1 of the Most-Watched Films on Netflix in the U.S. Is This Adaptation of Hit '70s Gothic Bestselling Novel - MCE Notices | California State Portal

One of the biggest breakout hits currently streaming on Netflix is a surprising one, 2014’s Flower in the Attic. While exciting or dramatic originals are still holding down the Top 10 around the world, the 12-year-old made-for-television movie has crept back into Netflix’s top 10. Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow directed Flowers in the Attic years before she helmed the Disney+ Star Wars series.

Flowers in the Attic is based on the bestselling 1979 novel of the same name by V.C. Andrews. When the made-for-TV adaptation was first announced, there was skepticism about whether this story, which deals with difficult and taboo subjects, could be handled properly by its original network, Lifetime. However, reviews at the time agreed that the network understood its assignment.

Flowers in the Attic is a Dark and Difficult Coming-of-Age Tale

Flowers in the Attic tells the story of the Dollanganger siblings, who have a fairly normal upbringing until their father passes away. This is when their mother Corrine (Heather Graham) moves them to their grandparents’ house, and to say that their grandmother Olivia (Ellen Burstyn) dislikes them would be an understatement.

Locking them in her attic, they begin to find out the truth. Their father was Corrine’s half-uncle, and to get back on the family’s good side, Corrine leaves the children at the family home, Foxworth Hall, where they’re confined to small attic space and must follow incredibly restrictive rules. This continues for years, even as the older siblings, Cathy (Kiernan Shipka) and Chris (Mason Dye), reach puberty, while the development of the young twins, Carrie (Ava Telek) and Cory (Maxwell Kovach), becomes stunted. The less the kids see of their mother and the outside world in general, the more they become dependent on each other to survive.

Flowers in the Attic Has a Long, But Controversial History

Image via Lifetime Networks

Flowers in the Attic was Andrews’ debut novel, and she claimed to have written the initial draft in two weeks and the revisions in one night. Upon publication in 1979, it was an instant bestseller, although critically panned due to the grotesque subject matter. It has also since been a frequently banned and challenged book, with the American Library Association reporting 24 documented attempts at censoring the book in school libraries.

The negative press didn’t stop Andrews, however, as she went on to publish three more books in what would become “The Dollanganger Family Series.” All of her works henceforth would be divided by the families they were based around, and thanks to one other author named Andrew Neiderman, there would be a lot more families to write about.

That’s because Andrews would pass away in 1986, with her family hiring Neiderman as a ghostwriter. This was initially to complete her last two books, which included the final Dollanganger book. However, due to an IRS lawsuit stating that Andrews’ name was a valuable commercial asset, Neiderman has essentially been writing brand-new stories for the estate for the past 40 years.

That said, there is nothing quite like Flowers in the Attic, and if there is any time to finally experience it, the time is now on Netflix. However, if you want to watch any of its three sequels, it might be best to get a Lifetime Movie Club subscription.