The Addams Family (1991 film)
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The Addams Family is a 1991 American fantasy comedy film based on the characters from the cartoon of the same name created by cartoonist Charles Addams.
Plot
Gomez Addams (Raúl Juliá) laments the 25-year absence of his brother Fester, who disappeared after the two had a falling-out. Gomez spends each morning hitting golf balls off the roof, which often hit the windows of his neighbor, Judge George Womack (Paul Benedict), who gets repeatedly angered at this. Gomez's lawyer Tully Alford (Dan Hedaya) owes money to loan shark Abigail Craven (Elizabeth Wilson) and notices that her son Gordon (Christopher Lloyd) closely resembles Fester. Tully proposes that Gordon pose as Fester to infiltrate the Addams household and find the hidden vault where they keep their vast riches. Tully and his wife Margaret (Dana Ivey) attend a séance at the Addams home led by Grandmama (Judith Malina), in which the family tries to contact Fester's spirit. Gordon arrives, posing as Fester, while Abigail poses as psychiatrist Dr. Pinder-Schloss and tells the family that Fester had been lost in the Bermuda Triangle for the past 25 years.
Gomez, overjoyed to have Fester back, takes him to the family vault to view home movies from their childhood. Gordon learns the reason for the brothers' falling-out: Gomez was jealous of Fester's success with women, and wooed the conjoined twins Flora and Fauna Amore away from him out of envy. Gomez starts to suspect that "Fester" is an impostor when he is unable to recall important details about their past. Gordon attempts to return to the vault, but is unable to get past a booby trap. Gomez's wife Morticia (Anjelica Huston) reminds "Fester" of the importance of family amongst the Addamses and of their vengeance against those who cross them. Fearing that the family is getting wise to their con, Abigail (under the guise of Dr. Pinder-Schloss) convinces Gomez that his suspicions are due to displacement.
Gordon grows closer to the Addams family, particularly the children Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman), whom he helps to prepare a swordplay sequence for a school play. The Addamses throw a large party with their extended family and friends to celebrate Fester's return, during which Abigail plans to break into the vault. Wednesday overhears Abigail and Gordon discussing their scheme, and escapes them by hiding in the family cemetery. At the party, Tully learns from the Amore twins that Fester, as the eldest brother, is the executor of the Addams estate and therefore technically owns the entire property. With the help of Judge Womack, Tully procures a restraining order against the family banning them from the estate and ordering them to move out. Meanwhile at the party, Margaret meets cousin Itt, who immediately falls in love with her. After realizing that Wednesday is missing, the family goes out in search of her, returning to find themselves locked out of the property by Tully. Gomez attempts to fight the order in court, but Judge Womack rules against him out of spite (though he does give Gomez his golf balls back).
While Abigail, Gordon and Tully try repeatedly and unsuccessfully to get past the booby trap blocking access to the vault, the Addams family is forced to move into a motel and find jobs. Morticia tries being a preschool teacher, Wednesday and Pugsley sell toxic lemonade, and Thing (Christopher Hart's hand) becomes a courier. Gomez, despondent, sinks into depression and lethargy.
Worried about the future of her children and her husband's mental state, Morticia returns to the Addams home to speak to Fester and is captured by Abigail and Tully, who torture her in an attempt to learn how to access the vault. Thing observes this and informs Gomez, who gathers the family and rushes to Morticia's rescue. Abigail threatens Morticia's life if Gomez does not surrender the family fortune. Fed up with his mother's behavior and constant berating, Gordon turns against Abigail. Using a magical book which projects its contents into reality, he unleashes a hurricane in the house, which strikes his own head with lightning and launches Tully and Abigail out a window and into open graves dug for them by Wednesday and Pugsley, who proceed to bury them.
Seven months later, it is revealed to the viewers that Gordon has been Fester all along, having suffered amnesia after being lost in the Bermuda Triangle and turning up in Miami, where Abigail had taken him in. The lightning strike has restored his memory and he is enthusiastically welcomed back into the Addams household. Margaret and cousin Itt, who are now happily married, arrive to celebrate Halloween with the rest of the family. With the entire family together again, Morticia and Gomez observe the rest of the family playing a game of "Wake the Dead," during which Morticia reveals to Gomez that she's pregnant again.
Cast
- Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams, the mother of the Addams family.
- Raúl Juliá as Gomez Addams, the father of the Addams family.
- Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester Addams / Gordon Craven, Gomez's brother who lost his memory and was adopted by Abigail Craven.
- Dan Hedaya as Tully Alford, the lawyer of the Addams family and the secondary antagonist.
- Elizabeth Wilson as Abigail Craven / Dr. Greta Pinder-Schloss, Fester's adoptive mother who is a loan shark and the main antagonist.
- Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams, the daughter of the Addams family.
- Paul Benedict as Judge George Womack, the judge who is the next-door neighbor of the Addams family.
- Jimmy Workman as Pugsley Addams, the son of the Addams family.
- Judith Malina as Grandmama, the mother of Morticia.
- Carel Struycken as Lurch, the butler.
- Christopher Hart's Hand as Thing
- Dana Ivey as Margaret Alford, the wife of Tully and true love of Cousin Itt.
- John Franklin as Cousin Itt, the cousin of Gomez and Fester.
- Mercedes McNab as Girl Scout (also as Amanda Buckman, in Addams Family Values.)
