Tag: Fairytales


Edward Scissorhands

July 18th, 2013 — 8:13pm

Edward Scissorhands***

Edward Scissorhands  nf    We had missed this classic 1990 film so we put in on our Netflix list. It is a fairytale like none that we have ever seen or  heard before. Edward (Johnny Depp) is boy who was born with no hands  was brought up in an old mansion on the hill by his inventor father (Vincent Price) who outfitted him with scissor hands and died before he could invent and attach  real ones  for him. The Avon lady, (you know the one who knocks on doors to sell cosmetics) played by Diane Wiest, takes him home to her typical 1950s suburbia house down the hill from the mansion where she lives with her husband (Alan Arkin), son and daughter (Winonna Ryder) We come to realize that Edward’s handicap is also a wonderful talent as he can sculpt hedges, women’s hair and do lots of other things with his scissor hands. Hence, we are being taught something about differences in people and certainly they are not always what they seem to be. Fairytales often have a special love story, a villain and unexpected but understandable endings and this one doesn’t disappoint. This whole story originated in the mind of a young Tim Burton, who when he grew up, co–wrote the story as well as co-produced and directed  the film. Johnny Depp is  quite remarkable, in that he hardly speaks in the film but he conveys so much. Ryder also shows great  emotion and feelingwith her facial  expressions and Diane Wiest absolutely inhabits the Avon lady. The music by Danny Elfman sets the underlying haunting mood of the film, We certainly think it was still  worth seeing 23 years after it was made (1990)

Comment » | 3 Stars, Drama

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