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‘Addams Family’ sequel teaches lesson in bonding, acceptanceBy DannGire0a I ly Hern Id Him Cnttc“Addams Family Values is funnier, tighter and infinitely more subversive than the 1991 box-office hit that introduced Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston as Charles Addams’ blackly comedic creations, Gomez and Morlieia.The family’s first big-screen adventure was built on little more than a creepy atmosphere and a macabre attitude, but lacking in the more traditional movie elements of plot and character.“Addams Family Values,”again directed by erstwhile cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, not only fleshes out the characters (some with less flesh than others), it whisks the Addamses out of their surrealistic mansion and into the real world where their bizarre demeanor makes for greater laughs and takes on a snappy political bite.This story, cleverly constructed by Paul Rudnick (a columnist for Premiere magazine), masks a clever, pungent plea for diversity in America by savaging white, middle-class, xenophobic nincompoops who give lip service to inclusion, but in fact insist on conformity. More on that in a moment.As we’ve all seen from the recent barrage of commercials, Morticia adds a new Addams to the family, a delightful infant named Pubert. He might well have his mom’s nose, but his greased hair and pencil-thin mustache came from Dad.When Hubert's sister Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and brotlier Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) come down with a bad case of sibling rivalry, the film veers off into would-be dead baby jokes. The sibs try to shoot Pubert, throw him out the window, chop off his head and drop an anvil on the poor tyke.“We want to play with theMovie review“Addams FamilyValues”★★★Screenplay by Paul flud/vck, Produced by Scott Rudm. Directed by Barry Son-nanfeld. A Paramount Pictures release. Rated PG-13.86 minutes. ICast:Gomez.... ...... .... . .. Raul JuliaMorticia......... ,,...Anje*ca HustonDebbie ...... Joan CusackFester...............Christopher Uoydbaby,” Pugsley explains to Morticia.“Especially his head,” Wednesday adds.Never before has a movie tried to achieve such politically correct goals by employing such politically incorrect methods.As she was in the first “Addams Family” film, Ricci’s Wednesday is the glowing ember of the cast, a dead-pan, dead-on, deadly deliverer of devilishly devastating dialogue. (Her quips in the first film are still memorable; “Are those real Girl Scout cookies? Are they made with real Girl Scouts?”)Wisely, the script has much more Wednesday and much less of the zero-personality Pugsley, even when both are sent off to a festive summer camp run by the unnerv-ingly perky Gary and Becky Granger (sublimely hyper-emoted by Peter MacNiehol and Christine Baranski.) The Grangers seem to be OK (as far as the illegitimate offspring of Mr. Rogers can be), but they slowly begin to reveal their preferences for cute, snobbish little blonde girls, and their discomfort around children with Jewish or foreign-sounding names.The main story follows the efforts of a serial killer called “The Black Widow” (Joan Cusack) to marry Uncle Fester (ChristopherRaul Julia portrays Gomez in “Addams Family Values*” openingtoday at local theaters.Lloyd) for his family fortune, then kill him. She shows up in the guise of Debbie Jelinsky, a nanny for Pubert. She instantly schmoozes the family.“How do you find these Addams men?” she coos,“It has to be damp,” Morticia replies.Lloyd again chews the scenery, upholstery and everything else as the love-struck Fester, who barely lives to regret letting the willful Debbie change him into a callous sex slave who turns his back on his own family.!n its own perverse way, that'sexactly wha. Add.ims Family Values” is rboul — the importance of family bond and accepting people for who lho\ arc The message comes across a I a lie preachy, bul maybe it needs [o bo when uttered from Die mmtih of characters who don't look as if they would be invited ilt;» lunncr Vice President Dan qi.a\U^ house anylii le during me next millennium.At least it's good to know that al ter a TV run and a meua hit mo\ ie, the Addamses finally ha\e a Thing or two to tell us about \ aloes.
Newspaper Details
Arlington Heights Daily Herald Suburban Chicago
Arlington Heights, Illinois, US
Fri, Nov 19, 1993
Page 504
Full Page
Clipped by
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USA 21 Sep 2022
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