Connecting all these movies together is going to be a significant challenge but once I introduced Tim Burton into the mix, it opened up a number of options. So, in keeping with the theme of gothic, leather-clad Burton characters, that’ll get us to Edward Scissorhands.
Directed by Tim Burton
Screenplay by Caroline Thompson
Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Diane Wiest, & Anthony Michael Hall
A brilliant inventor gives life to an artificial person but dies before he can complete the design, leaving him to live in isolation until, one day, a generous woman discovers him and brings him home to live with her family. At first, Edward is welcomed by the community and is well-liked, even doing yard work and hairstyling with his highly-skilled scissor-hands. As the holiday season approaches and the townspeople begin to sour on him and he’s forced to retreat to the castle on the hill where he was initially discovered. The moral of the story is about treating strangers and the less fortunate with kindness, especially during the Yuletide season, and the whole narrative comes from an old woman explaining to her granddaughter why it snows on Christmas.
Quite possibly Burton’s masterpiece, his creative brilliance is on full display. His signature gothic imagery is juxtaposed by his bright and colorful presentation of suburbia. He co-wrote the wonderfully unique story, so he was involved in the very foundation of the ideas and directed Caroline Thompson’s screenplay with precision. Riding the success of Beetlejuice (1988) and Batman (1989), Burton was at the height of powers when he crafted his take on the Pinocchio fairy tale. It’s no surprise to see why he was one of the most coveted filmmakers of the 90s and it’s still a shame we never got to see his take on a Nicolas Cage-led Superman movie.
You may not think this was going to be a coveted role based on the title, but Johnny Depp plays it with such nuanced emotion and fragility in his physical portrayal. In hindsight, it’s no surprise this was the role that catapulted him to superstardom. Diane Wiest and Winona Ryder also give great supporting performances to help give Depp the proper substance and provide emotional buoyancy. The presentation is so well put together, it’s easy to overlook the quality of the acting but it’s a crucial part of why this movie is such a classic.
As a production, this is an amazing piece of cinema. Bo Welch’s production design is so well balanced and undeniably picturesque. We are also treated to fantastic original music from Danny Elfman who was also coming into his own as a composer when he did this movie and his music was a large part of many of Burton’s films.
Many people may not think of this as a Christmas movie, but the setting, imagery, and themes would disagree. You can stream Edward Scissorhands with premium subscriptions through Hulu and Amazon Prime, or rent the movie through most video-on-demand services.
Scissor Me Timbers! Happy Holidays!