In 1979, V.C. Andrews wrote an equally popular and controversial book called Flowers in the Attic. The book follows the story of the Dollanganger children who have recently lost their father, Christopher Dollanganger, Sr., in a terrible car accident.
The family consists of the eldest son, Chris, the eldest daughter, Cathy, the twins, Cory and Carrie, and their newly widowed mother, Corrine. After the death of her husband, Corrine explains to her four children that they cannot continue to live at their home, but says that they can relocate to her mother and father’s home.
Corrine had been disowned by her parents for her incesteous relationship with Christopher, who was her father’s half-brother and Corrine’s half-uncle. Despite this, Corrine’s mother, Olivia Foxworth, agrees to take in her daughter with the condition that her kids stay hidden in the attic, away from their gravely ill grandfather.
Their grandmother gives them a basket of food every day, but demands that they do not speak a word to her and that they do an ungodly amount of chores up in the attic. She also calls them the “devil’s spawn” and constantly accuses Chris and Cathy of being romantically involved (which they do eventually become).
Flowers in the Attic was adapted into a film in 1987, but was given very poor reviews by movie critics. Also, it contained many plot changes and general differences from the book.
Now, 27 years after that less than successful movie, the Lifetime television network decided to film their own take on Flowers in the Attic. Lifetime’s highly anticipated version aired on January 18, 2014 and featured Heather Graham as Corrine, Ellen Burstyn as Olivia, and Kiernan Shipka as Cathy.
Overall, Lifetime’s adaptation was much more faithful to V.C. Andrews’ novel, with only the most outrageous and absurd parts cut out or replaced. For example, unlike the 1987 film, adolescent siblings Cathy and Chris do commit incest, but a scene in the book where Olivia whips them both into concussions was not added in.
Flowers in the Attic has become the most watched basic cable original movie since 2012, with 6.1 million views. This makes it one of Lifetime’s most successful (if not their most successful) movies to date, beating out Lizzie Borden Took an Ax by nearly 2 million views.
Because of the incredible success of the movie, Lifetime has begun the production of Petals on the Wind, the sequel to Flowers in the Attic. If the sequel gets the same great reception as Flowers in the Attic, Lifetime will have a million dollar franchise in its hands.
