Edward Scissorhands (1990) (Movie Review)

      As I close out the month of February … by extent the month of Valentines … I wanted to highlight one of my favorite Romance pictures, one that’s very different for the typical brand, yet still leaves a special mark, just like any classic of the genera. Tim Burton’s 1990 classic “Edward Scissorhands” is something of a special oddity, as it can apply to a number of genera’s, coming off like magical modern fairy-tale, laced with Gothic overtones, but with plenty of heart centered in the middle. I remember back when I was a kid, at first glance, I thought this movie was going to be a parody of Freddy Krueger ... Johnny Deps very first movie was in fact “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, and here he is, with hands that would make Krueger blush … but that's not the case at all with “Edward Scissorhands”. This film has its own unique voice, its own distinct tone, and as eluted to above, it’s still arguably my favorite Gothic romance picture.

    When a kind old inventor sadly passes away, he leaves behind a synthetic youth named Edward, who’s burdened with razor sharp scissors for hands. The inventor’s initial plan was to create a living creature that he can regard as a son … it’s unfortunate he just couldn’t complete his creation the way he was meant to be. 

One day, a local Avon saleswoman named Peg discovers him in the inventors abandoned castle, and she invites him to live with her family in a nearby neighborhood. Despite his threatening look and foreboding nature, Edward is in fact a kind, gentle creature who’s desperate to find love and affection. His big heart eventually works its way into a sympathetic young woman named Kim, who’s the only one capable of seeing past his goulash exterior. It’s the classic formula of a beautiful woman discovering the heart and soul in a deformed outcast, which is a tale preserved through the ages in stories like “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” … and even “King Kong”. Tim Burton naturally brings his own spin to this formula, as our figurative “Beast” in this story is initially celebrated in the town, but after one unfortunate set-up and misunderstanding, it puts poor Edward at odds with all the neighborhood residents. Despite all the cause, pain, and confusion, the girl Kim can still see the wholesomeness behind the monster, and is determined to help him ... much to the dismay of her greedy ex-boyfriend, who after feeling betrayed, set's out for blood.  

    Naturally, this was director Tim Burtons first collaboration with acting star Johnny Depp, who plays the titular Edward Scissorhands. 

While many could argue Burton overutilized Depp in his following movies, this first film really was one of their best joint projects, and highlights the best of both talents. Despite mostly carrying a blank expression, Depp manages to convey a great deal of emotion and personality in the role, allowing Edward to shine on screen as a genuinely lovable, and affectionate character. While Edward may resemble Freddy Krueger on the surface, he really has more in common with Frankenstein’s monster, as both were created in a lab, both capable of displaying feelings and emotions … and yet, both are still regarded as monsters. The late great prince of horror films, Vincent Price, plays the lonely inventor, which was such a nice little role for him at his late age, and you can tell he was so happy to be a part of it. It’s also appropriate that one of his last films would be a Tim Burton movie, as Burtons very first film was a short movie titled “Vincent”, a story about a boy who was obsessed with Vincent Price. Vincent Price also did the narration in this short film.

   Edward’s love interest Kim was played by the beautiful young Winona Ryder, who also starred in an earlier Tim Burton film “Beetlejuice”, as the Gothic teen Lita. 

By contrast, now she’s brightened-up, is a true delight to have on screen, and absolutely glows in her signature white dress. Whenever I think back on Winona Ryder, it’s always her screen presence in “Edward Scissorhands” that comes to mind first. What she and Edward lack in traditional romantic chemistry, they make up for with some genuinely touching, and beautiful scenes. Plus, these two have one of the most heartbreaking exchanges ever … Kim: “Hold Me” … Edward: “I Can’t”. Honestly, both Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder make for a terrific on-screen pair, even if their kind of an odd-couple. Of course, I can’t forget Dianne Wiest, who’s also infectiously lovable as Kim’s mother Peg. She and Edward likewise have really good chemistry, as both can also relate to being outcasts, as she too was ignored by her neighbors, and was a person that’s often made fun of.  

    Prior to this film, I was already a fan of Tim Burton’s films, his unique style, his other-worldly macabre atmosphere, and imaginative visuals … but this was the movie in which I really loved Burtons subtle approach of telling a story through conveyed emotions and pacing. 

For me, there’s a difference between a writer’s romantic story, and a filmmaker’s romantic experience … and Tim Burton is a master of conveying emotions through a visual media. All the romantic elements in this film are captured through distinct moments, and the touching connections are made mostly through physical expressions, as opposed to straight on conversations. It’s a real art when properly executed, and it goes to show the talent involved in this project. Burton also knows how to take a familiar suburban setting, and give it a fantastical personality, like it exists in another world, even though nothing really supernatural ever occurs on screen. Because of this, scenes that could have been extremely corny or cheesy do come off as genuinely wonderous and special. Case in point, I love the moment with Winona Ryder dancing under the falling snow, which is created by Edward as he chips away at ice for an ice sculpture. This scene could have easily come off as cringe, but it fits right in with the whimsical, dream-like tone the film creates.

    At the Academy Awards, this film surprisingly only had one nomination for Best Makeup, but lost to “Dick Tracy” ... truthfully, I feel this film deserved more Oscar recognition then that. Naturally, being a Tim Burton production, the film is a marvel to look at, and it still holds-up all these years later. 

We get to see the inventor’s crazy lab, and it’s just a stamp of Tim Burton’s trademark-look, design, and personality. It almost looks like Frankenstein’s lab if it was rented out by Willy Wonka. The look of the small neighborhood is another perfect example of how Tim Burton can take a perfectly normal setting, and twist it around into something unique. Streets bend at weird angles, there’s a castle on a hill overlooking the area, and every house has the same shape, with only one distinct color separating one-another. The hedges are trimmed to look like either dinosaurs or family portraits, and with so many different, brightly colored houses and cars, it almost looks like a very unique Easter-themed town. Beyond the subtle emotional beats, there really is something effective about the imagery, the settings, the music, as it all gives this film a very distinct atmosphere, personality, and I absolutely love it!

    If you’re a long-time viewer of Tim Burton movies, then you also know your share of music composed by the great Danny Elfman, as he usually composes the music in his films. Honestly, even though I love his music for “Batman”, my absolute favorite of Danny Elfman’s work is the score he composed for “Edward Scissorhands”. 

In my mind, this is the classic Danny Elfman score that just hits all the right notes, as its gothic and foreboding, but it’s also whimsical and enchanting at the same time. There’s just no other movie score like it, combining both haunts and magic into one captivating track. While it’s eerie, it almost sounds like a melody you’d here in a Christmas song. It’s just over flowing with atmosphere, wonder and it always submerses me into the movie experience whenever I hear it. By extent, this movie also features one of my all-time favorite opening credit sequences. We get this montage of crazy images, odd shapes, imaginative designs, a tour of the castle grounds, and all matched to Elfman’s captivating score. It's worth noting that this score was so successful, that it’s been utilized in a number of movie trailers, including Tim Burtons “Big Fish” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, as well as “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, “The Indian in the Cupboard”, 1993’s “The Secret Garden”, and for some reason “The Master of Disguise”.

   If I had any reservations with this movie, it would be that some of the comedy can come off as awkward or uncomfortable at times. Like, if you’re watching this with someone for the first time, and there not laughing at select moments, it’s just uncomfortable silence as you wait for the films other strengths to kick-in. One lengthy seduction scene in particular, I feel should have been removed all together. There are at least some select comedic scenes that really do work, and add some levity to the experience. My favorite scene is when Kim and Edward first meet, she comes home late from a camping trip, goes into her room, only to discover Edward in her bed, and what fallows is side-splitting laughter from me every time I watch it. With that said, a part of me dose wish that she and Edward could have met a little sooner, thus giving them more time to bond. Lastly, the final act of this movie is set on Christmas Eve, making this film the first in a figurative trilogy of dark and Gothic Burton films that you can get away with watching during the holiday season … the later two being “Batman Returns” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.

   In the end, “Edward Scissorhands” remains one of my favorites of Tim Burton’s long-standing filmography, as well as one of my favorites of the romantic “Beauty and Beast” category, and I still view it as a modern fairytale classic. It’s amazing to look at, the emotional levels are strong, the characters are memorable, and once again, the score by Danny Elfman is still one of my favorite musical score's he’s ever done. Despite the gothic overtones and uncomfortable moments in this movie, there is still a heart at the center of it all, along with a simple sense of wonder. I can’t act like this is a movie for everyone, but still something special to me, and while it may not fit the traditional brand … it really is one of my favorite Romance pictures.

Thanks for reading my review of Tim Burtons 1990 classic “Edward Scissorhands” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!