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yendiThe Addams Family. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Written by Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson. Released by Paramount.
(Yes, this film should be one of the twelve films spotlighted as true classics at the beginning of each month. But there are more than twelve such films, and I've been having a shitty couple of days, so I needed this movie.)
There are two things that, often as not, tend to make me dislike a movie before I've even seen it. The first is "funny" horror. I don't mind my horror films laced with black humor, but true comedies tend to flop as often as not (see Transylvania 6-5000. Better yet, don't.). The second is television adaptations. A few work, but most of them are crappy old properties whose time has passed, turned into movies as a way for studios to save themselves the effort of having to come up with an original idea. So, needless to say, I did not have high hopes for the big-screen version of The Addams Family when it first came out.
It took about two minutes for my opinion to change. I adored the TV show, a dark, twisted take on the classic sitcom cliches, inspired by the wonderful cartoons of Chaz Addams. I figured that the movie would dumb it down, but instead, the film manages to surpass the TV series in nearly every way, somehow getting a brilliantly twisted masterpiece past the studio heads and censors.
I'll keep the plot synopsis short, as always with comedies:
We start at Christmastime, with Gomez in a deep depression over his missing brother Fester. Fester vanished in the Bermuda Triangle, and Gomez, mad at himself over what he now realizes are petty arguments with his brother, is disconsolate. His lawyer, Tully, attempts to convince him to start a Fester memorial, but Gomez doesn't want to talk business right now.
Over the course of this scene and the next, we meet all of the major characters. Gomez and his wife Morticia are as loving a couple as any movie pairing; they just happen to have a much darker and twisted set of sensibilities (and an inability to understand that the rest of the world does not). Son Pugsley appears to be a goofy, typical boy, but enjoys playing violent games with his sister, Wednesday, a morose child who only gets pleasure out of pain and misery, and who hates almost all typical "little girl" stuff. Lurch, the butler, resembles Frankenstein's Monster. Thing, the other house servant, is a disembodied hand. Tully is a sleazy lawyer with more gambling debts than Michael Jordan and Pete Rose put together. Ms. Craven is Tully's loan shark, and she has a scummy son named Gordon. And Grandma Addams is just batshit crazy.
Tully, unable to pay off Craven, is about to get beaten up by Gordon when Craven notices that the gold coins Addams paid Tully with (which weren't nearly enough to pay off his debt) have Fester's face on them. And Fester looks a lot like Gordon would if they shaved the latter's head. The evildoers come up with a scheme involving a faked seance*, a phony medium** (Craven disguised as "Dr. Pinder-Schloss"), and a shaved Gordon pretending to be the long-lost Fester. Although the family is suspicious of "Fester," (especially after he fails to remember how to get out of the ancient Chinese finger trap), Pinder-Schloss allays these fears, and the family warms to "Fester" even as he takes to them. He bonds with the children in particular, passing on all sorts of tips on how to do useful kid stuff, like blow things up. Thing, as well, clearly takes to him.
However, Tully uses his lawyerly skills for evil*** and digs up records that establish that Fester, as the older brother, is the proper owner of the house. After a party during which Wednesday discovers the truth and is forced to flee from Craven and Tully, the rest of the family goes searching for her. While they're gone, Tully pulls strings with the judge across the street (who has his own long-standing grudge against Gomez) and gets a restraining order against the rest of the family. The bad guys have won!
The family tries to get by in the real world, but they find that their sensibilities clash with the sunny (and oh-so-fake) dispositions of everyday folks. Gomez sinks into a deep depression, and Morticia attempts to reason with "Fester." Alas, she ends up being taken captive. Fortunately, Thing manages to see**** what's going on, and runs back to the crappy motel in which the family had taken up residence. News of the threat to his wife is enough to break Gomez out of his stupor, but when he goes to rescue Morticia, Craven threatens to kill her unless he opens up the family vaults. Fortunately, by this point, "Fester" realizes that he's a better person than Craven, and turns on her. In a climax that involves hurricanes, magical books, and conveniently-dug graves, Tully and Craven are disposed of, and "Gordon" is struck by lightning and realizes that he really is Fester, after all!
Obviously, The Addams Family isn't a great movie because of its plot. But the plot does serve as a perfect vehicle for some wonderful "us versus them" gags. Almost every scene in this movie stands out, from the marvelous Mamushka dance (an intricate mixture of Russian folk dancing and knife-throwing) to the great model trains (featuring real life passengers) to the hysterical and hairy Cousin Itt putting the moves on Tully's widow. And let's not forget the great dialogue. The most famous line ("Are they made with real Girl Scouts?") nearly makes the entire movie. But the rest of the script is a delight, as well, with more than a few ("I'm a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else.") having achieved the level of quotability normally associated with The Princess Bride and Monty Python skits.
Of course, the theme of the movie -- the idea that we're all somewhat twisted inside, and that those who pretend not to have darkness are the ones who are really scary -- strikes a nice chord now, probably even more so than it did back in 1991. And its push to not judge things based on whether they're mainstream is a nice message to send amidst the silly comedy elements (but one that never feels forced).
Although first-time director Barry Sonnenfeld certainly deserves some credit, it's the cast here that makes the movie great. Wonderful as John Astin was as Gomez on the TV show, Raul Julia turns in one of his greatest performances in the same role, relishing every twisted line. Angelica Huston -- an actress I wouldn't have noted for her comedy, Ice Pirates notwithstanding, prior to this movie -- surprised me with her perfect timing and delivery as Morticia. Christopher Lloyd, naturally, is wonderful as Fester/Gordon. And Christina Ricci turned herself into a child star with her performance as Wednesday, conveying a sense of creepiness that's just perfect.
The Addams Family isn't perfect, of course, but even with the relatively weak plot, the gags are more than enough to keep it moving along. And the really good news: the sequel is even funnier.
*Since it's a movie, we'll pretend that this phrase isn't redundant.
**See last footnote.
***Again, in movieland, we can pretend there's another choice.
****Or whatever passes for it, given Thing's lack of eyes.
(Yes, this film should be one of the twelve films spotlighted as true classics at the beginning of each month. But there are more than twelve such films, and I've been having a shitty couple of days, so I needed this movie.)
There are two things that, often as not, tend to make me dislike a movie before I've even seen it. The first is "funny" horror. I don't mind my horror films laced with black humor, but true comedies tend to flop as often as not (see Transylvania 6-5000. Better yet, don't.). The second is television adaptations. A few work, but most of them are crappy old properties whose time has passed, turned into movies as a way for studios to save themselves the effort of having to come up with an original idea. So, needless to say, I did not have high hopes for the big-screen version of The Addams Family when it first came out.
It took about two minutes for my opinion to change. I adored the TV show, a dark, twisted take on the classic sitcom cliches, inspired by the wonderful cartoons of Chaz Addams. I figured that the movie would dumb it down, but instead, the film manages to surpass the TV series in nearly every way, somehow getting a brilliantly twisted masterpiece past the studio heads and censors.
I'll keep the plot synopsis short, as always with comedies:
We start at Christmastime, with Gomez in a deep depression over his missing brother Fester. Fester vanished in the Bermuda Triangle, and Gomez, mad at himself over what he now realizes are petty arguments with his brother, is disconsolate. His lawyer, Tully, attempts to convince him to start a Fester memorial, but Gomez doesn't want to talk business right now.
Over the course of this scene and the next, we meet all of the major characters. Gomez and his wife Morticia are as loving a couple as any movie pairing; they just happen to have a much darker and twisted set of sensibilities (and an inability to understand that the rest of the world does not). Son Pugsley appears to be a goofy, typical boy, but enjoys playing violent games with his sister, Wednesday, a morose child who only gets pleasure out of pain and misery, and who hates almost all typical "little girl" stuff. Lurch, the butler, resembles Frankenstein's Monster. Thing, the other house servant, is a disembodied hand. Tully is a sleazy lawyer with more gambling debts than Michael Jordan and Pete Rose put together. Ms. Craven is Tully's loan shark, and she has a scummy son named Gordon. And Grandma Addams is just batshit crazy.
Tully, unable to pay off Craven, is about to get beaten up by Gordon when Craven notices that the gold coins Addams paid Tully with (which weren't nearly enough to pay off his debt) have Fester's face on them. And Fester looks a lot like Gordon would if they shaved the latter's head. The evildoers come up with a scheme involving a faked seance*, a phony medium** (Craven disguised as "Dr. Pinder-Schloss"), and a shaved Gordon pretending to be the long-lost Fester. Although the family is suspicious of "Fester," (especially after he fails to remember how to get out of the ancient Chinese finger trap), Pinder-Schloss allays these fears, and the family warms to "Fester" even as he takes to them. He bonds with the children in particular, passing on all sorts of tips on how to do useful kid stuff, like blow things up. Thing, as well, clearly takes to him.
However, Tully uses his lawyerly skills for evil*** and digs up records that establish that Fester, as the older brother, is the proper owner of the house. After a party during which Wednesday discovers the truth and is forced to flee from Craven and Tully, the rest of the family goes searching for her. While they're gone, Tully pulls strings with the judge across the street (who has his own long-standing grudge against Gomez) and gets a restraining order against the rest of the family. The bad guys have won!
The family tries to get by in the real world, but they find that their sensibilities clash with the sunny (and oh-so-fake) dispositions of everyday folks. Gomez sinks into a deep depression, and Morticia attempts to reason with "Fester." Alas, she ends up being taken captive. Fortunately, Thing manages to see**** what's going on, and runs back to the crappy motel in which the family had taken up residence. News of the threat to his wife is enough to break Gomez out of his stupor, but when he goes to rescue Morticia, Craven threatens to kill her unless he opens up the family vaults. Fortunately, by this point, "Fester" realizes that he's a better person than Craven, and turns on her. In a climax that involves hurricanes, magical books, and conveniently-dug graves, Tully and Craven are disposed of, and "Gordon" is struck by lightning and realizes that he really is Fester, after all!
Obviously, The Addams Family isn't a great movie because of its plot. But the plot does serve as a perfect vehicle for some wonderful "us versus them" gags. Almost every scene in this movie stands out, from the marvelous Mamushka dance (an intricate mixture of Russian folk dancing and knife-throwing) to the great model trains (featuring real life passengers) to the hysterical and hairy Cousin Itt putting the moves on Tully's widow. And let's not forget the great dialogue. The most famous line ("Are they made with real Girl Scouts?") nearly makes the entire movie. But the rest of the script is a delight, as well, with more than a few ("I'm a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else.") having achieved the level of quotability normally associated with The Princess Bride and Monty Python skits.
Of course, the theme of the movie -- the idea that we're all somewhat twisted inside, and that those who pretend not to have darkness are the ones who are really scary -- strikes a nice chord now, probably even more so than it did back in 1991. And its push to not judge things based on whether they're mainstream is a nice message to send amidst the silly comedy elements (but one that never feels forced).
Although first-time director Barry Sonnenfeld certainly deserves some credit, it's the cast here that makes the movie great. Wonderful as John Astin was as Gomez on the TV show, Raul Julia turns in one of his greatest performances in the same role, relishing every twisted line. Angelica Huston -- an actress I wouldn't have noted for her comedy, Ice Pirates notwithstanding, prior to this movie -- surprised me with her perfect timing and delivery as Morticia. Christopher Lloyd, naturally, is wonderful as Fester/Gordon. And Christina Ricci turned herself into a child star with her performance as Wednesday, conveying a sense of creepiness that's just perfect.
The Addams Family isn't perfect, of course, but even with the relatively weak plot, the gags are more than enough to keep it moving along. And the really good news: the sequel is even funnier.
*Since it's a movie, we'll pretend that this phrase isn't redundant.
**See last footnote.
***Again, in movieland, we can pretend there's another choice.
****Or whatever passes for it, given Thing's lack of eyes.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:29 pm (UTC)"What do we say, dear?"
"Now."
That still kills me.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:33 pm (UTC)And we can just pretend Addams Family Reunion never happened, Tim Curry notwithstanding.
Are these, too?
Date: 2007-03-21 05:34 pm (UTC)Oh, and: "It's called: Is There A God?"
(Is it just me, or was this the sexiest Anjelica Huston ever was in a film?)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:42 pm (UTC)The full song (by Comden and Green and Marc Shaiman) was on the soundtrack CD at Marc Shaiman's insistence, because it got mostly cut from the flick. Fun track.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:45 pm (UTC)And yeah, I loved that game too. We had it (along with the Star Trek pinball machine that had the videogame section that allowed you to shoot Klingons) when I was a sophomore at Emory, and I spent way too much money playing them.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:45 pm (UTC)Wednesday: Yes.
Girl Scout: I only like all-natural foods and beverages, organically grown, with no preservatives. Are you sure they're real lemons?
Pugsley: Yes.
Girl Scout: I'll tell you what. I'll buy a cup if you buy a box of my delicious Girl Scout cookies. Do we have a deal?
Wednesday: Are they made from real Girl Scouts?"
BEST. LINE. EVER!
And Raul Julia was the most awesome Gomez! I miss that man.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:45 pm (UTC)Re: Are these, too?
Date: 2007-03-21 05:46 pm (UTC)Undeniably.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:48 pm (UTC)And yes. AFR does not exist.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:56 pm (UTC)I love this movie!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 05:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 06:10 pm (UTC)Morticia snips the head off of a rose she's holding.
"That's my job."
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 06:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 06:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 06:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 07:01 pm (UTC)Makes me wonder if Oobi is Thing's cousin he just never talks about.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 07:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 07:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 07:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 07:14 pm (UTC)It's just a good thing they didn't push their luck and try to go for a third movie. Just like it's a good thing that the folks who made "Highlander" never made a sequel, either.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 07:49 pm (UTC)In fairness, the third "movie" was made-for-TV, so it didn't count, anyway.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-21 07:59 pm (UTC)* By "planetarium" I mean the whole thing, dome and projector**.
** One of the old fashioned Zeiss dumbbell-shaped projectors with the gears and the chains and the pulleys and the hey lady!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-02-27 09:43 pm (UTC)There's a pleasing arc there.