ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (1993) ** It's difficult to remember the
overbearing and tormented milieu that gave rise to this title: when "family values" in American politics meant putting a blanket over the
heads of the masses, poisoning their environment, mortgaging their
legacy, and concentrating virtually all wealth and power into the
hands of a few (mainly business) "families." Almost everyone voted
for it and you would have thought that there would eventually be a
backlash. Was this it? If so it's not all that much of one: you
can't go too wrong with this many big-time actors, but you can't go
too right with this kind of marginally interesting script saturated
with almost funny lines. Its primary achievements are borne on the
reputations of characters that we already know and love from
television: Raul Julia (Gomez) burns up the floor in a violent
variation of the Flamenco, Anjelica Huston (Morticia) looks right for
the part because she looks familiar...Carol Kane adds spice by
happily casting curses; Christopher Lloyd speaks a lot for a Fester,
and to good effect. Christina Ricci is appealing in a manner that
would get her institutionalized in most states, and vindicates that
presumed incarceration with a stunning oration of political dissent,
quickly followed by praxis engulfed in flames. Peter MacNicol steals
the show though, they've finally found him a part that he's perfect
for: campy titular head warm-fuzzy and frustrated theatre simp at
summer camp for children of the profoundly superficial and
ingratiating. The backlash will come, after the backwash.
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