Flowers in the Attic (1987)

Nice effects though.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

"Flowers" is a film based on the cult novel by VC Andrews. There are secrets Chris (Jeb Stuart Adams) and Cathy (Kristy Swanson) never knew about their parents. After their father dies, the teenage siblings, along with their younger brother and sister, are sent to live with their cruel grandmother, Olivia (Louise Fletcher). Olivia is disgusted by the children -- she knows their mother (Victoria Tennant) and father were actually cousins -- and locks the brood in the attic. The kids then try to keep their spirits high in spite of their bleak situation.Now this film was re-shot and re-edited without the directors approval. The producers harmed the narrative of the story because the test audience was appalled by the incest theme-however that is what drove the book sales and made it almost mandatory reading for the JR High Set. Now the original version did "Stick close" to the source material. However when they tested the the film to girls around 13 they hated the scenes with incest themes. THE FILM SHOULD OF BEEN FILMED AS A R RATED FILM. Well that is understandable but the book had already been around for over 5 years and the girls that first read the book were now old enough to see an R RATED FILM. For years people have wanted to see the original directors cut. What is not known is who owns the film now? New World Cinema? MGM? Now if they own the film do they own the outtakes? Most importantly if a company wants to fund the restoration of the directors cut can they? Is the footage still around?

I thought it was a good movie. The acting was flawless. I thought the children did a great job of portraying the characters very well. Louise Fletcher was strong but I just kept thinking that if she was that religious then the director should have developed her character a little more and show us why she became what she was. I wanted to know more about her character. Also the mother's character changes and we don't really get to understand why she became just like her mother. The story itself was strong and I could sympathize for the children who were really powerful and totally believable. Very few films like these are being made now. The sets were historic and cinematography beautiful.

After the death of their father, teenagers Chris (Jeb Stuart Adams) and Cathy (Kristy Swanson), the twins Cory and Carrie, and their mother Corrine Dollanganger (Victoria Tennant) are forced to return to her parents' home. Their religious grandparents Malcolm and Olivia Foxworth (Louise Fletcher) had disinherited their mother a long time ago but she intends to win back her inheritance. The kids are locked away in the attic. Olivia reveals that their father is actually their mother's uncle. Even their mother visits them less and less as time goes on.There are changes from the book but none of them actually makes the movie better. It's questionable that the book would make a great movie anyways. I think it's possible to turn it into a good horror movie. Also the movie probably needs a mystery to be revealed. Olivia reveals the secret right away. It's a bland telling that hints at something more sexualized. It isn't thrilling or scary. The dialog is a bit clunky. The actors seem able but the script just isn't willing.

This movie "Flowers in the Attic" in a way is similar to a film from 15 years earlier called "Demons of the Mind" (1972) - both films are good. If you like one then you might like the other.I have never read the book "Flowers in the Attic" so I cannot judge book vs movie - however I can judge the film on how well I liked it and this one I quite liked... yes it is a movie that is hard to watch but I still find it a good film nevertheless.Like most others who have seen the film, I too find Louise Fletcher's performance as the grandmother very good. I also quite liked Victoria Tennant's performance just as much. Both are outstanding in this film.9/10