Edward Scissorhands

Rating: 10/10 (13 July 2005)

Of all the films in the career of director Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), this is the one that everyone talks about, and highly acclaimed. This film is essentially a young man's struggle with being different and without a certain part of body, his hands. Basically mother and wife Peg (Dianne West) explores a mysterious house on the top of a hill (to promote beauty products or something) and she finds a man called Edward (Golden Globe nominated Johnny Depp), his surname Scissorhands tells you whats wrong with his hands. However, when he lives with this woman he uses his scissors to help some people, e.g. hair cuts, hedge trimming. Kim (Winona Ryder) becomes attracted to him as well. It's only when some people fear Edward that he goes a bit mad, and accidentally kills someone, so not exactly the happiest of endings. Also starring Anthony Michael Hall as Jim, Kathy Baker as Joyce, Honey I Shrunk the Kids' Robert Oliveri as Kevin, Vincent Price as The Inventor (one of his last roles before death) and Alan Arkin as Bill. Depp is great, Ryder is cute and Burton is fantastic director. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Makeup, it won the BAFTA for Best Production Design, and it was nominated for Best Costume Design, Best Make Up Artist and Best Special Visual Effects. Winona Ryder was number 87, Johnny Depp number 22 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, Depp was also number 9 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, and he number 2 on The World's Greatest Actor, and the film was number 36 on The 100 Greatest Family Films. Outstanding!