Charles Addams' famous New Yorker comic feature has gone through several incarnations over the decades, the most famous being the '60s sitcom, but the '90s movies are pretty darn popular, too.
"The Addams Family '19" is the latest take, an animated submission, directed by Vernon Conrad and Greg Tiernan and penned by Pat Pettler and Matt Lieberman. It returns to its New Yorker roots, perhaps not on all levels, but most. It's modern, after all, and its wry jokes connect to the neo-scheme of pop-cultural life.
In this instance, the vignettes are strung per a television, how-to concept, led by a crafty host named Margaux Needler (voiced by Allison Janney), who wants to revamp the Addams' New Jersey home for improvement (if only to sell pretty counterparts that she can't if the estate stands). The motif indirectly relegates our offbeat family to the Osbournes and Kardashians (if one wishes to push the point), and in so doing, puts the clan in conflict with the so-called, "regular" world: a grand tradition for this eccentric group.
Its interludes make the movie work, bending the confines of everyday existence with skewed sensibilities. These collected moments also bring to mind Frank Capra's "You Can't Take it With You". The Addamses, like the zestful folks of Capra's movie, simply want to enjoy life, even if their antics enter the bizarre, if not sometimes dangerous.
There's also an undeniable, shared love among the family members, which include Gomez (Issac Oscar), Morticia (Charlize Theron), Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll), Grandmama (Bette Midler), Wednesday (Chole Grace Moretz), Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard), the Frankenstein-ish Lurch (Conrad Vernon), Cousin It (Snoop Dogg); the disembodied Thing (playing itself, obviously); and Needle's daughter, Parker (Elsie Fisher) who becomes a surrogate Addams member, if only by rebellious default. These specialized characters support one another in such a way that most modern families don't (at worst, criticizing one another only so that all stay safe). Perhaps this fond bond is what makes the Addamses so peculiar: ironic, considering that its members have been traditionally perceived as kooky and therefore, some would say dysfunctional.
No matter the classification or time relegation, I've always enjoyed these far-out folks. This new version of the family is no exception, as it forges forth a cry for acceptance over assimilation. Those who've criticized the recent display of friendship between Ellen DeGeneres and George Bush would be wise to watch this entry. "The Addams Family '19" has the ability to teach, as well as entertain.
I'd also like to add that "Addams Family '19" contains a few traces of Rod Serling's "Monsters are Due on Maple Street". I suppose the angle could have been played up more than it was, but perhaps what's there (just a hardy smidgen) is more than enough to drive home the point, and in this instance, from both ends of the spectrum.
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