Frankenweenie (1984)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:

Tim Burton (idea)
Leonard Ripps (writer)

Release Date:

1 December 1994 (Spain)

Genre:

Short | Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A comic twist on a classic tail!

Plot:

When young Victor's pet dog Sparky (who stars in Victor's home-made monster movies) is hit by a car...

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Dog | Neighbor | Young Boy | Dog Actor

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Shelley Duvall	...	Susan Frankenstein
Daniel Stern	...	Ben Frankenstein
Barret Oliver	...	Victor Frankenstein
Joseph Maher	...	Mr. Chambers
Roz Braverman	...	Mrs. Epstein
Paul Bartel	...	Mr. Walsh
Sofia Coppola	...	Anne Chambers (as Domino)
Jason Hervey	...	Frank Dale
Paul C. Scott	...	Mike Anderson
Helen Boll	...	Mrs. Curtis
Sparky	...	Sparky
Rusty James	...	Raymond

Runtime:

29 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Certification:

Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Spain:T | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Peru:PT

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

Tim Burton was fired from Disney for "wasting" their resources on films like this which they deemed too scary for family viewing. That did not stop Disney from releasing it on VHS after Burton became famous, although only in a censored version. The The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) DVD is its first uncensored appearance on home video.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At the beginning, when the movie of Victor is played, you can see four people in the shadows, clapping. When the lights are on, you can only see Victor, his mother and father in the room.

Quotes:

Susan Frankenstein: Did you ever figure out what this thing is supposed to be?
Ben Frankenstein: I think it's either a piece of fine art or a paperweight.
Susan Frankenstein: I don't even remember who gave it to us.
Ben Frankenstein: My sister gave it to us.
Susan Frankenstein: Oh. Well, then it must be a paperweight.

Movie Connections:

References Vincent (1982)

The Frankenstein legend from a child's perspective, with a gentle sense of humor

It's hard not to like this film. You'll especially enjoy it if you've seen (a) James Whale's "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein," and (b) Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas."

The plot is basically the Frankenstein legend. The variation is that it's about a little boy whose dog has been hit by a car. The boy raises the dog from the dead a la Frankenstein. Charming complications ensue.

This was Tim Burton's first film, and it's a great harbinger of things to come. Burton was an animator at Disney, but the company thought he was a little too weird and let him go as an animator. This film shows how he would treat children's films, and it's delightful. You'll recognize the art direction, especially in the graveyard, from "Nightmare."

The film does a wonderful job of including nuances from the Whale flicks, from the electrodes on the dog's neck to the resuscitation lab to the brief parody of "Bride."

There's enough scary-ish stuff (slightly more gentle than meeting the Almighty Oz) to keep kids going, and enough recognizable movie riffs and humor to keep adults going. What's not to like?