EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990) *** Diane Wiest is incredible as the Avon lady that brings Johnny Deep down into pastel suburbia from his castle. Of course it's a minor setback that he has scissors for hands, but in no time Yanqui ingenuity has him doing yard work and barbecuing multiple shish-ka-bobs. Depp looks duly uncomfortable throughout. The plot is a series of variations on the same trick but Tim Burton's shading is perfect, and since when do fairy tales require much for plots anyway? The best of the bits is the television talk show. Danny Elfman's score is very effective, and owes something to Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker." Nutcracking, scissor hands would be good for that too. Just because you take your ashes to the mountain doesn't mean you have to bring your fire back to the valley.
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