Petals on the Wind (2014)

In this sequel to "Flowers in the Attic" Cathy gets her revenge against her evil mother and grandmother. I just remember the actress who was Cathy was named Rose and I don't really remember the last name all that well! Cathy wants to have a normal life and she wants that for her older brother Chris and younger sister Carrie, but the horrible life she had at Foxworth Hall has her in its grip! Chris wants to move on with medical school and dating Sarah, the daughter of his instructor but he still has less than pure feelings for Cathy. Unfortunately for Sarah, he acts on those feelings and the relationship and potential marriage go to hell! Carrie, the sister who suffered the loss of her twin brother, Cory suffers in another way: she has not grown very tall, carries a doll around, and is teased mercilessly by the snobby girls at the boarding school she attends. Cathy is also abused by Julian, the son of her ballet instructor. She stays with him because she thinks he can make her a big star and the fact that she is carrying his unborn son is another factor. He dies later in a car crash. Into all of this, Corinne comes back as Bart Winslow's wife. Bart wants to have kids with her, but Corinne can never have children. Heather Graham brings her A-game with Corinne's selfishness and shallowness. Corinne hates caring for the scary grandmother of the kids who has had a stroke and is basically helpless. Ellen Burstyn is great as the grandmother who despite the stroke knows the evil things Corinne has done to her children and she keeps reminding her daughter of the fact. Corinne's evil and greed makes her deny poor Carrie and this drives the girl to eat arsenic laced donuts in the same way Cory did. This kills Carrie and Cathy has her revenge at last! She has an affair with Bart Winslow and conceives his child. She almost assaults the grandmother and comes out at Bart and Corinne's Christmas Party to tell the guests what Corinne did to her kids. The grandmother is of no help to her daughter and in the bedroom, she shows Corinne the trunk with little Cory's rotting corpse inside. This drives Corinne out of her tree and she thinks Chris her son is her husband. She sets fire to the house, killing her mother and Bart. At the end of the movie, the family of Chris and Cathy which includes 2 sons is now living in California under the name Dollanganger. The neighbors think they are so perfect and Corinne is locked up an insane asylum. This movie like the book is a guilty pleasure and all the characters were very good!

After watching LIfetime's attempt at the second novel to screen, it seems as if they are improving...Since I read petals on the wind first, it is my favorite book of the series, mostly because Cathy is brilliant at her revenge plotting against her mother! Unfortunately the movie doesn't pay enough homage to characters like Paul Sheffield but thats alright since we get to see Heather graham portray Corrine exquisitely! She has now proved to be the right choice to play this character, she was wicked and charming and nutty in all the right proportions! Nash and McIver were wonderful, their creepy chemistry was enthralling to say the least. I didn't enjoy the addition of Sarah too much but it was a wonder to see the adoration and torture in the eyes of Christopher for his love of Cathy. Julion was disappointing but entertaining nonetheless. Carrie's character though short lived was done quite well even though her death didn't really tug at my emotional strings.In conclusion I think that Nash, McIver and Graham were a delight and they are the main reason that I gave this movie a 7. I am intrigued to see how they will bring Jory and Bart's outlook to the screen in If There Be Thorns...

The first story in this Dollanganger series was disturbing enough especially the incestuous nature of the storyline. The children have escaped the attic at Foxworth Hall and survived with the help and kindness of Dr. Sheffield. At the beginning of the film, we see his funeral where Cathy had brought the audience up to date. Cathy and her brother Christopher still have a disturbing attachment to each other. The younger sister Carrie never recovered from losing her twin brother Cory. Cathy, Chris, and Carrie have not forgotten the attic nor their mother and grandmother. I have to say the best part of this film is Ellen Burstyn's performance. Even at the end, she is still worth watching. This series is a lot more faithful to the V.C. Andrews' Gothic novel series. It is shocking and disturbing especially the incest element. I'll miss Ellen Burstyn though as the grandmother.

This TV movie version of the beloved cult novel "Petals On the Wind" from Gothic romance author V.C. Andrews, mostly fails for several reasons. Of course it's biggest flaw is the tele-play adaptation. Somebody had the blind arrogance and stupidity to think they could improve on the source material, by making major alterations. Characters and incidents that are imperative to the story are sloppily chopped out of the script. At the same time, newly invented characters are introduced, pointlessly destroying the arc and the rhythm of the story. For instance, Christopher, who was so tortured by his love for his sister in the novel, suddenly finds time to embark on a shallow romance with a twangy speaking Southern airhead named Sara! Their relationship goes as far as the two becoming engaged. Apparently the writers failed to understand that Chris' unswerving devotion to Cathy, was the most tragically romantic aspect of this whole story. The sexy, and dangerous Russian ballet dancer, Julian is suddenly a whiny, un-intimidating Brit. Why? Why castrate one of the most potent and frightening characters in the book like this? I'm guessing the creators of this shallow soap opera were too lazy to do the research, or at least mimic a Russian accent. And remember how evil and terrifying Olivia was in the novel? Not here; now she is a strict, religious fanatic who still has the ability to show sadness and regret for her cruel treatment of the children in the attic. What the hell were they thinking? Apparently the creators of this film had no idea about the dedicated cult following that these novels have. They are loved and remembered by millions of fans throughout the world. Sadly, the movie could have had the same effect, if they didn't tamper so unforgivably with the storyline. Admittadly I did like the movie a bit more the second time around. By that time my expectations were lowered enough to watch it without getting angry. It isn't a total waste, as the V.C. Andrews story still manages to shine through all the horrible alterations. At it's heart, we still have that sad, and doomed love that exists between Chris and Cathy. The actors for the most part, look as they are described in the novels. Ellen Burstyn is a fine actress, and the movie comes alive the few times she is on screen. But again, I can't figure out why she is playing the Grandmother with a sympathetic edge. And at least the movie does have a very pretty look to it, as well as some effective romantic music. But it just isn't enough, for something like this. It's very sad, because with the right screen writer, this thing could have been EPIC. I mean, it's supposed to be an 8 hour production when you put all four movies together. I just wonder why they had to gut and slaughter the source material so much. The third book, "If There Be Thorns" is supposed to be realized into a film next...let's hope they don't try and tweak THAT story. to the creators of this series: Get it right next time..there are people out there that actually care, even if you don't...