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52-499: Addams Family Values is a 1993 American supernatural black comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Paul Rudnick , based on the characters created by Charles Addams . It is the sequel to The Addams Family (1991). The film features almost all the main cast members from the original film, including Anjelica Huston , Raul Julia , Christopher Lloyd , Christina Ricci , Carel Struycken , Jimmy Workman , and Christopher Hart . Joan Cusack and Carol Kane joined

104-418: A child and young (self-proclaimed) ballerina, she killed her parents Sharon and Dave after they gave her a Malibu Barbie doll on her 10th birthday rather than her desired ballerina Barbie. Then, as an adult, murdered her first two husbands for incredibly frivolous and materialistic reasons. Meanwhile Pubert, now restored to his normally pale and mustachioed self, escapes from his crib with a knife and reaches

156-460: A gun and reveals that she never loved him and was only after his money. Thing helps Fester. Fester later apologizes to Gomez at the Addams mansion, Wednesday and Pugsley return, successfully reuniting the family at last. Just then, Debbie arrives, holds them at gunpoint, and straps them into electric chairs to kill them all. The Addams family listens to her sympathetically, as she explains that as

208-634: A hand emerges from the earth and grabs him, prompting Wednesday to smile as he screams. The "family values" in the film's title is a tongue-in-cheek reference by writer Paul Rudnick to a 1992 speech ("Reflections on Urban America") made by then-vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle . In the speech, Quayle controversially blamed the 1992 Los Angeles riots on a breakdown of "family values". Production of Addams Family Values began in Los Angeles on February 8, 1993. According to Anjelica Huston, it became increasingly clear during filming that Raul Julia's health

260-506: A lackluster response. On their honeymoon , she tries unsuccessfully to kill Fester by throwing a boombox into the bathtub. Frustrated, Debbie forces him to cut ties with his family; when they try to visit Fester and Debbie at their home, they are turned away. The Addamses are alarmed to find that Pubert has transformed into a blue-eyed , rosy-cheeked and blond -haired baby. Grandmama attributes this to his disrupted family life, and Gomez becomes horribly depressed. Back at Camp Chippewa,

312-450: A new nanny Cousin Itt and his wife Margaret Alford have hired for their child. Out in the family graveyard, Joel attempts to ask Wednesday out by asking about having a future with a husband, though she turns him down. She then tells him Debbie was a sloppy husband killer, and that Wednesday would have scared her husband to death and made sure not to be caught. As he lays flowers on Debbie's grave,

364-474: A pillow at Wednesday and Lucas's wedding while Thing holds the ring. Thing appears in the 2019 animated film . He appears as a disembodied hand and wears a watch with an eye on it (perhaps used to see) in some scenes, he is also shown to have a foot fetish . Thing also appears in the 2021 animated film sequel , again with a "watch" with an eye, which is used at various times to express Thing's feelings, such as exasperation with an eye roll . Thing appears in

416-492: A reported gross of $ 14,117,545. In its second week, the film dropped to number 2 behind Mrs. Doubtfire , and in its third week to number 3 behind Mrs. Doubtfire and A Perfect World . Its final box office gross in the United States and Canada was $ 48,919,043, a significant decline from the previous film's domestic total of $ 113,502,426. Internationally it grossed $ 62 million, for a worldwide total of $ 110.9 million. I'm of

468-622: A skin to cover the top of Thing's wrist. Gomez puts him in charge of watching over Wednesday while she attends Nevermore Academy, only for Wednesday to force him to help her with solving the mysteries of the school and the town of Jericho. In the PlayStation game Medievil ( 1998 ), the first few levels featured Thing-looking, disembodied hands going about the same way Thing does. In December 2021, Thing appeared in advertisements for British furniture retailer DFS , as part of their "find your thing" campaign. In 2024 , an advertisement aired on

520-546: A supernatural and a psychological interpretation of the events described. In this example, ambiguity adds to the effects of both the supernatural and the psychological. A similar example is Charlotte Perkins Gilman 's story " The Yellow Wallpaper ". Supernatural film is a film genre that encompasses themes related to gods, goddesses, ghosts, apparitions, spirits, miracles, and other extraordinary phenomena. These themes are often blended with other film genres, such as comedy , science fiction , fantasy , and horror . Historically,

572-575: A well-known supernatural Internet character is the Slenderman , a tall faceless being associated with the forest. Another well-known internet urban legend is the Backrooms , an endless liminal space of moist carpet, humming fluorescent lights and monotone yellow wallpaper. The Backrooms are commonly depicted as being inhabited by supernatural monsters known as Entities. Thing (The Addams Family) Thing T. Thing , often referred to as just Thing ,

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624-1052: Is a fictional character in The Addams Family series. The Addamses called it "Thing" because it was something that could not be identified, being originally an unseen creature in the original cartoons, but starting with the live-action television series it was settled to be a disembodied hand. It is known as "Mãozinha" (Little Hand) in Brazil , "Cosa" (Thing) in Spain , "Dedos" (Fingers) in Hispanic America , "Mano" (Hand) in Italy , "La Chose" (the Thing) in French speaking countries, "eiskaltes Händchen" (icecold hand) in German , and "Rączka" (Small hand) in Polish . "The Thing

676-469: Is able to emerge and run on his fingertips, much like a spider . In Addams Family Values , Thing is shown driving a car into Debbie in order to rescue Uncle Fester . After this, Fester gets into the car and Thing drives them off to the Addams Family Mansion, albeit erratically, frightening Fester in the process. This is also true for the 1998 series The New Addams Family where Thing was played by

728-513: Is often observed watching the family through the balustrades of the balcony over the living room. We don't know quite who or what he is, but, whatever, he's the soul of good nature—at least, he grins perpetually and may occasionally whimper." — Charles Addams (The) Thing was the creation of Charles Addams , who drew the Addams Family cartoons in The New Yorker magazine, beginning in

780-590: The Italian television featured Thing, with a voice-over referencing directly the Addams family . Thing's many useful roles included fetching the mail, handing cigars to Gomez Addams and then lighting them, changing the channel on the Addams TV set, holding Morticia Addams 's wool while she knits, turning grapes into wine in under a minute, and turning over records on the phonograph (particularly when Gomez and Morticia dance

832-547: The child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson; in reality, it was because of contractual differences with Paramount Pictures. The song has since been leaked online. Jackson is referenced in the film via a poster in the Harmony Hut advertising his 1992 single " Heal the World ", which horrifies Joel. Addams Family Values opened at number 1 at the US box office in its opening weekend with

884-466: The straight man of the show. Morticia is always very appreciative of Thing's services, and her frequent " Thank you, Thing" is one of the best known lines of the series; Wednesday takes after her mother in also expressing gratitude for Thing's assistance. Thing cannot talk, but it does sometimes snap its fingers to attract attention, and is also able to communicate by signaling in Morse code, writing, or with

936-471: The tango ). It accompanies the family on drives by riding in the glove compartment, and in one episode, where Gomez appears in court, it emerged from Gomez's briefcase. Thing and Grandmama are fond of arm-wrestling. In a flashback episode on how Gomez and Morticia met, it is revealed that Thing has been with the Addams family since Gomez himself was a child, suggesting Thing is the son of an earlier generation of hand-servants (see below). Thing, overall, acts as

988-435: The tropes of supernatural fiction with those of detective fiction . Supernatural fiction and drama has supernatural elements blended into a story about the characters' internal conflict and/or a dramatic conflict between the protagonist, human and/or supernatural world, society and between groups. The author of The Rise of Supernatural Fiction, 1762–1800 states that the origins of supernatural fiction come from Britain in

1040-440: The 1930s. The Thing first appeared in Addams's 1954 book Homebodies . According to Phil Hore, Addams was inspired by Phil Harris's 1950 novelty song "The Thing". One of Addams' cartoons introduced a mysterious entity known only as The Thing, who was said to be too horrifying to be seen by human eyes. Compared to the adaptations, The Thing is actually a person of unknown origin, observing the household through slightly-opened doors and

1092-442: The 2022 live-action Netflix original series Wednesday , portrayed by Victor Dorobantu. Makeup was used to enhance Thing's appearance with stitches and marks. During filming, Dorobantu would be hidden while wearing a blue suit. Thing's language was made up on the day of filming. A stand-in hand was used instead of Dorobantu for certain times. After each take, CGI was added to Thing and editors removed Dorobantu's body and created

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1144-464: The 20th century, supernatural fiction became associated with psychological fiction . In this association, descriptions of events that occur are not explainable through the lenses of the natural world, leading to the conclusion that the supernatural is the only possible explanation for what has been described. A classic example of this would be The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James , which offers both

1196-417: The United States, along with standalone releases. In Australia, the film was released on VHS by Paramount Home Entertainment (Australasia) in 1994. In 2002, the film was released on DVD with theatrical trailers in the extra features. In retrospect, Barry Sonnenfeld recalled: "I was disappointed in the box office for the second film. I think the first film is more romantic and the second film is funnier. Part of

1248-453: The balustrades, from around corners, and even beneath window sills with his face and hands clearly seen by the reader. The 1964 television series greatly expanded Thing's role compared to the cartoons. Thing was retconned as a disembodied forearm, since he occasionally emerged from his box at near-elbow length, and was usually played by Ted Cassidy , who also played the lugubrious butler Lurch . The two characters occasionally appeared in

1300-497: The bubbly Gary and Becky Granger. There, they are singled out by the counselors and popular and snobbish girl Amanda Buckman for their macabre appearance and behavior. Joel Glicker, a nerdy bookworm and fellow outcast, becomes attracted to Wednesday. Debbie and Fester become engaged. At her bachelorette party, Debbie is repulsed by the Addams family and their relatives. At their wedding, Fester passionately and with great emotion declares his everlasting devotion, while Debbie offers

1352-512: The cast for this film. Compared to its predecessor, which retained something of the madcap approach of the 1960s sitcom , Addams Family Values is played more for very dark and macabre laughs. The film revolves around the family's adjustments to the birth of new baby Pubert. Subplots include Uncle Fester marrying the new nanny Debbie Jellinsky, who is a serial killer intending to murder him for his inheritance; and teenagers Wednesday and Pugsley Addams being sent to summer camp . The film

1404-522: The counselors cast Wednesday as Pocahontas in Gary's Thanksgiving play, "A Turkey Named Brotherhood". When she refuses to participate, she, Pugsley, and Joel are all sent to the camp's "Harmony Hut" and forced to watch hours of wholesome family entertainment movies and television shows. Afterwards, the three feign cheerfulness, and Wednesday agrees to take part. However, during the performance, she returns to being her true self. With help from Joel, Pugsley, and

1456-581: The family via a series of improbable events. As Debbie lowers the switch to electrocute the Addamses, Pubert connects two loose wires, rerouting the electrical current through her instead, destroying her in spectacular fashion. All that remains are a pile of ashes, her shoes, and her credit cards —the means of the family's salvation. Some time later, the Addamses and their relatives gather to celebrate Pubert's first birthday, with Joel also attending. Fester laments Debbie's loss, but soon becomes smitten with Dementia,

1508-567: The film #15 on a list of 15 Sequels That Are Way Better Than The Originals . The Addams Family Values video game was produced by Ocean Software . The film was released on VHS and DVD in 2000 with only two theatrical trailers as special features. It was re-released in 2006 with the first film on a single disc, with no new features. In October 2019, the film debuted on the Blu-ray format when Paramount Pictures released double feature of Addams Family and Addams Family Values on Blu-ray in

1560-501: The film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, a grade up from the "B" earned by the previous film. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wondered if "the making of this sequel was sheer drudgery for all concerned", then answered herself by writing: "There's simply too much glee on the screen, thanks to a cast and visual conception that were perfect in the first place and a screenplay by Paul Rudnick that specializes in delightfully arch, subversive humor". Leonard Klady of Variety

1612-416: The firm belief that the Addams Family are the most loving, caring and connected family that has ever graced the silver screen. They are wildly devoted to each other, show an interest in what the others are doing and spend tons of quality time together. In all honesty, there's quite a bit to be jealous [of] when watching them. Addams Family Values was well received, receiving significantly better reviews than

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1664-505: The first film. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes , the film received an approval rating of 75% based on 114 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "New, well-developed characters add dimension to this batty satire, creating a comedy much more substantial than the original". On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave

1716-549: The first film. Siskel gave Addams Family Values a mixed review and accused Sonnenfeld of caring more about how the film looks than how the jokes play. Ebert, however, gave the film three stars out of four and thought that, unusually for a sequel, it improved upon its predecessor. He enjoyed the various subplots and recommended the film. The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction ( Ken Adam , Marvin March ), but lost to Schindler's List ; and Huston

1768-647: The first one". In the decades since its release, the film has been reassessed with retrospective acclaim. Once a source of mixed reception, the film's dark humor and satire have become lauded. Ricci's and Cusack's performances have also received praise, with Cusack's role in particular becoming the source of several memes and tribute videos on YouTube dedicated to her performance. Supernatural fiction In its broadest definition, supernatural fiction overlaps with examples of weird fiction , horror fiction , vampire literature , ghost story , and fantasy . Elements of supernatural fiction can be found in writing from

1820-492: The genre of science fiction . Amongst academics, readers and collectors, however, supernatural fiction is often classed as a discrete genre defined by the elimination of "horror", "fantasy", and elements important to other genres. The one genre supernatural fiction appears to embrace in its entirety is the traditional ghost story . The fantasy and supernatural fiction genres would often overlap and may be confused for each other, though there exist some crucial differences between

1872-404: The hand of Canadian magician/actor Steven Fox. His classic box only appears in one episode of the series (the remake of "Thing's Romance"); in others, he lives in a closet that has been modified as his own "house-within-a-house". In the musical , Thing only appears in the beginning, when he opens the curtain. He is played by a member of the ensemble. In the tour version, Pugsley carries Thing on

1924-511: The help of the manual alphabet . This can be very disconcerting to visitors to the Addams' mansion; in a running gag in some episodes, a visitor to the Addams home, profusely grateful for some kindness of the Addamses', enthusiastically shakes hands with everyone present—"Thank you, Mr. Addams! Thank you, Mrs. Addams!"—and is then offered a handshake by Thing. "And thank you ..." begins the visitor, before realizing who and what he has been confronted with, recoiling in inarticulate shock, and fleeing

1976-564: The origin of supernatural fiction in his essay " Supernatural Horror in Literature " (1927). He also goes on to describe the literary genre's roots in Gothic literature. The description in Wuthering Heights (1847) of the natural surroundings in which the novel takes place and the eerie mood it evokes is cited as one of the first instances of supernatural horror's being evoked in literature. In

2028-399: The other outcasts, they capture Amanda, Gary, and Becky by igniting the pilgrim set. Later, Wednesday and Joel share their first kiss before she leaves, with Joel staying behind to lead their friends to ensure the camp's permanent destruction. Pugsley and Wednesday return home in the campsite's stolen van. Debbie tries to kill Fester by blowing up their mansion, but he survives. She then pulls

2080-421: The premises. In one episode, Morticia gets goosed, and initially suspects Thing, who had been nearby moments earlier. However, Gomez immediately appears and admits responsibility, explaining: "Thing just likes to hold hands". On the 1960s TV series, two similar hands were introduced in the episode "Morticia Meets Royalty": In the episode "Thing Is Missing", Gomez and Morticia find a portrait of Thing's parents,

2132-417: The primary goal of supernatural films was not to terrify audiences but to offer entertainment, often in whimsical or romantic contexts. The film genre is part of several hybrid genres , including supernatural comedy films, supernatural horror films , supernatural religious films, and supernatural thriller films. Supernatural beings have also seen common uses in internet creepypastas and urban legends ;

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2184-533: The reason it didn't do as well is that the marketing of the movie was so similar to the first one that people didn't think it was going to be any value-added and I really wanted to push the Pubert of it all and the Fester of it all. Instead, the whole campaign was back with the original Addams Family, so it wasn't really promising anything new. I think that's in part why it didn't do as well. Many people love it as much or more as

2236-461: The same scene (in which case Thing would be played by a crew member, notably assistant director Jack Voglin). Thing customarily emerged from a series of boxes, one in each room in the Addams' mansion, and the mailbox outside. He occasionally emerged from behind a curtain, within a plant pot, the family wall safe, or elsewhere. Since Cassidy was 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) tall, using him to depict Thing caused great technical difficulties on

2288-636: The second half of the 18th century. Accounts of the Cock Lane ghost were featured in the newspapers in 1762, and an interest in Spiritualism was also currently prevalent. There was a need for people to see real ghosts and experience them vicariously through the writings of fiction. S. L. Varnado argues in Haunted Presence: The Numinous in Gothic Fiction that the beginning of an interest in

2340-456: The set of The Addams Family . In many scenes he lay on his back on a wheeled trolley, below the line of sight of the cameras, and inserted his arm through the bottom of the box. Thing was usually a right hand, but Cassidy sometimes played him as left, simply to see if anyone would notice. Thing is credited as "Itself" at the end of each episode. In the later films, thanks to advances in special effects , Thing (played by Christopher Hart 's hand)

2392-457: The supernatural comes from humanity's craving for the experience of the divine , so that even the old mythological tales of the knights of King Arthur give the reader a sense of the presence of "holy" things. The author does then go on to trace this influence further into the future with the Gothic literature movement. The famous horror writer H. P. Lovecraft cites man's fear of the unknown as

2444-505: The two genres. Fantasy usually takes place in another world, where fantastical creatures or magic are normal. In supernatural fiction, though, magic and monsters are not the norm and the mystery of such things is usually closely intertwined in the plot. The supernatural genre highlights supernatural creatures or happenings within the real world. Moreover, supernatural fiction also tends to focus on suspense and mystery and less on action and adventure. Occult detective fiction combines

2496-498: Was deteriorating. He had trouble eating and was losing weight as a result. He died on October 24, 1994, less than a year after the film was released. Sequoia National Park , particularly Sequoia Lake, in the Sierra Nevada of California, was the site of the movie's "Camp Chippewa". American singer Michael Jackson was supposed to feature a song in the film, called "Family Thing". The song is mostly rumored to have been removed due to

2548-717: Was followed by another sequel, Addams Family Reunion . Gomez and Morticia Addams have a baby, hiring the nanny Debbie Jellinsky to care for their newborn son Pubert. This is after a number of failed attempts by his siblings Wednesday and Pugsley to kill him, for which Gomez and Morticia gently rebuke them. Unbeknownst to them, Debbie is a serial killer who marries and then murders rich bachelors to collect their inheritances . After she seduces Uncle Fester , Wednesday becomes suspicious of her intentions. To maintain her cover, Debbie tricks Gomez and Morticia into believing Wednesday and Pugsley want to go to summer camp . Wednesday and Pugsley are sent to Camp Chippewa, managed by

2600-496: Was nominated for the 1993 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her performance as Morticia, a reprise of her Golden Globe-nominated performance in the 1991 original. The film also won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song for the Tag Team track "Addams Family (Whoomp!)". Addams Family Values was nominated for AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs . In 2016, James Charisma of Playboy ranked

2652-520: Was released by Paramount Pictures on November 19, 1993. In contrast to its predecessor's mixed reception, the film was well received by critics; however, it was not as financially successful, with a box office gross of $ 111 million against a budget of $ 47 million. In the decades since its release, the film has become acclaimed for its humor and performances. This would be Julia's final theatrical film released during his lifetime; he would appear posthumously in one more film, Street Fighter (1994). The film

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2704-463: Was slightly less enthusiastic than Maslin: "It remains perilously slim in the story department, but glides over the thin ice with technical razzle-dazzle and an exceptionally winning cast". Richard Schickel , writing for Time , was even less enthusiastic than Klady, calling the film "an essentially lazy movie, too often settling for easy gags and special effects that don't come to any really funny point". Both Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert had disliked

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