The thing I really like is how the various townsfolk react to Edward, presenting how various personalities react to something that is new and different. The lady on the organ sees him as evil, the cougar neighbor wants him sexually, Dianne Wiest’s character treats him very matronly and protects him from the cattiness of her gossipy neighbors, the Dad immediately wants him to “be a man” and make money (and Dad’s friends immediately take him in as one of their own, joking with him in that way Dads do), the son sees him as a cool plaything to show off, Anthony Hall hates him because he’s different and mocks and bullies him (and gets his friends to do the same), and Winona Ryder is initially scared of him, but grows to love him.
I wouldn’t call this my favorite Burton film (Ed Wood gets that honor), but it’s a very close second, with its expert visuals, a wacky and perfectly cast…cast, and a genuine emotional core sadly missing from a lot of his later films. It’s a fine movie to watch when you feel like feeling. (Wow, that’s corny, but I’ll keep it!)
