Hidden Details In The 'Addams Family’ Movies You May Have Missed
The Addams Family movies are an Easter egg hunter's dream. Not only do they include references to the comic strips of Charles Addams, but they’re filled with minor details and hidden gems that improve the films with each consecutive watch. These background set pieces, props, and character actions that are kept from the forefront of the frame in the Addams Family movies show a dedication to detail rarely present in blockbusters.
Where does the family keep their dubious, possibly sadistic devices? Does Pugsley have kleptomania, or is he just deeply disturbed? And where was Uncle Fester prior to the events of The Addams Family? All of these questions are answered in details that were squirreled away in the nooks and crannies of Barry Sonnenfeld’s gothic comic masterpieces.
- 11,911 VOTES
The Weeds In The Master Bedroom Wilt And Grow
An incredibly subtle change in the Addams Family master bedroom plays out across nearly 20 minutes of Addams Family Values. Early on in the film, when Gomez catches Pubert as he's falling from the top of the mansion, he brings the baby into the master bedroom. A glance at the wallpaper will reveal that it's decorated with wilting weeds.
After dropping Wednesday and Pugsley off at Camp Chippewa, Gomez and Morticia return home, where their weed wallpaper is suddenly flourishing.
- 21,564 VOTES
The Cemetery Contains A Sly Nod To Ansel Adams
The family's cemetery, situated behind their mansion, features headstones for all of the family's most prominent members - both deceased and living. A plot stands ready for Morticia and Gomez when they inevitably shuffle off the mortal coil.
One notable family member with a headstone - though only visible on screen for a moment - is Ansel Addams, a reference to photographer Ansel Adams. Adams is best known for his stunning black-and-white landscape photography, specifically of the National Parks.
- 31,558 VOTES
Chippewa's Translation Is Purposefully Misleading
Even though Wedensday claims that Chippewa means "orphan," it actually translates to "Ojibwae," the name of a First Nations tribe that existed through much of North America. This is the first of many digs the film takes at white appropriation of Native culture.
- 41,330 VOTES
The Family Is Related To An Alternate-Universe J. P. Morgan
The book that unlocks Gomez's treasure vault is Greed by J. P. Addams, an obvious reference to finance magnate J. P. Morgan. While Morgan never wrote a book - nor had a book written about him - called Greed, the author's initials clearly implicate Morgan as the Easter egg's intended target.
- 51,300 VOTES
The Boiling Oil Stained The Front Porch
The initial Addams Family film opens with a group of carolers singing "Deck the Halls" outside the Addams mansion. Unamused by their holiday cheer, the family pours hot oil on the unsuspecting do-gooders from the roof.
Eagle-eyed audience members will first notice the oil slick on the ground when Tully arrives to discuss quarterly finances with Gomez. The slick is once again visible when the family is getting evicted. Does this indicate that the family has a habit of bathing carolers in boiling oil, or were they simply using an especially thick batch on that wintry eve?
- 61,394 VOTES
Fester's Trunk Hints At His Past
For much of The Addams Family, whether or not Uncle Fester is actually Gordon Craven is unclear; however, his travel trunk seems to tell a straight story. As one Redditor notes, from the trunk's stickers, Fester has evidently visited places known for disaster, destruction, and tragedy.
His destinations include Three Mile Island, the Bermuda Triangle, and Jonestown - all places intrinsically tied to the macabre. These stickers are also a clue to the fact that this is actually the real Fester, as he was discovered washed up on the shores outside of the Bermuda Triangle.
