Edward Scissorhands Review

Edward Scissorhands

Release Date: 21st March 1991 - Australia

Production Companies 

20th Century Fox (presents)

Distribution 

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/

Drama

Rating: PG

Runtime: 103 minutes


Budget: $20,000,000

Box Office Gross:

$86,024,005 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

In a castle atop the hill

lives Edward, an artificial

being who is gentle, quite

charming, and has

scissors for his hands.

He has lived all by himself

ever since the Inventor

died before he could

finish him. Then, one day,

an Avon lady found him

and took him home to

live with her family. His

adventure in suburbia

begins when he falls in

love.

Cast

Johnny Depp - Edward 

Scissorhands

Winona Ryder - Kim

Dianne West - Peg

Anthony Michael Hall - Jim

Kathy Baker - Joyce

Robert Oliveri - Kevin

Conchata Ferrell - Helen

Caroline Aaron - Margery

O-Lan Jones - Esmeralda

Vincent Price - The Inventor

Alan Arkin - Bill
Susan Blommaert - Tinka
Linda Perri - Cissy
Biff Yeager - George
Marti Greenberg - Suzanne
Bryan Larkin - Max
John McMahon - Denny
Gina Gallagher - Granddaughter

Crew

Story/Producer/Director -

Tim Burton

Story/Screenplay/Associate Producer - Caroline Thompson

Executive Producer - Richard Hashimoto

Producer - Denise Di Novi

Production Designer - Bo Welch

Art Director - Tom Duffield

Set Designers - Rick Heinrichs,

Paul Sonski and Ann Harris
Set Decorator - Cheryl Carasik

Property Master - William A. Petrotta
Costume Designer - Colleen Atwood

Special Makeup Effects and
Scissorhands Producer - Stan Winston
Makeup Department Head - Ve Neill

Makeup Artists - Matthew W. Mungle,

Selena Evans-Miller, Brad Wilder and

Rick Stratton

Hair Designer - Yolanda Toussieng

Director of Photography - Stefan Czapsky

Louma Crane Operator - Brooks P. Guyer

Location Managers - Michael J. Burmeister

and Robert Maharis

Unit Production Manager - Bill Scott

Animal Trainers - David Allsberry,

Boone Narr, Paul 'Sled' Reynolds and

Dawn Barkan (Uncredited)
Stunt Coordinator - Glenn R. Wilder
Special Effects Supervisor - Michael Wood

Art Department Coordinators: Stan Winston

Studio - John Rosengrant and Shane Mahan

Mechanical Department Coordinator:

Stan Winston Studio - Richard J. Landon

On Set Coordinator: Stan Winston Studio -

Andy Schoneberg

Visual Effects: VCE - Peter Kuran

Miniature Effects: Stetson Visual Services, Inc -

Robert Spurlock and Mark Stetson

Effects Director of Photography - Bill Neil

Stage Crew Chief: Stetson Visual Services, Inc -

Thomas Valentine

Editors - Richard & Colleen Halsey

Assistant Editor - Jonathan Chibnall

Supervising Sound Editors - Richard L. Anderson

and David E. Stone

Special Sound Effects - John Pospisil

Sound Editors - Michael J. Benavente,

James Christopher and Warren Hamilton Jr.

Sound Effects Recording - Eric Potter

Re-Recording Mixers - Stanley Kastner

and Steve Maslow

Foley - Vanessa Theme Ament

and Heather McPherson

Music - Danny Elfman

Conductor - Shirley Walker

Music Editor - Bob Badami

Music Scoring Mixer - Shawn Murphy


Awards

1991 Academy Awards
Best Makeup - Stan Winston and Ve Neill (Nominated)

Review

I have been waiting to re-watch and review EDWARD SCISSORHANDS for some time now. When I first saw it as a child, I was amazed. It stuck in my memory. I thought it was a sinister horror flick about a demented psycho killer. Now, what was I thinking? Instead, the film opened as a dark fantasy-romantic drama, and it now remains a well-told story about an outcast, isolated and misunderstood by society. Johnny Depp delivered a heartfelt, graceful performance as the man with scissors for hands and the innocence of a fragile human being. If Depp couldn't portray this warm, gentle person, then pop singer Michael Jackson could have been a good alternative as the lead actor for this film! It's amusing how rumours circulated that he auditioned for the title role, but didn't get it because he wasn't versatile enough in film acting.

Other actors who provided exceptional performances alongside Johnny include Winona Ryder and Vincent Price. It is one of the latter's swan songs, where he sincerely acts before passing. I was breathless at the sight of the suburban areas and cities, which were colourful in contrast to the Gothic mansion where Edward lives. Danny Elfman's beautiful, breathtaking compositions of his dramatic score enamoured me. It enhances the magic and beauty of this story.

After two hours of re-watching the movie, it stands as Tim Burton's and Johnny Depp's first and best feature together, paving the way for their close working partnership in future films to come as director and lead actor. Time will tell if everyone else may yet experience it, as indicated by its star rating below.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

Back to Home