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The social commentary of the Addams Family

posted 12 years ago by mymovies125
10 replies | jump to latest

This movie to me is a satire of society. This family is "different" but they are more well-dressed, more sophisticated, unpretentious, and regal than any other family on the block. Their house is better decorated, their fashion sense is much more glamorous and "runway-worthy" than most of the celebrities on TV who are so glammed up and full of makeup that they look like trannies and ostentatious cockatoos. haha. I'm just sayin'. This movie hits the spot. This family has better manners, and priorities, than most families. They're more loving with each other than most. I love this movie because there are so few others like it who try to say to you, it's actually okay to not want to be a girl scout or a typical american housewife, or typical stereotypical american dad, even. There are very few films who make fun of the preppy girl and embrace the gothic unassuming girl who's smart and real and lacks pretenses and social fronts. The US is a society that really embraces being extroverted and preppy, something which I've always cringed at. I much better like to be sarcastic and quiet, when I can. This is one of the few movies that realizes that it's better to just be yourself rather than try to be "perfect" and draw attention to yourself all of the time.

This article describes all the above perfectly. I found it after I wrote this.
http://www.stroke-studios.com/why-we-love-the-addams-family/

[–] PTUTSON 12 years ago

I absolutely LOVED the way you summed it up. And the social commentary is even more biting today even though the movie is more than 20 years old and the characters are much older than that.

[–] mymovies125 12 years ago

Thank you :)
And yeah absolutely! That's a great point about how it's even more biting nowadays. It seems like pretentiousness has always been around, but you're right, it's prob even more fitting now.

[–] Mhjm6 11 years ago

Couldn't agree more! Practically took Thd words from my mouth. This synopsis about what makes you think regarding society is why both of these movies are great fun.

[–] Mhjm6 11 years ago

Speaking of this movie hitting the spot you did about the charm of the concept! Makes you ponder why they're exceptional yet why others aren't more like them, would they be "different" if not associated with macabre things?

[–] anglophilejen 11 years ago

Here here!

[–] greenbudgie 11 years ago

I hadn't got round to thinking about the Addams family like that. You're right. No wonder I like them. I have noticed how people who have individual tastes look and act better than those who keep worrying how to be the knowing, 'up to the minute,' standard-bearers for fashion all of the time.

[–] velcronewsletter 8 years ago

yes indeed

[–] Wint3rFir3 (7386) 8 years ago

Agreed, this movie is very layered. It's almost surprising when you go back and watch it, how much it got away with saying.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

This was very true in the original series, too.

There's an episode where a Beatnik crashes at The Addams' house. His father comes to take him back and admires The Addams because they "accepted him for who he was." I think that episode was the writers pretty much saying that although The Addams were unconventional, they were better than most people.

[–] naDaht (1087) 5 years ago

I haven't seen Family Values but isn't "it's better to just be yourself rather than try to be "perfect" sorta what it is about?

One thing about the Addams; they're lovers, not haters. Yes, they embrace the dark and macabre but it's passion that makes their blood boil, not anger. I mean just look at the train scene, Gomez doesn't seem to know what to do with his anger.
They're cool, calm, collected and run on in-group love instead of out-group hate.