The whole point of the Addams Family is that they are a darkly *positive* reflection of the traditional nuclear family. They are shadowy and morbid and weird, but they are in fact a strong family who love and encourage each other, are incredibly accepting of even those who have wronged them, and tremendously generous to their community, even if their quirks annoy their neighbors.
They are literally the opposite of the "traditional suburban family, they are eccentric instead of trying to fit in, they are gothic instead of pastel loveliness, and they sincerely adore their family, instead of just putting up with them because "blood is thicker then water."
This is what I feel like was missing from the new Wednesday series. By adding the friction between Wednesday and Morticia it felt like a betrayal to what the Addams Family is all about. I enjoyed the new Wednesday series but for me they dropped the ball on one of the most important core aspects of the Addams Family.
Also, when Raul Julia passed away, when they planned another movie they asked Anjelica if she'd like to play Morticia again and she said "not without my Gomez" 😢
When the voice of Marge Simpson for Latinoamérica died recently, the guy that was Homer with her for 15 years wrote: "thank you for journeying with me this part of life. You were, are and always will be a fundamental part of the most important project of my professional life. You're a lot of things. You're my wife, Marge. Thank you, Nancy Mackenzie ". All the millennials were sobbing, we all read it and heard Homer saying it. She was MY Marge too.
"I both want to know and don't want to know what exactly are they, this family." Well, to sum it up I guess you could say they're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're altogether ooky, the Addams Family.
One of my criticisms of the "Wednesday" TV show is that they define things too much. The mystery of what made the Addams' so weird was always part of the fun! They're "mysterious and spooky," that's all you need to know!
@@TSIRKLANDI'd rather say they define things too little. Wednesday frequently says something like “It hurts. Not in a good way”. So... what is a good way?
@@fynnthefox9078 They don't deserve to be in the same sentence. They're nothing alike. Joker and Harley are a case of a toxic partner taking advantage of and manipulating a mentally unstable victim. There's no romance in their relationship at all.
Gomez & Morticia are the definition of couple goals. So much passion and support for each other. Many psychologists cite them as having one of the greatest/healthiest marriages in fiction and I have to agree. Also, Addams Family Values is definitely worth watching!
I think that was the point. Like George says, they're supposed to be a complete parody of the sitcom family - and the most subversive thing they could do for a sitcom family was have a husband and wife who love eachother.
@@VillaFanDan92 Well, other than that, I've always felt like the whole point of the Addams Family was that they have neighbours who are "normal" in our eyes but live in a toxic relantionship with each other while the Addams are "weird" but are the definition of a loving well-functioning family. We might see Wednesday shooting crossbow bolts at Pugsley and think they come off as hating each other, but in their world they are a loving brother and sister who are just playing together. Uncle Fester might look like he's being an irresposible caretaker to us with his deadly antics, but in their world he's always engaging with his family in various fun activities. It feels like the Addams Family is there to teach us to look past people's cultural norms and see if the people behind it are good at heart.
@@AkumaWolf13 I'm always bothered by Morticia's line, in Addams Family Values, "I wish I had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade." The Addamses aren't evil, they are just different.
I love the line about the Addams’ being ‘morons’, because they’re clearly not. It’s not a lack of intelligence that allows them to get duped, they’re just incredibly trusting. Despite their cartoonish maliciousness which is clearly played comedically, they’re genuinely nice people who just assume that everyone else is too. They literally only see the good in people when people only see the bad in them.
This is a movie about a family with two happy, madly in love parents who dote upon and support their children's activities and hobbies and couldn't be prouder of the fact they are so different but live as though everything is normal. This is how everyone should want their family to be.
So, some fun facts. YES, Simone you are correct that was Harmony from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Christina Ricci who played Wednesday in the movie was also in the Wednesday TV series as her teacher. She was also the lead in the movie adaptation of Casper. Also, Raul Julia's final role was M. Bison from Street Fighter, he was dying of cancer at that point and was in a lot of pain, but he fought through it to finish the film as he knew his children would love it and he wanted to go out doing what he loved, and he stole the whole movie. There is also a sequel film to this one with the same cast that is also just as funny called The Addams Family Values, and I highly recommend it.
Raul Julia was perfect for this role. He totally channels John Astin's original performance while also giving it his own spin. The whole cast really was perfection. A great remake of a show I watched as a kid. And a shout out to the original which started it all, the cartoons in the New Yorker by Charles Addams.
Charles Addams who sued the studios after the film was released because he never gave them permission for them to base the characters on the characters in the TV show which he had given permission for
@@synaesthesia2010 No, he didn't. When the movie was made, he didn't own the rights. His ex-wife Barbara did. And she is the one who sold the movie rights to Orion Pictures which made the movies. There was a lawsuit, but it was filed by David Levy who held the rights to the original TV series, because some of the characters and things in the TV show were created specifically by Levy for it, such as Cousin It. But that lawsuit was settled out of court by Paramount and Orion because they wanted to make a sequel, which they did.
The Addams Family first appeared in 1938 in The New Yorker as one-panel illustrations. But it was in the 60's when they began making the sitcom that all the characters officially got their names and became known as the Addams family. You can still find a lot of the illustrations from The New Yorker online.
@@dmadcat73 Their differing portrayals were both amazing enough, they can share the "best" spot! Astin was the better at portraying Gomez's kookiness, while Julia was the better at playing the romantic.
That was precisely the point of the 1960's TV series. The Addams, for all their outward weirdnesses, were a nice wholesome family, but the "Mundanes" who interacted with them were never the sorts you would want to have much to do with. They were either boring or the sorts who thought only they knew what was best for everyone and would do what they must to make everyone behave as they did (We see the same these days in politics, no matter what side you stand (or sit) on). The Addams never fell for that and always walked to their own beat.
I remembered the whole folks at the cinema laughing their butt off on the theater play scene. What killed me the most is the frozen audience while the family gave their kids a standing ovation.
The casting of Christina Ricci as Wednesday was inspired. One of my favorite lines is when Pugsley brandishes the meat cleaver at the table, and she turns calmly and just says, "Stop it." So hilariously dry. 😎
I always assumed she was a random character in the first movie, but got a larger part in the second one. It never occurred to me that she could be the same character just because they never say her name in the first one. XD
Fun fact: due to the limitations of black and white TV in the 60s, the inside of the Addams Family's house was various shades of pink, so it'd look normal on camera.
Raul Julia was an amazing talent, he was taken too soon... You two for shits and giggles maybe should watch Street Fighter The Movie he plays the main villain and hams it up to the absolute max. It was his last film and he took the role solely because it was his son's favourite videogame. Simone I too am watching the original Addams Family on MGM it is such a funny and cool show.
5:26 One of my favorite Tumblr posts talks about Gomez Addams being a good friend. If you were down on your luck and needed some money, he'd give you a briefcase full of gold, tell you "pay me back whenever, dear boy," and all I'd have to do is sword fight him every now and then. Bro-mez Addams.
Within their own set of morals and ideals, the Addams family are far more honourable and trustworthy than most people. Yes, they are very weird and dangerous, but they have immense loyalty and love to anyone who is 'in', and utter ruthlessness to anyone who is 'out'. Gomez is a proper bro.
"What happened to the party?" - Pugsley "Orphans and Widows, we need more of them" - Morticia "But I didn't kill my mother, it was an accident" - Gomez "It's a game called... Is There A God?" - Wednesday "Mumbling" - Lurch "I both do and don't want to know this family" - George - - "I feel bad for Gate being chained up" - Simone
After the movie premiered children would frequently recognize Raul Julia as Gomez Addams out in public, which according to him, always brought a smile to his face. Julia stated that Gomez Addams was by far his favorite role, and his family said this recognition was especially meaningful to him in the final months of his life because he loved performing for children and making them happy whenever the opportunity presented itself.
The original ending for this movie was actually going to be that Gordon really wasn’t Fester, but the family adored him so much that they accepted him into the family as the new Fester because the real Fester was lost. Upon learning this, the actors were reportedly horrified by the idea and demanded the director change the ending such that Gordon was indeed the real Fester.
Grew up with the Addams. Local library had the old cartoons, while the tv show's reruns were a regular watch. And finally the movies. Just loved the gallows humor and sense of family. Seeing Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston in these roles was like watching magic. Just perfection.
There's a popular fan theory that the members of the Addams Family are "cursed" that no Addams can harm another Addams. It's basically what makes them so fundamentally kooky: from a young age, they can be extremely violent towards each other and cause no harm.
I'm glad to hear this is a fan theory because it was exactly my head canon for years (and I never really looked into it, lol.) Either this, or I thought they had some kind of "luck" based thing inherent to the family. It would explain not only why they can't hurt each other, but also why everyone else seems to get the short end of the stick around them.
@@andrewmcmurray9580 That theory falls apart pretty fast considering that there's an Addams woman in the graveyard who was killed via beheading by her own children. Also, Gomez killed his and Fester's mother "by accident".
@@brandonsittler6145does it fall apart tho? Did she accept that she was an Addams or had she renounced it? Similar situation regarding Fester's wife. iykyk, I won't give any spoilers.
@@brandonsittler6145 Was she *killed* by her own children, or just beheaded by them? Maybe she survived the beheading and then eventually died of old age in two pieces. :-)
Christopher Lloyd was in so many iconic movies throughout my childhood - Addams Family, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future, Anastasia, Dennis the Menace, Camp Nowhere.
I love the subtle recurring joke throughout of the black splash marks around the front door from the hot oil or tar being dumped in the beginning.... 🤣
IMO, this was pretty much the best version of The Addams Family. The dark humor, the gloomy look of it all, the style it goes with, it’s all pure perfection. And on top of all that, Christina Ricci as Wednesday was my favorite character. She gave such great goth girl vibes. 😅
Fun fact how they made the children cry : they told the kids filming was done and now they were getting measles shots...one kid said it was BS and tried to tell the other kids... then the director said : your parents didnt tell you? When you work on a movie set you need a measle shot... then the kid who called BS the first time started crying his eyes out and since he was the ``leader`` of the kids, all the other kids started crying too. The director did this because it was on a thursday and he needed to leave the set fast because his wife was getting churgury for cancer the next day and he needed to take a plane... so he had to make kids cry now or else the movie wouldnt be on schedule... so he went all out haha
Child & Adolescent Behavioral Therapist here: I don't know if it was because he was the "leader". Infectious crying among kids that age is extremely common.
I remember an interview where Angelica Huston said that she didn't know the kids were gonna cry, she was under the impression they were just gonna look confused and they started crying and she had to just go with it, meanwhile there parents are along the sides of the set silently cheering the kids for crying.
Fun fact: none of the characters had names until the TV show. Before that, it was just another panel cartoon in the papers. The producers of the TV show decided they needed names before they could start making the show, and they named the whole family the Addams Family in honor of the cartoon creator, Charles Addams. Also, the guy in the model train was the director or a producer or such lol. Minor correction: at the lemonade stand, the price was going down, not up. The 50 and 25 cent markings were crossed out leaving only the 5 cent listing. I hope you'll react to the sequel as well, you're gonna laugh yourselves out of your chairs when you hear the baby's name lol.
This deserves so much praise because I think it's a perfect adaptation of the icon Addams Family! Grew up loving the show & watch this so much as a kid! The casting is perfect especially Raul Julia, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd & Angelica Houston...all chew the scenery while also being so respectful to the characters!!! Just the perfect spooky movie...now watch Addams Family Values...*snap snap*
I ahve another fun film fact for you guys: the director absolutely hated the fact that the studio pushed for Christopher Lloyd as Fester Addams, because Lloyd was the tall lanky guy from Back to the Future, which was the complete opposite from Fester, but when Lloyd arrived on the set in costume, it was like he had shrunk a foot and the director knew he had his Fester.
Also by the way: The actual relationships between family members has changed from time to time. In the '60s show, Pugsley was the older brother of Wednesday; in this film Wednesday was the older sibling (and in the "Wednesday" TV show, that is the case). On the '60s show, exactly who Uncle Fester was related to was not always clear, but it seemed to be he was Morticia's uncle. For this film, he became Gomez' brother- thus "Uncle Fester" to W and P. "Grandmama" also seems to change relations, depending on the circumstances. They change to suit the setting and story that the story-tellers want to tell. So if you get into the '60s show, and the current show, and the '90s films, and the various other cartoons, animations, broadway musical, etc: don't hold too tightly to the "canon" lore; just go with it as one big happy kooky family.
I read a theory that none of the versions of the family even known who Grandmama is related to, she just turned up one day and everyone made their assumptions (often that she was Grandmama from the opposite side of the family) and moved on, because she was clearly related SOMEHOW.
Some of the visual gags in this movie, including the opening bit with the Christmas carolers, were taken directly from Chaz Addams’ New Yorker cartoons.
The sequel to this movie is a Thanksgiving movie if you're interested. Addams Family Values (1993) is a sequel with all the fun and charm of the first.
Oh My God YES! I'm actually really surprised this movie and the sequel Addams Family Values isn't something Simone grew up watching repeatedly. You have to watch them both, seriously. I already know there is one scene in the sequel George is gonna laugh his ass off at and I can't wait to see that lol Anyway yay! I'm gonna watch the video now
Love that the product placement the production agreed to was Tombstone Pizza. Terrible pizza, but solid joke. "What do you want on your Tombstone?" was their motto.
The lighbulb trick Fester does is a reference to the old TV show and really has not much to do with being electrocuted. When my friends and I were kids, we used to sing a non-PC version of the Addams family theme. It started "The Addams family started, when uncle Fester farted", so even in the late 70s, the theme was still popular.
Jimmy Workman (Pugsley) is the older brother of Ariel Winter of Modern Family fame. You can see the resemblance, especially around the eyes and cheeks. The man on the model train was the director, Barry Sonnenfeld.
I think this is where I first learned about the Bermuda Triangle when I was 5. Also the sequel to this (and Casper) are why I had a preteen crush on Christina Ricci.
You *must* watch Addams Family Values. Bonus: It's a Thanksgiving movie, so the timing is perfect. The movie really is perfectly cast, and others have mentioned how wonderful and healthy the family dynamic is.
It's also a summer camp. They should still watch/react. ;) Now that I think about it, I wonder if there's a subtle subtext conversation to be had on the specifics of what makes a holiday movie. That's usually focused on Christmas, but what about Thanksgiving?
Don't worry George, we totally get it 😉 Slightly related, Raul Julia took the part of M Bison in the Street Fighter movie solely for his kids as they were fans of the game. It was the last thing he did before he died. Possibly the most wholesome thing ever 😢
The Addams family was originally a comic strip. Each strip is just a few panels telling a single joke and you might have a character get electrocuted or maimed and then they are back in the next strip with no continuity. So you might say that the Addams' death-defying super power is that they are comic strip characters.
The executive was right about the kids at the time having a fondness for the Addams Family. It was one of those shows whose reruns were widely syndicated (like The Munsters), so in the pre-Internet days, the original Addams Family show was a much-loved show for us Gen-X kids. Did you know that Charles Addams himself was a native of NJ? When you couple him with Kevin Smith, it seems NJ has a thing for creating quirky characters.
2:00 The opening scene of hot oil being poured on carolers is a direct adaptation of one of Charles Addams' original cartoons published in the New Yorker magazine.
Here's a thing. One way they achieved the 'look' of the film was that the Addams were often lit in the manner of a black-and-white movie, particularly Morticia. Subtle, but it adds to their 'otherness.'
YES!!!! For as iconic and incredible as this one is, Addams Family Values is my favorite interpretation of them all. Hope you knock it out sooner rather than later, but I understand a lot of people think of Values as a Thanksgiving film.
The fast paced style is credited to the director Barry Sonnenfeld who directed the sequel as well as the first 3 Men in Black movies as well as (wild,wild,west)
Other tiny bits of trivia about the Family in general - Charles Addams, who created the clan, actually really disliked children, and didn't much like the show, feeling it diluted the horror into slightly more silliness than he liked. Also, when the show was first filmed, the production team asked Charles what the father's first name was. He dithered between Rapelli and Gomez, and in the end just told them to ask the actor which he preferred more.
Another bit of trivia: In the original script, "Gordon" really was just a guy named Gordon, and not the true Fester, to leave room for a sequel where the Addams Family went out in search of Fester. But the cast all felt it was better if Fester really did remember who he was by the end, and they petitioned Christina Ricci to plead their case to the director and producers. The only person who didn't really care one way or the other, was Christopher Lloyd himself.
Margaret (who ends up with Cousin It) is low-key my fav side character. She shows that "straight" people can change and embrace their inner weirdo and become happy, too.
This is one of those rare occasions where the sequel is even better than the first. Love both movies, but Adam's Family Values is just perfection. And George, you are not alone in your newfound goth mommy kink. Imagine discovering this as a kid and being even more confused🤣
The Addams Family franchise is a philosophy and mission statement. The original TV show and comics shouldn't be missed either, which are equally as delightful.
Well, now you have to watch the next one. Since Thanksgiving is coming up, the next movie ties into Thanksgiving in a way. You get to see a lot more Wednesday and the amazing Joan Cusack.
I remember seeing a couple of videos analyzing the movie. Deep dives about it. And most hated the "twist"; saying its too convenient. But the movie hints at it at how it is Fester. The screaming in bed, his vault cracking tools, when picking out poisons at a glance,, looking at anatomy to help the kids. Gomez even admits thar Fester was always devious and untrustworthy. The pivotal scenes is when Gordon talks to his mother about how much fun he's having and she says something along the lines of "If you love me, you'll rob these people" Right after, we see Gomez hitting golf balls, accepting that this is Fester. Gomez tells him, no matter what, he will be welcomed as Addams. This movie perfectly depicts a toxic family environment using love as a way to manipulate and a healthy, but kooky and spooky family, that will love, accept, and forgive him.
Not sure if anyone else mentioned this but The Addams Family was originally a cartoon that appeared in the New Yorker magazine. I believe the first time The Addams Family appeared was in 1938. The opening Christmas scene is taken directly from one of the original cartoons.
Every time you ask ppl to subscribe I double check and yes, I am subscribing! (It took me like three years tho. I fully admit your channel was one of those I assumed I subscribed to but didn't, because I watched basically every episode so the algorithm kept throwing you on top anyway). Edit: "Weirdly" aroused by Anjelica Huston's Morticia? "Weirdly"? ;) Edit edit: The "anti traditional" is even more meta than George thinks: Unlike most sitcom families they are NOT dysfunctional. That's actually almost sad; one big part in their "opposite the normal TV family" is that they truly love and respect each other. There is no "nagging mother", or "bumbling dad", or "semi-alcoholic uncle" or whatever. They are probably the most functional media family of all time.
I haven't seen this movie since I was a child but now I realize that 90% of the scenes I remember are from the second movie. I call that a testament to a good sequel!
The 1960s TV sitcom and Charles Addams cartoons were the sources for this film. In 91 this was considered a "throwback" and led to a whole slew of 90s movies based on old TV shows (like the Beverley Hillbillies, Car 54, and the Brady Bunch Movie). While most consider this the definitive Addams Family, the TV show acrually invented most of the lore and the characterizations. And the theme song.
I think the original comics by Charles Addam's didn't even have names for the characters until the 60's, but I'm not sure which gave them names first, the TV show or the New Yorker comic.
@@GeraldH-ln4dv - Right. Charles Addams created the characters’ names and personalities for the TV show, while the old comics were just one panel illustrations
38:27: Raul Julia was a boss. His last role was M Bison in the Street Fighter movie (he was dying of stomach cancer during filming), which he took on as a love letter to his kids, who were huge fans of the game, and played the sh*t out of that role. The film is one of the most beloved video game movies because of its “so bad it’s good” quality, largely due to Julia giving his role WAY more effort than it deserved, even researching how real dictators moved and talked and famous speeches they made to make his version of Bison as much a realistic dictator as possible.
If you think Christina Ricci is great in this, just wait until "Addam's Family Values".
She was perfect for the role. Was so happy to see her in the Wednesday TV series.
I mean, it's a hell of an ensemble cast they assembled here, yet she almost steals the entire movie at 10 years old!
@@joehoy9242 And "Mermaids". She was awesome in that, too.
"I'll be the victim!"
"Your whole life."
Christina Ricci was a standout in a cast that included Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston and Christopher Lloyd. That’s no small thing.
The whole point of the Addams Family is that they are a darkly *positive* reflection of the traditional nuclear family. They are shadowy and morbid and weird, but they are in fact a strong family who love and encourage each other, are incredibly accepting of even those who have wronged them, and tremendously generous to their community, even if their quirks annoy their neighbors.
They are literally the opposite of the "traditional suburban family, they are eccentric instead of trying to fit in, they are gothic instead of pastel loveliness, and they sincerely adore their family, instead of just putting up with them because "blood is thicker then water."
Add the era(s) that these strips were created (followed by TV adaptation - far before the movies) and its an interesting study on our culture.
One hundred percent family values and relationship goals.
yeah... it's almost like one doesn't have to fit in to be well adjusted. such a great message.
This is what I feel like was missing from the new Wednesday series. By adding the friction between Wednesday and Morticia it felt like a betrayal to what the Addams Family is all about.
I enjoyed the new Wednesday series but for me they dropped the ball on one of the most important core aspects of the Addams Family.
Nothing weird at all about finding Morticia Addams attractive
Or Gomez. Raul Julia has the sauce.
It's movies like this that heavily influenced my proclivities as a child 😂
I'd be upset if someone DIDN'T find 'Tish attractive.
Or Gomez, if you swing that way.
As a person who used to ( and probably still do) have crush for Morticia I agree.
To be honest when I was a kid, Wednesday was probably my first crush, as I got older morticia and elvira just reinforced the kooky dark
Also, when Raul Julia passed away, when they planned another movie they asked Anjelica if she'd like to play Morticia again and she said "not without my Gomez" 😢
John Astin will always be the definitive Gomez, but Raul Julia is a close second.
i didnt know he passed away, well shoot thats really sad now
Addams 3 was so bad, even Tim Curry couldn't pull off a good Gomez.
When the voice of Marge Simpson for Latinoamérica died recently, the guy that was Homer with her for 15 years wrote: "thank you for journeying with me this part of life. You were, are and always will be a fundamental part of the most important project of my professional life. You're a lot of things. You're my wife, Marge. Thank you, Nancy Mackenzie ". All the millennials were sobbing, we all read it and heard Homer saying it. She was MY Marge too.
@@rcrawford42 What do you think about the current Gomez?
"I both want to know and don't want to know what exactly are they, this family."
Well, to sum it up I guess you could say they're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're altogether ooky, the Addams Family.
My thoughts exactly.
Snap Snap
Well said
One of my criticisms of the "Wednesday" TV show is that they define things too much. The mystery of what made the Addams' so weird was always part of the fun! They're "mysterious and spooky," that's all you need to know!
the house is a museum, when people come to see'm they really are a scre-am, the Addams Family
@@TSIRKLANDI'd rather say they define things too little. Wednesday frequently says something like “It hurts. Not in a good way”. So... what is a good way?
"How long has it been since we waltzed?"
"Hours."
Seriously, Gomez and Morticia are couple goals.
Joker and Harley Quinn < Gomez and Morticia
@@fynnthefox9078 They don't deserve to be in the same sentence. They're nothing alike. Joker and Harley are a case of a toxic partner taking advantage of and manipulating a mentally unstable victim. There's no romance in their relationship at all.
Gomez & Morticia are the definition of couple goals. So much passion and support for each other. Many psychologists cite them as having one of the greatest/healthiest marriages in fiction and I have to agree.
Also, Addams Family Values is definitely worth watching!
I think that was the point. Like George says, they're supposed to be a complete parody of the sitcom family - and the most subversive thing they could do for a sitcom family was have a husband and wife who love eachother.
@@VillaFanDan92 Well, other than that, I've always felt like the whole point of the Addams Family was that they have neighbours who are "normal" in our eyes but live in a toxic relantionship with each other while the Addams are "weird" but are the definition of a loving well-functioning family.
We might see Wednesday shooting crossbow bolts at Pugsley and think they come off as hating each other, but in their world they are a loving brother and sister who are just playing together. Uncle Fester might look like he's being an irresposible caretaker to us with his deadly antics, but in their world he's always engaging with his family in various fun activities.
It feels like the Addams Family is there to teach us to look past people's cultural norms and see if the people behind it are good at heart.
@@AkumaWolf13 I'm always bothered by Morticia's line, in Addams Family Values, "I wish I had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade." The Addamses aren't evil, they are just different.
"How would you torture the Addams Family. Make them watch the most wholesome movie ever?"
Well, now you have to watch the next movie
Literally came to the comments to say this!🤣
Pastels.
Yes pretty please !!
"But.... it's Disney"
"HE'S ONLY A CHILD!"
You guys are going to love the sequel: I can already hear George wildly cheering on Wednesday in that certain, special scene.
would that be the one about thanksgiving?
@@synaesthesia2010that's the one. Absolute gold.
All your life? Such a good line
When they get to that scene I’m gonna be sitting there like Palpatine going “DEW IT!!!”
I love the line about the Addams’ being ‘morons’, because they’re clearly not. It’s not a lack of intelligence that allows them to get duped, they’re just incredibly trusting. Despite their cartoonish maliciousness which is clearly played comedically, they’re genuinely nice people who just assume that everyone else is too.
They literally only see the good in people when people only see the bad in them.
I think they liked Tulley because he was somewhat of a charlatan
This is a movie about a family with two happy, madly in love parents who dote upon and support their children's activities and hobbies and couldn't be prouder of the fact they are so different but live as though everything is normal. This is how everyone should want their family to be.
The light-bulb in the mouth gag was a callback to the TV show Fester; that was one of his regular gags
Rewatching this the actors don't get enough credit for absolutely nailing the delivery of every punchline. Especially Morticia and Wednesday.
"The little black monster..."
"Pugsley."
_"Guilt!"_
So, some fun facts. YES, Simone you are correct that was Harmony from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Christina Ricci who played Wednesday in the movie was also in the Wednesday TV series as her teacher. She was also the lead in the movie adaptation of Casper. Also, Raul Julia's final role was M. Bison from Street Fighter, he was dying of cancer at that point and was in a lot of pain, but he fought through it to finish the film as he knew his children would love it and he wanted to go out doing what he loved, and he stole the whole movie. There is also a sequel film to this one with the same cast that is also just as funny called The Addams Family Values, and I highly recommend it.
that explains why Bison was larger than life, if you know you're going out give it your all and make it a role to remember
@@synaesthesia2010for him it was tuesday
@@JuntosXlaLibertadMileyBuIIrich That monologue was the best thing about that movie.
Might want to mention which teacher
@hawke5311 dude he was dropping golden monologue after golden monologue in that movie.
31:21 "Mr. Addams please stop calling, we don't know where they meet." Gets me every time.
Very underrated scene.
Fantastic line kills me every time 😂😂
Raul Julia was perfect for this role. He totally channels John Astin's original performance while also giving it his own spin. The whole cast really was perfection. A great remake of a show I watched as a kid. And a shout out to the original which started it all, the cartoons in the New Yorker by Charles Addams.
Charles Addams who sued the studios after the film was released because he never gave them permission for them to base the characters on the characters in the TV show which he had given permission for
@@synaesthesia2010 No, he didn't. When the movie was made, he didn't own the rights. His ex-wife Barbara did. And she is the one who sold the movie rights to Orion Pictures which made the movies. There was a lawsuit, but it was filed by David Levy who held the rights to the original TV series, because some of the characters and things in the TV show were created specifically by Levy for it, such as Cousin It. But that lawsuit was settled out of court by Paramount and Orion because they wanted to make a sequel, which they did.
You guys gotta watch the sequel. It's just as good if not better than this one.
I’ve always liked the sequel more
One of the few sequels that stands as an equal, or better, than the first. Both are totally iconic.
@@MarkI808 the second one has more character development
It's better because the sequel's story is much better.
Thanks to Joan Cusack, Values is the better one. And the whole cast is as good. Sorry, Christina Ricci and Raul Julia are even better in Values.
The Addams Family first appeared in 1938 in The New Yorker as one-panel illustrations. But it was in the 60's when they began making the sitcom that all the characters officially got their names and became known as the Addams family. You can still find a lot of the illustrations from The New Yorker online.
And the opening to this movie is a direct reference to one of those New Yorker panels.
RIP, Raul Julia, 1940-1994. He was the best Gomez Addams we ever had.
Maybe... apart from John Astin
@@dmadcat73 Their differing portrayals were both amazing enough, they can share the "best" spot! Astin was the better at portraying Gomez's kookiness, while Julia was the better at playing the romantic.
The best.
Tim Curry is a fantastic actor, but that movie just wasn't..
@@dmadcat73who?
The Addams are weird, but the real monsters are the normal people.
exactly
Just like in real life!! 😮😱
Wednesday says it all in the end
Dahmer's neighbors: "He was such a nice boy."
That was precisely the point of the 1960's TV series. The Addams, for all their outward weirdnesses, were a nice wholesome family, but the "Mundanes" who interacted with them were never the sorts you would want to have much to do with. They were either boring or the sorts who thought only they knew what was best for everyone and would do what they must to make everyone behave as they did (We see the same these days in politics, no matter what side you stand (or sit) on). The Addams never fell for that and always walked to their own beat.
I remembered the whole folks at the cinema laughing their butt off on the theater play scene. What killed me the most is the frozen audience while the family gave their kids a standing ovation.
And then the sequel somehow has an *even better* play scene 😂.
@@HaganeNoGijutsushiYES LOL
I also remembered the laughs at the cinema back then.
The casting of Christina Ricci as Wednesday was inspired. One of my favorite lines is when Pugsley brandishes the meat cleaver at the table, and she turns calmly and just says, "Stop it." So hilariously dry. 😎
"They look just like everybody else" is the the best line in the movie.
I like the "is there a god?" line
Holy crap, good call Simone! I never noticed that was Harmony. Not really a spoiler, but she's also in the sequel. Y'all should watch that too!
Yes, Addams Family Values is worth a fast follow, 100%
I didn't realize until I watched this that apparently I've never seen the first movie. I've seen the sequel a million times!
@@joemason6319lol the sequel was a classic ABC Family movie in my house.
I always assumed she was a random character in the first movie, but got a larger part in the second one. It never occurred to me that she could be the same character just because they never say her name in the first one. XD
The sequel is also better than this one.
The dance is supposed to be the point where you realise it is Fester, because how else would another person know that dance.
yup!
I remember this film coming out and it was a total bolt out of the blue. Raul Julia absolutely nailed his part.
Hell, EVERYONE in this film nailed it.
Fun fact: due to the limitations of black and white TV in the 60s, the inside of the Addams Family's house was various shades of pink, so it'd look normal on camera.
"How DO you torture the Addams family?" You get to find out in the second movie.
NO!!! Don't!!! It's too gruesome!!!
@@campagnollo Makes me cringe every time. Horrifying!
Raul Julia was an amazing talent, he was taken too soon...
You two for shits and giggles maybe should watch Street Fighter The Movie he plays the main villain and hams it up to the absolute max.
It was his last film and he took the role solely because it was his son's favourite videogame. Simone I too am watching the original Addams Family on MGM it is such a funny and cool show.
The need to watch it on a Tuesday. This is law.
37:15 Welcome to the club good sir.
5:26 One of my favorite Tumblr posts talks about Gomez Addams being a good friend. If you were down on your luck and needed some money, he'd give you a briefcase full of gold, tell you "pay me back whenever, dear boy," and all I'd have to do is sword fight him every now and then. Bro-mez Addams.
Within their own set of morals and ideals, the Addams family are far more honourable and trustworthy than most people. Yes, they are very weird and dangerous, but they have immense loyalty and love to anyone who is 'in', and utter ruthlessness to anyone who is 'out'. Gomez is a proper bro.
It's almost as if you're getting paid to be taught fencing.
Shit, it's got to say a lot about me, I'd go hang out at their house *just* for the fencing.
The most emotionally healthy family ever to appear in media!!
"What happened to the party?" - Pugsley
"Orphans and Widows, we need more of them" - Morticia
"But I didn't kill my mother, it was an accident" - Gomez
"It's a game called... Is There A God?" - Wednesday
"Mumbling" - Lurch
"I both do and don't want to know this family" - George
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-
"I feel bad for Gate being chained up" - Simone
The writing in this movie is pitch-perfect. There are NO clunky lines.
"❤No one even looked at the corpse🖤." -Gomez
After the movie premiered children would frequently recognize Raul Julia as Gomez Addams out in public, which according to him, always brought a smile to his face. Julia stated that Gomez Addams was by far his favorite role, and his family said this recognition was especially meaningful to him in the final months of his life because he loved performing for children and making them happy whenever the opportunity presented itself.
The original ending for this movie was actually going to be that Gordon really wasn’t Fester, but the family adored him so much that they accepted him into the family as the new Fester because the real Fester was lost. Upon learning this, the actors were reportedly horrified by the idea and demanded the director change the ending such that Gordon was indeed the real Fester.
They actually asked Christina Ricci to talk to the director about it.
Good to know.
@@knowledge-girl They told her to give him her best puppy dog eyes. Clearly she nailed that performance too.
Grew up with the Addams. Local library had the old cartoons, while the tv show's reruns were a regular watch. And finally the movies. Just loved the gallows humor and sense of family. Seeing Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston in these roles was like watching magic. Just perfection.
There's a popular fan theory that the members of the Addams Family are "cursed" that no Addams can harm another Addams. It's basically what makes them so fundamentally kooky: from a young age, they can be extremely violent towards each other and cause no harm.
I'm glad to hear this is a fan theory because it was exactly my head canon for years (and I never really looked into it, lol.)
Either this, or I thought they had some kind of "luck" based thing inherent to the family. It would explain not only why they can't hurt each other, but also why everyone else seems to get the short end of the stick around them.
@@andrewmcmurray9580 That theory falls apart pretty fast considering that there's an Addams woman in the graveyard who was killed via beheading by her own children. Also, Gomez killed his and Fester's mother "by accident".
@@brandonsittler6145does it fall apart tho? Did she accept that she was an Addams or had she renounced it? Similar situation regarding Fester's wife. iykyk, I won't give any spoilers.
@@brandonsittler6145Both of which were born to a different family an only related by marriage.
@@brandonsittler6145 Was she *killed* by her own children, or just beheaded by them? Maybe she survived the beheading and then eventually died of old age in two pieces. :-)
Christopher Lloyd was in so many iconic movies throughout my childhood - Addams Family, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future, Anastasia, Dennis the Menace, Camp Nowhere.
Clue!
He also was determined to discover the secret of the Genesis Planet!
@@Emilysbrother1eh?
@@seanmalloy0528 He was Commander Kruge.
@@Emilysbrother1 If that is the Star Trek movie he did, I haven't seen it
I love the subtle recurring joke throughout of the black splash marks around the front door from the hot oil or tar being dumped in the beginning.... 🤣
@10:40 "I'm weirdly aroused by her"
Weren't we all?
Angelica's incarnation of Morticia is the ultimate Goth Mom. And I'm here for it.
As brilliant as Jenna Ortega was as Wednesday. Christina Ricci can't be topped.
ortega is so overrated imho
I mean, it's a TV series, she can't be over the top the whole time
This, along with the Brady Bunch movies I think were some of the best movie adaptations of old TV shows. I love this movie.
IMO, this was pretty much the best version of The Addams Family. The dark humor, the gloomy look of it all, the style it goes with, it’s all pure perfection. And on top of all that, Christina Ricci as Wednesday was my favorite character. She gave such great goth girl vibes. 😅
One of the best duologies/series of movies ever made!
Fun fact how they made the children cry : they told the kids filming was done and now they were getting measles shots...one kid said it was BS and tried to tell the other kids... then the director said : your parents didnt tell you? When you work on a movie set you need a measle shot... then the kid who called BS the first time started crying his eyes out and since he was the ``leader`` of the kids, all the other kids started crying too.
The director did this because it was on a thursday and he needed to leave the set fast because his wife was getting churgury for cancer the next day and he needed to take a plane... so he had to make kids cry now or else the movie wouldnt be on schedule... so he went all out haha
Child & Adolescent Behavioral Therapist here: I don't know if it was because he was the "leader". Infectious crying among kids that age is extremely common.
I remember an interview where Angelica Huston said that she didn't know the kids were gonna cry, she was under the impression they were just gonna look confused and they started crying and she had to just go with it, meanwhile there parents are along the sides of the set silently cheering the kids for crying.
Fun fact: none of the characters had names until the TV show. Before that, it was just another panel cartoon in the papers. The producers of the TV show decided they needed names before they could start making the show, and they named the whole family the Addams Family in honor of the cartoon creator, Charles Addams. Also, the guy in the model train was the director or a producer or such lol. Minor correction: at the lemonade stand, the price was going down, not up. The 50 and 25 cent markings were crossed out leaving only the 5 cent listing. I hope you'll react to the sequel as well, you're gonna laugh yourselves out of your chairs when you hear the baby's name lol.
This deserves so much praise because I think it's a perfect adaptation of the icon Addams Family! Grew up loving the show & watch this so much as a kid! The casting is perfect especially Raul Julia, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd & Angelica Houston...all chew the scenery while also being so respectful to the characters!!! Just the perfect spooky movie...now watch Addams Family Values...*snap snap*
I ahve another fun film fact for you guys: the director absolutely hated the fact that the studio pushed for Christopher Lloyd as Fester Addams, because Lloyd was the tall lanky guy from Back to the Future, which was the complete opposite from Fester, but when Lloyd arrived on the set in costume, it was like he had shrunk a foot and the director knew he had his Fester.
Also by the way: The actual relationships between family members has changed from time to time. In the '60s show, Pugsley was the older brother of Wednesday; in this film Wednesday was the older sibling (and in the "Wednesday" TV show, that is the case). On the '60s show, exactly who Uncle Fester was related to was not always clear, but it seemed to be he was Morticia's uncle. For this film, he became Gomez' brother- thus "Uncle Fester" to W and P. "Grandmama" also seems to change relations, depending on the circumstances. They change to suit the setting and story that the story-tellers want to tell. So if you get into the '60s show, and the current show, and the '90s films, and the various other cartoons, animations, broadway musical, etc: don't hold too tightly to the "canon" lore; just go with it as one big happy kooky family.
I read a theory that none of the versions of the family even known who Grandmama is related to, she just turned up one day and everyone made their assumptions (often that she was Grandmama from the opposite side of the family) and moved on, because she was clearly related SOMEHOW.
@@plothole181 There's a wonderful line in the musical where Gomez says to Morticia, "MY mother? I thought she was YOUR mother!"
@@lazykbys Maybe the theory has some credence then.
As much as I hate to say what many others have already said (but it does need to be said), the sequel is SO good!
Some of the visual gags in this movie, including the opening bit with the Christmas carolers, were taken directly from Chaz Addams’ New Yorker cartoons.
"Are you unhappy, darling?" "Oh, yes, yes! Completely." being the original caption...
Also the man on the model train. Cameo by director Barry Sonnenfeld.
Very true.
The sequel to this movie is a Thanksgiving movie if you're interested. Addams Family Values (1993) is a sequel with all the fun and charm of the first.
And a better story.
Oh My God YES! I'm actually really surprised this movie and the sequel Addams Family Values isn't something Simone grew up watching repeatedly. You have to watch them both, seriously. I already know there is one scene in the sequel George is gonna laugh his ass off at and I can't wait to see that lol Anyway yay! I'm gonna watch the video now
From the TV show.
Gomez- "By the way It, what are you under all that hair?"
It- (squeaking sound)
Gomez- "Roots? Makes sense."
19:27 This is a tricky one. Both Pugsley and Fester are basically indestructible. But it's never directly addressed.
It's called slapstick. Like the Three Stooges. It's not meant to be taken too seriously.
Love that the product placement the production agreed to was Tombstone Pizza.
Terrible pizza, but solid joke.
"What do you want on your Tombstone?" was their motto.
How dare you! Tombstone was...technically pizza?
Possibly the most perfectly cast movie ever. Everyone is so good and it's huge fun. RIP Raul Julia, such a good actor.
joining the chorus of "make sure you watch the sequel around american thanksgiving!" it is vital.
"You are feeling, the little black monster...."
"Puglsey."
"Guilt!"
Favorite moment. Gomez is just SO sure of the answer, like it's second nature. lol
The lighbulb trick Fester does is a reference to the old TV show and really has not much to do with being electrocuted. When my friends and I were kids, we used to sing a non-PC version of the Addams family theme. It started "The Addams family started, when uncle Fester farted", so even in the late 70s, the theme was still popular.
Jimmy Workman (Pugsley) is the older brother of Ariel Winter of Modern Family fame. You can see the resemblance, especially around the eyes and cheeks.
The man on the model train was the director, Barry Sonnenfeld.
I think this is where I first learned about the Bermuda Triangle when I was 5.
Also the sequel to this (and Casper) are why I had a preteen crush on Christina Ricci.
You *must* watch Addams Family Values. Bonus: It's a Thanksgiving movie, so the timing is perfect.
The movie really is perfectly cast, and others have mentioned how wonderful and healthy the family dynamic is.
The timing isn't perfect. They're Canadian and already had their Thanksgiving.
It's also a summer camp. They should still watch/react. ;)
Now that I think about it, I wonder if there's a subtle subtext conversation to be had on the specifics of what makes a holiday movie. That's usually focused on Christmas, but what about Thanksgiving?
Don't worry George, we totally get it 😉
Slightly related, Raul Julia took the part of M Bison in the Street Fighter movie solely for his kids as they were fans of the game. It was the last thing he did before he died. Possibly the most wholesome thing ever 😢
The Addams family was originally a comic strip. Each strip is just a few panels telling a single joke and you might have a character get electrocuted or maimed and then they are back in the next strip with no continuity. So you might say that the Addams' death-defying super power is that they are comic strip characters.
The executive was right about the kids at the time having a fondness for the Addams Family. It was one of those shows whose reruns were widely syndicated (like The Munsters), so in the pre-Internet days, the original Addams Family show was a much-loved show for us Gen-X kids. Did you know that Charles Addams himself was a native of NJ?
When you couple him with Kevin Smith, it seems NJ has a thing for creating quirky characters.
The sequel is the Thanksgiving movie. Also that beginning with the cauldron was a famous cartoon short from the Adams family.
"I feel so bad for the gate!"
You made hot tea come out of my nose with that one! 🤣🤣🤣
2:00 The opening scene of hot oil being poured on carolers is a direct adaptation of one of Charles Addams' original cartoons published in the New Yorker magazine.
Addams family was first created as a comic and that explains a ton of the cartoon logic and physics
The words to the theme song explain it all: They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky. They're altogether ookie: the Addams family.
If the end of the movie occurs "seven months later", the majority of the movie occurs in March, not Christmastime
Here's a thing. One way they achieved the 'look' of the film was that the Addams were often lit in the manner of a black-and-white movie, particularly Morticia. Subtle, but it adds to their 'otherness.'
I loved the way Morticia's eyes were always lighted by a mysterious beam of light no matter the lighting for the rest of the scene.
YES!!!! For as iconic and incredible as this one is, Addams Family Values is my favorite interpretation of them all. Hope you knock it out sooner rather than later, but I understand a lot of people think of Values as a Thanksgiving film.
The fast paced style is credited to the director Barry Sonnenfeld who directed the sequel as well as the first 3 Men in Black movies as well as (wild,wild,west)
"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc-
'We gladly feast upon those who would subdue us.'
Not just pretty words..."
Other tiny bits of trivia about the Family in general - Charles Addams, who created the clan, actually really disliked children, and didn't much like the show, feeling it diluted the horror into slightly more silliness than he liked. Also, when the show was first filmed, the production team asked Charles what the father's first name was. He dithered between Rapelli and Gomez, and in the end just told them to ask the actor which he preferred more.
Charles' first wife was the inspiration for Morticia. They divorced because he didn't want kids.
So fun fact. 15:52 The guy on the train is Barry Sonnenfeld, the director.
Another bit of trivia: In the original script, "Gordon" really was just a guy named Gordon, and not the true Fester, to leave room for a sequel where the Addams Family went out in search of Fester. But the cast all felt it was better if Fester really did remember who he was by the end, and they petitioned Christina Ricci to plead their case to the director and producers. The only person who didn't really care one way or the other, was Christopher Lloyd himself.
Margaret (who ends up with Cousin It) is low-key my fav side character. She shows that "straight" people can change and embrace their inner weirdo and become happy, too.
Allegory?
The guy within the model train is Barry Sonnenfeld, the movie's director in a cameo.
“I think that’s Harmony.”
Yes, it is.
This is one of those rare occasions where the sequel is even better than the first. Love both movies, but Adam's Family Values is just perfection. And George, you are not alone in your newfound goth mommy kink. Imagine discovering this as a kid and being even more confused🤣
It's always fun when the Buffy fans recognize Harmony!
(Oh, and...please watch Addams Family Values!)
I don't know how you've gone through life without watching this, this film and its sequel were my jam as a kid
FUN FACT: Cousin Itt is played by John Franklin, better known as Issac from the original "Children of the Corn".
Definitely watch part 2
this movie is comedy gold
Christina Ricci was spot on with Wednesday
The entire family's casting was perfect.
I really wish they had used her as Morticia for the Wednesday series.
15:52 The director, ladies and gentlemen (Barry Sonnenfeld)
The Addams Family franchise is a philosophy and mission statement. The original TV show and comics shouldn't be missed either, which are equally as delightful.
Well, now you have to watch the next one. Since Thanksgiving is coming up, the next movie ties into Thanksgiving in a way. You get to see a lot more Wednesday and the amazing Joan Cusack.
I remember seeing a couple of videos analyzing the movie. Deep dives about it. And most hated the "twist"; saying its too convenient.
But the movie hints at it at how it is Fester. The screaming in bed, his vault cracking tools, when picking out poisons at a glance,, looking at anatomy to help the kids. Gomez even admits thar Fester was always devious and untrustworthy.
The pivotal scenes is when Gordon talks to his mother about how much fun he's having and she says something along the lines of "If you love me, you'll rob these people"
Right after, we see Gomez hitting golf balls, accepting that this is Fester. Gomez tells him, no matter what, he will be welcomed as Addams.
This movie perfectly depicts a toxic family environment using love as a way to manipulate and a healthy, but kooky and spooky family, that will love, accept, and forgive him.
Not sure if anyone else mentioned this but The Addams Family was originally a cartoon that appeared in the New Yorker magazine. I believe the first time The Addams Family appeared was in 1938. The opening Christmas scene is taken directly from one of the original cartoons.
"How to torture the Addams Family?"..... answered in the sequel lol
The person on the train while Gomez has a sinister laugh is the best scene for me.
"Damn, that guilt trip. That's... she might be an Asian mom." I cackled. It's so true!
Every time you ask ppl to subscribe I double check and yes, I am subscribing! (It took me like three years tho. I fully admit your channel was one of those I assumed I subscribed to but didn't, because I watched basically every episode so the algorithm kept throwing you on top anyway).
Edit: "Weirdly" aroused by Anjelica Huston's Morticia? "Weirdly"? ;)
Edit edit: The "anti traditional" is even more meta than George thinks: Unlike most sitcom families they are NOT dysfunctional. That's actually almost sad; one big part in their "opposite the normal TV family" is that they truly love and respect each other. There is no "nagging mother", or "bumbling dad", or "semi-alcoholic uncle" or whatever. They are probably the most functional media family of all time.
'Watch the next one!"
"What do you say?"
"Now!"
I haven't seen this movie since I was a child but now I realize that 90% of the scenes I remember are from the second movie. I call that a testament to a good sequel!
The 1960s TV sitcom and Charles Addams cartoons were the sources for this film. In 91 this was considered a "throwback" and led to a whole slew of 90s movies based on old TV shows (like the Beverley Hillbillies, Car 54, and the Brady Bunch Movie). While most consider this the definitive Addams Family, the TV show acrually invented most of the lore and the characterizations. And the theme song.
I think the original comics by Charles Addam's didn't even have names for the characters until the 60's, but I'm not sure which gave them names first, the TV show or the New Yorker comic.
@@GeraldH-ln4dv - Right. Charles Addams created the characters’ names and personalities for the TV show, while the old comics were just one panel illustrations
38:27: Raul Julia was a boss. His last role was M Bison in the Street Fighter movie (he was dying of stomach cancer during filming), which he took on as a love letter to his kids, who were huge fans of the game, and played the sh*t out of that role. The film is one of the most beloved video game movies because of its “so bad it’s good” quality, largely due to Julia giving his role WAY more effort than it deserved, even researching how real dictators moved and talked and famous speeches they made to make his version of Bison as much a realistic dictator as possible.
Fun Fact: In the original Addams Family sitcom from the 60s, Gomez was played John Astin, the father of Sean Astin, Sam from Lord of the Rings.
I think it's not his biological father. After a DNA test was done it turned out Michael Tell was his real dad.
Adoptive father, after John married Patty Duke (Sean's mom) when Sean was a toddler.
He's the only living main cast member as of right now.
@@fynnthefox9078 Ironically, Raul Julia was the first cast member from the 90s movies who died.