This movie was playing in the background today. I haven seen the movie in YEARS and had the following question (mostly because it was what I was thinking)
Is the dysfunctional family supposed to be obnoxious, or given the late 80’s stereotype of yuppiedom, are they supposed to be successful?
Time has just shown them to be annoying, I’m wondering how much of that was intentional?
Yes. The are successful yuppies, and Catherine O’Hara’s character is supposed to be obnoxious.
My recollection was that they were neurotic, self-absorbed narcissists. Much like the family in American Beauty. Hell, I think they are the family in AB.
They’re supposed to be Artsy-Fartsy New Yorkers, except the dad, who is/was a relatively normal successful businessman.
Delia Deetz, and too a lesser extent Charles are definitely supposed to be annoying. The sympathetic characters - Lydia and the Maitlands - find them unbearably so. They, and their friends, find each other barely tolerable, come to that.
Delia and Charles do learn a lesson and become tolerable, at least, in the end, but they’re definitely supposed to be more obnoxious than anyone but Beetlejuice/Beetle Juice/Betelgeuse himself.
Gotcha. I’m seeing more and more movies from the late 80’s that aren’t aging well because societie’s values have changed (at least in my own fantasy land) and I wasn’t sure how much of it was intentional or not.
Course, we go to our local parade of homes with the multi-million dollar McMansions and think the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Semi-off topic, but if you want a movie with some great Artsy Fartsy New Yorker scenes, The Night We Never Met is a decent movie.
You might also check out the music of Klaus Nomi. :eek: