I read the book "Flowers in the Attic" a number of years ago around the time when it first came out. I also read all the sequels and still have them on my bookshelf. When I finished one, I couldn't wait for the next one to come out to find out what happened. When the 1987 movie version came out, I was eagerly looking forward to that. I was very disappointed. The only saving grace was Louise Fletcher's portrayal of the grandmother. When this new movie version was advertised, I thought surely it would be better, but it wasn't. First, the acting was very poor. The actress who played Cathy was particularly unsuitable. As one reviewer pointed out, Cathy was supposed to have this mane of beautiful blonde hair, not the shoulder-length, scraggly hair that was on her portrayer. A wig would have been a big improvement. She seemed to be just going through the motions, not putting much effort into the part. EllenBurstyn is always good, and she was in this too. She could've been far better and more impressive if she had been given better material to work with. As several other reviewers pointed out, the movie seemed very rushed, and there was so discernible difference with the kids, in looks or activities, as their stay in the attic increased. Without any warning, they were there a month, then along comes two years, and they still seemed the same as they did when they first arrived. I kept hoping as the movie went along it would get better, but it seemed to get more rushed as it went along, especially towards the end. The book was far superior.
