Edward Scissorhands (1990)
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An unfinished artificial humanoid with scissor blades for hands is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter.
The story
An elderly woman tells the story of Edward, an ageless humanoid with scissor blades for hands who lives in a Gothic mansion. He is taken in by the Boggs family, a suburban family who welcome him into their home. As the neighbors become curious about their guest, the family hosts a barbecue to introduce him. Edward finds himself caught between the fascination of the locals and the suspicion of a few, while developing a deep connection with the family's teenage daughter, Kim.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Edward, an ageless humanoid with scissor blades for hands, is taken in by the Boggs family in a pastel-colored suburb. He falls in love with Kim, the teenage daughter. While the neighborhood is initially fascinated by him, tensions rise with a local fanatic and Kim's boyfriend, Jim. Edward's attempts to be helpful—trimming hedges and styling hair—lead to a misunderstanding with a neighbor, Joyce. Jim, jealous of Edward's bond with Kim, tricks Edward into a situation where he is arrested but released due to his lack of common sense. At Christmas, Edward carves an ice sculpture of Kim, and they share a moment of connection. After a series of escalating conflicts involving Jim's jealousy and a physical confrontation, Jim is killed in a tragic accident. Kim and Edward realize their love cannot be fulfilled due to his appearance. The story is framed as a tale told by an elderly Kim to her granddaughter, who is revealed to be the same Kim from the story.
- First release year
- 1990
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tim Burton
- Writers
- Caroline Thompson · screenplay; Tim Burton · story; Caroline Thompson · story
- Cast and characters
- Johnny Depp · Edward; Winona Ryder · Kim Boggs; Dianne Wiest · Joyce; Anthony Michael Hall · Jim; Kathy Baker · Joyce; Vincent Price · not specified; Alan Arkin · not specified
- Genres
- romantic fantasy; fantasy drama; romantic drama
- Themes
- self-discovery; isolation; beauty and the beast
- Tone and mood
- magical; gothic; romantic; haunting
- Setting
- A pastel-colored suburban neighborhood and a Gothic mansion.
- Premise and plot tags
- fairy tale; suburban gothic; magical realism
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial success, praised for its visual imagination, the performances of its lead actors, and its unique blend of fantasy and romance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 71; Metacritic · score: 74 · scale: 100 · review count: 19
- Awards and nominations
- British Academy Film Award · Best Production Design · win
- Production trivia
- The film was Vincent Price's last film role to be released in his lifetime.; The film is the fourth collaboration between Tim Burton and Danny Elfman.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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