Flowers in the Attic

In 1957, the Dollanganger family lives an idyllic life in Gladstone, Pennsylvania. The family consists of 12-year-old Cathy, 14-year-old Chris, 4-year-old twins Carrie and Cory, and their parents Christopher and Corrine. Chris, a PR professional, and Corrine, a housewife, are affectionate and devoted to their children, who in turn think of their parents as perfect.

When Chrisopher dies in a car accident on his 35th birthday, the family is left deep in debt. Corrine decides to move with the children to the home of her estranged wealthy parents in Virginia. Corrine's mother, Olivia, sneaks the family into a room of the mansion that connects to the attic, and insists the children must be hidden from their grandfather. Olivia treats the children with disdain, and threatens to severely punish them for any disobedience. Corrine meets with her father, and when she returns to the children, she has been savagely whipped by Olivia, who then tells the children that their parents were half-uncle and niece; he was their grandfather's younger half-brother. Corrine confirms this and explains her plan to win back her father's love so she can introduce the children to him.

Over time, Cathy and Chris turn the attic into an imaginary garden, educate the twins, and read books stored in the attic. Corrine visits with her children every day, sometimes bringing expensive gifts, and enrolls herself in secretarial school to provide for the children. A year later, however, Corrine's visits start to decline. The children are physically and emotionally abused by their grandmother. On Christmas, Corrine allows Cathy and Chris to watch her Christmas party from a hiding spot, and there, they see their grandfather, Malcolm, for the first time. They also see their mother with their father's attorney, Bart Winslow, who is helping with the grandfather's will. They notice a change in their mother when she slaps Chris for wandering around the mansion and threatens to whip him and Cathy.

Another year later, Cathy and Chris have taken a parental role with the twins, who no longer know Corrine. They have also entered puberty. One day, Chris walks in on Cathy naked and is entranced. Olivia catches them and orders Chris to cut off Cathy's hair as punishment or all four children will not receive food. They refuse, but one night, Olivia drugs Cathy in her sleep and pours tar into her hair. Chris removes the tar but Cathy cuts off her hair anyway to get food for the twins. Corrine visits for the first time in six months, announcing her marriage to Bart and return from their honeymoon in Europe. Cathy and Chris are angry that she was on vacation while they suffered. She refuses to visit again until they apologize, leaving them at the mercy of their grandmother.

Due to the twins' declining health, Cathy and Chris plan an escape. Every night, they sneak into their mother's room to steal money. One night, Cathy goes alone, and finds her stepfather sleeping. Curious, she kisses him. Chris finds out the next day when he overhears Bart talking about it, although Bart thinks it was a dream. Enraged, Chris rapes Cathy. Afterwards, feeling guilty and ashamed, he apologizes and she forgives him. He then confesses that he loves her, and although Cathy reciprocates his feelings, she is unsure how to respond. Soon after, Cory is sick and Cathy demands that her mother get Cory to the hospital. Corrine slaps Cathy, who smacks her back and threatens to get revenge if she doesn't help Cory. Olivia sides with Cathy and they take Cory away. The next day, Corrine tells them Cory died from pneumonia.

Afraid they will die next, Chris decides to take whatever money and jewelry he can find, but instead he finds that his mother and Bart have left for good. He overhears the head butler say that Malcolm died nine months ago and that Olivia has been leaving doughnuts with arsenic in the attic to kill the mice. Chris and Cathy give Cory's pet mouse a doughnut to confirm the story. When the mouse dies, they decide to sneak out of the house the next morning and catch a train to Florida. At the train station, Chris reveals that he also found out that their mother inherited the money on the condition that she has no children, and if proven otherwise, she will lose everything. Their mother has been poisoning them with doughnuts for nine months to secure her inheritance. They decide against going to the police; their main concern is to stay together and be there for Carrie. Chris assures Cathy that they can make a new life without their mother, but Cathy swears that she will get revenge one day.