▁was ▁a ▁box ▁office ▁bomb , ▁making ▁just ▁$ 1 2 ▁million ▁against ▁its ▁$ 2 5 ▁million ▁budget . ▁Despite ▁the ▁negative ▁reviews , ▁the ▁movie ▁has ▁received ▁nomin ations ▁for ▁numerous ▁acc ol ades . ▁ ▁Plot ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁the ▁peace ful , ▁all - white ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁Sub urb icon ▁is ▁sh aken ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁an ▁African - American ▁family , ▁the ▁May ers . ▁ ▁Gard ner ▁L odge , ▁a ▁m ild - mann ered ▁family ▁man , ▁lives ▁with ▁his ▁par ap leg ic ▁wife ▁Rose , ▁their ▁son ▁Nick y ▁and ▁Rose ' s ▁sister ▁Margaret ▁in ▁Sub urb icon . ▁One ▁night , ▁two ▁ro bb ers , ▁Slo an ▁and ▁Louis , ▁break ▁into ▁the ▁L odge ▁family ▁home , ▁tie ▁the ▁entire ▁family ▁up ▁and ▁kill ▁Rose ▁with ▁an ▁over d ose ▁of ▁ch lor o form . ▁Margaret ▁moves ▁in ▁to ▁help ▁take ▁care ▁of ▁Nick y . ▁So on ▁after ▁her ▁sister ' s ▁death , ▁Margaret ▁begins ▁to ▁transform ▁herself ▁into ▁Rose , ▁d ye ing ▁her ▁hair ▁bl onde ▁and ▁having ▁sex ▁with ▁Gard ner . ▁ ▁The ▁L od ges ▁are ▁called ▁into ▁the ▁police ▁station ▁to ▁identify ▁Slo an ▁and ▁Louis , ▁but ▁both ▁Gard ner ▁and ▁Margaret ▁say ▁that ▁the ▁police ▁have ▁the ▁wrong ▁men , ▁even ▁as ▁Nick y ▁recogn izes ▁them ▁as ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁murder ers . ▁So on ▁after ward , ▁Slo an