I've lost count of how many times I've watched The Addams Family and Addams Family Values. Both movies, released in 1991 and 1993, are amazingly quotable and strike the right balance of weird and wonderful. Charles Addams created the family in 1938, and eventually his cartoons and illustrations were turned in a long-running television show, two movies in the 1990s, two animated movies, a straight to video series, and a Broadway musical. Tim Burton is making a show about Wednesday Addams that I can't wait to see. The Addams Family is delightfully creepy, but never overtly scary. I think that's why I loved the tv show as a kid (I watched it on Nick at Nite) and the movies from the 90s always made me feel good about being weird. The family was never mean, not really, and always worked together to solve whatever problem arose. They were kooky and funny and a slightly darker version of the family next door, who happened to have a pet lion and dress mostly in black.
The magic of the two movies comes from the cast and the stellar writing. Caroline Thomas and Larry Wilson, both veterans of Tim Burton movies, wrote the first movie, and playwright Paul Rudnick wrote the sequel (my personal favorite). The chemistry between the late Raul Julia and Angelica Huston is perfect and Christina Ricci is magical in every scene. The supporting cast, particularly in the sequel, is perfection. I could go on, but I think you get how much I love these movies. I enjoyed the first animated movie that came out in 2019; I haven't seen the sequel yet.
One of my favorite scenes in the 1991 movie is when Morticia takes Fester on a tour of the Addams cemetery and shares the family credo with him:
And our credo: "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc." We gladly feast on those who would subdue us." Not just pretty words.
During my last viewing of the movie (last week), I couldn't help but think that this would be the kind of thing that would make an excellent embroidery project.
Details:
Stitches: back and satin stitches, French knots
Thread palette: DMC C310 (2, 3 strands)
Recommendations:
- Movies/TV: The Addams Family (1991), Addams Family Values, The Addams Family (2019), The Addams Family (1964-66 - not sure if the original is streaming anywhere)
- Books: The World of Charles Addams by Charles Addams and Wilfred Sheed
- There's a new biography about Addams that was recently released. I haven't read it yet, but am hoping to at some point when my book pile isn't threatening to overtake my entire house...which would be a very funny thing to see in an Addams Family movie or comic.
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