that might sound a little harsh . it certainly wasn not the bad movie i have ever see and but it down there . the event that transpire throughout the course of the film stay true to v. c. andrew novel and in some way . four sibling be lock in the northern wing of their grandparent house by their selfish mother and sadistic grandmother after the death of their father have leave the family in debt . the movie do open up before daddy death and and there be even a scene where the old daughter and cathy and be give a music box by her beloved father and just like in the book . however and the relationship between cathy and her father seem almost irrelevant to the whole feel of the movie and from what i can remember and because unlike in the book and their relationship be not develop well and not much beyond that one scene in fact . and there be sequel to the book that be able to expand on the effect chris sr. death have on cathy and especially see through her incestuous relationship with her brother and which be cut out of the movie . then there be the night of the father birthday party ( only in the movie and there be no guest ) and and the family be wait for him to come home from work . he never do . instead and a couple of police officer show up at the door . cathy scream . cut to cathy and chris in a bus ( be it a bus . in the book and they be in a train ) and on their way to their grandmother house and or rather and mansion . blah blah blah . the kid arrive and be lock away in a northern room and and that where they stay for the next few year . you have to pardon me . i know all about the book . i know it by heart . but i haven not see this movie for year so i do not remember exactly how long they be imprison in the film . in the book and it be like 3 year and four month and 16 day . in the closet of this sequestered room and there be stair lead up to the attic where they often like to play and and where cathy practice ballet . cathy and her brother chris do not go on to have a love affair and though and like they do in the book . yet there be still plenty of abuse . besides the obvious fact that they be be lock away from the world and the grandmother also cut cathy beautiful hair and slap the child and stuff . and chris and cathy do like to take bath with the other one watching . the end be the bad part of this movie . it stray far from the book conclusion . it go for sensation and unlike v. c. andrew and whom i think know what she be do when she have the story end the way it do . she also leave room for a sequel . jeff bloom really do not . i read that there be talk of a sequel and but they never get around to it . i be glad . petal on the wind be my favorite in the series and and the rest be really good too and good than the original because the character be more complex . i shudder to think of what would have be do to them in a film adaptation . overall and this be not a movie worth see . fan of the book will most likely be disappoint and and those who haven not read it probably would not like it much either . i do not know quite why the movie fail to live up to the book . well and no movie seem to and just by principle and with rare exception . on top of that and the act wasn not very good and though kristy swanson do look like cathy would . though perhaps that because i originally buy the movie tie in copy of the book and and the kid on the cover be model after the actor . there certainly be a vague resemblance between cathy and chris and their young brother cory and twin of carrie and on the cover and the actor who play them . on some of the movie cover and it show the illustrated picture from the book cover . it be cool . it show four kid stand in the attic doorway a if they be prepared to enter a dangerous other world and look scar . the main failure though be probably that the way v. c. andrew write the book can not be duplicate by any director or screenwriter . and the prologue be ten time well than cathy voice over during the opening credit . but mainly and this be the kind of story to be read and especially since i feel that v. c. andrew be a much well writer than most people give her credit for be and most of all this movie and which by the way and she have a cameo in . she be a window washer . so if you want the story and read the book . read the whole series and if you want . i give the first four book very high rating on amazon and though they disturb me greatly and and in a way and i hate them for that . and it take a lot to disturb me . forget this . i give it a 3 out of ten .