Scissors, Avon, & Leather, Oh My!

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2003)

In a movie that could only be created by the morbid-but-sentimental mind of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp has one of his first major roles as a needy, gentle-spirited invention-gone-wrong. The movie takes place in a strange Technicolor town of bright houses, square lawns, and a looming mad scientist's castle at the top of the hill. When Diane West, playing an exquisitely sensitive and maternal Avon lady, decides to visit the castle, she finds a boy named Edward living there all alone. Edward is not a normal person, just as you'd expect from Tim Burton: he's a leatherclad, melancholy freak of nature with foot-long scissors in place of fingers. Overcoming her initial fear, Diane West takes pity on the childlike Edward, and invites him into her home. The ensuing story is somewhat typical of all the "fish-out-of-water" stories ever told - Edward is at first accepted with open arms by the neighborhood, and takes part in hedge-clipping and haircuts, as well as becoming something of a local celebrity. To make matters more complicated, Edward innocently falls in love with the Avon lady's daughter, a waifish little beauty played with the perfect blend of teenage passion and innocence by Winona Ryder.But a few misunderstandings and dangerous missteps lead the townspeople to reject Edward, leaving you worrying for Edward Scissorhands to the very end of the film. The movie is awash with cartoon-like settings, bizarre characters, and a wistful score by Danny Elfman. Johnny Depp excels as the gentle monster who can never be completely understood by the humans he encounters ... anyone who can make you like them in spite of having enormous blades for hands is a true sweetheart. This is a melancholy, bittersweet bit of Tim Burton cinema magic at is best. Not to be missed.