Flowers In The Attic

It seems that I talk about a lot of films based on books doesn't it? Besides being a fan of cinema, I am also a fan of the written word and I have a collection of books that rivals my DVD collection. Now today's movie I saw before I even read the book it was based on and when I finally read the novel Flowers In The Attic, I became a V.C. Andrews fan on the spot. If you don't know by now, V.C. Andrews died shortly before the movie of her very first novel was released and every book from 1986 onwards has been written by a ghost writer because the estate of Virginia Cleo Andrews is a veritable gold mine. Now the plot of Flowers In The Attic  the movie differs greatly from the original novel (and how!) but right now let's discuss the basic plot.

What Is The Plot?
The Dollanganger Family are a blue-eyed, blonde, healthy All-American family with teenage son Christopher named after his father, teenage Cathy who wants to be a ballerina, and twins Cory and Carrie who are adorable and they all love their father and mother, Corrine, unconditionally. Tragedy strikes when their father is suddenly killed in a car accident and the family finds themselves penniless so Corrine reaches out to her long estranged parents who are very wealthy and her mother agrees to let the five of them come to Foxworth Hall in Virginia on the condition that the children are never to be seen by her husband Malcolm who is dying.

The children are shown to a room beneath the attic by their very cold and overly religious grandmother Olivia who states that she will never show the children kindness or love but will provide them food and shelter and access to the attic to entertain themselves while their mother must try to win back the love and respect of her father. What could their mother have done that was so horrible for her children to be treated this way?  Now Cathy, Chris, Cory and Carrie are going to pay for the sins their mother committed: shut in from the outside world and forced to suffer under their physically and emotionally abusive grandmother as their mother tries to be written back into her dying father's will. Will the children be able to survive their desperate and tragic circumstances or will their innocence wither away like flowers in the attic? 

Now for those of you who have seen the film and/or read the novel of Flowers In The Attic, I know there is a lot I have left out of the plot but for those who have never seen or read Flowers In The Attic, I would be spoiling so much of it for you! One major difference in plot is the fact that Flowers In The Attic as a novel is just the first in a series of five books so the story continues in written form over quite a long span and the movie has no such open ending. There are rumors that a script for the second novel in the series Petals On The Wind was written but never became green-lit and I have feeling that because of the ending the film had might have prevented that.

1987 Film Trailer (slight spoilers) 

Another thing about the plot is if you have ever read a V.C. Andrews novel she has the theme of consensual incest in almost all of her books and since the element of a brother and sister committing this might have given the film a different rating and of course moral guardians of the 80s probably frowned on this being even more heinous than many of the slashers of the era I have talked about. Today a film based around Flowers In The Attic that contains the theme of brother-sister incest and goes by the book (pun intended) to leave it open for the many sequel novels would probably fare better but only time will tell.

Back to the film, the acting in the film at times can seem over the top but taken that the film is a very dramatic take on Gothic horror, it seems fitting in a way. I love Louise Fletcher as the Grandmother she gives a very good interpretation of the character bringing about that cold and heartless exterior on the screen. Victoria Tennant plays Corrine the mother and I never knew that she was a British actress! I could never detect the accent but her portrayal of Corrine to me is absolutely perfect! She has the features of a gorgeous woman who can appear cold when needed and when she smiles and laughs it's hard to resist her charm and she does have some slight resemblance to on-screen daughter Kristy Swanson.

Of course you know that I love Kristy Swanson as I already praised her in my Deadly Friend post (quick fact: Wes Craven who directed Deadly Friend wrote a script for Flowers In The Attic that was rejected by producers for being too gory and violent.) Kristy Swanson gets to do some serious acting here as Cathy and she does very well handling her character. Cathy is much younger in the novel as Swanson was about seventeen maybe eighteen at the time of filming and I think the choice in her being older works and not just because the element of incest might have been present in an earlier script but if a younger actress had been cast I think the maturity of some of Cathy's statements might have been lost if the perfect actress had not been found.

Jeb Stuart Adams who plays Chris does a good job at acting as well. He was in his late 20's when he appeared in this film so he was much older than Chris in the novel but again because of an earlier script an age-up of his character might have been necessary but again maturity makes the role what it is. Of course the age of the twins is perfect and Lindsay Parker and Ben Ganger who play Carrie and Cory respectively are great in a role that requires so much drama for such young actors to handle and they are adorable before the plot of the film takes it very dark turn but even after that they still provide a small glimmer of hope for the viewer in their innocence.

Flowers In The Attic the film may not be as successful as its namesake novel but it has a charm all its own and is full of drama and suspense. Hard as it may be to choose a form but in the end I'd recommend reading the novel just so you can read its sequel novels which extend the story far better than the film. If you happen to be a person who isn't much into reading then the film is just as good to enjoy. If you enjoy both reading and watching movies then I would read the novel after viewing the film because the movie will be a good starting point to introduce you to the novel which will make you a diehard V.C. Andrews fan if you aren't one already. Speaking of which, any book written before 1986 would be a great starting point for you to discover just how great an author she truly was. If Gothic horror and mysteries full of hidden secrets are something you enjoy you won't be disappointed in the least.

Next Blog: A 90s flick that will leave you well a little crushed - The Crush

The Omen: 1976 vs. 2006

Now before when I talked about Carrie from the same year with its own 2002 remake I didn't emphasize it as much even though it was the same thing I am about to do with The Omen. Now mind you this won't be a really heavy handed comparison as both versions of The Omen have a great many similarities except for casting and a few tweaks here and there. Comparing theatrical films to television films is a lot different because its an apple vs. an orange here its like comparing an apple to another apple except one is red and the other is green...see what I mean?

Getting that out of the way...we can focus now on The Omen. Most horror movies like going back to the age old battle of good vs. evil or more importantly God vs. The Devil. Again I am not an overly religious person but I am by no means an atheist or even a Satanist so watching a film like The Omen or The Exorcist does not offend me or make me question my beliefs. That said I can say I have loved The Omen since I first saw it for it tells a story without a lot of gross out like The Exorcist did and the reasons will be clear but first in case you have never seen The Omen...

What's The Plot?
In Rome, U.S. diplomat Robert Thorne rushes to the side of his wife Katherine after learning their newborn son has died just after being delivered. Kathy, as her husband affectionately calls her, does not know yet and a priest named Father Spiletto offers just the solution. Another woman has just died in childbirth leaving a healthy son behind and this child could replace their own lost child to keep Kathy from the pain of losing the baby. Robert agrees and the couple raise the boy they name Damien as their own son while Robert becomes the Ambassador to Great Britain shortly before his son's fifth birthday.

1976 The Omen trailer (SPOILERS!)

On the day of Damien's birthday, an elaborate celebration is marred by tragedy when his nanny hangs herself in view of all the guests. It does not seem to be a suicide as minutes before a strange black dog seems to have swayed the nanny into the act...a dog that only Damien notices with a little kid's wave. The press are all over the suicide and a priest named Father Brennan comes to Robert's office with terrible warnings and crazy claims that he saw Damien's real mother. Robert dismisses the man and as Father Brennan leaves, a photographer named  Jennings snaps a picture. Jennings, who was also at Damien's birthday party, develops his film and finds mysterious flaws in his photos that seem like...omens of bad tidings.

Robert and Katharine soon get a new nanny for Damien named Mrs.Baylock. From the beginning, she makes it known to Damien that she is there to protect him and soon she becomes a driving force between the boy and his parents. She brings in the same mysterious dog spotted earlier by Damien as a watch dog to Robert's great annoyance and questions Katherine as to whether her five year old son should go to an Episcopalian church or even understand the ceremonies. This one point comes into play for as soon as the Thorne family approaches the church, Damien becomes terrified and hysterical to the point where he attacks Katherine violently.

The attack and a visit to the zoo where Damien's very presence agitates the animals into acts of almost aggression starts to get to Katherine. Robert worried about her health sends her to a psychiatrist and finds out Father Brenna is not ready to leave him alone. He meets with the priest who tells him that Damien is the Antichrist...the son of the Devil and that he must be killed. Robert declares him insane and goes to leave but not before Father Brennan telling him about a town called Megido and the monk Bugenhagen  who knows the only way the child can be killed. Shortly after Robert leaves, an ominous storm arises and trying to seek shelter in a church...Father Brenna is struck by lightning and then impaled to death by a falling piece of iron from the roof. The news of Father Brennan's death is the least of Robert's concern because Kathy is becoming afraid of Damien and afraid of having another child like him-she's pregnant and wants an abortion.

2006 The Omen Trailer

When Katherine falls from the second story landing after deliberately being knocked over the railing by Damien, she loses the baby and ends up in the hospital. Robert begins to believe Father Brennan may have been right when Katherine begs for him not to let Damien kill her. Robert is soon contacted by Jennings so he can show Thorne the pictures he had taken of Brennan and Damien's last nanny-the mysterious marks indicate how they would die. Jennings decides to help Robert when it is revealed that he shot a photo of himself and a mark indicates that the photographer will meet the same end. The two men decide to head to Rome to get answers and Robert's final decision is made when he receives news that his wife is dead-Damien must die too.

Will Robert and Jennings be able to stop this demonic child or will hell come to Earth? Can Robert actually kill a child he raised as his own and if he can...will his own soul be damned?

Okay first we talk about what I enjoy from the original 1976 film:



2) Jerry Goldsmith's score is operatic and the Latin chanting is enough to send kills up your spine!

3) The acting is five star!! Gregory Peck is a talented, debonair actor who treats his role as Robert Thorne with the respect it deserves. His chemistry with equally talented Lee Remick is believable and sincere that I can connect with Katherine and Robert Thorne in all they go through. Billie Whitelaw plays Mrs. Baylock and boy does she scare the crap out of me when it calls for her character to do so!! When not being creepy, she seems like such a nice lady and that makes Billie Whitelaw a superb actress as she is also theater trained and a very sometimes overlooked and unappreciated actress.

The only real problem I have with this version is that the boy who plays Damien, Harvey Stephens. He is just too cute to be such an evil child but I guess you would want him to look misleading right? Even so he also doesn't act evil he just seems to act like any normal child behaving precociously and getting into mischief.

The 2006 remake makes only a few tweaks to the original story plot so mainly there are three points I can discuss:

1) Music: I miss Jerry Goldsmith's score because it effectively is chilling. Marco Beltrami's score is not as intense but it is still okay since he scores a lot of horror/suspense/thriller films.

2) Atmosphere: There is a lot creepy imagery trying to overcompensate in scaring you along with jarring cues. The original was less slick and not constantly ominous. Basically, the same as any horror film of this age-it lacks tact and subtlety.

3) Acting: I love Julia Stiles and having a slightly younger Katherine makes her very identifiable but there is something that kind of throws me off Julia. She emotes well in her facial expressions but she is a drama actress so that is kinda of her thing but she lacks Lee Remick's subtlety. Liev Schreiber is attractive its true and he has a nice speaking voice but I always seem to find Liev's performances as wooden-a handsome man just carved out of very pretty wood. Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick looks more like the son of the Devil compared to Harvey Stephens' portrayal but now it seems like they tried too hard to make him look creepy and when children creep you out...I find it disturbing. Since The Omen, he has not been seen in anything else because I believe they have now type-casted that poor boy.

The weirdest choice in casting though has to be...Mia Farrow as Mrs. Baylock? Now I love and adore Mia Farrow for all her philanthropic work in Africa and with children and her acting is phenomenal but...WTF ? I guess it is a reverse of the 1976 version where the nanny was creepy and the child looked innocent or maybe it's because she was in Rosemary's Baby where she played the mother of the Antichrist and now she kind of is playing "mommy" again...I really don't know. She doesn't do a bad job but really I don't want to picture Mia Farrow being creepy and luckily... I don't because the woman is such an angel.

So if I had to choose or give you advice to which one I like better: 1976 version of The Omen wins hands down!! The remake is okay but the gimmick of slick, horrific imagery and the weird casting choices  is enough evidence presented to make the original reign supreme. If you have not seen either version...check out the 1976 film first and then watch the remake and decide for yourself. If you have seen the remake and not the original...do so now or when you get the time. If you have seen the original Omen and are curious about the remake...you already seen it.

Quit while you are ahead, my friend.

Next Blog: We step back into familiar territory...vampire films!! If you like vampires I hope you will enjoy my very special interview...with a vampire! Yes from page to screen...Interview With The Vampire.