The cult classic, Edward Scissorhands, came out more than thirty years ago. However, like similarly loved movies, it’s still socially relevant and widely talked about. Tim Burton’s fantasy about a young person who has scissor-like blades for hands but is also lovable was brought to life by actor Johnny Depp. What not all viewers realize is that Edward was a disabled person, and aside from his carbon steel hands, this was a very realistic depiction of both an individual with a physical disability and someone on the autism spectrum. Elaborating further on this, the limited use of his hands, his weak verbal skills, his underdeveloped social skills, his unique talents for crafting things – these are all characteristics of actual physical disabilities and of autism. At many times in the film, it was not always the most positive portrayal of such disabilities. Here is why as a person on the autism spectrum I find the movie Edward Scissorhands offensive:

Firstly, allow me to lay out the plot for those who have not seen the movie, or those who have since forgotten the plot. Edward is an artificially created person whose creator dies before he can put on his hands, thus leaving sharp blades extending out from his arms. He lives alone in an old mansion overlooking a very clean-cut suburban community. When a door to door saleswoman finds him there and takes him home with her, he falls in love with the woman’s daughter, played by Winona Ryder and the love is mutual. While the conformist people of town at first embrace him, they eventually turn against him, especially Winona Ryder’s ex-boyfriend. In a climactic scene, the townspeople chase Edward back to his mansion and the ex-boyfriend walks inside trying to kill him, and Edward kills him instead in self-defense. Winona Ryder walks into the mansion, takes out a spare pair of scissor hands, and tells the people that Edward and the ex-boyfriend killed each other, even though Edward was still alive. In the final scene, an old Winona Ryder tells her granddaughter that she never again went to see Edward after that incident and that he was essentially left abandoned.

Edward was overall, a well-liked character who was portrayed sympathetically in some ways. It’s easy to view Edward through an empathetic lens. Despite his intimidating metal hands, he had no intention of harming anyone, and he very much liked the people whom he met. However, he was also portrayed less than ideally, throughout the movie given that he in many ways represents a physically disabled person or someone on the autism spectrum. It’s suggested that perhaps it was better to exclude Edward from society. There is a scene where the saleswoman, a well-liked character, says that maybe it was a mistake for her to take in Edward. Then in the final scene, Winona Ryder suggests that maybe it was for the better that she never went to see Edward again. This further marginalizes people who are deemed different or misunderstood by society. The scissor hands are another point of contention when analyzing this movie through the lens of disability. No one has such a disability, and the violent association with knives works to display him as not deserving of sympathy as a disabled person. Giving scissor hands to an otherwise realistic depiction of a disabled person is demeaning.

Some movies are good at showing how wrong it is to mistreat people who are different. This one does not, as in the end he is ultimately cast off from society. This movie depicts a disabled person as someone who has weapons for hands who is thus deserving of being excluded from society. This feeds into the idea that a disability that sets a person apart should be immediately feared. One may argue that this is a fantasy film, however it’s clear that this is a metaphor, this is a director’s vision. Yes, it may be fantasy, but it is just as wrong to portray a disabled person as an outcast as it is to create a movie in which certain races or sexual orientations are “scary” or inherently “bad.

To further this, as mentioned, the ending involves Edward being shunned by society. I’ve spoken to many different people on the message this sends, and many are quick to defend this ending. Proving that, it is a divisive and relevant issue being it’s a realistic depiction of how society treats those who are different. As one commentator said, no matter how hard people like Edward try to fit in, they will not be accepted. For someone on the autism spectrum who has struggled with acceptance and inclusion, this is a punch in the gut. Yes, people will often reject you if you are different, but there are many who will not reject you, and we need to have a more uplifting message for people with disabilities who might be watching this film. We could have had an ending where Winona Ryder’s character continues to visit him at the mansion in secret and dances with him under his snow sculptures, but where he still cannot go back to the community. That would have been a good depiction of the way society treats those who are different but showed that there are still good people around and there is still hope for those who are disabled. Instilling that hope in others is important. Additionally, most people still prefer happy endings – however, it’s troubling that in the case of Edward Scissorhands, because he is different people seem to be okay with the unhappy ending, feeling it was necessary to cast him out.

I am not undermining Mr. Burton’s creativity. This was a very imaginative movie that was a good tribute to the horror and fantasy genres while incorporating the youth of the director in his conformist suburban community into the story’s main part. It is not as unsympathetic of a portrait of disability as some classic horror movies unfortunately are, but I do very much want him to make a sequel. People enjoyed Edward Scissorhands’ character and would like to see him in a second film. I know Tim Burton said he would no longer do sequels, and I know some people feel a sequel to this film will ruin it, but I hope he does it for people like me who want a more hopeful message for those who are different, and I very much hope he gives that one a happy ending.

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