Flowers in the Attic (1987)

Director:

Jeffrey Bloom

Writers:

Virginia C. Andrews (novel)
Jeffrey Bloom (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 November 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

They have come to a house where secrets are kept....where the future is haunted by the past.....where the innocent live in the shadow of sin.....where a dark legacy awaits to destroy all who defy it.....

Plot:

Children are hidden away in the attic by their conspiring mother and grandmother.

Plot Keywords:

Attic | Mansion | Grandmother | Children | Captive

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Louise Fletcher	...	Grandmother
Victoria Tennant	...	Mother
Kristy Swanson	...	Cathy
Jeb Stuart Adams	...	Chris
Ben Ryan Ganger	...	Cory
Lindsay Parker	...	Carrie
Marshall Colt	...	Father
Nathan Davis	...	Grandfather
Brooke Fries	...	Flower Girl
Alex Koba	...	John Hall
Leonard Mann	...	Bart Winslow
Bruce Neckels	...	Minister
Gus Peters	...	Caretaker
Clare Peck	...	Narrator (voice) (as Clare C. Peck)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Virginia C. Andrews	...	Window Washing Maid (uncredited)

Directed by
Jeffrey Bloom

Writing credits
Virginia C. Andrews		(novel) (as V.C. Andrews)
Jeffrey Bloom		(screenplay)

Produced by
Charles W. Fries	....	executive producer (as Charles Fries)
Thomas Fries	....	producer (as Tom Fries)
Sy Levin	....	producer
Mike Rosenfeld	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
Frank Byers		(director of photography)
Gil Hubbs		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Thomas Fries		(as Tom Fries)
Gregory F. Plotts

Casting by
Penny Perry

Production Design by
John Muto

Set Decoration by
Michele Starbuck

Costume Design by
Ann Somers Major

Makeup Department
Kathy W. Estocin	....	hair stylist (as Cathy Estocin)
Pat Gerhardt	....	additional makeup artist
Dennis Glas	....	additional makeup artist (as Dennis Glass)
Robert Hallowell II	....	hair stylist (as Robert Hallowell)
Robin L. Neal	....	makeup artist (as Robin Neal)

Production Management
S. Bryan Hickox	....	co-executive in charge of production
William J. Hole Jr.	....	unit production manager (as William Hole)
William P. Owens	....	executive production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Douglas Dean III	....	second assistant director (as Douglas F. Dean III)
Peter Gries	....	first assistant director (as Peter S. Gries)

Art Department
Rick Bailey	....	carpenter
John Ballowe	....	assistant art director
Paul Berglund	....	swing gang
Christine Bodine	....	scenic artist (as Chris Bodine)
Scot Broadus	....	lead person
Mary Brown	....	scenic artist
Michael Brown	....	swing gang
David Cardinal	....	carpenter
Jose Cobos	....	carpenter
Richard Dearborn	....	swing gang
Richard L. Doucette	....	carpenter: Massachusetts (as Richard Lyle Doucette)
Joseph F. Douchette	....	carpenter: Massachusetts
William B. Fosser	....	assistant art director (as William R. Foster)
Betty Alice Fowler	....	assistant set decorator: Massachusetts
Lori Gark	....	scenic artist
Joseph Giordano Jr.	....	art department assistant: Massachusetts
Terry Haskell	....	property master
Ralph Hassman	....	construction foreman
William Jones	....	property assistant
Kristen Kelly	....	set dresser (as Kristin Kelly)
Don Larson Jr.	....	carpenter (as Don Larson)
Gabrielle Liuzzi	....	swing gang
William Luca	....	art department assistant: Massachusetts
Marco López	....	swing gang (as Marco Lopez)
Thomas Morris	....	carpenter
Craig Newhouse	....	set dresser
Frank Palazzo	....	construction foreman
Paul Plamondon	....	art department assistant: Massachusetts
Clare Scarpulla	....	draughtsperson
Ray Stoddard	....	construction coordinator
Jim Wood	....	construction coordinator
Tom Jung	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist (as Vanessa Crosby)
Bob Beher	....	sound apprentice (as Bob Behr)
Patrick Bietz	....	sound assistant (as Patrick M. Beitz)
Arnold Braun	....	sound mixer
Joseph D. Citarella	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Joe Citarella)
Holly Davis	....	sound effects editor
Jonathan D. Evans	....	sound engineer
Kevin Hearst	....	adr editor
Kevin Hearst	....	dialogue editor
Grover B. Helsley	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Grover Helsley)
Dave Kulczycki	....	sound effects editor (as David Kulczycki)
F. Hudson Miller	....	sound effects editor
R.J. Palmer	....	supervising sound editor
Sam Perry	....	boom operator
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Kelly Tartan	....	sound effects editor
Ray West	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Lewis Yewdall	....	sound designer

Special Effects by
Richard Albain	....	special effects: A&A (as Dick Albain)

Stunts
Kerrie Cullen	....	stunts (as Kerry Cullen)
Christopher Doyle	....	stunts
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (as Jeanie Epper)
Emil Farkas	....	stunt coordinator
John Vincent Mason	....	stunt double
Dawn Nallick	....	stunts
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunts (as Debbie Ross)
Ric Roman Waugh	....	stunts (as Rick Waugh)
David Zellitti	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Byers	....	camera operator
Norman Currier	....	gaffer: Massachusetts
Deloss Douchette Jr.	....	gaffer: Massachusetts
Ernest Douchette	....	gaffer: Massachusetts
Richard E. Douchette	....	grip: Massachusetts
Lex DuPont	....	first assistant camera
Bobby Ferrara	....	gaffer
Alice Fries	....	still photographer
Robert King	....	electrician
Edwin Thomas Lyon Sr.	....	generator operator (as Edwin Lyons Sr.)
Brian McLaughlin	....	still photographer
Mike Moad	....	dolly grip
Tim Moore	....	key grip (as Timothy Moore)
Phillip Napi Jr.	....	grip: Massachusetts
Richard Osborn Jr.	....	second assistant camera (as Rick Osborn)
Les Percy	....	best boy grip
Stephen Price	....	electrician: Massachusetts
Joe Rowan	....	electrician
Mark Spitzer	....	electrician
Bruce Swift	....	grip
Jim Thorpe	....	best boy electric

Casting Department
Jill Alman	....	extras casting
Megan Branman	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Donna D. Casey	....	costume assistant (as Donna Casey)
Marguerite Topping	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Edward Briggs	....	color timer
David Newhouse	....	editorial consultant
Ed Richards	....	negative cutter
Lee Tabacchi	....	apprentice film editor

Music Department
Don Davis	....	conductor: orchestra
John Mick	....	music editor
Susan Mick	....	music editor
Jeff Vaughn	....	score mixer
Paul Francis Witt	....	musical consultant
Anne Atkins Young	....	music supervisor
Mark Zimoski	....	consultant: percussion

Transportation Department
Angelo Capodano	....	driver (as Angelo Capodanno)
Carlo Giannelli	....	driver captain: Massachusetts
Bob Hendrix	....	transportation coordinator
Mike Hendrix	....	driver
Howard Jackson	....	driver (as Howard M. Jackson)
Peri Kittell	....	driver (as Peri Kittel)
Ronald Linxwiler	....	driver (as Ronald L. Linxwiler)
Ernest C. Molina	....	driver (as Ernest Molina)
Paul Muhe	....	driver
Ted Schambers	....	driver (as Ted B. Schambers)

Other crew
Jennifer Benson	....	production secretary: Massachusetts
Tom Calderaro	....	synthesizer programmer
Pavel Cerny	....	location manager
Karen Cohen	....	production accountant
Thomas Farr	....	production assistant (as Tom Farr)
Andrea Goodman	....	production secretary
Jill Gurr	....	script supervisor
John Lord Hastings	....	craft service (as John Hastings)
Suzanne Hobbs	....	production secretary: Massachusetts
Frank Kosa	....	production assistant: Massachusetts
Charles Mcdonald	....	title designer (as Charles McDonald)
Vince Panatiere	....	unit publicist
Rita Rokisky	....	production coordinator
Louis Smallwood	....	welfare worker
Joan Stevenson	....	production controller
Paul Van Zyl	....	production assistant
Steve Clayton	....	set security (uncredited)

Thanks
Virginia C. Andrews	....	in memory of (as V.C. Andrews)

Production Companies

• Fries Entertainment

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Highlight Video (West Germany) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• New World Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Transvídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (video) (VOD)

Special Effects

• A&A Special Effects (as A&A)

Other Companies

• Atmosphere Agency  extras casting
• Howard Anderson Company, The  titles and opticals (as Howard A. Anderson Co.)
• K!SSPROOF Entertainment  cast appearance booking
• Michaelson's  catering
• Mount St. Mary's College  the producers wish to thank (as Mount Saint Mary's College)
• Ocean Way Recording  music recorded at (as Ocean Way Recording Studios)
• Our Secret Jewelers  the producers wish to thank
• Ryder Sound Services  sound re-recording
• Stellar Artists  extra casting: Massachusetts (as Stellar Artists and Entertainment)
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)  the producers wish to thank (as University of California at Los Angeles)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | West Germany:16 (f) | Singapore:PG | Iceland:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #28580) | UK:PG (heavily cut) (self applied TV rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Brazil:12 | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Castle Hill, Crane Estate - 280 Argilla Road, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Fries Entertainment

Trivia:

Cameo: [Virginia C. Andrews]the author of "Flowers In The Attic" appears as a window washer.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the party when Corinne and her date are dancing, she is wearing a strapless dress and there are clearly no scars or any indication that she was beaten with a whip.

Quotes:

Cathy:Do you need to use the bathroom?
Chris:No.
Cathy:Not even to brush your teeth?
Chris:I don't feel like it tonight.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: Episode #1.6" (1989)

Just re-watched this the other day

As a young child I remember my mother watching this movie and having the titles in book form. V.C. Andrews book, when I read it myself wasn't that bad, actually it was very good! Sadly as in most cases the movie just wasn't as good as the book.

The story revolves around a family who at one time was very happy indeed. However as this movie shows they hit hard times. I won't say how because that would give away major plot points for you. After these unhappy turn of events they, I mean the four children and their mother, all have to return in poverty and destitution to their grandmother's home for help. The mother has a plan to win back her father's love to inherit a fortune the likes the kids had never dreamed. When the group enters the grounds of the ornate mansion we are treated to the main villain of the movie....Grandmother, and her bodyguard/servant John The Butler. Needless to say Grandmother is less than thrilled to see her daughter after umpteen years and bringing four unwanted "Spawn of the Devil" with her. This, sadly is what she refers to them as.

Grandmother, as she is called is played wonderfully by Louise Fletcher. Granted I'm a fan of Kristy Swanson, but this is a movie made before she really got good roles such as Buffy. However this movie has only Mrs. Fletcher to lean back upon as the ONLY person who really CAN act.

Grandmother makes life hell for the children, and punishes the mother for leaving with her husband years earlier. Eventually Mother as she is referred to tells the children of an attic above their room. For months they use this place to escape the harsh reality around them. As time continues pressing on they realize Mother doesn't love them as much as they had originally thought, and decide its time once and for all to make a break for it.

The movie is very depressing, and I think this is what the film is supposed to do. I believe the director wanted you to feel as they did, hopeless and trapped in that attic as the kids were. For that I give it a 5/10, because in some areas it does succeed, and Mrs. Fletcher's acting really does get you angry at her character. Otherwise I count off for bad-acting, scenes which made no sense at times, and plot points which were utterly useless (the list of rules which was never expounded upon, certain other key moments as well) if you watch you'll understand what I mean. Also the time frame for which these events took place also seem out of order, which if I remember correctly were very detailed in the book.

To me its good for a one time watch but there are better movies which succeed at doing what this one tries to do. I re-watched it the other day and remembered it being very good when I was younger. However now it seems more like a straight-to-video diatribe which I could've easily bypassed completely.