Of course he had a name. His name was Edward.

 

Edward Scissorhands, 1990

Edward Scissorhands is one of my favorite movies ever. It stars one of my favorite actors, was directed by Tim Burton, one of my favorite directors, has a beautiful score by Danny Elfman, and is one of the best movies to come out of the 90s. 

After starring in 1989's Cry Baby, Johnny Depp had finally proven that he wasn't just "That hot guy on 21 Jump Street". He was next cast in director Tim Burton's new project- a story about a man who has scissors for hands. Created by an inventor, Edward (the man's name) is incomplete due to the sudden death of the inventor. He lives all alone in the inventor's castle until one day, struggling Avon saleslady Peg Boggs (Diane Weist) finds him and decides to take him to her house in Suburbia. At first, Edward is accepted by the neighborhood, but eventually circumstances change and he becomes an outcast once more. 

At the heart of this movie is Johnny Depp's performance as Edward. Deprived of human interaction, he is completely innocent to the ways of suburbanites. He is wide-eyed, curious, childlike, naive, trusting, gentle and self-conscious all at once. Depp puts such sensitivity into the character and you can't help falling in love with him. He brings to the role both humor and pathos; scenes when Edward is attempting to do normal things such as dressing or eating off a fork for instance make you laugh but break your heart- you know these attempts at normality are futile- no matter how hard he tries, he will never be normal and fit in. 

The second essential performance of the film is Winona Ryder's. As the Bogg's daughter Kim, she is at first terrified and repulsed by Edward and is mortified to have any association with him. As the film progresses however, she develops a warm, protective feeling toward Edward which eventually grows into love. Ryder is such a natural performer; she is so sincere and such a fabulous actress. (I'm not sure whatever happened to her). 


Other notable cast members include Dianne Weist as Peg Boggs, the Avon Lady, Alan Arkin as Bill Boggs, and Anthony Michael Hall as Kim's brawny jerk boyfriend, Jim. And a cameo by Vincent Price is a treat for a fan of classic horror films.

I love Edward Scissorhands because I feel like it speaks to everybody. All people have something about them that makes them different and stand out from everybody else. I feel like it's a movie that all people can relate to; Everyone just wants to be accepted for who they are. This is a film that definitely speaks to our hearts and emotions and is a true work of art from a true artist.