While the men don’t fare as well, Kemp at least compensates for the amount of scenery he chews as a raging alcoholic thanks to his considerable prowess in the ballet sequences (while McIver’s dancing is all too obviously performed by a double). Returning cast MVP Burstyn makes the most of the little she’s given, delivering withering put-downs and self-pitying asides like a boss, despite her character’s terminally ill physical appearance. Talented co-star Buntain, of the late and much lamented ABC Family dramedy “Bunheads,” uses her diminutive frame to great advantage, emphasizing the disconnect she feels from her older, randier siblings. But McIver manages to bring welcome nuance to a role that easily could’ve become a standard one-note soap opera heroine.

This is plot- and not character-driven material, making it near impossible to get a handle on what kind of person Cathy is. It also helps that McIver, soon to be seen starring in the CW’s new series “iZombie,” emerges as a captivating and surprisingly shrewd leading lady. But the franchise’s real calling card is the forbidden romance between Cathy and Christopher, which began in the attic and blossoms here into a full-blown tortured love story.īy alternating significant time between Cathy, Christopher, Carrie and Corinne, the ADD storytelling in “Petals” ensures there’s never a dull moment - or a sensible one either - and the events retained from Andrews’ novel are just bonkers enough to make the approach pay off. From there the siblings are scattered like, well, petals: Self-possessed Cathy heads to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a prima ballerina and falls for tempestuous colleague Julien (Will Kemp), her brother-lover Christopher studies medicine and attracts the attention of sweet Southerner Sarah (Whitney Hoy), and social outcast Carrie struggles to overcome her shyness at an all-girls school before meeting lovesick minister Alex (Ross Philips).ĭomestic violence, pregnancy, bullying, marriage proposals, a miscarriage, home renovation, a fatal car crash and suicide by baked goods follow - not necessarily in that order - as returning screenwriter Kayla Alpert condenses some 450 pages of melodramatic craziness into roughly 90 minutes of screen time (sans commercials).

Petals on the wind novel