And now, for something completely different. When I say the name Tim Burton, what comes to your mind first? Beetlejuice? Sweeney Todd? Alice in Wonderland? Batman? All of those would be valid responses. But, for me, I think of this movie. My fourth favorite movie is Edward Scissorhands. Directed by Tim Burton during the time when he ruled the world, written by Caroline Thompson, with a score by Danny Elfman, and starring long-time Burton collaborator Johnny Depp in one of the best roles of his career. This movie is, in my opinion, the best movie that Burton has ever made. And I'm gonna explain why in this review of it. Don't read any further if you haven't seen it.
Firstly, let's talk about the titular character, Mr. Scissorhands himself. This was the character with which Johnny Depp proved to the world that he can be a great actor. He completely transforms himself into this character. Granted, given movies like Sweeney Todd, Ed Wood, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, this was something Depp has become famous for, but this was the first time we saw it, and it is a marvel to behold. Edward is a great character. He's just adorable! He's sweet, he doesn't mean any harm, he cares about his family and friends, and, even when his unfinished hands get him into trouble, he's more worried about whether or not his friends are unharmed. I love how taken aback he is by the town when he first arrives in it, Depp plays it so well. He's amazed that there's more to the world than just the dark castle that he was made in, and he uses mainly facial expressions to verbalize it. The title character only says a total of 169 words throughout the whole film, which I really enjoy. If he had a monologue, it would take away from the magic of his character. I really can't praise Depp's performance enough. Just watch his face when bad things are happening to him, like when Jim is yelling at him after he accidentally slices Kim's hand or when he saves Kevin from getting ran over but it still hate for it cause, y'know, knives for hands. Johnny Depp absolutely nails this role.
Danny Elfman's score is incredible. He's gone on record and said that his work on this movie is his favorite that he's ever done, and I can see why. The choir vocals give me goosebumps every time I see it. Every single instrument he uses blends together in such a beautiful way. My favorites are the industrial music that plays during Edward's flashbacks and the sweeping orchestra music we hear during a few of the town scenes. If you need an example of how great Elfman's score is, listen to the track "The Grand Finale" and try not to cry. It's beautiful. Why he didn't get at least an Oscar nomination for it is beyond me. The violins, the choir, the symbols. It's magical. It's absolutely wonderful. And the Tom Jones songs were nice, too. Tom Jones is cool, I can't complain about him. I also like the set and costume designs. The Inventor's mansion looks awesome, Edward's costume is cool, I really enjoy the fact that every car is the same model with a different paint job, and the titular scissorhands look so good. It's no wonder why the person who made them got a credit in the opening. The world has a very Tim Burton feel to it (obviously), but this is one of his best movies because of it. This movie did earn an Oscar nomination in the Best Makeup category, presumably for Edward's appearance. I haven't seen Dick Tracy, which is the movie that ended up winning the Oscar, so, until I do, I'm gonna say that this movie should've won it.
We've established that Depp gives it 150%, but I also need to give a ton of credit to the female lead. Winona Ryder absolutely kills it. Her and Depp have some of the most adorable chemistry I've ever seen in a movie couple, mostly due to Edward's innocence. He becomes smitten with her from the very first moment he sees her, as evidenced by his smile when Peg first shows him her picture. Edward would do anything for Kim, even going as far as to murder Jim, her ex, after he strikes her in the third act. Edward just wants to protect Kim at all costs, risking his life and reputation on multiple occasions. Scratch that, he does ruin his credibility for the sake of helping Kim when he commits a robbery, knowing full well where he was at, all because Kim asked him to help her. Kim's quivering lip when Edward reveals that he knew it was Jim's house they were robbing was powerful, Winona sells it so well. The best scene with them is the moment when Edward is making an artificial snow by ice sculpting, and then Kim walks outside and starts dancing in it. The look of wonder on Kim's face cannot be expressed with words. It's a beautiful moment. Their hug at the end was so heartwarming. Kim's look of contention, Edward's shocked expression quickly turning into that of pure love. It's great.
And the rest of the actors do a good job, too. Dianne West plays an Avon lady named Peg (who I can connect with since my Grandma sold Avon products for a while). Peg is sweet, caring, and she clearly wants the best for Edward, and Dianne does a great job of conveying that. Anthony Michael Hall was a great choice to play Jim. He does unlikeable very well in this movie. The townsfolk do a good job, as do the extras. But one person stands out: Vincent Price as The Inventor. Price was one of Burton's idols, and he finally got to work with him. What does he cast him as? Is this another instance of Vincent portaying a creepy, gothic madman? Nope. Vincent Price is a gentle, kind, charming man in this. He reads poetry to Edward, attempts to teach him right from wrong, acts as the perfect father figure for him. The only problem is the fact that he didn't live long enough to see his creation be complete. He has a heart attack towards the end of the film, right as he's presenting Edward with his real hands, in one of the most tragic scenes Burton has ever put to film. There's also the fact that this was one of Vincent's last movie roles before his death in 1993. Vincent's performance was great in this, may be rest in piece.
Going back to Depp's performance, some of my favorite moments in the film happen solely because of the way Johnny portrays them. Edward getting drunk was very funny (as so was the moment when he threw up at the mention of "lemonade"), him snipping a piece of the dog's hair so that the little pup can see in the third act was so sweet, and seeing the joy on Edward's face when people compliment him is just adorable. But the highlights, to me, are the haircutting scenes. Edward has finally found something that he can do, he can do it well, and people like it when he does it. He feels accepted, which makes even more heartbreaking when everything falls apart at the end. Edward makes these gorgeous bush sculptures (I don't know what they're actually called) for every house in the neighborhood, and then he discovers his scissorhands can be used to trim dog hair as well. And then, Joyce makes him give her a haircut, which gives him another hobby. At heart, Ed's just an innocent child, and the moments when his innocents gets to shine through are my favorites.
Edward Scissorhands is a beautiful movie. The sets, the score, the cinematography, Johnny Depp killing it with every second he's on screen. I even like the subtle edits, like the movie's title opening up like a pair of scissors in the credits. Although, Winona's old woman makeup wasn't very good. Neither was her old woman voice. That only shows up in two scenes, though, so it didn't hurt the movie. I understand why this movie never got a sequel, cause Burton didn't want to ruin the magic of this one, but I would like to see a followup. He's apparently doing Beetlejuice 2, so who knows? Edward Scissorhands: The Desolation of Smaug, maybe? Probably not. It's fine, though. We'll always have this movie. Only three more picks left for my list, then we'll be in 2019. Stay tuned for tomorrow. We're in the home stretch.
