Edward Scissorhands

To date, I have not been a big fan of director Tim Burton's (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman). Although visually interesting, his films have had virtually no emotional resonance. So Edward Scissorhands, a sensitive modern fairy tale, took me by surprise. Johnny Depp is exceptional in the title role of a young Frankenstein, whose creator (Vincent Price) died before he was able to make hands for Edward. In place of hands, Edward has a whirling array of sharp garden shears. Holed up in a Gothic mansion, Edward--who has spent many years in solitude working on a beautiful topiary of sculptured garden animals--is discovered by Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest), an Avon lady who comes calling. The good-hearted Peg decides to incorporate Edward into Fifties suburban society, and very quickly turns Edward into a neighborhood hit: his creative gifts are used not only for shrubbery decoration, he also does pretty original haircuts for poodles and housewives. In addition to discovering society, Edward also finds love in the form of Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Unfortunately, Kim has a boyfriend (Anthony Michael Hall), who takes great delight in taunting Edward. This romantic triangle has a heartrending poignancy to it, in that Edward must keep his emotions constantly in check--since his hands are basically lethal weapons. Of the films overlooked by the Oscars this year, Edward Scissorhands is the most glaring omission. Few films have the power to make you laugh and cry at the same time, but this totally original teenage fairy tale, which shines on every level--from Burton's striking visual sense to Danny Elfman's evocative musical score--does so repeatedly. One of the best films for young adults in recent years, this is highly recommended. (R. Pitman)