Flowers in the Attic (1987)
Victoria Tennant: Mother
Photos
Quotes
-
Cathy : Why are you just standing there, Mother? Cory needs to be taken to a hospital there is no other decision to make
[the mother just stands there looking and quivering]
Cathy : What's wrong with you mother? Are you going to just stand there and think about yourself and your money while Cory lies there and dies? Don't you care what happens to him? Have you forgotten that you're his mother?
Mother : Always it's you.
[slaps Cathy]
Cathy : [slaps her mother back]
Chris : Cathy!
Cathy : [shouts] Damn you to hell, Mama, if you don't take Cory to a hospital right now! You think you can go on doing whatever you want with us and nobody will ever find out? If Cory dies, Mama, you'll pay for it! One way or another, I will find a way. I promise you that.
-
Cathy : [coming up behind their mother at the wedding] Mother!
[Corrine turns around]
Cathy : Do you like my dress? I thought it was appropriate for the occasion.
Mother : Who are you? How did you get in here?
Cathy : Have you forgotten us already?
Carrie Dollanganger : Mama?
Bart Winslow : Who are you children?
Cathy : We're the children of the bride!
-
Cathy : Look at us, Mother! Do we look like you with your rosy cheeks and your bright eyes? Look at the twins, Mother! Cory has stomach cramps almost every day, and Carrie has little sores growing on her skin! Do you know or even care that the grandmother has stopped feeding us for more than a week?
Mother : Stop it! You have no right to talk to me like that! Do you think I've had pleasure while my children have been in pain? You are heartless. When you're ready to treat me with love, I'll be back.
-
Mother : Nonsense, you know I don't have any children. Get out. I'll not have my wedding day ruined by a cruel, evil prank.
Cathy : YOU'RE the one who's cruel and evil, Mother, you kept us locked up in that attic and you said you'd come for us after your father died. YOU NEVER CAME!
Chris : You couldn't let anybody find out about us, because if you did you'd be disinherited.
Mother : It's not true! No, what proof do they have?
Chris : [holds up a dead mouse] It died from eating the same cookies that Corrie ate.
Mother : Who's Corrie?
Chris : He was your son and my little brother! And you killed him.
Cathy : Just like you tried to kill us! Look at us, Mother, how could you do this to us?
-
Grandmother : No child in this house will shout or scream or show defiance! Do you hear me? Do you? Now, remove your blouse, daughter. And show them how punishment is given in this house.
Mother : If you're cruel to my children, I'll take them away tonight.
Grandmother : Take them, Corrine! Take them now. Do you think I care?
[laughs as Corrine cries]
Grandmother : Take off the blouse, Corrine. Take it off!
[Corrine takes off her blouse]
Grandmother : Look closely, children. 17 lashes. One for each year she lived in sin with your father. So that you understand me now, I will give you food and shelter, but never kindness or love. For it is impossible to feel anything but disgust for what is not wholesome.
-
Cathy : Why didn't you ever take us to see the grandparents before?
Mother : I suppose because we were never penniless before... many years ago I did something that angered your grandfather, and his punishment was to disinherit me.
Chris : So, why are we going back there if he won't give us any money?
Mother : Because he will. Your grandfather is dying. He's not expected to live much longer, and in that time, I'm going to win back his love... and then, darlings, I'll be an heiress to a fortune beyond your imaginations. And through me, all your wildest dreams will come true.
-
Mother : [after poisoning her son and telling the children of the death] Cory had pneumonia. The doctors did all they could. There won't be a funeral, he's already been buried.
[leaves silently]
-
Chris : So what's to become of us, Mom? How much longer do we continue living in this prison?
Mother : Prison.
Chris : You come back with gifts for us, Mom, do you think they can make up for what we've lost?
Mother : Christopher, if you stop loving me...
Chris : I haven't stopped loving you, Mom, I MAKE myself keep loving you every day, despite what you do to us.
-
Cathy : [Entering the wedding ceremony] Mother! Do you like my dress? I thought it was appropriate for the occasion.
Mother : [Pretending not to know her own children] Who are you? How did you get here?
Cathy : Have you forgotten us already?
Carrie Dollanganger : Mama?
Bart Winslow : Who are you children?
Carrie Dollanganger : We're the children of the bride!
[the people in the audience gasp]
Mother : [Still acting] Nonsense! You know I don't have any children. Get them out of here. I'll not have my wedding day ruined by a cruel, evil prank!
Cathy : You're the one who's cruel and evil, Mother! You kept us locked up in that attic and you said you'd come for us after your Father died! YOU NEVER CAME!
Chris : You couldn't let anybody find out about us 'cause if you did, you'd be disinherited.
Mother : [Refusing to let the truth out] It's not true! No! What proof do they have?
Chris : [Holding up a dead rat] It died. We've been eating the same cookies that Corey ate.
Mother : Who's Corey?
Chris : He was your Son and my little brother, and you killed him.
Cathy : Just like you tried to kill us. Look at us, Mother! How could you do this to us?
[She takes out a poisoned cookie]
Cathy : Here, Mother! Out Wedding present to you!
[She begins advancing towards her Mother]
Mother : Stop it!
Cathy : Go on! Eat it!
[They make their way on to the balcony]
Cathy : EAT THE COOKIE!
[as they make their way over to the balcony wall, Cathy forces her mother over the balcony, with her Mother hanging by her veil, choking to death]
-
[original deleted ending]
[everyone at the wedding turns and sees Cathy, Chris and Carrie at the doorway]
Witness : Can we help you in some way?
Cathy : [calmly] We're the children of the bride--Corinne's children.
Mother : [arrives at the altar] Get them out of here! Find out where they come from and send them back!
[storms in]
Mother : I won't have my wedding day ruined by a cruel prank!
[Corinne's father grabs her by the arm and glares at her]
Witness : They say they're your children, Corinne.
Mother : I don't have any children!
[Bart arrives seeing this]
Mother : [quietly to her father] Father, you're embarrassing me, and you're hurting my arm!
Cathy : You had four children, mother. Have you forgotten already? One of them died last week and you poisoned him.
Mother : LIAR! Don't listen to her!
Bart Winslow : What proof do you have of what you're saying?
[the three children slowly approach their mother and grandfather as everyone goes silent, Chris takes out a paper bag and tosses a dead mouse out of it to his mother, Cathy then tosses the pieces of poisoned cookies to her as well before tossing the empty bag at her]
Chris : It died--just like our brother did--from eating those. We've eaten them, too, for all the times we were locked upstairs, in the attic.
[the grandfather shows pity to the children before giving his daughter a look of accusation]
Mother : It's not true! He's lying! I've never seen these children before in my life!
[Bart watches on beginning to believe this]
Mother : [to her father] Why won't you believe me!
[the grandfather hurts her arm more as he forces her down to her knees]
Mother : [cries] Oh, Papa, please! Haven't I been a good girl? All I ever did was what you wanted! I couldn't keep them--you wouldn't let me! You didn't give me a choice! Aren't I entitled to a life, Papa?
Cathy : [shouts] MOTHER!
[Corinne looks at Cathy]
Chris : [sadly] We loved you, mom... and you murdered us.
Cathy : [furiously] For this!
[everyone goes silent still, the grandfather and Bart glare at Corinne believing everything, the three children leave the room]
Mother : [faintly] THAT'S NOT TRUE! SHE'S LYING! WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ME!
