Has any author been more made for Lifetime than V.C. Andrews? Nope. So it was no surprise when the network announced that four movies based on the Dollanganger saga would begin airing on its network in 2014. Unlike the 1987 theatrical film, the ending follows the book.
Of course, it’s the same basic story of the Dollanganger children Chris (Mason Dye, MTV’s Teen Wolf), Cathy (Kiernan Shipka, Mad Men and Netflix’s The Thrilling Adventures of Sabrina) and the twins Carrie and Cory who must endure after the death of their father and eventual abandonment by their mother Corrine (Heather Graham) inside the attic room of their brutal grandmother Olivia (Ellen Burstyn).
However, where the original film only hinted at the incest between Chris and Cathy, this one uses it as the bait to keep you watching the movie. Hey — it’s 2019. For some reason, 90% of all pornography seems to be incest based these days. Perhaps V.C. Andrews was on to something.
Instead of trying to tie the ending off with a neat — or poorly realized — ending, this time the story naturally leads to the second book of the series, Petals on the Wind, which aired four months later.
I’m pleased to state that I have all four of these films — are you surprised? — and I didn’t even wait for the four pack from Walmart. No, I have them all individually because I bought them the moment they came out. Not every movie has doughnuts killing mice and children, you know.
