Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice

Starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder

Directed by Tim Burton

The Story:
Loving couple Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis) Maitland are living the picturesque married life in a beautiful small town, and even though they have quirky neighbors, it's still a nice place to live - until they die.  They come back home after their death to find themselves trapped in their house, for if they leave they end up in the desert with a giant sandworm chasing them.

They live in the house peacefully until a New York family moves in, and decides to totally redecorate the place.  The Maitlands plan on scaring them out, but they catch the attention of the new tenants' young daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder), who is the only human who sees them.  Unable to scare her parents away, they turn to a malevolent trickster known as Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), who arrives and wrecks mayhem on the living couple, and annoy the Maitlands in the process.  When pictures of the ghosts get out, they have to find a way to keep the information on the lives of the dead a secret, and they might have to call on Betelgeuse again.

The Synopsis:
"Beetlejuice" is one of Tim Burton's finest films, one that truly showcases the offbeat nature of this most eccentric director.  Even though the film was released back in 1988, the effects used were far ahead of its time, so much so it actually won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, beating out "Coming to America" and "Scrooged."  The imagery is absolutely unique and oddly terrifying in a sense, but also humorous in another sense.  It dances the line of horror and comedy, but tends to take a bow more on the comedy side, thanks to Michael Keaton's eccentric performance as the aforementioned Betelgeuse (intentionally misspelled for the title because it markets better) that made him more an endearing character than a frightening one.

The story is something right up Burton's alley - a dead couple haunting a living couple, while also facing the afterlife in a very different version from what we've been led to believe from other films and novels.  Here, the afterlife is a long waiting room with fellow undead who are still in their death states (a man completely burned smoking a cigarette, a woman cut in half, etc.), and once they get through the door they face their eternal fate - or something like that.  For the Maitlands, their only desire is to scare away their new roommates, but once they take a liking to the new family's daughter, they regret their decision and try to live in peace.  Unfortunately, that's an impossibility because they called on Betelgeuse to scare them off, and he is nothing if not professional.

This film features an outstanding cast, most notably Michael Keaton as the title character.  Betelgeuse is so beloved and such a classic cinematic icon that he spawned a video game as well as a successful animated series that ran on Saturday mornings - you know, when they used to air cartoons on Saturdays.  Keaton says even today that Betelgeuse is his favorite character, and the funny think is that he doesn't appear until around twenty minutes in the film, and is only on screen for a little more than fifteen total minutes.  Yet his performance is so iconic and one-of-a-kind, it's staying power has lasted almost thirty years later.  Even today, he's "the ghost with the most."

Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play off the married couple Adam and Barbara beautifully, showcasing a love for one another as well as being true, honest people - even in death.  They try to scare away the tenants by dressing up in classic white sheets to no avail, and their haunting is good natured and fun, until they try Betelgeuse's way and all hell breaks loose.  They set out to make things right, especially to the daughter Lydia, played by Winona Ryder, who is the only one who can see them.  Ryder plays the goth chick to a T, and you fully believe her performance.  Comedian powerhouses Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones play Lydia's parents, and unfortunately they're not given as much material as they deserve, but what little they do get they play it with gusto.

Still, the heart of the film has to do with the unique visuals and effects, and Tim Burton's company made the most unique, beautifully terrifying creatures they could come up with, including a shrunken headed man, a Betelgeuse-faced snake, and otherworldly sandworms with multiple faces.  It's a visual delight that mostly withstands the test of time, and is a testament to the power of a unique vision.  They just don't make films like this anymore.

The Summary:
Tim Burton's visionary delight is a joy for young and old alike to enjoy, supplying a simple story with a tremendous cast, stunning visuals, and one-of-a-kind effects that were all far before their time.

The Score: A+