Film Review: Edward Scissorhands

Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands (1990) is a film that shows a very clear divide between the perfect American suburb and a character that is 'other'. This review will be delving into the American dream, specifically the nuclear family, and how Edward Scissorhands, as a character, doesn't fit into it. Key sources include: James Truslow Adams' The Epic of America (1931), Graeme Harper and Jonathan Rayner's Cinema and Landscape (2010) and Carley Tauchert's Revisiting Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (2009). The key points of this review are: What is the American dream? What is a nuclear family? How do these appear in Edward Scissorhands? and how does Edward contrast this ideology?

The American dream is a concept held in the United States that makes people believe that they can achieve anything. "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” (Adams, 1931: 214) The basic idea of the American dream is that all Americans should be able to achieve their ambitions if they can earn them. This ideology came into existence in the 19th century as the California Dream, it was then expanded upon, renamed and popularised by, writer, James Truslow Adams in 1931. The American dream was used as an opposite for concepts like Soviet Communism and quickly became the foundation for what American life should be. With this came a want for individuality and the normalisation of the 'traditional' nuclear family.
A nuclear family is defined as a family unit consisting of two parents and at least one child. In recent years, this definition includes multiple additions: the parents are not required to be married, they can be a same-sex couple and the children can be in the family by adoption(Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2015). However, when the American dream was popular, this definition was much more restrictive; Two married parents of opposite gender and their biological children. During Cold War America this version of the nuclear family became a common goal, along with moving into peaceful and friendly suburbs.
This structure can be seen in Edward Scissorhands.

Fig 1. Edward Scissorhands Poster (1990)

Edward Scissorhands is a film about an artificial human, named Edward, being taken into a family in the American suburbs. At first the inhabitants take a liking to Edward, however they turn on him by the end of the film and he flees back up to his castle.

Fig 2. Suburbia (1990)

The suburbs in Edward Scissorhands show the American dream's version American life. “American suburban life has also been criticized for its ‘conformity and sterility’, the ‘anomic life of the nuclear family’, gendered space and undifferentiated cancerous sprawl. Culturally, suburbs are often centres of consumption for the products of the city. Edward Scissorhands brings characteristics of a stereotypical suburban life into sharp relief.” (Harper & Rayner, 2010). Looking at figure 2 and this quote, you can see that America's dream for achievement and individuality is nothing more than an illusion. All of the cars are the same, all the men leave for work at the same time and most of the women are stereotypical housewives; the only sense of 'Individuality' comes from the different colours used to paint the cars and the houses.

The nuclear family is also shown in Edward Scissorhands, mostly with the Boggs family.

Fig 3. Edward and the Boggs Family (1990)

The Boggs family is a near perfect example of an American dream nuclear family; a working father, a housewife mother (she does have a job, but she's only seen doing it at the beginning of the film), a two children, specifically one son and one daughter. The system with this family is perfectly in line with American dream, until Peg Boggs (the mother) goes up to an old gothic mansion near the suburbs. While there she finds Edward and decides to bring him home with her. Edward instantly clashes with the old nuclear family dynamic.

Fig 4. Edward eating peas (1990)

For much of the film, Edward is forced to fit into the neighbourhood. He is forced into normal clothes, he struggles to eat dinner from a plate, he is forced by the men into thinking business. It is pretty clear to the viewer that American conformity is too much for Edward. "A man with the soul of a child, when he first steps into the real world it is a whole new experience for him but his innocence is slowly chipped away, basically by the American dream, the perfect suburb, whose inhabitants are always looking for something new and exciting, but who are easily turned.” (Tauchert, 2009). Edward struggles with fitting in and ends up being painted as a villain by the locals by the end of the film. He feels out of place because he is. He conflicts with the American dream, because he can achieve what the American dream is supposed to.
Edward is a character that can achieve whatever he puts his heart to, he has a strong feeling of individuality and he comes from a family that conflicts with the nuclear family, the single parent.
Edward was created and raised solely by his father, the Inventor, before his death prior to the events of the film (told in flashbacks).

Fig 5. Edward on the side of the road (1990)

The American dream is a concept created to give American's freedom and individuality, however when confronted by a character with true freedom and individuality, like Edward, people panic and turn against him, favouring the outdated concept. Edward Scissorhands shows the flaws of the American dream by pointing out how restrictive it really is.


Bibliography

Adams, J. (1931) The Epic of America. United States: Simon Publications

Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2015) Nuclear Family [Online] At: https://www.britannica.com/topic/nuclear-family (Accessed on 8th December 2018)

Harper, G. & Rayner, J. (2010) Cinema and Landscape [Online] At: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zA-ngYdpUkIC&pg=PA289&lpg=PA289&dq=nuclear+family+edward+scissorhands&source=bl&ots=94sazGqqtI&sig=09CD85iPzm-jB6uH4f77K3GvErw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiAz7eIh5DfAhXZQRUIHXdlBu4Q6AEwDXoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q=nuclear%20family%20edward%20scissorhands&f=false (Accessed on 8th December 2018)

Tauchert, C. (2009) Revisiting Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands [Online] At: https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/14887/revisiting-tim-burtons-edward-scissorhands (Accessed on 8th December 2018)

Illustrations List

Figure 1. Edward Scissorhands Poster (1990) [Poster] At: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3b/Edwardscissorhandsposter.JPG (Accessed on 08.12.18)

Figure 2. Suburbia (1990) From: Edward Scissorhands, Directed by: Tim Burton. [Film Still] United States: 20th Century Fox. At: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/heres-what-the-edward-scissorhands-suburb-looks-like-25-years-on-a6763486.html (Accessed on 08.12.18)

Figure 3. Edward and the Boggs Family (1990) From: Edward Scissorhands, Directed by: Tim Burton. [Film Still] United States: 20th Century Fox. At: http://thefancarpet.com/movies/edwardscissorhands/ (Accessed on 08.12.18)

Figure 4. Edward eating peas (1990) From: Edward Scissorhands, Directed by: Tim Burton. [Film Still] United States: 20th Century Fox. At: https://variety.com/2015/film/news/edward-scissorhands-25th-anniversary-johnny-depp-tim-burton-1201653236/ (Accessed on 08.12.18)

Figure 5. Edward on the side of the road (1990) From: Edward Scissorhands, Directed by: Tim Burton. [Film Still] United States: 20th Century Fox. At: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099487/mediaviewer/rm3528545024 (Accessed on 08.12.18)