ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES

US, 1993, 94 minutes, Colour.
Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Cristina Ricci, Joan Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, Carol Kane.
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.

Addams Family Values is an entertaining sequel to The Addams Family, based as it was on the '60s television series created by Charles Addams. The cast, led by Anjelica Huston and Raoul Julia, is made to resemble the stars (John Astin, Caroline Jones etc.) as much as possible.

This film's focus is very much on the children, especially Wednesday, played with sinister relish by Christina Ritchie. They go to a summer camp - with ironic and disastrous results. The parents and the household are somewhat in the background. However, what is new is the blonde gold-digger, played with relish by Joan Cusack, who has murdered several husbands and has her eye on Uncle Fester's wealth. There is a wedding - and then she turns on him. Joan Cusack overplays in harmony with the atmosphere of the whole proceedings.

The screenplay was written by Paul Rudnick (writer of Jeffrey) and directed by cinematographer turned director, Barry Sonnenfeld, director of the original film as well as such films as Get Shorty and Men in Black. An amusing, if slight, sequel.

1. The popularity of the original television series? The Addams Family film? The appeal of the macabre and the comedy?

2. The production values: sets and decor, the Addams home, the contrast with the summer camp? The interiors? Special effects - especially for Thing? The musical score and the popular theme?

3. The humour of the title and its irony?

4. The Addams Family and their death wishes? The humour and irony about suffering and pain? The relationship between Gomez and Morticia? The happy household? The pregnancy, the hospitalisation and birth? The baby with the moustache? The irony of the golden-haired baby and its being out of place? The relationship of parents to children? To Fester, to Lurch, to the in-laws and the celebrations?

5. The character of Gomez, the zany father of the family, relationship to his children, love for his wife? His relationship with Fester? The birth of the child, playing with the child? The other children trying to kill the baby? Sending them on the summer camp? Fester's marriage? The confrontation with Debbie - and the possible execution? The happy ending?

6. Morticia, the demure style? Manner of speaking? Pregnant, the birth, the baby, dismay at the blonde hair? Reading the stories? Fester and the party? The children at summer camp? The finale?

7. Wednesday and Pugsley, their age, background, their games - and the deathly toys? The resentment of the baby, their attempts to kill it? Being sent off to summer camp and their horror at the scrubbed-up All- American types, the cheerleading leaders, the spoilt and wealth children? Wednesday and her almost changing with the pressure of the camp? Pugsley and his getting up to mischief, trying to escape? The ugly boy and his relationship with Wednesday? The clash with the spoilt girl, the build-up to the pageant, Wednesday and her being Pocahontas, the vigorous speech in defence of the native American Indians? Setting fire to the camp? Their going back home? The clashes with Debbie, suspicions, Uncle Fester's wedding? The return, the celebration, captured by Debbie?

8. Debbie, her style, appearance, wealth, the car, the succession of interviews for a nanny? Her interview, taking over? Setting her cap at Fester? The TV news about the murders? Her scheming, treatment of the children, the baby? The build-up to the wedding? The attempt to murder Fester, the happy home life, the gift and the bomb? Her failing? On the highway and her speeding? Confrontation with the family? The attempt to kill them? The baby putting the leads together and electrocuting her?

9. Fester, his place in the family, with Gomez? The attraction to Debbie, the infatuation, the courtship, the wedding, happy home life, the cooking, his escaping being killed?

10. Thing, the humorous aspects of the hand and the special effects? Lurch and his presence in the house, playing the organ? Butler?

11. The sister-in-law and the shaggy husband, and the baby? The discussions with Debbie, the celebration of the wedding?

12. The summer camp, the precocious children, the parents and their spoiling their children or criticising them? The cheerleading runners of the camp? The rah-rah style? The exercises, the singing, the hugging? The pageant and its all going wrong? Their being tied up and roasted? The humorous satire on the All-American? style?

13. Humorous sequences, verbal irony? Parody?