Inventive Violet Baudelaire (Emily Browning), her intelligent younger brother Klaus (Liam Aiken), and their sharp-toothed, precocious baby sister Sunny (Kara and Shelby Hoffman) are orphaned when a mysterious fire destroys their parents' mansion. Mr. Poe (Timothy Spall), in charge of the Baudelaire estate and fortune, entrusts them to their closest relative, a first cousin, the obnoxious Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), who is a playwright/actor only interested in the money Violet will inherit when she turns 18. When he learns that he will not be getting the fortune he stops all friendliness to the kids; making them do terrible chores, slaps Klaus when he protests, grabs Sunny and abuses them when they do not make roast beef for dinner (he did not request it to the kids). One morning the kids' luc