This is How Movies Should Be Made

Fantastic!

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

I too was a huge V.C. Andrew's series fan, during its day. It was fascinating to read such intensive, dark, and emasculating drama about an incestuous family's dysfunctional journey through future generations.However this film adaption is far from the book series' justice. Only Louise Fletcher as the cruel grandmother, delivers any real or decent performance. Now I've always liked Kristy Swanson during her teen years, in the many TV movies and smaller roles she's played, and Jeb Stuart pulled off some decent supporting roles himself, in some classic 80's teen movies. However, direction did not pull much justice of intensity for either one of their characters in this. At times their Chris and Cathy's are plain flat or just whiny. And their 'interaction' with the mother, also falls flat.And Victoria Tennant. Get me started on her. The former Mrs. Steve Martin (Yes, the famous comic actor who seasoned during SNL) is as bad or flat an actress is bad-acting can nose-dive. She always was noted as mediocre. And here, she is less than such. Barely believable as Corrine, in spite any proper direction she was allotted during shoot. Mostly she was down right boring, especially the attic scenes.Jeffrey Bloom's overall direction is just okay. Only Oscar-winner Louise Fletcher delivers any such notable performance.

Although this adaptation of Virginia Andrew's dark series has not done justice to her writing, the film is still dark, eerie and captures the main essence of the book.Although it lagged action at times and drags, the story is unique and captivating. The acting of the Grandmother is freaky and it is definitely a film I would watch again.I am interested in the 2014 remake, I am sure with the quality of films made these days we are in for a treat.However, this is the classic adaptation and I think the children were conveyed well and their stories were told in this film.Even if you are not a V.A fan, still a good film to watch.

Fine to watch if your bored on a Sunday afternoon!OK, so it's not fine as in fine, leaves a lot to be desired... the older kids could have taken out both the mother and grandmother so many times and just walked away. The oldest girl..Cathy? yeah... UGLY!! sorry, couldn't act to save her life and was almost wooden! The obvious wig scene well... enough please!The oldest boy, Christopher could have easily ruled the house, big strong, wuss... pussy... sorry can't get that excited over it. The other two kids, cute, boring, pathetic! Slightly badly written for movie. Could have been much better. Waste of both my time and energy!

To begin with, this viewer has to admit that he hasn't ever read the phenomenally successful novel on which this movie is based, and therefore can't judge it as an adaptation, although fans of the book make it quite clear that this utterly fails in that regard. I was aware that this movie, rated PG-13, waters down some of the elements of the novel such as incest and sadism. Taken on its own, I also have to admit I found this movie reasonably grim and compelling. The basic story is a good one: a family is thrown into turmoil upon the death of the father, whereupon the mother must desperately turn to her own mother for food and shelter. Unfortunately, the four children eventually realize that they're trapped in the grandparents' opulent mansion, specifically the attic. Ugly truths and true natures come to the surface as the mother seems to stop caring about her kids at all. The movie does indeed get a lot out of the casting in the central roles. Louise Fletcher in particular is excellent in the kind of ice cold villainess part that became her stock in trade. I don't know about any other viewers out there, but *I* certainly wouldn't want Nurse Ratched for a grandmother. Victoria Tennant is good as the mother with a secret to hide; she initially earns some sympathy but loses it before too long. Kristy Swanson, Jeb Stuart Adams, Ben Ryan Ganger, and Lindsay Parker are all likable enough as the troubled kids. Once "Flowers in the Attic" approaches its finale, one can feel their blood turn cold when they see just how evil and selfish the people in this story can be. The material does hit a nerve. At the least, this has served to make me want to read the novel after which I too may very well seethe about what could / should have been. For now I see it as a halfway decent melodrama / thriller, that does benefit from beautiful music by Christopher Young and a sober enough tone. Author V.C. Andrews does a cameo as a window washer. Six out of 10.