Flowers in the Attic

In Gladstone, Pennsylvania, the Dollanganger family enjoys a brief, idyllic life until father Christopher dies in a car accident. Corrine, now burdened by debt, resolves to return to Foxworth Hall in Virginia to win back her father's favor and secure a place in the will. She declares that by reclaiming Malcolm Foxworth's favor, the family's future will be saved.

Corrine informs Chris, Cathy, and the twins that they must hide in a secluded upstairs room at Foxworth Hall until their grandfather dies. She swears it will only be for a few days, and promises eventual freedom if she can secure the will. The family travels to Virginia with a heavy sense of foreboding.

The Grandmother locks the children in a bedroom connected to the attic and forbids any noise or contact between boys and girls. The attic becomes the only space where they can play, while the world outside seems to forget they exist. The confinement lasts long beyond anyone’s expectations.

The Grandmother reveals to Corrine that disinheritance stemmed from the revelation that Corrine's first marriage produced children from incest, making the family suspect in Malcolm Foxworth's eyes. She believes the children are the Devil's spawn and enforces strict moral boundaries, including prohibiting contact between siblings. Corrine's plan to regain the will becomes even more ominous.

A year passes and Chris and Cathy enter puberty, developing dangerous feelings for one another in the crowded attic. They do their best to deny their attraction, clinging to memories of the imaginary garden they built. The twins’ health declines as sunlight and nutrition grow scarce.

The Grandmother catches Chris gazing at Cathy and punishes them by cutting off food for more than two weeks. Starvation tightens its grip as hunger gnaws at them and they cling to the hope that Corrine will return to rescue them. Food and warmth become precious commodities in the attic.

Another year passes and Corrine visits with her husband Bart on a European honeymoon, leaving the children to fend for themselves. The sight of her sporadic returns drives Chris and Cathy to plan an escape for the twins’ sake. They understand that waiting for Corrine may mean watching their health fail completely.

Chris resumes stealing from Corrine’s rooms, taking cash and jewelry to fund their life outside Foxworth Hall. He also crafts a wooden skeleton key, allowing them to move more freely between floors. Cathy joins in the scheme, and they both navigate the peril of getting caught.

One night Cathy discovers her sleeping stepfather; she kisses him, and Chris, blinded by jealousy, rapes Cathy. He later regrets the act while Cathy wrestles with guilt and conflicting emotions due to her love for Chris. The incident leaves them emotionally fractured and more determined to leave.

Cory becomes deathly ill, and Corrine hesitates to take him to a hospital. Cathy pressures Corrine to act, threatening to reveal their existence to the grandfather. Corrine finally takes Cory away, but he dies of pneumonia the following morning.

Chris learns Corrine and Bart have left Foxworth Hall permanently. He overhears the Grandmother’s plan of poisoning the attic by leaving doughnuts and tainted food, realizing Cory’s death may have been arsenic poisoning. He discovers that the grandmother has been feeding them poison for years.

The children finally leave Foxworth Hall and catch a train to Florida, clinging to each other for safety. Chris reveals that Corrine’s inheritance hinges on her having no children from her first marriage, sealing their grim fate. They decide not to contact authorities, but Cathy vows to someday make Corrine pay for her crimes.