The first story in this Dollanganger series was disturbing enough especially the incestuous nature of the storyline. The children have escaped the attic at Foxworth Hall and survived with the help and kindness of Dr. Sheffield. At the beginning of the film, we see his funeral where Cathy had brought the audience up to date. Cathy and her brother Christopher still have a disturbing attachment to each other. The younger sister Carrie never recovered from losing her twin brother Cory. Cathy, Chris, and Carrie have not forgotten the attic nor their mother and grandmother. I have to say the best part of this film is Ellen Burstyn's performance. Even at the end, she is still worth watching. This series is a lot more faithful to the V.C. Andrews' Gothic novel series. It is shocking and disturbing especially the incest element. I'll miss Ellen Burstyn though as the grandmother.

I was very disappointed with Lifetime's adaptation of "Flowers In The Attic" (2014) but I decided to give the first sequel they produced a try, hoping that it would get better. The answer? Yes and no. While Ellen Burstyn once again walks away with the Best Acting honors (despite her role being significantly smaller than in the first movie), the acting in "Petals" was generally better than in "Flowers"; even Heather Graham improved somewhat. The real problems with this Lifetime presentation are the rushed directorial pace, cheap budget, and the weak way the story has been adapted from the book. If you haven't read the novel, you will probably enjoy the film for what it is; a soap opera-like time waster. If you've read the books in the series, as I have, you will see how far it deviates from the source material.

Of course, there's no such thing as a completely faithful adaptation; time constraints and plot are often altered to make things move quickly or to create more drama. However, not only is the timeline off (reducing Paul Sheffield and his relationship to Cathy, Chris and Carrie to a backstory) but so many things have been added that simply did not happen in the book. Cathy's relationship with Julian (Will Kemp) as well as his mother and other ballet dancers in the company she joins is either watered down or left out completely. We don't understand why she becomes involved with Julian here, or why she puts up with his abusive behavior. Carrie's death is pushed ahead (when in fact, she pre-deceased Paul in the book) and there is very little character development as to the trials she faced at school or trying to live a normal life after being deprived of sunlight and food to the point where her growth was stunted.

A love interest was invented for Christopher, a young woman named Sarah (Whitney Hoy), who serves no purpose other than to lead to Cathy and Chris being "discovered" as to their forbidden love and desire for one another, and for them to move to another state where no one knows them. In the book, Cathy spends most of it not only consumed with revenge (which does play a part here) but also fighting her love for Chris (who tells her he will never love anyone but her) by becoming involved with Paul, Julian, and later her mother's husband, Bart Winslow (Dylan Bruce). The latter two men do have roles here, but the complex nature of their relationships to Cathy are not explored, no doubt due to the 90-minute running time. Which begs the question: why not make these adaptations of V.C. Andrews' book into a two-part miniseries for each installment? Maybe Lifetime just didn't have the budget, but these films could have been so much better.

The climax again, feels very rushed; atmosphere is also lacking. The confrontation between Cathy and Corrine contained none of the power that it had in the novel. I have to say, however, that Rose McIver and Wyatt Nash give better performances than Kiernan Shipka and Mason Dye, and it was nice to see Carrie (Bailey De Young) get more screen time and she did well with the little that she was given.

It's okay for what it is, just don't expect it to reflect the book.

This is the Lifetime sequel to "Flowers in the Attic" which left me speechless. The film picks up a few years later. Our children managed to survive until Dr. Paul Sheffield adopted them. The incestuous siblings pick up where they left off. Cathy (Rose McIver) leaves for NY for ballet. Christopher (Wyatt Nash) is following his adopted father in the medical field and young Carrie (Bailey Buntain) has trouble adapting socially to high school and the world in general.

Christopher gets a girlfriend and plans to get married, while Cathy is pregnant with a child she claims is her ballet boy friend, but who knows. Mom (Heather Graham) makes it back into the film during the second half.

I was scratching my head at the disjointed script and soap opera type drama. Wyatt Nash reminded me of Casper Van Dien and not in a good way. The plot twisted in ways I was not prepared for, i.e. the character had not really been established, especially Cathy who ranged from sweet innocent to demonic devious. The sexual curiosity of Carrie was done awkwardly if not unintentionally comical. The bizarreness of the film, kept me watching, like a train wreak. Please don't make another one because I will watch it. I haven't read the books, but it has to be better.

Rated TV-14 for theme and implied sex. Several scenes of clothes being removed and passionate kissing. Rose McIver in bra.