Ever feel like an outcast? Well, Tim Burton and one of his most memorable creations are here to help! In 1990’s Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp plays the title character who, with his porcelain skin and shears for hands, navigates the picture-perfect suburban community all the while being judged for being different and being tokenized for his difference. Edward Scissorhands holds up for its unapologetic approach to navigating one’s identity when it feels like the rest of the world is set up against you.
For the film’s 25th anniversary, let’s take a look at some quotes that can make you feel maybe a little bit better if you’re an outsider looking in.
Kim Boggs: Were you scared?
Edward: [silence]
In a mixture of contradictory tones of voice, Kim (Winona Ryder) questions Edward, who remains silent. Her confusion, imperativeness, and maybe mild contempt is exactly why someone like Edward wouldn’t answer with words. Sometimes, it feels like a dumb question, and one’s expression is answer enough. But, then again, she bothered to ask in the first place.
Peg: What happened to you?
Edward: I’m not finished.
The life of an outsider is work, at least if you want to assimilate into mainstream acceptance. You’re constantly trying to prove to the mainstream that you belong and that you’re just as worthy of being accepted as any other person. That work, as Edward says, is almost never finished. At the same time, in context, Edward is referring to himself as being unfinished, but that just speaks to how we are always working on ourselves.
Edward: People are afraid of me because I am different.
If you can’t join ‘em, lick ‘em. The greatest gesture in Burton’s film is that Edward is not only cognizant of his difference, but uses that to his advantage. It never belies his desire to be accepted or loved, but it does add a potent strength to his character. Calling people out on their own xenophobia is its own form of daring confidence.
Edward: I thought this was a shish kabob!
The key to any outsider’s humanity is their sense of humor. Edward’s talents abound, but subverting his persona is the thing that endears him most to the fuddy duddy community that he finds himself in. It’s an interesting technique to weasel one’s way into an established hierarchy, and though he may not get far, that he’s in is crucial.
Peg: No matter what, Edward will always be special.
After a round of audience questions, Edward concedes that he’d like to have normal hands. But regardless of the visibly discernible differences, his heart and humanity are, as Peg says, what makes him special. Juxtaposed against the invasive community, he knows nothing but manifesting kindness and warmth. The ideologically warped minds of everyone else can barely compete.
Esmeralda: It’s not heaven he’s from! It’s straight from the stinking flames of hell! The power of Satan is in him, I can feel it. Can’t you? Have you poor sheep strayed so far from the path?
Edward: We’re not sheep.
The central irony of Edward Scissorhands is that outward appearances and anarchic attitudes aren’t mutually inclusive. Peg’s open arms are emblematic of an attitude that’s antithetical to the community at large, suggesting that her family is indeed not merely meek followers. If you’re feeling like an outsider, take heart in the fact that you’re going against the tide.
Joyce: [to Edward] Oh! Eddie, is there anything you can’t do? You take my very breath away, I swear. Look at this! Have you ever cut a woman’s hair? Would you cut mine?
The second way to endear a crowd to you is to show them what you’ve got. Mine your creative side, and exploit that. There’s an artistry to finding ways to expose an audience that would normally be unfavorable to you to something new, inventive, and something that you can pour your heart and soul into.
Joyce: [to Edward] Don’t be ridiculous! You’re not handicapped, you’re… What do they call the… exceptional?
There’s a careful line one walks when one is sucking up to you or being sincere. It’s important that, as an outcast, you must be able to discern the difference between the two, for, as lovely as compliments are, some people are just as quick to turn their back on you. As an outcast, it’s important to cultivate a small, tight-knit group of friends whom you know you can trust. That being said, being called exceptional isn’t a bad thing.
Helen: Weren’t you just here?
Peg Boggs: No, not since last season.
Though Helen never buys Avon products from Peg, it doesn’t stop Peg from doing her job. In essence, from being persistent. So, be persistent and strong-willed, regardless of whether your audience will necessarily partake. That you are committed to what you’re doing is what matters.
Kim: Hold me.
Edward: I can’t.
The underlying thesis of Burton’s film is that love – romantic, familial, platonic – transcends difference. Sure, Edward is unable to hold Kim physically, but the gesture is there, and the specificity of their feelings, which encompass those different versions of love, is the thing that anchors this whole film together.
