A sadly dull affair that has echoes of better movies. There's a picturesque mansion with none of the personality of The Overlook Hotel. Louise Fletcher shows up in a role that only vaguely hints at her "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" best. There are themes of betrayal and taboo that should raise eyebrows but are so boringly portrayed that you scarcely notice them. Kristy Swanson — never a great actress, but usually an enjoyable presence — is badly miscast in a not-so-serious role that's played straight. It's fun to speculate on what a more adventurous director could do with V. C. Andrews' challenging material. Maybe a del Toro or a Schrader or a Verhoeven could imbue it with the elements of gothicness, camp and suspense that this version of "Flowers in the Attic" sorely lacks.
