.
