This one was not as strong but still enjoyable as part of the series. I felt like the people who played chris and Cathy did not capture the essence of the previous actors . It honestly felt like a different story at times I had to remind myself there are the Cathy and Chris not some randos
12 Reviews
Chip Off the Old Block
wes-connors16 April 2015
The brother and sister duo locked up in an attic during their "coming of age" returns for a third "Flowers in the Attic" (2014) series movie; having spent their "Petals on the Wind" having sex and coming to terms with their honest, albeit incestuous, relationship. Another set of actors take over the parts, blond doctor Jason Lewis and blonde ballet teacher Rachael Carpani (as Christopher "Chris" and Cathy Dollanganger). It's now the 1980s and, to avoid scandal, the couple have changed their name to "Sheffield" and are raising two sons (hers) aka two nephews (his). The oldest is this film's entry in the crowded "shirtless hunk" character sweepstakes, attractive blond Jedidiah Goodacre (as Jory). His brother is moody, dark-haired pre-teen Mason Cook (as Bart)...
Rough-looking butler Mackenzie Gray (as John Amos) is an asset...
This story, and the next (possibly final) installment, changes focus from Chris and Cathy to their kids. What happens is that the sons' grandmother Heather Graham (as Corrine Foxworth) secretly moves into the mansion next door to her offspring. Like she did in the other movies, Ms. Graham causes trouble. She mainly cozies up with young Cook, who gradually reveals himself to be a chip off the old block. Graham is fine, but should have applied some old age make-up; she looks like she could be playing her daughter. Everyone does well for director Nancy Savoca, but it's Cook as the kid who convincingly carries the story. To improve the story, the Gothic suggestion that young Cook is possessed by evil ancestor Malcolm Foxworth should have been more clearly developed.
***** If There Be Thorns (4/5/15) Nancy Savoca ~ Mason Cook, Heather Graham, Jedidiah Goodacre, Jason Lewis
Rough-looking butler Mackenzie Gray (as John Amos) is an asset...
This story, and the next (possibly final) installment, changes focus from Chris and Cathy to their kids. What happens is that the sons' grandmother Heather Graham (as Corrine Foxworth) secretly moves into the mansion next door to her offspring. Like she did in the other movies, Ms. Graham causes trouble. She mainly cozies up with young Cook, who gradually reveals himself to be a chip off the old block. Graham is fine, but should have applied some old age make-up; she looks like she could be playing her daughter. Everyone does well for director Nancy Savoca, but it's Cook as the kid who convincingly carries the story. To improve the story, the Gothic suggestion that young Cook is possessed by evil ancestor Malcolm Foxworth should have been more clearly developed.
***** If There Be Thorns (4/5/15) Nancy Savoca ~ Mason Cook, Heather Graham, Jedidiah Goodacre, Jason Lewis
3rd in the Dollanganger series
SnoopyStyle28 December 2015
Olivia Foxworth is gone and Corrine (Heather Graham) is in the mental ward. Brother and sister Cathy (Rachael Carpani) and Christopher (Jason Lewis) are now married living under the surname of Sheffield with Cathy's sons Jory and Bart. A mysterious woman moves into the mansion next door. It's Corrine and she befriends Bart keeping it a secret from Cathy, Christopher and even Jory. She starts poisoning his mind against his parents. Cathy adopts Cindy who lost her mother and has set up three beds in the attic.
This starts off more or less like a horror movie. Corrine is the bogeyman with a mysterious plan against Cathy and Christopher. I would have liked the plan to be better defined and better formulated. The situation should build up until a climatic reveal of Corrine. I haven't read these books and I don't really care about them. Bart starts out too normal to be bent completely out of shape like that. The movie should start him off with a bit of disturbing behavior. I'm not sure how good is the source material. This is better than most other Lifetime movies but it is nowhere near theatrical quality.
This starts off more or less like a horror movie. Corrine is the bogeyman with a mysterious plan against Cathy and Christopher. I would have liked the plan to be better defined and better formulated. The situation should build up until a climatic reveal of Corrine. I haven't read these books and I don't really care about them. Bart starts out too normal to be bent completely out of shape like that. The movie should start him off with a bit of disturbing behavior. I'm not sure how good is the source material. This is better than most other Lifetime movies but it is nowhere near theatrical quality.
Big Fat NO!
peace_on_earth4 May 2021
This might sound like a harsh review compared to others, but I found the storyline very weak, the writing was laughable at times. The acting is terrible especially from Heather Graham. The actor playing Chris is unattractive and doesn't fit the role. I wasn't expecting much from a Lifeline movie but this one is one to avoid or do like I did, and have it playing in the background while you are cooking so as not to waste any of your time.
The best installment...
Falconeer8 April 2015
After the disappointing "Petals On the Wind" production, my expectations for this third chapter of the Dollanganger series, were compromised. But the creators of this latest film mostly redeem themselves, with this creepy, slickly produced story about the "seeds of evil," that are being planted inside Cathy's youngest son, Bart Sheffield. This wonderfully Gothic story deals with the systematic corruption of a child, who already has the blood of a fairly ruthless father. The cold and calculating Bart Winslow was a morally corrupt attorney that Cathy seduces away from her selfish, calculating mother, Corrine.
The creepy old woman who moves into the mansion next door to Cathy, her incestuous brother Chris and their two boys, has a dark secret. Behind the lace veil, Corrine Winslow is hiding, and she is planning on making a play at getting her family back. She is particularly interested in young Bart, and she sees him as the "son that should have been hers." And Bart, alone and awkward, is particularly susceptible to the mysterious woman's attentions. Under the tutelage of Corrine, and her sinister butler, John Amos, Bart is taught a fanatical religious ideology. And the love he has for his mother and father is poisoned by them both.
For a story with such dark tones, Lifetime television actually did a nice job. The film succeeds at being atmospheric and downright creepy. Of course all the usual flaws are present, mainly some of the acting being pretty awful at times, and some dialog is awkward and even preposterous. But the entire film rests on the shoulders of the young actor who plays Bart. This kid is really excellent, and he absolutely elevates this movie to a higher level. His acting abilities are so strong that they make the rest of the cast look bad. They all look the part of course; Cathy and Chris are soap opera-perfect blond dolls, and the actor who plays Jory is gorgeous. Purists will complain that Jory's hair isn't black, like that of his father Julian, but it is a minor issue. Disturbing scenes, like the killing of the dog, and the one with Bart and Cindy by the pool, are not shied away from, which makes this one a bit too intense for very young viewers. Of course a series with the subject of incest is not aimed at young audiences anyway.
"If There Be Thorns" is, so far the best film in the series. Of course my opinion might be biased as this was my personal favorite book in the series. It is also one of the best things Lifetime has ever done. At times this has the look of a theatrical production, and not a TV movie. My enthusiasm for the series has been renewed, and I am looking forward to the final installment, "Seeds of Yesterday." I'm hoping it is as Gothic and as evil as this one.
The creepy old woman who moves into the mansion next door to Cathy, her incestuous brother Chris and their two boys, has a dark secret. Behind the lace veil, Corrine Winslow is hiding, and she is planning on making a play at getting her family back. She is particularly interested in young Bart, and she sees him as the "son that should have been hers." And Bart, alone and awkward, is particularly susceptible to the mysterious woman's attentions. Under the tutelage of Corrine, and her sinister butler, John Amos, Bart is taught a fanatical religious ideology. And the love he has for his mother and father is poisoned by them both.
For a story with such dark tones, Lifetime television actually did a nice job. The film succeeds at being atmospheric and downright creepy. Of course all the usual flaws are present, mainly some of the acting being pretty awful at times, and some dialog is awkward and even preposterous. But the entire film rests on the shoulders of the young actor who plays Bart. This kid is really excellent, and he absolutely elevates this movie to a higher level. His acting abilities are so strong that they make the rest of the cast look bad. They all look the part of course; Cathy and Chris are soap opera-perfect blond dolls, and the actor who plays Jory is gorgeous. Purists will complain that Jory's hair isn't black, like that of his father Julian, but it is a minor issue. Disturbing scenes, like the killing of the dog, and the one with Bart and Cindy by the pool, are not shied away from, which makes this one a bit too intense for very young viewers. Of course a series with the subject of incest is not aimed at young audiences anyway.
"If There Be Thorns" is, so far the best film in the series. Of course my opinion might be biased as this was my personal favorite book in the series. It is also one of the best things Lifetime has ever done. At times this has the look of a theatrical production, and not a TV movie. My enthusiasm for the series has been renewed, and I am looking forward to the final installment, "Seeds of Yesterday." I'm hoping it is as Gothic and as evil as this one.
This family...
BandSAboutMovies26 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Let's say you slept with your brother, watched your husband die, then set your childhood prison on fire, which sent your mother to the looney bin and your grandmother to hell. What would you do next?
This part of the Dollanganger series is set in the 1970's. It looks like it - cinematographer James Liston utilized vintage anamorphic lenses to create more depth and atmosphere, just like the films of that era.
Six years later, Cathy and Chris have escaped to California with her sons, Jory and Bart, who feels constantly in the shadow of his older brother. One day, a woman in black moves next door and invites the boys over for tea. She's rich but her only family is her butler, John Amos. Then, she asks if she may have a photo of the boys.
Jory decides to never come back, but Bart keeps coming back. She gives him gifts, like a pet snake and a journal that belonged to his great-grandfather, Malcolm. Their relationship must remain a secret, because she is really his grandmother Corinne (Heather Graham, the only actor to return from the previous movies, despite rumors that her part was going to be taken over by Goldie Hawn).
Malcolm's journal is bonkers, filled with hateful rants about women, so of course, Jory loves it. After all, of the two people who could be his dad, one is his mom's brother and the other was a maniacal ballet dancer who put glass in people's shoes.
Cathy starts to hide beds in her attic, convinced that her children will be taken from her once everyone learns about all the incest. Chris is worried, but that's forgotten when they adopt Cindy, a girl from Cathy's ballet class who died from cancer.
Bart disappears and is found in the woods with an infected cut. This all leads to his grandmother dropping the bomb on him that his mom and stepfather are siblings. He reacts pretty much like how you expect - like a complete maniac, even listening to John Amos about how he needs to escape the sins of his family. For some reason, this means killing the family dog. And then Corinne reveals that Bart's real dad is her husband and seriously, my head is spinning so I can only wonder how this kid is keeping it all together.
Actually, he's not doing well at all, trying to drown his adopted sister, which lands him in the attic, where he starts talking a whole lot like his insane grandmother from the previous two films. That's when everyone finds out that mom is living right next door.
The hits keep on coming - Cindy sees her mother while dancing and falls, losing the ability to ever do the carioca again. Jory's grandmother tries to expose the incest and steals her grandson. And then John Amos knocks out Corinne and Cindy, throws them in a barn and tries to burn them alive to finally ends the family's cycle of abomination. Luckily, that makes mom and daughter love one another again. It doesn't save her from a burning building, but it still seems like everything ends up pretty happy.
Except, you know, this is a V.C. Andrews story. Bart still has the journal and has started dressing like his grandfather. Looks like there's one more movie to get through.
This part of the Dollanganger series is set in the 1970's. It looks like it - cinematographer James Liston utilized vintage anamorphic lenses to create more depth and atmosphere, just like the films of that era.
Six years later, Cathy and Chris have escaped to California with her sons, Jory and Bart, who feels constantly in the shadow of his older brother. One day, a woman in black moves next door and invites the boys over for tea. She's rich but her only family is her butler, John Amos. Then, she asks if she may have a photo of the boys.
Jory decides to never come back, but Bart keeps coming back. She gives him gifts, like a pet snake and a journal that belonged to his great-grandfather, Malcolm. Their relationship must remain a secret, because she is really his grandmother Corinne (Heather Graham, the only actor to return from the previous movies, despite rumors that her part was going to be taken over by Goldie Hawn).
Malcolm's journal is bonkers, filled with hateful rants about women, so of course, Jory loves it. After all, of the two people who could be his dad, one is his mom's brother and the other was a maniacal ballet dancer who put glass in people's shoes.
Cathy starts to hide beds in her attic, convinced that her children will be taken from her once everyone learns about all the incest. Chris is worried, but that's forgotten when they adopt Cindy, a girl from Cathy's ballet class who died from cancer.
Bart disappears and is found in the woods with an infected cut. This all leads to his grandmother dropping the bomb on him that his mom and stepfather are siblings. He reacts pretty much like how you expect - like a complete maniac, even listening to John Amos about how he needs to escape the sins of his family. For some reason, this means killing the family dog. And then Corinne reveals that Bart's real dad is her husband and seriously, my head is spinning so I can only wonder how this kid is keeping it all together.
Actually, he's not doing well at all, trying to drown his adopted sister, which lands him in the attic, where he starts talking a whole lot like his insane grandmother from the previous two films. That's when everyone finds out that mom is living right next door.
The hits keep on coming - Cindy sees her mother while dancing and falls, losing the ability to ever do the carioca again. Jory's grandmother tries to expose the incest and steals her grandson. And then John Amos knocks out Corinne and Cindy, throws them in a barn and tries to burn them alive to finally ends the family's cycle of abomination. Luckily, that makes mom and daughter love one another again. It doesn't save her from a burning building, but it still seems like everything ends up pretty happy.
Except, you know, this is a V.C. Andrews story. Bart still has the journal and has started dressing like his grandfather. Looks like there's one more movie to get through.
No wonder Matt Groening who created "The Simpsons" thought Bart was an anagram for "brat"!
dhainline16 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I watched "If There Be Thorns" and I thought it would be a good sequel to "Flowers in the Attic" and "Petals on the Wind." I was a bit wrong in that regard! It felt too rushed even though the actors did the best with what they had! The actors who played Cathy and Chris were just how I pictured them, but the actor who played Jory had hair that was too light and Jory in the book had blue-black hair and light skin. The actor who played Bart was great! He was so good at playing the creepy, little, misunderstood kid who was manipulated by Cathy and Chris's mom, Corinne. I thought the old age makeup on Heather Graham was quite good! As for Bart, man that kid was a brat! He was brainwashed by Corinne, her creepy butler, John Amos and the words of Malcolm Foxworth, the great-grandfather of Bart and Jory. He almost drowned little Cindy, the newly adopted sister and daughter of the family and he acted like a little beast around his family! I did like how he redeemed himself by saving his mom and grandmother from the fire John Amos set and the way Corinne redeemed herself by asking Cathy for forgiveness for what she did to her kids in "Flowers in the Attic." Unfortunately, Bart's twisted nature gets worse in "Seeds of Yesterday" (headsup).
No stars
indialove-5410718 October 2015
Well what can I say! Once a massive fan of Virginia Andrews writings until she passed away and her team continued to write in her name, the change was so apparent and not up to her standards that I had to stop. As for the movies ( If that's what you call them)the first was utter rubbish, the second was worse and the third appalling. The acting was atrocious. Regretfully wasted a good few hours of my life on what I can only describe as a gigantic pile of cods-wallop!! No Offense meant to all those that loved the movies.
Well what can I say! Once a massive fan of Virginia Andrews writings until she passed away and her team continued to write in her name, the change was so apparent and not up to her standards that I had to stop. As for the movies ( If that's what you call them)the first was utter rubbish, the second was worse and the third appalling. The acting was atrocious. Regretfully wasted a good few hours of my life on what I can only describe as a gigantic pile of cods-wallop!! No Offense meant to all those that loved the movies.
Well what can I say! Once a massive fan of Virginia Andrews writings until she passed away and her team continued to write in her name, the change was so apparent and not up to her standards that I had to stop. As for the movies ( If that's what you call them)the first was utter rubbish, the second was worse and the third appalling. The acting was atrocious. Regretfully wasted a good few hours of my life on what I can only describe as a gigantic pile of cods-wallop!! No Offense meant to all those that loved the movies.
Want to un-see the mutilated German Shepherd scene
misschitchat11 October 2022
Shame on Lifetime Movies for allowing such a horrible scene (without some sort of warning to the viewers) of a graphic depiction of a mutilated German Shepherd.
I will never watch a movie directed by Nancy Savoca again. That was beyond unnecessary and could have been conveyed by looks of horror on the actors face instead.
I'm so angry about seeing that and not being able to "un-see" it.
I guess there were prior movies in the series that explained who the boys fathers were, but since I didn't see them, the relationships to their fathers are lost on me. It was not well explained at all.
The acting was not good (except for the mom of the 2 boys was decent) and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
I will never watch a movie directed by Nancy Savoca again. That was beyond unnecessary and could have been conveyed by looks of horror on the actors face instead.
I'm so angry about seeing that and not being able to "un-see" it.
I guess there were prior movies in the series that explained who the boys fathers were, but since I didn't see them, the relationships to their fathers are lost on me. It was not well explained at all.
The acting was not good (except for the mom of the 2 boys was decent) and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
The Sharp Thorns That Prick
Noirdame7921 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The third installment of the Lifetime series based on The Dollanganger Saga by V.C. Andrews is an improvement over its predecessors, although it suffers from its rushed pace and poor character development. While it's understandable that Cathy and Chris were recast once again, Rachel Carpani and Jason Lewis don't have the chemistry that Rose McIver and Wyatt Nash displayed in "Petals On The Wind" (2014). Another issue is that both Carpani and Lewis have tanned, olive skin; in the books, Cathy and Chris are nicknamed "The Dresden Dolls" because of their fair complexions, even before they were imprisoned in the attic. However, acting honors must be bestowed upon Mason Cook, who undoubtedly gives the most powerful performance of a child actor in the series. As the young Bart, he is believable as a boy who finds out that his family harbors some dark secrets and comes under the influence of two supposed strangers who move in next door. A mysterious lady in black and her butler draw Bart and to lesser extent, his brother Jory (Jedidiah Goodacre) into their world and manage to corrupt the former. This is Heather Graham's best performance in the series, although the make-up in order for her to appear elderly is obvious at times. While she clearly has an ulterior motive, you get the sense that Corrine really does harbor guilt regarding her treatment of her children, resulting in two of them dying tragically young. John Amos (Mackenzie Gray) is a different story, an evil man bent on revenge.
Things are wrapped up too quickly, once again it was a mistake on the part of the Lifetime network to cram the story into a 90 minute running time rather than making each adaptation into at least a two-part miniseries, but the disturbing cliffhanger ending does make you wonder what will happen from there.
Nothing overly special, but not a complete waste of time either; it could and should have been better.
Things are wrapped up too quickly, once again it was a mistake on the part of the Lifetime network to cram the story into a 90 minute running time rather than making each adaptation into at least a two-part miniseries, but the disturbing cliffhanger ending does make you wonder what will happen from there.
Nothing overly special, but not a complete waste of time either; it could and should have been better.
very good film
sophie_casandra15 August 2015
This film was very good and did show the book well but I just didn't feel as drawn into this film. I do think the constant change of characters are confusing and they all seem new again even through they only look different. I understand they do this to show they have aged but with make up I believe you could have done that to the previous Chris and Cathy as I think they were much better. I did like Cathy in this film but I do not feel Chris looked like what he should in the books. They are meant to be the 'Dresden Dolls' but I think it is Chris' hair maybe, he just does not fit the Doll. I do think the children fit very well though. Apart from that the film was enjoyable I just wouldn't be in a rush to watch it again. :)
Truer to the book than the second installment of the series.
hyattjenny1817 May 2022
I enjoyed the movie this movie was much truer to the book than the second installment of the series and because of that redeemed the series because of that. The only aspect of the book that they left out as I recall was getting more in depth about Cathy and Christopher revealing their secret to Jory.
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