Film Review: Flowers in the Attic
Film: Flowers in the Attic (2014). Young Actress: Kiernan Shipka, age 13.
This TV remake of the 1987 film, based on the bestselling book about four siblings forced to live in an attic by their evil grandmother, delivers everything that you would expect from a Lifetime movie: a plodding pace, cringe-worthy script, and constant cliches. And that's not even the worst thing about it. Easily the two worst things about this movie are Heather Graham ( Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer) and Mason Dye, who play Kiernan's mom and brother. They both give such distractingly, almost-unwatchably bad performances that even as a big Kiernan fan, I could barely sit through the whole thing. As for the rest of the cast, Ellen Burstyn ( When a Man Loves a Woman) seems to embrace the campy, over-the-top element of her role as the fanatic grandmother, which I guess is necessary when you have to deliver lines like, “God sees the evil you do behind my back!” Young Ava Telek, as little sister Carrie, was likely cast more for her resemblance to Kiernan than for any talent, and she never really does anything besides throw tantrums in response to her big sister's attempts to make their attic life more comfortable.
Sisters Carrie and Cathy are trapped in a dreary attic, much like Ava and Kiernan are trapped in a dreary film
In the middle of all this, you have Kiernan, who not only stands out as the one with talent, but also as the only cast member who's actually making an effort. Kiernan puts everything into this horrible movie, to the point that I wanted to tell her, “Please, honey, you don't have to bother acting. Look, no one else is.” Between the terrible script and poor directing, Kiernan doesn't seem to know what's expected of her, and after a while, you realize why. Having grown up on the widely-acclaimed TV show Mad Men, this is likely the first time that Kiernan has ever had to work with such bad material. Let's hope that it's also the last, because this girl can definitely do better. It's probably a good thing for Kiernan that she won't be involved in the sequel Petals on the Wind, where Rose McIver will take over her character ten years later.
This TV remake of the 1987 film, based on the bestselling book about four siblings forced to live in an attic by their evil grandmother, delivers everything that you would expect from a Lifetime movie: a plodding pace, cringe-worthy script, and constant cliches. And that's not even the worst thing about it. Easily the two worst things about this movie are Heather Graham ( Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer) and Mason Dye, who play Kiernan's mom and brother. They both give such distractingly, almost-unwatchably bad performances that even as a big Kiernan fan, I could barely sit through the whole thing. As for the rest of the cast, Ellen Burstyn ( When a Man Loves a Woman) seems to embrace the campy, over-the-top element of her role as the fanatic grandmother, which I guess is necessary when you have to deliver lines like, “God sees the evil you do behind my back!” Young Ava Telek, as little sister Carrie, was likely cast more for her resemblance to Kiernan than for any talent, and she never really does anything besides throw tantrums in response to her big sister's attempts to make their attic life more comfortable.
Sisters Carrie and Cathy are trapped in a dreary attic, much like Ava and Kiernan are trapped in a dreary film
In the middle of all this, you have Kiernan, who not only stands out as the one with talent, but also as the only cast member who's actually making an effort. Kiernan puts everything into this horrible movie, to the point that I wanted to tell her, “Please, honey, you don't have to bother acting. Look, no one else is.” Between the terrible script and poor directing, Kiernan doesn't seem to know what's expected of her, and after a while, you realize why. Having grown up on the widely-acclaimed TV show Mad Men, this is likely the first time that Kiernan has ever had to work with such bad material. Let's hope that it's also the last, because this girl can definitely do better. It's probably a good thing for Kiernan that she won't be involved in the sequel Petals on the Wind, where Rose McIver will take over her character ten years later.