Edward Scissorhands

I was only a small girl in 1990, however when I saw this Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands, I knew what true love was. Love that wasn't perfect, a combination of beautiful, scary, humble, quirky, however real that was played to perfection by Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. It was then also that I further admired American film genius' like director Tim Burton, and composer Danny Elfman, who developed such wonderful sensibility for each other, and writer Caroline Thompson, that scooped up Tim Burton's idea and made it a dazzling tale that would touch people's hearts over and over again. I'd seen other Tim Burton films before this one, and although I quite liked Beetle Juice, I didn't find it as thrilling or enchanting as I'd found this one. There is so much comedy wrapped up into this film, yet very solemn serious matter at hand, because it speaks to everyone who's ever wanted to fit in. As Caroline Thompson explained it, that "…it's a fable not everyone will believe, but what everyone can understand, when you don't belong, and you should belong, and you try to belong, but you just can't belong…"

What I love about this film is how much it mimics life's peculiarities and callous yet understandable human nature. How ominous everything appeared until they had the courage to enter the garden's gates, it was there they found pure beauty. The Avon lady, played by Dianne Wiest was a person with true eyes, seeing beyond what would appear to others to be scary; for there are so many beautiful people on the outside, but how wretched and twisted they are on the inside.

I enjoyed the Dr. Seuss-like haircuts, and clear-cut Tampa Florida neighbourhood, and the brilliant acting by Johnny Depp; one in a million for sure, as he has always taken his craft seriously and never once let fame and fortune go to his head. Always calm and collected in interviews, and 100% committed to his eccentric characters. I felt his character's tenderness when he gave up after people began judging him because they could no longer get what they wanted out of him, or be who they wanted him to be. Alan Arkin to me was a riot! The things that came out of his mouth every time, so matter-of-factly he had me rolling every time; things like: "Honey, you can't buy the necessities of life with cookies. You can't buy a car with cookies!" and "Teenage girls are the worst, they grow up, they get these glands, they just blow up, and then they go crazy!"

It is a story about acceptance, about true love, about how you think you know somebody, but then see how quickly they point fingers and turn against you in times of stress, and about self-discovery and being okay with who you are. And most importantly having others love you just the way you are. To love and be loved, the age-old story, told in such a wonderful and miraculous way.