Thank God it’s Friday
because here’s a new entry of The Magical Mystery Blog.
I’m sure most of you
are familiar with the famous movie director, Tim Burton. Mr. Burton has created
classic hits like Mars Attacks, Vincent, and Corpse Bride. He has even aided in the production of other movies
like James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Growing
up, I wasn’t too fond of the strange director and producer until I hit my
teenage years Or as everyone remembers these years as, the time when puberty
struck and life was a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world.
Needless to say, I was
in that same boat of confusion. At the age of thirteen I finally watched The Nightmare Before Christmas and was
completely fascinated by this director’s work. I loved his work so much I
started to watch other movies created by him, including Edward Scissorhands.
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| moviegoods.com |
Edward Scissorhands is the story of
an Avon saleswoman (Peg Boggs) discovering a leftover, unfinished invention in
a deceased inventor’s palace. The invention is none other than Johnny Depp with
scissors for hands. Intrigued and concerned by this man made man, Mrs. Boggs
invites Edward to stay with her in her cheery little neighborhood.
The rest is a cause and effect story of what happens when you try to introduce
something different and new to a town that likes an unchanging routine. How it
not only effects the people in that specific location but the lengths they go
to, to use this new person to their means. Only then do they reject him for the
“wrongs” he has committed, when it was their doing from the start. In the end,
they just shrug it off as if nothing ever happened, and return to their daily
ritual.
This movie is a treat
for anyone who wants to step inside the world of Tim Burton’s early years. As
for myself, I've watched this film at every chance I could get because it’s my
favorite Burton flick. However, as the years rolled on I began to realize a few
things about it.
1) It’s
easily relate-able to everyone - when I originally viewed this movie, I could easily understand it because I was an outcast much like Edward Scissorhands. I
had just transferred from Catholic to public school at that time and despite
trying to put my best foot forward, it failed in the end.
At first I didn't realize it, but as I grew older I began to see that everyone could relate to
this movie. You may find that notion insane because when people think ‘Tim
Burton movies’ they immediately imagine the gothic and/or emo kids who blast Slayer
and wear spikes on every single article of clothing they own.
With Edward Scissorhands I find that
people can relate to this film because at some point in our lives, everyone is
Edward Scissorhands. You’re the new kid changing (or starting) school and know
no one, you’re the new person in the office and don’t know how things are. You're strange to the new town, school, or workplace because you're new and different. Some
kindhearted people will take you in, show you around, and make sure you're all right. However, there are those out there who will use you to their benefit. It
happens to everyone in life, just as it did in Edward Scissorhands.
Even Burton himself has said that he was Edward Scissorhands. In fact, he had
created Edward long before the movie was even made.
2) The
inspiration – in the time that Mr.Burton made this film, he was an unknown producer
and director who was still making a mark in the world. He wanted to show
Hollywood a new lease on life through his style, stories, and ideas. As a
teenager he often drew various things and Edward was one of them. Edward was
drawn as a representation
of himself growing up and even the film was a symbolization of Burton's time
growing up. This movie was an outward expression of
Burton’s means of finding himself in the world as the outcast he was.
3) The
meaning of the end – SPOILER ALERT.
THE FOLLOWING IS A
MASSIVE
SPOILER TO EDWARD
SCISSORHANDS. IF YOU HAVE NOT
SEEN IT YET, PLEASE DO
NOT READ
ON.
When I viewed this movie, I honestly did not expect to bawl at the end. But I understood why I cried and called Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder’s character) a bitch.
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flicker.com
Get your hands off my man, woman! |
It was because she tarnished my hopes for a happy ending for this movie by leaving Edward alone in the inventor's palace. I was rooting for the underdog in this film so that their romance
could blossom and face the challenges of having a partner with scissorhands. It would be something different as opposed to your standard boyfriend/girlfriend relationships.
I was hoping for them to be together forever because it would bridge the gap between the strange and the normal. I believed that if that chasm could never be filled in life, then at least let
me have it from a movie I enjoy. This was not the case but then again, I’m
rather glad Burton did not give his audience a joyful reprise.
What he gave the audience was life. There will always be the outcasts in life
that no one wants to bond with because they interrupt the daily routine. But in
the world there are those like Kim, Peg, and the rest of their family who
embrace those who are different from them. When Kim sacrificed her future with Edward, she broke the possible idea of
bridging the gap between the different and the routine. She could have stayed
with Edward and explained what had happened to the crowd but they would have
assumed that Edward started it and would have still considered him a villain.
Kim knew he was never an enemy to the neighborhood although they believed otherwise.
Well that about wraps up this week's blog entry. For my readers, I ask you a question: what did you think about the ending to Edward Scissorhands? Would you have preferred a happy ending, why? Or did you like it the way it was and why?
