The Addams Family Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
It's not the same old Thing.
Weird is relative.
Creepy. Kooky. Spooky. Ooky.
The Addams step out of Charles Addams' cartoons. They live with all of the trappings of the macabre (including a detached hand for a servant) and are quite wealthy. Added to this mix is a crooked accountant and his loan shark and a plot to slip in the shark's son into the family as their long lost Uncle Fester. Can the false Fester find his way into the vault before he is discovered?
| Christina Ricci | Wednesday Addams |
| Dan Hedaya | Tully Alford, Addams' Attorney |
| Christopher Lloyd | Uncle Fester/Gordon Craven |
| Anjelica Huston | Morticia Addams |
| Raul Julia | Gomez Addams |
| Elizabeth Wilson | Abigail Craven/Dr. Greta Pinder-Schloss |
| Judith Malina | Grandma |
| Carel Struycken | Lurch |
| Paul Benedict | Judge Womack |
| Christopher Hart | Thing |
| Dana Ivey | Margaret Alford/Margaret Addams |
| Jimmy Workman | Pugsley Addams |
| John Franklin | Cousin Itt |
| Tony Azito | Digit Addams |
| Douglas Brian Martin | Dexter Addams |
| Barry Sonnenfeld |
6.50 out of 10 (19007 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Better than the television show!
posted on 16 Jun 2009I like THE ADDAMS FAMILY television show, but I love THE ADDAMS FAMILY movie. It's full of dark humor and morbid gags. I've seen this movie so many times that I have memorized half of the dialogue in the movie. It's absolutely hilarious. The cast is terrific. It's well worth seeing.
Surprisingly Good Update of the Classic TV Series
posted on 03 Mar 2009Surprisingly good update of the classic TV series has our favorite "weird" family in a series of fun misadventures. The sets are outstanding as is the cinematography. Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia stand out as the forever morbid couple Gomez and Morticia Addams as does Christina Ricci in a scene stealing role as Wednesday Addams. Nice directorial debut by Barry Sonnenfeld.
dark and creative fantasy
posted on 29 Jan 2009Gordon Craven (Lloyd) pretends to be the long lost brother of Gomez Addams (Julia) in hope of gaining access to the family's money.This 1991 comedy from Barry Sonnenfeld (Get Shorty) is one of those rare gems that will never be praised enough.The Addams Family brings a dark and dismal tale to a vibrant colourful light with its superb choices of characters and settings, not to mention a great use of slapstick comedy.The narrative revolves around a man who has obeyed his mother and gone into the home of the craziest people in the village. The imposition and slight conventional ideology may have you raising an eyebrow as the scheme starts to take place but bear with it as the crazy ideologies and dark imagery will take over and create an ultimate enjoyable fantasy with sensational acting and characters.Raul Julia gives an unusual performance as Gomez Addams, a crazed and vibrant man with a sharp confidence and dominance. When we see him teeing off on top of his roof we know this character is something very different and the writing is so sharp and exquisite that Gomez has become an icon in the comedy horror genre. Every performance in this film is especially sweet but Julia steals the show with an utterly astounding act.Huston (Prizzi's honour) creates another memorable protagonist in Morticia, Gomez's wife. Her delicate and light heartedness somehow fit in the dark and gruesome tale and her on screen moments with Gomez are those of a dark fairytale. Not discounting Lloyd (One flew over the cuckoo's nest) who is always impressive in whatever film he stars in takes himself to an even higher level with his role as Gordon.All characters truly look the part with Oscar nominated costume design. The black clothes and the white make up create a ghostly feeling, a sombre motion in a darkly lit tale, which really adds that extra belief and realism to its own vintage context.The setting of the Addam's mansion is beautifully executed by Sonnenfeld. The dark imagery and specialist field help make the Addam's crazier, such as casual sword fights, bizarre food choices and books that come to life.The use of two worlds is an extra bonus as we see many puns on day to day life. Having this style of comedy revolving around everyday life can be associated with audiences of all ages and adds another dimension to the fantasy. The slapstick comedy is also delicious, original and thankfully not repetitive.Though there is a slight convention in the plot, the dark imagination juxtaposed with the crazy characters makes the Addams Family a refreshingly interesting comedy.
Welcome To The Addams Family!
posted on 30 Dec 2008This movie is a dark comedy for everybody. I used to enjoy it as a kid and I still do. When Gordon(Christopher Lloyd) pretends to be Gomez's(Raul Julia) missing brother Fester to get to his wealth, it might ruin the addams family fortune forever. This was such a enjoyable movie, it took me a while to get into it, but when i did, i couldn't stop watching it. It's filled with hilarious dark humor and the whole movie will put you into a halloween mood. I would give The Addams Family 9/10
Watch it over and over again!
posted on 21 Dec 2008I love the way this, and its sequel, work on two levels. My niece loved it when she was 8 and I love it's more adult innuendoes. The bubbling lust between Gomez and Morticia is excellent, the ridiculous plot a bonus, and the jokes, both visual and verbal, are delicious. The one-liners are hilarious. Watch it over and over to catch all the layers of humour. Real unclean fun. There is nothing to complain about here!
Too much studio-driven flash in search of a story.
posted on 12 Dec 2008The best lines in the film, which ended up in the ads, like the Halloween costume line, "I'm dressed like a serial killer. They look like everyone else." were added during production by script doctor Paul Rudnick. Sadly, he could only tack it onto the unnecessary story about how the family was reunited with Uncle Fester. Luckily, the powers that be smartened up and let Rudnick write the sequel Addams Family Values on his own so it feels much more unified and pointed than the flimsy original. By the way, you definitely do not have to see this first one to enjoy and understand the second. Addams Family Values, with its great title, should have been the only one.
Millions of bucks and they couldn't hire a researcher?
posted on 16 Oct 2008As any afficiando of the REAL "Addams Family" (the TV series)knows, Uncle Fester is NOT an Addams -- he's called "Uncle"because he is Morticia's uncle, not Gomez's brother and thechildren's uncle; he was the go-between who arranged themarriage -- a major plot point of the TV series. Nevertheless,the studio went ahead and based the movie on the premise that heis Gomez's brother, throwing away ANY credibility the film hadas a part of the Addams Family canon (or is it cannon?!). Thankgoodness the cast was better than the script!
consistently funny
posted on 25 May 2008Snappy, good-natured, ghoulishly funny comedy based on the popular television series about a macabre family who lives to revel in darkness, worship the bizarre, and glorify the dead. The focus of the story is their attempt to track down and make amends with a long lost uncle. Director Sonnenfeld creates an imaginatively dark but enjoyable world filled with nifty visual effects, witty and sly humor, and a terrific cast that's clearly having fun with the material. Huston is magnificent as Morticia, Lloyd and Julia are simply wonderful as estranged brothers Fester and Gomez, and their dance number is a joy to watch. ***
Where's Uncle Fester?
posted on 13 Apr 2008For twenty-five years, Gomez has waited for his long lost brother Fester to return and twenty-five years later, there he is! But the mystery of whole movie is if he is an impostor! I liked the dancing in the movie and I also loved the passion between Gomez and Morticia. The acting was great and this dark comedy brings on a lot of funny jokes.My favorite part was the scene at the lemonade stand. The look that Pugsley gave Wednesday was hilarious. Another hilarious scene was when the golf ball lands in the cereal and the Judge's face gets drenched with milk. I was laughing so hard that my side ached.The path to vault was awesome because of all of the twists and turns in it. So if you can find your way through the path, enjoy this movie.
The Addams Family: 7/10
posted on 23 Jan 2008The Addams Family is directed by first time director Barry Sonnenfeld, who was cinematographer for movies such as When Harry Met Sally… and Big. It's an impressive debut that is finely timed, with the morbid bits thrown in correctly.It's based on the characters by Charles Addams. The macabre family enjoys maiming, although most is talked about instead of acted. It includes Gomez (Raul Julia), who is a dashing and dapper man, Morticia (Anjelica Huston), Gomez's morbid wife, Wednesday (Christina Ricci), a monotoned and pale daughter, and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman), probably the least darkest and pudgiest of them all. Well, the `plot' includes Abigail Craven (Elizabeth Wilson) and Gordon (Christopher Lloyd). Their employee Tully (Dan Hedaya) is an insurance guy for the Addamses. He plans to get the Addams fortune by having Gordon act like the long-lost Uncle Fester, with Craven acting like Dr. Pinder-Schloss, the person who found Fester.Funny, well acted, and delightfully morbid, The Addams Family fires on all cylinders. It has some good special effects, and manages to please everyone who wants to be pleased by this movie. If you aren't in the perfect dark mood, it's hard to enjoy. But if you sit back, enjoy, and let this wild ride go, you'll be pleased.Before I get any further, I'd like to say that I haven't seen the T.V. series, so I can't base this on that. I did think that Julia (who passed away in 1994) acted terrifically. Huston, whom I always enjoy in movies, put on a good show and seemed to be enjoying herself doing this role that actually kind of makes her type-cast with me. Ricci and Lloyd are the standouts. Ricci is stone-faced and hilarious. When asked what game they were playing by Pugsley as she was strapping him into an electric chair, she replies, `Is there a God?' Lloyd was perfect, marking his number of great performances up one for me.As fans of the series will know, the Addams have a disemboweled hand named `Thing', who always lends a hand. Along with the sequel, the cousin Itt isn't shown as much as it should. Itt's a giant bundle of hair, who comes out with a surprising wife at the end of the movie. If you enjoy dark comedies, you'll love The Addams Family.My rating: 7/10Rated PG-13 for morbid humor and mild language.
Snappy
posted on 27 Nov 2007Though I think the sequel is funnier, The Addams Family, another sitcom-turned-movie, stays fresher in the mind. In the Addams' film debut, some no-good greedy villains devise a seemingly flawless plan to illegally inherit the treasures within the family's secret vault: plant their own gruesome goon (Christopher Lloyd, hamming up another kid-friendly flick) in the eerie mansion, and pass him off as their long-lost Uncle Fester. Of course, unfamiliar memories and a snoopy Wednesday (an unknown Christina Ricci) muddy things up for the impostor. Ricci makes quite a debut, but the film belongs to the late, great Raul Julia, playing an eccentric, romantic, and dead-on (sorry for the pun) Gomez, Fester's clueless brother and man of the household. Julia adds a little Latino spice to Gomez's lusty behavior, which doesn't hurt the character at all. My favorite scene is somewhat of a montage of each Addams trying to adapt to the outside life after losing their home, including Thing (the pet hand) working for FedEx and Morticia (Anjelica Huston) switching the perspectives of Hansel and Gretel for a kindergarten class. The montage is sort of a glimpse of things to come with the sequel. The plot is predictable, the MC Hammer soundtrack overload really dates it, and the humor gets a bit monotonous, but strong performances and style wake the dead moments. This sitcom transformation works.
Hasn't aged well...
posted on 07 Oct 2007The original ADDAMS FAMILY tv series was never this dark. It was really funny; this film goes waaaay overboard with the gruesome stuff(my God, I thought I'd NEVER say that!) Despite some brilliant one-liners andexcellent performances(Christina Ricci!)I'm going to have to give this one a severed thumb generally pointing downwards,especially because of the end credits,which features MC Hammer's "Addams Groove," which is excruciating.
A great movie
posted on 26 Aug 2007I first watched this movie when I was 8 years old and loved it then .I am now 15 and i love it now . Some scenes are just priceless, like the children's play. I'd recommend this movie for people of all ages.It was definately one of my favourite movies when i was younger and i would give it 10/10.
They're ooky and their spooky..
posted on 11 Aug 2007The Addams family, that ghoulish comedy from tv golden days, comes to the silver screen with mixed results.. Christopher Lloyd stars claiming to be the family's long lost (in the Bermuda Triangle) Uncle Fester. But is he really? Comparisons to the TV show are of course expected and while the movie is just as much dark fun..Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston are perfect as Gomez and Morticia and the rest of the cast fit well..especially Ricci and Wednesday..The plot leaves something to be desired...But the movie is good fun and is definitely recommended..on a scale of one to ten..7
The Addams Family
posted on 02 Aug 2007Entertaining film version of the 60's television series with Julia and Huston beautifully in sync as Gomez and Morticia, while Lloyd is a hammy riot as Uncle Fester. Art direction is impressive and the direction of Barry Sonnefeld is solid throughout. Followed by ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES in 1993.
Blast From The Past!
posted on 25 May 2007I'm pretty sure the last time I saw this film I must have been less than 6 years old, and now over 13 years later, I caught this film on TV and decided to re-visit the family that, I have been told, as a kid I not only adored watching on film but on the cartoon TV series too. Well, what can I say - I'm sure this stuff must have had some sort of diverse effect on my mental well-being as a child, and I can say honestly had an effect on my sense of humour - I find this kind of stuff hilarious.Don't get me wrong, this film isn't great by any stretch of the imagination. The plot is horrifically predictable, the film just isn't very exciting, never seeming to go anywhere, never raising my excitement or getting me personally involved. But it is funny - full of dark, Gothic humour, and each actor embodies the famous characters to perfection - Uncle Fester is JUST as I remember him, Wednesday is the sharp and cynical older sister I always thought was oh-so cool (except, whilst I used to look up at her as being so old and mature when I was 5/6 years old, I now realise that she was only a child), cousin IT was the memorable mound of walking hair, Thing the detached hand. It brought back loads of childhood memories, and brought many smiles to my lips, but still, the film isn't great, and it would be wrong for me to give it any more stars than 3 just because of nostalgia or sentimental value.I gotta say, something I had never paid attention to as a kid was the acting, but now I'm old enough to actually realise that the characters don't exist and are played by actors, I have to congratulate Raul Julia on his performance as Gomez. I only discovered today that Julia passed away in 1994, and though this unexpected news makes me sad, at least he left behind performances of which he could honestly be proud. The second is Elizabeth Wilson as Abigail Cravern - her ability to switch between accents is incredible (and especially admired by me, who can't even master a single accent correctly).Overall, this film is good, but not great. I'm surprised that this is classed as a children's film, and amazed by how much I used to love it as a kid, but I'm obviously not in touch with my inner child as I once was. A funny film, but not incredible.
Go watch!
posted on 22 May 2007Heeeellouh! Go watch the movies. They are quite funny. Again, if you have watched the movies when you were young, don't bother to see them again- it would be quite disappointing. Unfortunately, Raul died and that makes me unhappy. That man was a one-of-a-kind! The only thing he wouldn't do any good in imaginable- would be poker. I'd love to visit his grave sometime. That would be enough. I also want to meet Christina Ricci- cutey! But she's 21 now. Aww crap, i mean crud. If I were able to, I would buy all three movies that is about The Addams Family... I have only watched The Family Reunion. It rocked for five years ago, but now it is kind of... boring. I also want to watch the TV-show, but crud... There is no Norwegian OR unamerican channel that shows the Addams Family show.... As far as I know. Christina Ricci... Come visit me!And for all of you yahooers out there: You leave now Y' hear me?
Stunning performances all round
posted on 28 Apr 2007The Addams Family are one of the more recognisable families in TV history. With that in mind, let's skip the introductions and get straight to the chase.The performances in this movie are superb. It's a black, black comedy, and as such, it requires a certain kind of actor. The kind who has the right look, the perfect comedic timing, and the ability to deliver lines so deadpan it almost hurts.Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, and a young Christina Ricci somehow ALL manage to deliver. They're truly a delight to watch, delivering the most macabre lines without even coming close to cracking a smile, yet having me in stitches every time. Even Christopher Lloyd, playing a far more energetic character, manages to bring in a maniacal edge to the performance. I don't think there's an actor in the movie who doesn't understand the role they play.The script is great material for them to work with too, extremely witty, rarely if ever falling on it's face, and complemented with some fantastic sets. And let's not forget the music. From the legendary theme tune, to the harpsichord jingles accompanying the visual gags, to the booming organs during the heavier moments, it's spot-on. The whole movie works as one to capture *THE* Addams atmosphere, macabre as it's ever been.Sure, there's a plot too, but while it drives the movie on, you'd watch this movie for the wonderful theme, not for an intriguing plotline.It's a classic, and you're doing yourself a disservice if you haven't seen it, or if you think you're too sensible for this kind of movie.
The Addams Family
posted on 20 Mar 2007Based on the popular TV series (which there were a few of) and New Yorker cartoons - from the characters created by Charles Addams - comes this live action feature film about the kooky, spooky, eccentric and darkly comical humorous family, from director Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black). Basically The Addams Family are the strange scary movie stereotypes filled clan, with wife/mother Morticia (Anjelica Huston), husband/father Gomez (Raul Julia), the witch-like Granny (Judith Malina), Frankenstein's monster like butler Lurch (Carel Struycken), and the kids, Wednesday (young Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman). Notice anyone missing, yes, Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) disappeared 25 years ago after a fight with brother Gomez, and Abigail Craven (Elizabeth Wilson) wants to try and get the Addams' fortune, by using her "son" Gordon (Lloyd again), who has a striking resemblance to Fester, to con his way into the family, and find the fortune. As time goes by though, Gordon slowly finds himself settling very nicely as if he really was Fester, oh, and by the end, you realise it is really him, Craven found him with amnesia. Also starring Dan Hedaya as Tully Alford, Dana Ivey as Margaret Alford and Paul Benedict as Judge Womack. The dark comedy is wonderfully strange, the performances from Julia, Huston and Lloyd are marvellous, young Ricci also shines with her moments as the daughter, just a very good dark comedy film. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Costume Design, and it was nominated the BAFTAs for Best Make Up Artist and Best Production Design. Very good!
An incredible dark sarcastic comedy!
posted on 22 Jul 2009"The Addams Family" is one of the most hilarious "scarefests" I have ever seen. It's a really good film and has one of the best ensemble casts ever. Bravo to the casting director for casting such great talents as the late Raul Julia (Gomez), Anjelica Huston (Morticia) and Christina Ricca (Wednesday)! The set/art direction was also amazing, like the dark and gloomy Addams family mansion. The costume designs were great. This movie did do a great job in all the technical areas of making a movie. The screenplay was great because it *does* leave a lasting impression for the sarcastic quotes that came from this film (see the memorable quotes section and you'll see what I mean). The film, based on Charles Addams' beloved cartoon and hit TV series, "The Addams Family" is a visual fun house, packed with plenty of treats, tricks and turns by director Barry Sonnenfeld and I highly recommend you see it if you haven't already. The Addams Family did spawn a sequel, called Addams Family Values, that didn't do as well at the box office, but in my humble opinion was just as good of a film as the first.My Verdict: 7/10