According to… everyone ever, I am not well-versed in movie masterpieces. I have made it my mission to catch up on the films that apparently everyone has seen but me. There’s been some hits and some misses, but “Edward Scissorhands” is definitely one I wish I had watched sooner. It was funny, emotional and kept me entertained from start to finish.
Starting with the credits, I was intrigued yet not surprised that the movie was produced by Tim Burton. His distinct style was very apparent throughout the movie. I love when a movie or show has a unique premise, and Tim Burton is excellent at achieving that.
This movie started in a similar manner to “The Princess Bride” with an older person reading their grandchild a story. Because of this, I was immediately skeptical. I hated that movie, so I was thrilled when I noticed the quality was much better. From there, I remained impressed the whole time.
One of the main characters, Peg, was a door-to-door Avon sales woman. She decided to go up to the scary house on the hill, and she found Edward. He was scared, dirty and, obviously, had scissors for hands. Rather than continuing to try and sell him Avon products, she decided to bring him home and help him. Many neighbors were standing outside and saw the two drive by together. Mayhem started in the neighborhood as the gossip spread quickly. I love that her profession was being an “Avon lady” because it reminds me of my grandma, and the nosey neighbors reminded me of the adults in my life. This ironically made the unrealistic story more relatable.
Peg may be one of my favorite characters of all time. Her kindness and compassion for Edward was admirable. When she brought him home, she did not rush him, nor did she make him feel stupid for not understanding certain things. She also did not leave room for her family to judge him and was quick to shut down any of her son’s snarky remarks. The way she always advocated for Edward was so cute to see.
Now, one character I absolutely despised was Joyce, the redhead crazy lady. I would go to war for Edward, so her being a perv made me incredibly angry. When she forced him into a room against his will, I wanted to gouge my eyes out. I did not appreciate the way she started to abuse his naivety so she could get what she wanted (usually sexually).
Another time I was tempted to turn the TV off was when Kim, her boyfriend Jim and their awful friends locked Edward into Jim’s parent’s house. I hate when a main character is framed for something, yet unable to defend themselves. That is exactly what happened here, and it made me so anxious. Then Kim had the audacity to ask Edward, “Why’d you do it?” Then he responded so sweetly by saying “Cause you asked me to.” He is so kindhearted, and she did not deserve that respect.
Spoiler alert: The ending of the movie left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I loved that Edward finally got rid of Jim, killing him in self-defense. I also did not mind that Edward and Kim did not end up together because I did not like her. However, I was sad that Edward disappeared merely because it meant that he could not talk to Peg anymore. Their mother-son style relationship deserved to last forever.
Overall, this movie was very well-executed. It was the perfect length, keeping me entertained without unnecessary fluff. It had the perfect balance of humor and emotional depth. My favorite element was the character dynamics. I am so glad I finally got around to watching this highly adored movie, and it was definitely worth it.
