The Addams Family (film)

The Addams Family is a 1991 American fantasy comedy film based on the characters from the cartoon of the same name created by cartoonist Charles Addams.[1]

The movie was originally developed at Orion Pictures (which at the time owned the rights to the television series on which the film was based due to its ownership of the Filmways library and later quietly relaunched by MGM in September 11, 2014). But due to the studio's financial problems, Paramount Pictures stepped in to complete the film and handled North American distribution, with Orion retaining the international rights (these rights now belong to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer through their purchase of Orion). The film debuted in Los Angeles on November 16, 1991. It opened internationally on November 22, 1991, on the same day as An American Tail: Fievel Goes West and Beauty and the Beast and received positive reviews. It was followed by a sequel, Addams Family Values, two years later.



Contents
[hide]  *1 Plot  ==Plot[ edit] == Gomez Addams (Raúl Juliá) laments the 25-year absence of his brother Fester (Christopher Lloyd), who disappeared after the two had a falling-out. Gomez spends each morning hitting golf balls off the roof, which often hit the windows of his neighbor, Judge George Womack (Paul Benedict), who gets repeatedly angered at this. Gomez's lawyer Tully Alford (Dan Hedaya) owes money to loan shark Abigail Craven (Elizabeth Wilson) and notices that her son Gordon closely resembles Fester. Tully proposes that Gordon pose as Fester to infiltrate the Addams household and find the hidden vault where they keep their vast riches. Tully and his wife Margaret (Dana Ivey) attend a séance at the Addams home led by Grandmama (Judith Malina), in which the family tries to contact Fester's spirit. Gordon arrives, posing as Fester, while Abigail poses as psychiatrist Dr. Pinder-Schloss and tells the family that Fester had been lost in the Bermuda Triangle for the past 25 years.
 * 2 Cast
 * 3 Music
 * 4 Video game
 * 5 Reception
 * 5.1 Box office
 * 5.2 Critical response
 * 6 Accolades
 * 7 Production notes
 * 8 The Making of The Addams Family
 * 9 References
 * 10 External links

Gomez, overjoyed to have Fester back, takes him to the family vault to view home movies from their childhood. Gordon learns the reason for the brothers' falling-out: Gomez was jealous of Fester's success with women, and wooed theconjoined twins Flora and Fauna Amore away from him out of envy. Gomez starts to suspect that "Fester" is an impostor when he is unable to recall important details about their past. Gordon attempts to return to the vault, but is unable to get past a booby trap. Gomez's wife Morticia (Anjelica Huston) reminds "Fester" of the importance of family amongst the Addamses and of their vengeance against those who cross them. Fearing that the family is getting wise to their con, Abigail (under the guise of Dr. Pinder-Schloss) convinces Gomez that his suspicions are due to displacement.

Gordon grows closer to the Addams family, particularly the children Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman), whom he helps to prepare a swordplay sequence for a school play. The Addamses throw a large party with their extended family and friends to celebrate Fester's return, during which Abigail plans to break into the vault. Wednesday overhears Abigail and Gordon discussing their scheme, and escapes them by hiding in the family cemetery. Tully learns that Fester, as the eldest brother, is the executor of the Addams estate and therefore technically owns the entire property. With the help of Judge Womack, Tully procures arestraining order against the family banning them from the estate and ordering them to move out. Gomez attempts to fight the order in court, but Judge Womack rules against him out of spite (though he does give Gomez his golf balls back).

While Abigail, Gordon and Tully try repeatedly and unsuccessfully to get past the booby trap blocking access to the vault, the Addams family is forced to move into amotel and find jobs. Morticia tries being a preschool teacher, Wednesday and Pugsley sell toxic lemonade, and Thing (Christopher Hart's hand) becomes a courier. Gomez, despondent, sinks into depression and lethargy.

Morticia returns to the Addams home to speak to Fester and is captured by Abigail and Tully, who torture her in an attempt to learn how to access the vault. Thing observes this and informs Gomez, who gathers the family and rushes to Morticia's rescue. Abigail threatens Morticia's life if Gomez does not surrender the family fortune. Fed up with his mother's behavior and constant berating, Gordon turns against Abigail. Using a magical book which projects its contents into reality, he unleashes a hurricane in the house, which strikes his own head with lightning and launches Tully and Abigail out a window and into open graves dug for them by Wednesday and Pugsley, who proceed to bury them.

Seven months later, it is revealed to the viewers that Gordon has been Fester all along, having suffered amnesia after being lost in the Bermuda Triangle and turning up in Miami, where Abigail had taken him in. The lightning strike has restored his memory and he is enthusiastically welcomed back into the Addams household. With the family whole again, Morticia informs Gomez that she is pregnant as the rest of the family begins playing "Wake the Dead". ==Cast[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==Music <span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">The soundtrack for The Addams Family was released on December 3, 1991, and features most of Marc Shaiman's film score. The complete version of "Mamushka" was cut from the film after a key audience demographic from test screenings complained the song brought the movie to a stand-still.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[2]
 * Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams, the mother of the Addams family.
 * Raúl Juliá as Gomez Addams, the father of the Addams family.
 * Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester / Gordon Craven, Gomez's brother who lost his memory and was adopted by Abigail Craven.
 * Dan Hedaya as Tully Alford, the lawyer of the Addams family.
 * Elizabeth Wilson as Abigail Craven / Dr. Greta Pinder-Schloss, Fester's adoptive mother who is a loan shark.
 * Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams, the daughter of the Addams family.
 * Paul Benedict as Judge George Womack, the judge who is the next-door neighbor of the Addams family.
 * Jimmy Workman as Pugsley Addams, the son of the Addams family.
 * Judith Malina as Grandmama, the mother of Morticia.
 * Carel Struycken as Lurch, the butler.
 * Christopher Hart's Hand as Thing
 * Dana Ivey as Margaret Alford, the wife of Tully and true love of Cousin Itt.
 * John Franklin as Cousin Itt, the cousin of Gomez and Fester.
 * Mercedes McNab as Girl Scout (also as Amanda Buckman, in Addams Family Values.)

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">The film also features a video from rap artist MC Hammer, called the "Addams Groove".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[3] ==Video game<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">A game based on the film was released for various handheld and home computer platforms. ==Reception<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Box office<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">With a box office gross of $113,502,246 in the United States and a worldwide gross of $191,502,246, The Addams Family proved to be a financial success, as it eventually became the seventh highest grossing film of 1991. ===Critical response <span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives The Addams Family a 60% "fresh" rating based on reviews from 40 critics.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[4] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[5] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[6]
 * 1) "Deck the Halls & Main Titles"
 * 2) "Morning"
 * 3) "Seances & Swordfights"
 * 4) "Playmates"
 * 5) "Family Plotz"
 * 6) "Mooche"
 * 7) "Evening"
 * 8) "Party...For Me?"
 * 9) "Mamushka"
 * 10) "Thing Gets Work"
 * 11) "Fester Exposed"
 * 12) "Rescue"
 * 13) "Finale"

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">Roger Ebert gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, saying it was mildly entertaining but did not add up to much.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[7]  Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader called the film a "collection of one-liners and not much more".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[8]  Critic Steve Crum wrote a positive review, saying that it was a perfect translation of the 1960s sitcom, and was just as "ghoulishly hilarious."<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="line-height:1;font-size:11.1999998092651px;white-space:nowrap;">[citation needed]  Variety magazine wrote, "Despite inspired casting and nifty visual trappings, the eagerly awaited Addams Family figures a major disappointment."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[9] ==Accolades <span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">The Addams Family was awarded Best Horror Film of the Year in 1991 by the Horror Hall of Fame. Carel Struycken appeared at the award ceremony to receive the award on behalf of the cast.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[10]  Huston was nominated for the 1991 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her performance as Morticia. Additionally, the pinball machine based on the film, is the best-selling and the highest produced pinball machine of all time.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">The film was nominated for an Academy Award for achievement in costume design. (Ruth Myers)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[11]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">The film won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song for the song "Addams Groove" by MC Hammer. ==Production notes<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">Most of the movie was shot on Stage 3/8 at the Hollywood Center Studios in LA, the same studio where the original TV series was filmed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[12]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">After the film's release, David Levy, the producer of the 1964 Addams Family TV show, filed a lawsuit against Paramount after the film's release. He claimed that many elements of the the film were his original ideas and not part of Charles Addams's cartoons. These "trademarks" included the characters of Thing and Cousin Itt, Gomez's fencing expertise and toy trains, Morticia's sizzling bedroom talk and the passionate tangos danced by her and Gomez, Fester's lightbulb trick and Lurch's harpsichord playing. The lawsuit was later settled out of court. ==The Making of The Addams Family<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">A documentary, "The Making of The Addams Family", was produced to promote the film in 1991.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">In a 2012 interview, Sonnenfeld stated that he originally intended that it be unclear whether Fester really was an imposter or not, but all the other actors rebelled and chose 10-year-old Christina Ricci to speak on their behalf, who "gave this really impassioned plea that Fester shouldn't be an imposter.... so we ended up totally changing that plot point to make the actors happy. And they were right — it was the better way to go."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Vineyard_13-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:11.1999998092651px;">[13]