Morrell - Beetlejuice and My Love for Winona

"I'm just like...so misunderstood," *eye roll*

I can honestly say that my first and only viewing of Beetlejuice took me by surprise. Unlike my other favorites by Tim Burton such as The Corpse Bride, Alice in Wonderland, and Sweeney Todd, to name a few, Beetlejuice sets the scene in a rather typical Connecticut suburb. Our introduction to the Maitlands is, I must admit, nauseating; a typical young couple who are obnoxiously and uncomfortably in love right from the start of the film. However, as the film progresses and as the Deetz family is introduced, it becomes clear that Tim Burton's depiction of life in the suburbs is entirely satirical. Burton manages to connect the audience to these characters as they serve as clear comical exaggerations of people that we have all, without a doubt, encountered at some point in our lives. Winona Ryder's character, Lydia, is one of my personal favorites. I must admit, I too, went through a dark, strange, and unusual phase of my life shortly after my parents moved me from Seattle, Washington to Newtown, Connecticut, strangely enough. It is for this reason I can strongly connect to both Lydia's character, as well as the poem we read in class by Philip Larkin while at the same time, being able to appreciate the comedic aspects of each. I felt as though my life was ruined entirely, and that it was all my parents' fault. I mean what can I say, "They fuck you up, your mum and dad." Melodramatic, I know, but sometimes that's what it takes to push yourself, and others, forward in life to be willing to take that next step. Hell, my parents didn't expect our move across the country to morph their golden-child, 13 year old daughter into a gothed-out "misunderstood," extremely hostile, adolescent. What our move, and my radical physical and emotional changes did accomplish, however, was force us to reevaluate and examine our personal expectations versus our priorities as a family. I think a similar statement can be made when it comes to Lydia and her "family." Her initial expectations of the Maitlands coincided with the dark, strange and unusual image she wanted so desperately to portray, so inevitably, she took advantage of this opportunity to interact with these ghosts from the other side. What prevailed throughout the several conflicts, however, was Lydia's ultimate priority: to keep the Maitlands safe and happy. Which, in turn, contributed to her shift as a character as seen by the end of the film. So for me, on a very personal level, Beetlejuice emphasized the importance of balancing moral priorities with expectations and most importantly, letting the unexpected take control.