Beetle Juice




This book reads like stereo instructions.

Often regarded by Burton's fans as one of his best, Beetle Juice undeniably has a manner all to its own and is a fun take on death and what follows.

Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) are a happy couple in a nice house. Their untimely deaths sort of stall their plans and they are left to wander their former house as ghosts. The house then gets sold off to an odd family, the Deetzs, headed by Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara. Along with them is their depressed daughter (Winona Ryder) who befriends the two ghosts. However, the efforts of the wayward Maitlands to scare off the new owners don't go well and they turn to the dubious and very strange aid of a being known as Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton).

It is a wonder that this movie really works as well as it does. It was originally intended to be far more morbid, but its sense of dark humor, courtesy of Tim Burton, fits perfectly. It's not always that funny, as it relies mostly on its meager supply of quips. The tone actually remains quite dull when dealing with the Maitlands. It is always a pleasant surprise when one of the few sight gags springs out; watching the obnoxious Deetzs being possessed and dancing to "The Banana Boat Song" is nothing short of priceless. Then there's Beetlejuice himself, whose small part is easily outweighed by the ridiculously grand humor he provides.

The odd atmosphere that Beetle Juice flaunts is helped along greatly by the imaginatively ghoulish set pieces (often very fakey, but no less credible for it) and fantastic costumes. The little details that slip out are often as clever as they're funny. There's also a nice little score from Danny Elfman that appropriately hits the quaintness and peculiarity of the given moments.

What really sets this film apart from its humble premise is the superb cast and their performances. The supporting cast is second to none, though there really are no specific main characters. Instead, we get snatches from everyone, though it's Keaton as the vulgar and idiosyncratic "bio-exorcist" that really steals the show. His dialogue is fast, witty and utterly hilarious. He makes the whole thing worthwhile by himself.

Despite its sometimes tedious plodding, in the end it is well worth it, what with the great cast and excellently conceived settings.



-The Gnome