I’m just really sinking into a random writer’s laze conundrum this week, but I did want to mention my personal favorite Valentine movie (albeit a odder choice than most would say, but I’ll give it to you anyway). It’s not only my favorite Tim Burton movie, but one of my favorite love stories dedicated to the movies. Once upon a time in a castle overlooking a suburb, an inventor creates a man named Edward. Sadly, the inventor dies before completing his creation, leaving him alone in a crumbling castle with nothing but his shrubbery created by his makeshift hands, created from scissor blades. Then, one day, Avon comes calling, when a suburban working mom visits the castle and finds Edward. Taking him to her home, Edward becomes a fascinating sight for both the family he stays with and the neighbors, as they become allured by his special creative talents. The only one who really doesn’t take to Edward is the woman’s teenage daughter (whom Edward is enchanted by), but slowly as she comes to adore him in her way, the tides are turning when a neighborhood robbery attempt is directed at Edward, as the town slowly rejects him. Ultimately, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS is another form of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, done in an incredibly unique way that only Tim Burton could do. It also feels like his most personal film (based off a concept Burton designed and drew, and developed by horror novelist Caroline Thompson), and it stands apart from Burton’s canon as one of his most unique films (actually, when I first saw a TV documentary on Burton, just his look alone made me think of Edward; it seemed like perfect mimicry). This was also the first film I saw with Johnny Depp and I still consider it one of his best performances, if not THE Best. So much of what Edward is focuses on his silence and his actions (He doesn’t really speak except in simple sentences, so when it’s clear his intelligence is more pronounced, it’s unexpected). Depp often said he modeled Edward on how a puppy would see the world, and it’s fascinating because you can see that shyness, and when he tries to connect with someone, you can almost see the bounce in his step that dies when he’s rejected. Plus, once you’ve seen the look of Edward himself, how do you forget something like that? It’s somewhat of a mix between Freddy Krueger (the claws) and E.A. Poe’s gentle nightmarish feel. The supporting cast is equally good. Winona Ryder (Depp’s girlfriend at the time) plays a completely separate type of role from her previous appearance in BEETLEJUICE (although even today, she looks very odd with long blonde hair). Her character’s perfectly believable, and pretty to boot (I especially love her reactions where it’s obvious she’s falling for Edward). It’s also astonishing that Anthony Michael Hall (by then, a signature Nerd figure in 80s teen comedy) plays the ultimate evil jock; he’s way too believable that I forget he always got his start playing such geekish characters (makes me wonder what he would’ve done had he gotten to play Joker in FULL METAL JACKET; probably great things). And of course, in his final film performance, Vincent Price makes a brief appearance playing the doomed inventor. I just love how perfectly styled, this was for Price: a collaboration of everything he was known for (horror and comedy blended into a whimsical character), written and performed with that loving care. I just loved this Inventor character that’s very much like a fun grandfather figure, and his death is incredibly powerful. However, the ones I think get shortchanged whenever EDWARD SCISSORHANDS gets mentioned are Dianne Wiest and Alan Arkin playing the parents of Ryder’s character. Wiest is just sweet while being awkward in social moments and firm with her family. Arkin is just hysterical: he plays the dad figure like the ultimate comic, commenting on everyday life like a PG-leveled George Carlin, yet he can be serious if the need calls for it (just watching him humming while he’s putting up Christmas decorations makes me chuckle). I don’t really recall anyone else standing out: a neighbor is used often (played by Kathy Baker), but the whole neighborhood seems to merge with me to different moods than individual performances. Another thing about EDWARD SCISSORHANDS: the music. This is without a doubt Danny Elfman’s best movie score. It’s that kind of Burton-esque tipsy feeling when it comes to the comical bits (the whole Conveyor Belt scene with Vincent Price just makes me laugh every time), but on the serious soft moments is when it really scores for me (every time that music plays during the Ice scenes, I just get that Epic feeling where it soars). Ultimately, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS is tailor made as a fairy tale in perspective Reality, and much like any great movie, it transcends its material by just becoming a fun heartfelt ride, and eventually laying on the perfect sense of hope and tragedy by the ending. It’s Burtons best for me, but it’s a wonderfully made movie for the perfect puppy love kind of fan.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 13:49:38 +0000
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