"I guess it would have to start with scissors."

Rating: 8/10 (24 March 2012)

It's virtually impossible to find a movie that's completely unique with an idea that's never been done before, and that's one of the reasons I find "Edward Scissorhands" to be such a compelling film. It has a fairy tale like quality in a modern day setting, relating it's story in a plastic, pastel suburbia complete with snoopy neighbors who can't wait to find out who the local Avon Lady (Dianne Weist) just brought home.
The strange thing about the story is how it juxtaposes the way people usually react to something strange within their midst. With Edward (Johnny Depp), there was no revulsion or fright at the sight of his disfigurement. Instead, they all marveled at his ability to transform shrubbery into animal shapes, and trusted him to do wonders for their hairstyles. It's only after they get to know Edward and accept him into the community that they later turn against him due to an unfortunate incident for which he's virtually been framed. I was surprised that the story took such a tragic turn with the boyfriend/bully (Anthony Michael Hall) at the finale, and wonder if director Burton couldn't have made his point without resorting to violence.
As a fan of Vincent Price, I recall how pleased I was when the picture first came out to see him perform in what would be his last screen appearance. In a way, the creepy mansion at the end of the road reminded me of "The House on Haunted Hill", an early favorite when I was just a kid that managed to scare the bejeezus out of me when I first saw it. In time, Price's pairing with Johnny Depp in this picture will be one of those neat trivia questions for movie goers to puzzle over.
The one thing that throws me about the movie though is the way it ends. Presumably the story takes place in the present day when the picture was made (1990), as the characters and setting all appear to be of that era. Which would mean that Winona Ryder's character having aged some sixty or seventy years would transport the end of the film well into the mid twenty first century. I guess if this is a fairy tale story it wouldn't matter at all, but somehow the transition was just a bit disorienting.