I Watch Films: The Addams Family

 

The Addams Family

The Addams family live in a spooky house; Gomez Addams misses his brother Fester who vanished 25 years ago. The Addams' lawyer owes money to a loan shark, Abigail Craven; unable to get money from the Addams he notices that Craven’s son Gordon resembles Fester. They introduce Gordon-as-Fester into the family with Craven as his psychologist, Dr Greta Pinder-Schloss.

So much for the setup. The Addams Family were created by cartoonist Charles Addams as a dark mirror to normal American families, with Morticia, the mother, a witch, the children playing in graveyards and threatening, a disembodied hand as a pet etc. Perhaps the best joke is that, because they are the opposite of regular families, Gomez and Morticia and deeply, romantically and homicidially in love with each other.

The good news is, it’s still funny at times. Perhaps at it’s best when the Addams are forced out into the world and have to interact with normal people, to mutual dismay and confusion, some of the mansion setpieces, especially daughter Wednesday Addams’ deadpan, delivery are fun.

Watch This: Entertaining sometimes dark comedy
Don’t Watch This: The Addams are genuinely appalling neighbours