*USE LAKE AVENUE ENTRANCE*
ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES: The nights are getting longer, the air is getting cooler, and the fall decorations are already on the shelves in stores. That can only mean 1 thing: Spooky season is approaching. And what better way to usher in this upcoming season, then with a spooky classic for all to enjoy?
We’re going to dive into the wacky, the campy and the macabre Queer Movie Classic ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES, starring legends Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Joan Cusack, and the late great Raul Julia!
Raising a newborn baby isn’t easy, not even Morticia and Gomez Addams (played by Huston and Julia) are immune to the stressors, and they revel in the horrors of life. What doesn’t help is the fact that Wednesday (played by Ricci) and Pugsley are trying to do away with their new baby sibling…permanently, though Gomez and Uncle Fester (played by Lloyd) reassures the kids it’s just good old-fashioned sibling rivalry. So the logical choice is to get a nanny for the children, which isn’t easy given the family’s… peculiar nature. Luckily, the Addams find a brave contender in Debbie Jellinsky (played by Cusack) who secretly has ulterior motives with her alluring personality and pastel-infused fashion.
Turns out Debbie is a secret serial killer dubbed The Black Widow, who marries old, stupid men for their money, then they “disappear”. And Debbie has her eyes set on Uncle Fester, who has yet to know the romantic and horrific love that his brother Gomez has. Perfect. First off, to avoid suspicion, Debbie has Pugsley and intuitive Wednesday sent off to Camp Chippewa…summer camp (cue thunder and lightning). Then she gains the trust of Gomez and Morticia, and before you know it, Debbie and Fester are married, and the Addams are barred from ever seeing Fester again, which really does a number on Gomez. One slight problem…Fester won’t die! No matter what tricks Debbie plays, the guy just keeps coming back!!! While at camp, Wednesday and Pugsley are singled out for their off-kilter and mysterious appearance and behavior by the camp counselors and their camp “buddies”, for their refusal to play ball and “have fun”. So with their new apprehensive new friend, Joel, who also refuses to conform to the ideals taught in this camp, they hatch a plan to attack during the Thanksgiving play.
Eventually, the family band together to try to get Uncle Fester back from The Black Widow’s web. Will Debbie be exposed? Will Fester be reunited with his family? What is Grandmama cooking for supper?
Join us on SEPTEMBER 20th at the RACINE PUBLIC LIBRARY as we discuss the making of this campy classic, the lore and appeal of The Addams Family, particularly within the queer community, and the film’s themes of defying societal norms & embracing the abnormal. So….put a witch’s shawl on, a broomstick you can crawl on, we’re gonna play a call on THE ADDAMS FAMILY (snap-snap)
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