A woman's repressed imaginary friend comes back to wreak havoc on her life and help her let loose in the wake of an impending divorce. It's a movie about processing childhood trauma, but done in such a bizarre cartoonish Beetlejuice way, you almost can't take the subject matter seriously. It was declared one of the worst films ever made back in the day, but it's aged a hell of a lot better in my mind. Rik Mayall as Fred is zany and off the wall, but it's Phoebe Cates who manages to ground the film into something that stays with you far longer.
3 jack-in-the-boxes out of 5
2 comments:
I dug this one out a dusty folder last year. It amazes me how Rik was able to keep the level of crazy so high day after day (on set), but the antics get too whacky for my tastes. I agree that Phoebe's character as written was necessary, and is a large part of what keeps it watchable.
There's a period in which I loved this film as a kid, and a period in which I hated it as an adult, but now I've come all the way around to loving it again from the perspective of an older adult. It always reminds me a lot of the dynamic between Beetlejuice and Lydia. Plus, I always need more Phoebe Cates in my life (she doesn't get enough credit for all the physical comedy she does in this film).
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