Flowers in the Attic

After the accidental death of her husband, destitute Corinne moves back to her parents' huge, remote estate with her four children. It is the first time in 17 years that she has seen her devout parents again, because when Corinne decided to marry her own uncle, she was disowned by her parents and disinherited by her father. While Corinne continues to endure her mother's (Louise Fletcher) humiliations, the four children are locked away in the attic of the estate. However, the children, who are kept away from the outside world, are not the only secret being kept within the walls of the magnificent estate... The Gothic novel of the same name, published in 1979 by American author V. C. Andrews, sold over 40 million copies worldwide and spawned several sequels and film adaptations. At the time, the novel's theme of incest between two adolescents caused controversy among literary critics, leading some schools and libraries in the United States to refuse to stock it or to remove it from their collections following protests. In his film adaptation, director Jeffrey Bloom toned down the sadistic and sexual connotations of the novel, focusing instead on atmospheric camera work.