Edward Scissorhands: How To Write Empathy

Our first post of Stories As Lessons takes a look at the Tim Burton directed 1991 gothic fantasy, Edward Scissorhands. Starring Johnny Depp as the titular character, it's one of my all time favourite movies, and can be a great lesson on how to write with empathy, even when dealing with monster characters. Please enjoy.

WARNING: This post contains SPOILERS for Edward Scissorhands. 

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You know, I don’t often use the word ‘masterpiece’ very much these days.

It is defined as a masterwork of art such as a book, film, painting that is made with great skill. The word itself has sparked debate online in regards to how acclaimed movies are perceived, and has begun to take on a context that suggests a piece of art without flaws, perfectly executed and great in every conceivable way.

For me, this seems like a lot of pressure to put on a creator, as the best directors and writers often use their own experiences to craft their narratives, and in reality, our experiences aren’t always perfect.

Today, I want to discuss Tim Burton, and how the idea of a masterpiece can be perceived through the creation and execution of his 1990 dark romantic fantasy, Edward Scissorhands.

It’s clear to me that from a majority of Tim Burton’s work, monsters fascinate him. Everything from a supernatural being like Beetlejuice to a Demon Barber serial killer like Sweeney Todd, Burton likes telling the tales of the weird and the wonderful creatures we are told stories about from childhood, but I feel his approach differs a lot from how other directors approach monsters.

In many ways, it’s hard to view Edward Scissorhands as a simple monster movie, because it’s much more than that. However, I believe that is because Tim Burton understands that monsters can be more than simple vicious creatures of the night. What he’s interested in is exploring the humanity of it.

"Hold me."                       "I can't."

 What is a Monster?

 The main definition of a monster refers to a large, ugly and frightening creature. This applies to a lot of monsters we’re aware of, and monsters are no strangers to fictional worlds.

Monsters have remained ingrained in pop culture since storytelling was invented, often used in stories to frighten children at bedtime or around a campfire. To us, they appear unusual, and I feel portraying them as evil can often show off how perspective can shape identity.

For example, a great white shark could be considered a monster, given how many evil shark movies that exist, but in reality, a great white shark is just an animal, a creature of nature just like us. And it’s often through human interference that the animal in question becomes perceived as a monster.

In Jaws, the shark seeks out to make meals of the people of Amity Island after they use its environment for business.

In Jurassic Park, the monsters in question are created by man, with an arrogant mindset that we can somehow control them. Alan Grant even says that they aren’t monsters, they’re animals.

By their very definition, monsters are unusual, and if there is one word you can use to describe Tim Burton’s directing approach, it would be unusual, so let’s talk about Edward Scissorhands.

 Edward Scissorhands

I think the reason I adore this movie so much is because it feels the most personal of all of Tim Burton’s work. His career has spanned many hits, but I always find myself coming back to this one as an example of what Burton can be when he’s at his best.

Edward Scissorhands tells the story of a man created by an inventor who tragically dies before he has time to finish him, leaving the man with scissors for hands. He’s then brought into a suburban family and begins performing tasks for the neighbourhood until they eventually drive him back into isolation and the story ends.

Tim Burton's original Edward Scissorhands drawing, which would go on to inspire this story.

On paper, that could seem rather nihilistic, but with the combined efforts of Burton, screenwriter Caroline Thompson, the entire cast and crew, the movie is elevated beyond being a simple fish out of water story. And here’s how.

Perspective

At its core, I believe Edward Scissorhands is a story about perspective. Growing up, Tim Burton often felt isolated and like he didn’t fit in, so he drew a character that he felt like, which later went on to become Edward. It’s notable how the two of them even look somewhat similar.

At first, Edward is perceived as strange and unusual, but through living with a family, we begin to see more of his human side and artistic talent emerge. The scissors for hands are viewed as a disability at first, with Edward struggling to perform basic tasks without injuring himself or potentially others, but where the movie shines is that Edward turns this into an extraordinary ability to create art and bring happiness to the neighbourhood.

He quickly becomes a local celebrity, with the neighborhood gravitating towards his talent. It’s interesting that Johnny Depp was chosen to be this character, as at the time, he was known for being a teen idol from the likes of the 21 Jump Street TV show, and to see him play such a subdued version of weird is a testament to his talent as an actor, something…that I feel he lost along the way.

The film draws comparisons I believe to classic tales like Frankenstein and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. With Edward being a creation of a scientist and becoming an outcast.

But what’s interesting is that unlike Frankenstein’s Monster, the inventor played by Vincent Price has no malicious intentions, and actually strives to create something with a heart. Ironically, his cause of death appears to be from a heart attack.

Also unlike Quasimodo, Edward is generally accepted by his peers and isn’t encouraged to hide until it becomes too late, which is where the tragic element comes in.

There’s an unnerving sense of greed amongst the townspeople who appear friendly towards Edward, but only really when there’s something in it for them. They exploit what they perceive as his unnaturalness as a way to benefit themselves, rather than actually talk or get to know what Edward wants.

Which leads me on to my next point.

What Edward Wants

To boil it down, all I think Edward wants is to be treated like a human being. He never specifically states this because he’s far too polite but there are several moments he hints at it and falls to peer pressure as a way to be accepted.

He falls in love with the family’s oldest daughter Kim, played by Winona Ryder, which by the way is an excellent piece of casting considering her last appearance in a Burton movie was playing an outcast goth teenager.

Winona Ryder, known for playing outcasts, plays Edward's love interest, Kim.

However, Edward’s goals are prevented by Kim’s jock boyfriend Jim, played by Anthony Michael Hall, another genius piece of casting as the only roles we knew him as before were timid nerdy characters in John Hughes hits like The Breakfast Club, Weird Science and Sixteen Candles.

Anthony Michael Hall, known for playing timid geeks, portrays the main antagonist and Kim's boyfriend, Jim.

It’s really interesting to me how both the main protagonist, the love interest and the main antagonist are played by actors who are playing heavily against type in this movie, really shifting the perspective of what they were before and allowing their acting talent to speak for itself.

I love this movie to bits, I really do.

Where the perspective and Edward’s goals come into conflict for me are the most human moments of the movie. Edward seems to desire above all else, love. Love itself is a basic human emotion that many take for granted, as evidenced with how Jim treats Kim, less of a girl that he loves and more someone he can take advantage of whenever he pleases, his main goal in the movie being to get her alone in his parents truck so they can be alone.

Edward’s lust for Kim is ultimately what results in his downfall, as it seems the neighbourhood turns against him when he goes after what is perceived as basic human rights. This is indicated when Edward rejects the advances of Joyce, when he begins to see his art not as something beautiful but something manufactured.

Think about that in today’s society, those deemed different from the norm seeking basic human rights always creates toxic attacks from those who are privileged by norms. This movie was made in 1990, and the idea that this message can still ring true is a great testament to how well it holds up.

The true tragedy comes at the end, when Edward is forced to run into hiding and is pursued by Kim and Jim. Under the influence of alcohol, a substance that humans abuse, Jim attempts to kill Edward after his interference forces the town to believe he’s gone vicious.

In self defence, and in love for Kim, and in a scene very reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, Edward uses his hands to kill Jim, leaving him to fall to his death. Whilst this is a satisfying end for the vile piece of human garbage, ultimately, it’s the reason Edward can never go back to a human life like before.

In this scene, Jim attempts to kill Edward and is killed in self defence, falling to his death from Edward's castle.

In the perspective and the eyes of humanity, his love for Kim has now turned him into what the town sees a monster, who has now just killed one of their own.

In an attempt to save his life, Kim lies saying that Edward died, and asks if the neighborhood is happy now, to which they respond by just getting on with their own lives and going back home, and we later find out that Kim has been narrating the whole story and Edward is still alive, bringing joy to the neighbourhood on Christmas with his ice sculptures.

What Can We Learn From This

I think the lesson we can learn from this is how perspective can shape your writing. Tim Burton clearly didn’t view Edward as a monster, creating him as someone who was misunderstood and just wanted to make people happy with his creations, but is then punished when he doesn’t conform to their way of thinking. You could even argue it’s how Tim Burton feels in his own life sometimes.

Perspective can be the defining factor to what turns a simple jock boyfriend into a vicious jealous killer, and it can also be what shows what we perceive as a monster into something more.

"Innocence is what he knows. Beauty is what she sees."

That’s why I will always say that Tim Burton’s best work is this movie. It’s a tragic tale that celebrates creativity and challenges norms, all whilst being a great movie to watch on Christmas or in fact, any time of the year.

I don’t think we’ll ever grow tired of reading about monsters, as evidenced by how popular they’re becoming again with the likes of Stranger Things, The Shape of Water and the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

So, if I can leave you with anything, it’s this. Like humans, what we perceive as monsters come in all shapes and sizes. They can be frightening, huge, ugly, but in some of the best cases, they can also be beautiful.

- Nolan Dean