I remember when I first saw Edward Scissorhands. It was in my Uncle Allen's basement with my now-nearly-famous cousin Frank. I loved this movie from the very first time I saw it. The first time I saw it I was young enough that I didn't even think about how that huge chunk of ice got in the backyard and the impossibilities of the shrub cutting. It just all made sense because it was on the screen. That is the great thing about this movie. It's not about making sense. It's a story; it's a fairly tale, actually. Not everything needs to make sense, it's about the atmosphere and the feelings it brings out of you.

The fairy-tale of Edward Scissorhands surrounds a man (Johnny Depp) who wears leather clothes and has…scissor hands. Once upon a time, a Avon lady goes to visit Edward’s castle which is just outside of town. She discovers that he is in need of her cosmetic services, because he has scars all over his face from the damage his “hands” have caused over the years. She takes him home.

At Edward’s new home he discovers a new world full of new things, one of those new things is love. The rest of the plot weaves in, out, and around this this romance. Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder pull off the impossible in making this romance believable. Anything less than perfection in their acting would lead to laughable scenes between a high school girl and a freak. Their romance is utterly believable because of their strong performance, and, does absolutely nothing to distract from the fairy-tale romance.

What is fairy-tale romance? This means that the emotional ties between Edward and his love are beyond the scope of our comprehension. They have a love stronger and more dedicated than we who live outside the borders fairy-tale land can understand. As with so many things in Tim Burton’s movie, this is something we must simply accept to be true.

Edward Scissorhands has many themes and while love is at the top of the list, the movie just as strongly addresses “fitting in”. In my opinion this may be the overriding theme of the whole story. Love is one of those areas where the opportunity to be vulnerable is at its highest. It’s a perfect setting for Burton’s visual study on what it means to fit in, or be “normal”.

Fitting in, being normal, these are your quests as a teenager. The world’s new, you don’t understand it, and the last thing you want to be is the odd-ball. However, if the truth is told, this quest for normality carries over into adult-hood. Everybody wants to be normal and fit in; but, in reality, the only way we fit in and the only way we’re normal is by the fact that we are all different.

Tim Burton has the same message in Edward Scissorhands. The normal people in this movie are the people who wear pastel clothing. They are the everyday joe-schmoe's you meet on the street. Who has more problems? The Pastels or Edward? They both have problems. Edward has hand problems, obviously. But, these people in his neighborhood have identity problems. The only way they can feel normal is if they act the same way/dress the same way as everyone else. If these things are in check, …well, then, they don't have to worry about being the person gossiped about on the other end of the phone line. As long as they fit in and aren't doing anything out of the ordinary they are normal.

How can a movie be so observant of the real world we live in, but be so unlike anything we’ve ever seen at the same time? I can’t answer that question, except to say that its what makes this movie so good and worth repeated viewings.

I’m not sure how many “repeated viewings” I have under my belt, quite a few. It's one of those movies that never gets old for me. I really think it is a perfect movie. There’s nothing I would change about it. If you haven't seen this movie, give it a try. If you're one of those people who "doesn't get it" (like my parents) you should watch it again, and just enjoy it for the fairy tale it is.

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Special Features:
The Special features are nothing to write home about. It's a 10th Anniversery Edition which means some trailers and concept art that I never watch. There's a featurette that is "average".

The best special feature is the commentary by Tim Burton & Danny Elfman. They have interesting things to say, but (get ready for an odd complaint) the sound levels seem messed up to me. Their voices fade in and out, Burton and Elfman's voices sound lower than the volume of the movie, so I have to turn it up to hear them and then turn it back down when the movie's sound comes back. Maybe it's just me and my DVD player, but I found it really annoying to listen to.

No matter what the extras are like, this is still one that belongs in everybody's movie collection in my opinion.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older