The Addams Family (1991)

"Don't torture yourself. That's my job."

Surprisingly, this big budget, big screen 90s updating of the cult 60s TV hit was rather better than one might have hoped. Though the plot is no great shakes, the casting is superb and the film simply revels in its own craziness, often casting the meagre story to one side to concentrate on the latest bit of weirdness - indeed, the film is often at its worst when it tries too hard to provide us with a plot. The result is a patchy but undeniably very entertaining movie with knockout performances and technical credits.

The production of The Addams Family was not a happy one. Original cinematographer Owen Roizman (who had previously helped to lens The Exorcist (1973)) walked after just a few weeks (he still retains sole screen credit however) and had to be replaced by Gale Tattersoll who, in turn, was admitted to hospital with a severe sinus infection almost immediately. Julia burst a blood vessel in his eye, Sonnenfeld's wife was rushed into hospital and Lloyd narrowly escaped serious injury when a fight sequence went wrong. But all of this was small beer compared to the heart-stopping decision by original producers Orion - mid-production - to scream poverty and sell off the entire movie to Paramount. That the film was ever completed at all, let alone turned out to be so entertaining is nothing short of miraculous.

But completed it was, under the directorship of a first timer that no-one actually wanted as their first choice (Tim Burton, Joe Dante, Terry Gilliam and David Lynch were just some of the eccentric talents originally considered for the canvas backed chair) and against all the odds. As a coherent film, The Addams Family is a shoddy let down, but as a non-stop string of loosely connected gags, it's a triumph. Huston has never been better as the spooky, velvet voiced Morticia, though she's given a real run for her acting money by a young Christina Ricci as the demonic Wednesday.

Another major star of the show is undoubtedly Thing, the disembodied hand who, in the TV series, did little but lounge about in a box. Here, thanks to hi-tech special effects wizardry, is given a life of its own, even seeking employment as a mailboy (mailhand?) in a busy office when the family fall on hard times.

Most of the gags work most of the time (there are the inevitable few duffs) and Sonnenfeld gives the proceedings enough off-beat charm and odd camera angles to complement the weirdness of the characters. The film is at its best when exploting the possibilities for ludicrous, anachronistic dialogue:

Gomez: Unhappy darling?
Morticia: Oh yes, completely.

There are so many wonderful moments in The Addams Family that it's tempting to simply list them all. I'll spare you that, but I really must draw your attention to one or two. The school play scene in particular is a classic, as Wednesday and Pugsley gross out their audience with a blood-spattered show that results on great gushers of fake blood showering the front rows and artificial limbs littering the stage; Morticia and Gomez waxing lyrical about their first meeting; Morticia's disastrous first day as a nursery worker, reducing her infant wards to tears with a particularly horrific reading of Hansel and Gretel!; and the priceless encounter between Wednesday and Pugsely (trying to raise money for the impoverished, homeless family) by selling lemonade with a wholesome, snotty, cookie selling girl scout ("Are they made from real girl scouts?").

The strength of the film undoubtedly lies with it's clever, witty script, crafted by writers who previously worked with Tim Burton on Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990). There are so many magical moments with dialogue full of sparkling one liners and performances that clearly the actors were enjoying immensely. A surprisingly entertaining film, then, even for those who found the success and popularity of the TV show rather puzzling.
KEVIN LYONS

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009