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The Addams Family (film)

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The Addams Family is a black comedy film based on the characters, The Addams Family, created by cartoonist Charles Addams.

The movie was originally developed by Orion Pictures (which at the time owned the rights to the television series on which the movie was based). However, due to the studio's financial problems, Paramount began co-producing the film and ended up releasing the movie in the U.S., with Orion retaining the international rights.

The Addamses are a family of wealthy and eccentric individuals who live together in a Second Empire mansion and share a common interest in the bizarre and the macabre. The characters first appeared in cartoons in The New Yorker magazine in the 1930s, and later gained popularity in the defunct TV series, The Addams Family. The film centers on the day to day life of the family, and the return of Gomez Addams's long-lost brother Fester, played by Christopher Lloyd. The film also stars Raúl Juliá, Anjelica Huston, and Christina Ricci.

Plot

The story begins as Gomez (Raúl Juliá) reflects sorrowfully on all the years he has lost with his absent brother Fester, whom he has not seen for 25 years after a falling-out between them. Gomez' lawyer, Tully Alford (Dan Hedaya), proposes a "Fester Addams Offshore Retirement Fund," the entire purpose of which is to pay off Alford's debt to a loan shark. Gomez, oblivious to the real purpose, still turns the offer down on the principle that they should not discuss new business until the next quarter.

Alford's wife Margaret meets with Morticia (Anjelica Huston) in hopes she will donate something to a charity auction. Morticia offers to donate a bejewelled finger trap, then invites the Alfords to a séance in which they would attempt to contact Uncle Fester's spirit.

Tully returns to work to find his loan shark, Abigail Craven (Elizabeth Wilson), and her son Gordon (Christopher Lloyd) waiting for him. Gordon harasses Tully until he discovers the gold doubloons Gomez has paid him for his monthly expenses. Tully notices just how similar Gordon looks to Fester, and proposes that Gordon pose as Fester to infiltrate the Addams' house to find the vault where they keep their vast riches.

At the séance, the Addamses attempt to contact Fester's spirit, demanding he knock three times. As they ask, they hear a knock at the door. They answer it to find Gordon, posing as Fester, with Ms. Craven, posing as a psychiatrist named Dr. Greta Pinder-Schloss. She informs them that Fester had been found in Miami, and after extensive testing, the Florida Department of Fish and Game declared that this was indeed Fester. Gordon claims he will only be with the family for a week, since he "has things cooking in the Bermuda Triangle," whereas intentionally he would then leave after pilfering the vault.

Gomez is initially overjoyed, and immediately takes Gordon to the vault to show some old movie footage. Gordon learns the reason for Gomez and Fester's falling out: Gomez was jealous of Fester's ways with women, and wooed both the beautiful Amore twins even though he didn't love them.

Gomez becomes more and more suspicious as "Fester" fails to remember important events from their childhood: when Gomez had his first cigar, the combination to the vault, their secret names for each other. The last straw occurs after the charity auction: After buying back their own bejewelled finger trap for $50,000, Gordon asks how to take it off; something Fester should have known since he had been stuck wearing that same finger trap for two years, but which Gordon does not know.

Gordon attempts to access the vault, but cannot remember which of the many chains to pull is the right one, and is ejected from the house. Morticia meets him outside and leads him on a tour of the graveyard, before reminding him of the family creed: Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc, meaning "We gladly feast on those who would subdue us."

Gordon thinks that the family is on to his ruse; therefore in comes Dr. Pinder-Schloss, who convinces Gomez that his suspicion of Fester is nothing more than Displacement. Gomez is convinced. Meanwhile, Gordon begins to show signs that he is growing close to the family: he spends a lot of time with Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman), helping with a sword fight scene for a school play, and teaching them about explosives.

At the upcoming school play, Gordon and his mother hatch a plan: to pretend to not be interested in the school play, thus leaving the house vacant so they can get to the vault. Gordon breaks from the plan by instead going to watch Wednesday and Pugsley's scene in the play. Gordon's mother tries to enter the house anyway, but is trapped by the mobile plants outside the house.

The next morning, Morticia reveals to "Dr. Pinder-Schloss" that Gomez and Fester have reconciled, and that a party would be planned honoring Fester's return. This gives Gordon and his mother another opportunity to reach the vault.

At the party, the many Addamses gather to celebrate. When Wednesday is sent to check on Fester, she finds Gordon in the bathroom, with his mother shaving his head. The two of them are talking about their plans for the evening. Wednesday realizes that he is fake and escapes to the family graveyard chased by Gordon.

Meanwhile, Tully Alford has left the party, privy to some important information: Fester, being the older brother, would be the executor of the Addams estate, and would thus inherit everything on their property. Tulley enlists the aid of Gomez' neighbor, a judge whose windows are constantly being broken by Gomez hitting golf balls from his roof. The judge enthusiastically asks what he can do.

Once the party is over, it is discovered that Wednesday is missing. All the Addamses except Gordon go to search for her, and come back to their house to find the gate locked, with Tully behind it, holding a restraining order, demanding they stay at least a thousand yards from the property. Gomez takes the issue to court, but the judge presiding over the case – the same one contacted by Tulley – rules in favor of Gordon. Defeated, the Addamses move into a motel.

While Gordon, his mother, and Tully Alford all try to reach the vault, the Addamses try to adapt to their new situation. To support the family, Wednesday and Pugsley open a lemonade stand. Morticia attempts to become a preschool teacher, in which position her rendition of Hansel and Gretel makes all the children cry. Thing inexplicably gets a job as a courier for Federal Express. Gomez is so despondent he refuses to do anything but watch daytime TV and eat snack food.

It pains Morticia to see her family living like this; therefore she returns to the mansion to confront Gordon. She is subdued by Tully and Craven, who torture her to get her to reveal how to reach the vault. Thing sees all this and returns to the motel, where he informs Gomez that his beloved wife is in trouble. Gomez rushes to her rescue, whereupon Craven offers an ultimatum: she demands that he take them to the vault or she will kill Morticia.

Gordon, disgusted by the use of torture against the family he had grown to love and by his mother whose constant badgering became worse and worse, takes matters into his own hands. The bookshelf which conceals a secret passageway to the vault also contains books that, when opened, project their contents into reality. Gordon threatens Tully and his mother with a book named "Hurricane Irene" while Gomez and Morticia escape. Gordon opens the book, and a hurricane is unleashed inside the house. Gordon attempts to close the book, and is struck by lightning. Tully and Craven are launched out a window, into open graves which have apparently been freshly dug by Pugsley and Wednesday. Pugsley asks Wednesday; "Are they dead?" to which Wednesday replies; "Does it matter?" Seven months later, all is well with the family as they are throwing a halloween party. Gordon, it turns out, really was Fester all along, and the story that he had been found in Miami was true; but he had been suffering from amnesia, as a result of remaining in the Bermuda Triangle, until the lightning struck him. As Fester and the children rush out to the graveyard for a rousing game of "Wake the Dead," Gomez ponders what could possibly make life better. Morticia reveals that she is pregnant (a plot which sets the stage for the sequel Addams Family Values). The movie ends with their kiss.

Differences from the Television Series

The film was much closer to the description Charles Addams made for the show, and followed his instructions closely. The film differs from the television series in several ways. The most significant change comes from Fester becoming an Addams and Gomez's brother, as Fester was in the television series Morticia's uncle, brother of Morticia's mother Hester. Additionally, Grandmama in the original series was Gomez's mother (Eudora Addams); however it is noted in the film that Gomez's parents were murdered by an angry mob. The film subsequently implies that Grandmama is in fact Morticia's mother (Charles Addams origanlly said that the character indeed was Morticia's mother), with Morticia frequently referring to Grandmama as 'Mama'. Both reflected changes to the family relations first made in the 1973-1975 animated series. Cousin Itt's voice is of a decidedly higher pitch in the film, and his hair is completely straight, lacking the curls he featured in the original series.

The famous original opening theme from the television series is also missing, replaced with a shortened instrumental version over the film's title card.

In the original television show, Gomez Addams does not appear to have any supernatural powers, behaving like a wealthy, normal (albeit eccentric) gentleman. However, in the film version Gomez Addams is capable of many feats, including moving at high speed and swordfighting with inhuman poise and alacrity.

Trivia

  • Cher was seriously considered for the part of "Morticia Adams", but was passed over for Anjelica Huston when she expressed interest in the part.
  • Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton were originally considered to direct the film.
  • When Wednesday's teacher is showing students' projects to Morticia, she points out a poster completed by "Susan Ringo." Susan Ringo is the wife of the film's director, Barry Sonnenfeld.
  • Barry Sonnenfeld has a cameo role as the worried passenger in Gomez' toy train.
  • When Thing is tapping out his message to Gomez, the hole through which the actor is putting his hand is clearly visible, as are the lines on the table showing that the table was built in multiple sections to accommodate this hole.
  • Mercedes McNab, who plays the Girl Scout attempting to sell cookies to Wednesday and Pugsley, returns in Addams Family Values in a much more prominent role: that of camper Amanda Buckman. McNab would later become famous for her portrayal of high schooler-turned vampire Harmony Kendall in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, as well as in the Buffy spinoff, Angel.
  • According to the original script, the "secret password" that Gomez and Fester shared when they were children was "Demented Freak", which is what Fester said, albeit in anger.
  • Several hints are dropped during the movie that "Gordon" actually is Fester: his growing attachment to the family, his delight in the "accessories" he creates for the children's play, and most of all, when he and Gomez dance the "Mamushka," an intricate Cossack dance that "Gordon" has no trouble dancing.
  • Cousin Itt drives a 3-wheeled car: a Messerschmitt KR-175

References

External links



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Last updated on Tuesday March 11, 2008 at 08:51:47 PDT (GMT -0700)
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