In the late 1950s, the Dollanganger children — 14-year-old Chris, 12-year-old Cathy, 5-year-old twins Carrie and Cory — live happily with their parents, Christopher and Corrine, in Pennsylvania. This changes when Christopher dies in a car crash, leaving the family devastated and heavily in debt. Four months later, Corrine announces they are going to go live with her wealthy parents in Virginia. She explains that she was estranged from her parents and changed her last name because of this.