Beetlejuice

1988 Comedy

Thanks to the carelessness of a cute little dog, newlyweds Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are killed in a freak auto accident. Upon arriving in the outer offices of Heaven, the couple finds that, thanks to a century's worth of bureaucratic red tape, they're on a long celestial waiting list. Before they can earn their wings, Davis and Baldwin must occupy their old house as ghosts for the next fifty years. Alas, the house is now owned by insufferable yuppies Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones. Horrified at the prospect of sharing space with these obnoxious interlopers, Davis and Baldwin do their best to scare O'Hara and Jones away, but their house-haunting skills are pathetic at best. In desperation, the ghostly couple engage the services of a veteran scaremeister: a yellow-haired, snaggle-toothed, profane, flatulent "gonzo" spirit named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). The problem: Beetlejuice cannot be trusted-especially when he falls in love with O'Hara and Jones' gloomy, black-clad teenaged daughter Winona Ryder. Beetlejuice producer David Geffen, director Tim Burton, and composer Danny Elfman were also involved in an animated TV-series spin-off. more..

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara

Reviews

  • By the time this irresistible treat is over, it has created some of the funniest moments and most inspired visual humor and design we may expect to experience at the movies all year.

    Kevin Thomas - Los Angeles Times

    29 November 2012

  • Hilarious...The joy of Beetlejuice is its completely bizarre -- but perfectly realized -- view of the world, a la Gary Larson's "The Far Side," or "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

    Desson Thomson - The Washington Post

    29 November 2012

  • Not since "Ghostbusters" have the spirits been so uplifting.

    Rita Kempley - The Washington Post

    29 November 2012

  • So original that it'll be years before a major filmmaker attempts another one. We're talking black-belt cult-movie status here.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    29 November 2012

  • For all the film's popped eyeballs and severed limbs, Beetlejuice retains an innocence that makes the grotesque humor very appealing. Burton has captured the sweet ghoulishness of a 12-year-old pouring over horror comics, dreaming of the greatest Halloween costume ever invented.

    Dave Kehr - The Chicago Tribune

    29 November 2012

Awards

  • Best Makeup

    Academy Awards (1989)

  • Best Horror Film

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (1990)

  • Best Make Up Artist

    BAFTA Awards (1989)

     
  • Danny Elfman

    BMI Film & TV Awards (1989)

  • Best Dramatic Presentation

    Hugo Awards (1989)