Long before Netflix revived the popularity of “The Addams Family” the recently released “Wandinha“, the fun (and morbid) characters have been successful in audiovisual. Having its origins in comics, in the 1930s, the family was taken to TV for the first time in 1964, in a series that became classic. But for many people, one of their favorite adaptations is the 1990s movies that introduced the Addams to new generations. Below, remember the productions and learn more about the cast.
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A (a)typical American family
When it hit theaters in 1991, The Addams Family had already accumulated a successful track record. The cartoons by Charles Addams (1912-1988), published from 1938 onwards in the New Yorker magazine, had been transposed to TV in two series and their arrival in cinemas increased the popularity of the characters.
Recently, the original comics by Charles Addams, most of them unpublished in Brazil, were gathered in the book The Addams Family: Family Album (Darkside Books, 256 pages, R$ 99). Like in comics, the movie “The Addams Family” was a satire of the idealized traditional American family, but with certain particularities, let's say. Despite being aristocratic, they don't fit the standards and have somewhat morbid behavior.
The director of the film and its sequel, “The Addams Family 2” (1993) is Barry Sonnenfeld, who would be known for walking, years later, the “Men in Black” franchise.
In the first feature, we meet the apparently dysfunctional, but extremely loving, Addams Family, headed by patriarch Gomez and his wife Mortícia, in addition to their two children: Wandinha and Feioso. The plot follows the return of Uncle Chico to the family, decades after a misunderstanding with his brother Gomez. What the Addamses don't know, however, is that the supposed Uncle Chico is actually a forger who is plotting to steal the family's riches.
The first film adaptation had a sequel released two years later, the same cast, whose main names you can see below.
Raul Julia (Gomez Addams)
The Puerto Rican actor played Gomez Addams in what was probably his most famous role. After participating in “The Addams Family”, he played the Spanish rubber tapper Chico Mendes in the film “Amazônia em flames” (1994). During filming, he suffered severe food poisoning that required stomach surgery, from which he never recovered. He had his last big job playing Mr. Bison in the infamous film adaptation of “Street Fighter” (1994), in which he appears somewhat despondent due to health complications. He died in 1994, aged 54.
Anjelica Huston (Morticia Addams)
In one of the most celebrated roles of her career, Anjelica Huston brought Morticia to life, being a fan of the character herself. The actress even revealed that, in childhood, she pretended to be the charming and somber figure, who was, after all, in charge of the family. Huston continues to act, including the voice actress, having participated in productions like “BoJack Horseman” and “American Dad!”. One of her most recent work in front of the camera was in “John Wick 3: Parabellum”.
Christopher Lloyd (Tio Chico)
The eternal Doc Brown from “Back to the future” also delivered one of the best interpretations of Uncle Chico. Despite the dark circles under the eyes and the character's bald head, it is inevitable to recognize the expressive actor, who is still active today, participating mainly in television productions. One of his last stints in cinema was in “Anonymous” (2021), a fun action thriller in which another actor also famous for the edias shares the screen: Bob Odenkirk.
Christina Ricci (Wandinha)
We can say that Christina Ricci walked so that Jenna Ortega could run today in “Wandinha”. 11 years old at the time of recording, Ricci was a younger Wandinha than her current television version, but equally dark and strangely captivating. In addition to playing Marilyn Thornhil in the Netflix series, the actress was recently in “Matrix Resurrections” (2021).
Jimmy Workman (Feioso)
An example of a child actor who ended up almost exclusively associated with a role, Jimmy Workman ended up not having a distinguished career beyond Feioso, Wandinha's brother and partner in mischief. However, he continues in audiovisual, the production technician for television.
Carel Struycken (Stumble)
Before being the remarkable butler Tropeço, Carel Struycken was already famous for playing another peculiar type. After all, the 2,13 m actor made his name on TV by playing the Giant in “Twin Peaks”. He also participated in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, Mr. Homn. In 2017, he starred in the revival of “Twin Peaks” and most recently, he was in theaters in “Doctor Sleep” (2019).
More Addams in theaters
In addition to the two famous films, there is a third live action version for theaters, much less known: “The Addams Family Returns” (1998). Starring Daryl Hannah (Mortícia) and Tim Curry (Gomez) the reboot did not succeed. More interesting are the recent animations released in 2019 and 2021 by Universal Pictures.
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