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1!!Specific YMMV pages:
2* ''YMMV/TheAddamsFamily1992''
3* ''YMMV/TheAddamsFamily2019''
4* ''YMMV/TheAddamsFamily2''
5* ''YMMV/{{Wednesday}}''
6
7!!The franchise as a whole:
8* AdaptationDisplacement: While many know that the franchise began as a series of cartoons by Charles Addams, given that they only ran in ''Magazine/TheNewYorker'' from 1938 to 1964, not many are actually familiar with them, being far more familiar with the 1968 TV series and/or the '90s live action films instead.
9* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
10** The entire family-- are they murderous, or are they just creepy enough to fantasise about murder but not evil enough to actually commit it? A common point of debate is Wednesday's comment in ''The New Addams Family'' about whether Pugsley ate the third Addams sibling.[[note]]Some think this is Pubert from the movie, but that can't be true, since in the movie, Grandmama is Morticia's mother, while in the series, she's Gomez's.[[/note]] Some people interpret this as true, while others interpret it as a bluff.
11** Similar case in ''Addams Family Values'' when it's "revealed" that Lurch had killed a stripper by cooking her alive, which every one laughs off. Some people take it seriously as evidence that the Addams are bad people, whilst other believe that there was no stripper and it was just Gomez making a really morbid joke. A third possibility is that everyone laughed it off because accidents happen.
12* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
13** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75lCvUrdKl8 The theme song]] by Vic Mizzy is as delightfully creepy and kooky as the family themselves.
14** "The Lurch", a swinging 60s song performed by Ted Cassidy (the original Lurch). It can be seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCAUY_ewptw here]].
15* BrokenBase:
16** ''The New Addams Family'' has its fair share of people who like it and people who despise it. It has many detractors because it lacks the famous theme song by Vic Mizzy, and many of the episodes are remakes of episodes from the original 1960s show, plus it didn't help that it was made after the widely-panned ''Addams Family Reunion'', which served as a pilot for ''The New Addams Family'' (and weirdly, only one main cast member from ''Reunion'' was retained for the ''New'' series). On the other hand, other people enjoy this incarnation ''because'' of how much it borrows from the original show and for still retaining the dark humor that has always been important to the franchise.
17** Some people didn't care for the snark and occasionally mean-spirited humor of the 1990s remakes, nor how some of the characters changed (such as Wednesday going from a macabre but warm-hearted CheerfulChild to an expressionless NotLikeOtherGirls DeadpanSnarker, or how Gomez is suddenly conventionally attractive).
18** In general, the fandom tends to be divided on the issue of whether the family should be genuinely evil or not. The original cartoons depicted them as a subversion of an idyllic modern family, with them being truly violent and cruel in their treatment of one another, albeit in their own weird BadIsGoodAndGoodIsBad way and never causing any significant harm. However, the TV series, which [[AdaptationDisplacement far outpaced those cartoons]], showed them as kind and loving to one another (though not free of the aforementioned bouts of bad treatment played for humor), and had the subversion be that they are that way in spite of their creepy personalities and love of the morbid and macabre--in fact, being far more loving to each other than their more upstanding peers. On the one end, there's the argument that a franchise built around a self-consciously malevolent family should have them actually doing bad things, lest they be made as toothlessly wholesome as the model families they were meant to mock. On the other, there's the argument that the aforementioned contrast between creepiness and heart is what gives the franchise its draw, and a series about a family just being relentlessly nasty to each other would come off as abusive rather than funny and fall into TooBleakStoppedCaring.
19* CantUnHearIt: Fans tend to envision either the 1960s cast or the Creator/BarrySonnenfeld films' cast.
20* CrazyIsCool:
21** Gomez whenever he has to defend his family.
22** Applies to the whole family in the movies. Place an Addams - any Addams - in mortal danger. They'll not only survive, [[WasntThatFun but beg to do it again]].
23* CreepyAwesome: The whole damn family, each member in his or her own unique way.
24* CrossesTheLineTwice: The Addamses are confused you think there's lines at all. BlackComedy is a staple of the franchise and they regularly shoot past the line repeatedly in a single joke. For instance, take this exchange from the 1991 film:
25-->'''Fester:''' (''*watching movies of them as teenagers*'') Oh, your first cigar! \
26'''Gomez:''' What? Come on, old man, I've smoked since I was five. Mother insisted.
27* CrossoverShip:
28** There is a rather large base of fans who ship Wednesday Addams and Lydia Deetz (''Franchise/{{Beetlejuice}}'') around the internet, with it being especially popular on [=AO3=]. This is mainly because they are both goths in BlackComedy franchises who have dry senses of humor and a fascination with death. Became HilariousInHindsight when Creator/JennaOrtega, who plays the titular Addams daughter in ''Series/{{Wednesday}}'', was cast as ''Lydia's'' daughter in ''Film/BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice''.
29** Many, many fans ship Morticia with [[Series/TheMunsters Lily Munster]], as they're both goth hot moms with similar tastes and hobbies.
30** Similarly, some ship Lily's niece Marilyn Munster with teen Wednesday in a TomboyAndGirlyGirl / GleefulAndGrumpyPairing.
31* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: John Zmirak once [[http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/zmirak/08634.html explained his tongue-in-cheek theory]] that the Addams clan represents "(A)n [[BlueBlood aristocratic]], [[ChristianityIsCatholic trad-Catholic]] homeschooling family trapped in a sterile Protestant suburb".
32* FandomRivalry: With ''Series/TheMunsters'', due to their similar premises and releases, with the Munsters having been more popular when both originally aired and the Addams more popular now thanks to their 1990s revival.
33* FriendlyFandoms: With ''Series/TheMunsters'' for also being a creepy but friendly family.
34* MemeticMolester: Gary Granger, in "Addams Family Values," takes a particular interest in the pretty, blonde-haired blue-eyed Amanda Buckman and in full view of his wife, who also adores her. This extends beyond giving her preferential treatment and showering her with affection, but to - after casting her in the lead role for his Thanksgiving pageant - penning a script that describes her character in almost fetishistic terms ("Thank you, Sarah Miller! You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen! Your hair is the color of the sun, your skin is like fresh milk, and everyone loves you!").
35* MemeticMutation: Woe to the poor person who can't snap their fingers if they hear the theme song and can't immediately snap along to it like everyone else does without second thought. In such cases, claps are usually accepted for partial credit.
36* MisaimedMerchandising: An animated commercial for Honey Nut Cheerios had Wednesday enjoying a bowl of the cereal. Considering the family has BizarreTasteInFood, they're perhaps not the best characters to use to advertise food.
37* NewerThanTheyThink: Many fans accuse ''Series/TheMunsters'' of ripping off the Addams, notably because the Addams Family are based on a comic series made in the 1930s, and because of the shows' similar concepts. However, in addition to premiering the ''same week'' (and thus, giving the Munsters' writers no time to copy anything), the Universal monster franchise that they're based on came ''before'' the comics were published.
38* NightmareFuel: Thing being a disembodied hand who crawls like a spider in most adaptations, becomes this if you aren't expecting him.
39* NoYay: In the ''New Addams Family'' episode "Wednesday's Crush", [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Wednesday develops a crush]] on a guy named Sam after he crashes his motorcycle outside the family home. While the episode is fairly tame overall, there is a scene where Wednesday imagines her and Sam as a couple a la Gomez and Morticia. They also talk about being "soul mates forever". The {{Squick}} factor enters once you realize that Creator/BrendanFehr (Sam) was 21 at the time and Nicole Fugere (Wednesday) was only 12. Sam actually turns 21 by the end of the episode and Wednesday claims to be 16 at one point.
40* ValuesResonance: Over the years, Gomez and Morticia have been analyzed as [[https://www.doctornerdlove.com/couples-can-learn-gomez-morticia-addams/ an excellent example]] [[https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/what-the-addams-family-teaches-us-about-love-and-sex of how to have]] [[https://decider.com/2014/09/18/gomez-morticia-addams-greatest-romance/ a healthy, happy marriage]]. The two clearly adore each other and never hesitate to express affection (including enjoying an active sex life) even after years of marriage, they support each other emotionally and make the effort to spend time together, they both take active roles in maintaining the household and raising their children, and they work through the family's troubles together and never let petty squabbles turn them against each other.
41
42!!The magazine cartoons:
43* {{Moe}}: The daughter.
44* NightmareFuel: "The Thing", who unlike later adaptations is an actual obscured human peering from some vantage point.
45
46!!The live-action films:
47* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
48** At what point did Gordon realize he was the real Fester? By the end of the movie when he gets his memory back, while he's snooping around and possibly realizing much of what he encounters is familiar to him or when the seance happens and he possibly hears the calling to him? That would mean he knows early on where he's truly from and struggles accepting that truth for quiet a bit of time--or at least at first.
49** Did Craven ever realize Gordon was the real Fester all along? If so, is it possible that she knew right from the start and always intended to use him to obtain and steal the family's fortune? Her seemingly recognizing the name "Addams" when Tully says it could either imply that or imply her keeping Gordon just to have someone under her thumb and then discovering he actually would have value to her beyond just someone she controlled. Craven also mutters, "I never should have used ''him''" after Gordon snuck out to the children's play, suggesting that she did in fact know he was the real Fester.
50** Being a baby, did Pubert simply take part in a bizarre chain reaction of events that led to Debbie being electrocuted, and had no idea what was happening? Or, being an ''Addams'', does he instinctively act to protect his family while exacting a gruesome revenge on their would-be killer? His giggle at the end supports either interpretation.
51* AlternativeJokeInterpretation:
52** Wednesday and Puglsey set up a lemonade stand and a snooty girl scout asks if they're using real lemons. When she tries to barter a cup for some of her girl scout cookies, Wednesday bluntly asks "Are they made from real girl scouts?". It's hard to tell if she's being a smartass or if she's genuinely curious.
53** Gomez tells Debbie that "of course" they have cable. Why would this be obvious? Some viewers see it as a ContinuityNod to the first movie, in which Gomez starts watching ''Series/GilligansIsland'' to cope with being evicted, others think it refers to them watching horror movies and dark documentaries on TV, still others think it refers to their enjoyment of whipping one another (the line occurs right after Gomez lists a dungeon among the Addams' house's accommodations), some think it refers to tightrope walking (which seems like something they'd do) and a ''fifth'' interpretation is that it refers to Fester experimenting with electrical wires.
54* AluminumChristmasTrees: You can be forgiven for thinking that the Tombstone pizza brand, as well as its slogan "What do you want on your Tombstone?", were made-up for the movie, to fit with its style of black humor. But nope, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone_(pizza) it's a real brand]].
55* AngstWhatAngst: Fester is so torn up about "failing" Debbie that he seems perfectly willing to let her kill him. When the tables are turned, he seems positively gleeful as she's electrocuted into a pile of dust. Could practically count as a BrickJoke or IronicEcho of Gomez's romantic musing about Morticia in the first movie:
56-->"I would '''die''' for her. I would '''kill''' for her. ... Either way, what bliss."
57* AudienceColoringAdaptation:
58** Despite the popularity of the [[Series/TheAddamsFamily television series]] and various other media, much of what people know about ''Franchise/TheAddamsFamily'' comes from the first two 1990s films. It got to the point where [[WesternAnimation/TheAddamsFamily2019 the 2019 animated movie]] was criticized by some for the Family having an overall grotesque appearance (as opposed to the live-action version's more attractive and handsome features), when in fact they were drawing from Charles Addams' original character designs.
59** Wednesday's signature DeadpanSnarker personality originated in these movies. Prior to this, she was usually portrayed as a younger CheerfulChild, albeit [[PerkyGoth one with rather morbid interests]]. It's most pronounced in the '90s revival ''The New Addams Family'', which went with the movie's characterization despite using many {{Recycled Script}}s from the '60s show.
60** Uncle Fester from the original sitcom was Morticia's uncle, making him Wednesday and Pugsley's great-uncle and a member of the Frump family. Here they made him Gomez's brother, something they would reuse for the '90's reboot sitcom, 2019 animated film and the Netflix ''Wednesday'' show.
61** The family's patriarch was not depicted as being from any particular culture or background in the comics (in the few colour drawings Charles Addams did, he and his mother do have noticeably darker skin than the rest of the family, and Charles Addams considered naming him with either the Spanish name Gomez or the Italian name Repelli, but in the comics themselves he has no name or backstory and obviously no accent), and while the '60s TV show came up with the name "Gomez" and a backstory of having lived in Spain as a child, along with the occasional shout of "Ole!" or reference to him being a "fiery Castilian", Creator/JohnAstin, a non-Hispanic white man, gave him an American accent and there were even jokes about how pale he was. Then came Creator/RaulJulia's portrayal of Gomez as a LatinLover with a thick Puerto Rican accent, which solidified the character as Hispanic in the popular consensus (and led him to more frequently being depicted as Latino instead of from Spain--60s Gomez seems to have spent some time in Latin America, owning a blowgun and shrunken heads from travels in the Amazon rainforest, and referencing Argentinian culture a few times e.g. bolas and the tango, but is generally referred to as Castilian), with later adaptations casting Creator/OscarIsaac and Creator/LuisGuzman in the part. (Then again, in the handful of colour drawings by Charles Addams, Gomez looks ''a lot'' like Luis Guzman.)
62* CommonKnowledge:
63** Many believe the ''Addams Family'' franchise, especially the movies, are Halloween movies. In the case of ''Values'', however, this isn't true: Not only was it released in November, but it's also Thanksgiving-themed.
64** A common assumption is that Wednesday in the films is TruerToTheText compared to the '60s show. However, this isn't the case and if anything, the incarnation from the '60s show is the one that is more in line with her characterization from the original cartoons, as Wednesday in the original cartoons was depicted as a melancholy, sensitive, "wan and delicate" person who can be a CheerfulChild on occasion. Her stoic DeadpanSnarker characterization in the films was mostly [[AdaptationalPersonalityChange created from scratch]] and is one of the few deviations the film makes from the original cartoons.
65* CrossesTheLineTwice: In ''Family Values,'' after the summer camp has been set alight, Wednesday has advanced on the bound and restrained Amanda with the implication she's going to burn her at the stake, and the two gagged camp counsellors are being roasted over a fire, with the distinct possibility the Loser kids are going to ''eat'' them -- cut to Wednesday being canoed across the lake by Joel, complete with romantic music.
66* EnsembleDarkhorse: Debbie is the best-remembered thing from the movies, next to the camp subplot's climax in ''Values.''
67* GeniusBonus:
68** In ''Addams Family Values'', Joel says that he has all the cards in the serial killer trading card series, except for "Jack The Ripper and that Zodiac Guy". Funny because a) No one knows who they were, so there would be no pictures for the card and b) Even the cards of them can't be caught.
69** Also, Debbie says no woman "in her right mind" could love Fester. Then comes the woman who catches Fester's eye towards the end of the movie. Her name? ''Dementia''. And she clearly isn't in her right mind. Not to mention his ex-girlfriends Flora and Fauna were last seen being escorted to an insane asylum in a straitjacket.
70* HarsherInHindsight:
71** Morticia's comments on the fragile state of her family in the second half of ''Addams Family Values'' includes the woeful line "My husband is dying." Creator/RaulJulia would do just that a little less than a year later. In the movie, he is even seen lying sick in bed feebly singing "Swing low, sweet chariot." What's more, when Gomez is horrified that his son is turning normal, he calls out to God, "Take me!"
72** In 2011, Hurricane Irene struck the east coast of the United States. In the ''Addams Family'' film, the book Fester uses at the end is titled ''Hurricane Irene''.
73** Then, of course, there's the scene in the second movie where young Joel Glicker screams in terror at a picture of Music/MichaelJackson. What was originally meant to be a teasing in-joke[[note]]he was originally supposed to provide the lead single from the film's soundtrack -- that honor went to Tag Team instead[[/note]] turned into a case of ''seriously'' bad timing when Jackson was accused of child molestation the same year ''Values'' was released.
74* HeartwarmingInHindsight:
75** Fester's return in the first movie, after seeing how distraught everyone is when he leaves them in ''Values''.
76** At one point in ''Values'', [[RefugeInAudacity Pugsley shoots an American Bald Eagle during archery lessons]], which was considered an endangered species in the 90s. The bird was officially removed from the list in 2007 and is once again safe from extinction.
77* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: In the Wednesday's smile scene, Creator/ChristinaRicci makes it look like it's physically painful for Wednesday to smile, all in one shot.
78* HilariousInHindsight:
79** In ''Addams Family Values'', after being irritated by Gomez, a police officer asks him, "Who are you? ''What'' are you?" The officer was played by Creator/NathanLane, who would play Gomez on Broadway almost twenty years later.
80** Also in ''Values'', Joel mentions how they're gonna watch Disney movies, and the very first thing we hear is ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'', which isn't Disney at all... or at least ''wasn't'', before Disney bought Fox.
81* ItWasHisSled: Gordon Craven in the first movie is an amnesiac Fester Addams who was brainwashed by Mrs. Craven into believing he was her son. It's especially telling when the [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil TV promos]] for the film on Creator/{{FreeForm}}'s 31 Days of Halloween Marathon give it away. The popularity of the sequel probably doesn't help.
82* LGBTFanbase:
83** ''Addams Family Values'' has become a cult favorite among queer audiences, thanks to Wednesday's enlarged role and cattiness towards normals, and Creator/JoanCusack's over-the-top performance as villainess Debbie. Additionally, Gomez and Morticia accepting "Normal" Pubert, and continuing to love him even though they didn't understand or like his change in looks and personality, resonated with queer viewers.
84** Gomez and Morticia in particular are consistently popular among queer viewers, despite being heterosexual and unambiguously gendered. This is largely thanks to the fact that the narrative goes out of its way to sell their romance as a genuine love on equal terms, rather than [[DesignatedLoveInterest treating it as]] ''fait accompli'' or a reward, something perceived as far rarer than it should be in mainstream romances. A common appraisal of their bond is something along the lines of "yeah, straight people can have this one."
85** Being produced by openly gay creators like Paul Rudnick and Scott Rudin certainly helps. In fact, Rudnick chose the title as a TakeThat to conservative pundits who used the term “family values” to swipe at non-traditional households (e.g., LGBT+, single parents, unmarried couples cohabitating.)
86** Non-binary fans also love the opening scene of ''Values'' when Pubert is born. Everyone in the waiting room wonders if it's a boy or a girl, only for Gomez to proudly announce "It's an Addams!"
87* LoveToHate:
88** Debbie is a ruthless gold digger who doesn't care about anyone but herself and has absolutely no redeeming or sympathetic traits but Creator/JoanCusack plays her with such pure vileness and enjoyment, clearly having a blast playing such an unabashedly horrible character, that she is an absolute delight every time she is on screen.
89** Wednesday's rival at camp, Amanda, fits this too with her SpoiledBrat and AlphaBitch personality and dialogue that so obviously is set up for Wednesday to retort sassy one-liners to.
90* MagnificentBastard: Wednesday Addams is the younger of the two children who despite a penchant for wanting to become a killer or a witch later in life is smart, compassionate, methodical and perceptive in her youth. While often convincing older brother Pugsley to let her put him in death traps, Wednesday--in addition to helping lead a séance--begins to suspect and investigate when an apparent imposter shows up claiming to be Uncle Fester and eventually when finding out the truth is able to escape capture immediately after. In the sequel, Wednesday along with Pugsley also makes creative attempts to get rid of their new baby brother Pubert and then spies on new nanny Debbie Jellinsky, discovering she's a deranged, greedy killer targeting Fester. When Debbie has her and Pugsley sent to what ends up being a very racially-insensitive and xenophobic summer camp, Wednesday eventually convinces everyone she wants to conform to the status quo while then leading all the other put upon kids in a daring and elaborate insurgence to bring the whole camp to its knees and then escape with Pugsley to go home to their family.
91* MemeticMutation: Debbie's "Ballerina Barbie" monologue saw a surge in popularity when A.J. [=LoCascio=] (the voice of Prince Lotor in ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'') read the scene in said character's voice.
92** For those in America who don't exactly connect with Thanksgiving due to its questionably sanitized origins as well as Native American activists (or just because it's a fun scene), the camp riot scene in ''Family Values'' gets shared across social media around that time.
93* MoralEventHorizon: Debbie in ''Addams Family Values'' crossed it by killing her parents and burning down their house as a little girl over a Barbie doll.
94* MyRealDaddy: For many fans, Christina Ricci ''is'' Wednesday Addams. Creator/RaulJulia as Gomez, Creator/AnjelicaHuston as Morticia and Creator/ChristopherLloyd as Fester could qualify as well, but they still face competition from the 1960s actors, whereas Creator/LisaLoring's portrayal of Wednesday isn't as memorable as Ricci's. Both Creator/ChristinaRicci and Creator/JennaOrtega dislike this attitude from the fans and have each pointed out that it is far from fair as Loring was only six when was cast as Wednesday whereas Ricci was eleven and Ortega was twenty [[Main.DawsonCasting playing sixteen]].
95* NightmareFuel: In addition to the Thing mention above, the way the Pubert almost dies multiple times in the second movie.
96** Not to mention they hang KNIVES over his crib as a mobile.
97** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buZZyUBwymA Wednesday's smile]].
98* OnceOriginalNowCommon: The "inverted nuclear family" has been done many, many times since the show aired and the 90s films revived it, and it's no longer a very novel concept. Similarly, while the Addamses themselves (particularly from the remakes) are still popular, their famous "normal people scare me" type of personalities have been made fun of more in the late 2010s where it's seen more as edgy and cringy behavior of people trying to compensate for not fitting in well, as while the Addams family are odd, they still function as well as any conventional family while the people who claim to relate to them are often stereotyped as deadbeats.
99* OneSceneWonder:
100** Cousin Itt in both movies.
101** The sequel has Creator/NathanLane as the police desk sergeant who's irritated and bewildered by Gomez's ranting.
102** Mercedes [=McNab's=] performance as an agonizingly chipper Girl Scout in the first film was so well-received that she got an expanded role in the sequel.
103** Charles Busch appears in ''Addams Family Value'' as Cousin Countess Aphasia du Berry, one of the relatives who tries to snag Debbie's bouquet. She has one line, exactly one word, after Wednesday catches it, and it's hilarious.
104--->'''Joel''': Now you have to get married.
105--->'''Wednesday''': It's not binding.
106--->'''Aphasia''': Tramp!
107* RetroactiveRecognition:
108** Mercedes [=McNab=] (Harmony in the Franchise/{{Buffyverse}}) appeared as a girl scout in the first movie and had the larger role of Amanda in ''Addams Family Values''.
109** ''Values'' came out before Cynthia Nixon, David Krumholtz, Peter [=MacNicol=], Christine Baranski, Tony Shalhoub, and even Nathan Lane had their various breakthrough roles (though a few people would've likely recognized [=MacNicol=] from ''Film/GhostbustersII'' or ''Film/{{Dragonslayer}}'').
110** Jerry Messing, who played Pugsley in ''Addams Family Reunion'', would years later become internet-famous when a photograph of him in a trilby was used as the "[[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/tips-fedora tips fedora]]" image macro.
111** ''Reunion'' also featured Haylie Duff as Gina, years before she appeared in ''Series/LizzieMcGuire'' or ''Film/NapoleonDynamite''.
112* SignatureScene:
113** The Mamushka in the first film.
114** Wednesday, Pugsley and all the other outcasts ransacking the camp and Debbie's MotiveRant and [[spoiler:death]] in the sequel.
115* SpecialEffectFailure:
116** While most of the effects work holds up some of the compositing used to create Thing hasn't survived the transition to HD very well. A few shots, such as him searching the swamp for Wednesday after she goes missing, have visible artifacts that mean he doesn't quite blend with the background properly.
117** In ''Values'', Pubert's pale makeup is often visibly smudged and thin in places. Since the actor is a baby it's understandable that they didn't use heavier cosmetics.
118* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: ''Addams Family Values'' was widely considered by critics and fans alike to be superior to the first movie, with more macabre humour and hilarious RapidFireComedy in effect. Strangely enough, it actually made less than its predecessor (''Addams Family'' made over 191 million worldwide while ''Values'' made 48 million), although that could be chalked up to the less-than-stellar reception of the first movie.
119* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
120** The original plot for the 1991 movie proposed that Gordon never really was Fester, but eventually fit in with the family so well that he essentially assumes the role fully; while him truly being Fester ties everything up neatly, the idea that someone fed up with their horrendous mother could find true family among a bunch of misfits and weirdoes like the Addamses is quite compelling.
121** The whole time Wednesday and Pugsley are at camp, they try to escape so they can save Fester. When they finally get out and make their way home, [[spoiler: they end up tied up and just as helpless as the rest of the family, and Pubert ends up saving them.]]
122* ToughActToFollow: The Sonnenfeld duology's version of the ''Addams Family'' universe is one of the best-remembered and serves as the definitive intepretation of the source material for many, only really contested by the 1960s TV series it draws from. Fans cite the duology's casting and performances, and its take on the characters mixing toothy dark humor and a loving family dynamic as the best interpretation of Addams' cartoons, and Raúl Juliá's Gomez and Christina Ricci's Wednesday have been cited as the best versions of those characters. Follow-up works under the ''Addams'' name, including the direct-to-video ''Reunion'' film posing as a sequel and the animated trilogy of films from Universal, have struggled to garner the affection and praise that the Sonnenfeld films did.
123* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: The 1991 movie and its sequel, Addams Family Values, pretty much exist to push the boundaries of this - The family are all about the occult, the grotesque and the horrific, but it's implied to be fine so long as nothing graphic happens on camera. Plus the plots are quite complicated, tending to revolve around financial fraud. IMDB still considers it a family movie.
124* TheWoobie: Uncle Fester for the reasons listed under TearJerker. Also, in the second film, we can see that the poor guy only wants what [[HappilyMarried his brother and sister-in-law have.]]
125** Joel Glicker. Unlike Uncle Fester, Wednesday and Pugsley, he doesn't have anyone looking out for him or even a happy home to go to, as his parents are just as much insensitive jerks as everyone else at the camp are. Things start to look up for him once he befriends Wednesday, Pugsley and soon the rest of the Addamses, but then there is [[JumpScare that ending]]...
126
127!!The TV series:
128* AccidentalInnuendo: “We do not go around whacking people in this house!” (This might also qualify as HaveAGayOldTime)
129* FandomRivalry: With fans of ''Series/TheMunsters'', persisting to this day.
130* HeartwarmingInHindsight: In "Gomez, the Politician," one of the objectives of the Addams Family is to preserve the various swamps in the region. Since then, there has been a significant environmental movement to preserve wetlands with their essential role in preserving animal habitats and water quality being greater understood. With that in mind, there would be a great number of environmental activists who would welcome the Addams' support.
131* HilariousInHindsight:
132** In ''Wednesday Leaves Home'', the agent dealing with missing children tells the mother of a boy that has run away for the seventh time that locking him in the broom closet won't help, and he could be running away because of her. [[Franchise/HarryPotter Sound familiar?]]
133** In "Morticia the Writer", Morticia decides to pen children's stories to help fill the void of good material she sees in the school reading Wednesday and Pugsley got assigned. Her first title is "Cinderella the Teenage Delinquent". Years later, subversive fairy tales are becoming increasingly common, making Morticia seem ahead of the curve rather than simply off-kilter.
134** Politicians who have promised to [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/drain-the-swamp "drain the swamp"]]--usually figuratively--include Ronald Reagan, Nancy Pelosi, and Donald Trump.
135** In ''Addams Family Tree'' when Fester grabs his rifle, he insists that shooting someone in the back is [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E26CallToArms "the safest way"]].
136* NightmareFuel: The "[[Recap/TheAddamsFamilyS1E8GreenEyedGomez Green-Eyed Gomez]]" episode where a misunderstanding leads Gomez to think that Morticia has betrayed him for someone else and deciding as a result to experience death alone (as opposed to his dreams of sharing it with her), by attempting suicide.
137** Then comes "[[Recap/TheAddamsFamilyS1E22AmnesiaInTheAddamsFamily Amnesia in the Addams Family]]" where we get to see the beloved patriarch losing his mind and becoming a stranger in his own home. From his point of view meanwhile everyone wants him dead.
138** While also darkly hilarious there is Grandmama's reference to Gomez having doubled as a doctor for a single time along with one patient who apparently also never again became a patient...
139** The mistaken assumption that Cleopatra consumed Pugsley with the shot of his empty shoes lying right next to her though the comedic aspect wins out.
140* OnceOriginalNowCommon: Many of the TV Family's "weird" affectations (home computing, alternative medicine, being Goth) are not considered as "weird" now as they were in the 60s.
141* ValuesDissonance:
142** In ''Cousin Itt and the Vocational Counselor'', Cousin Itt expresses a desire to be a stewardess. The family proceed to tell him that he can't be a stewardess since Itt is male. When Cousin Itt protests about it being unfair, Morticia replies a little coldly that "it is not unfair". Years later the word "stewardess" is no longer used, having been replaced with "flight attendant" and men are allowed to work as such.[[note]]Though if you want to be really technical, they always were. The entire reason the gender-neutral "flight attendant" came about in the first place is because, prior to the term becoming commonplace, the male-specific "steward" wasn't being used as often as "stewardess," giving the impression that the job was only for women.[[/note]]
143** In "Morticia the Sculptress", Morticia ultimately decides to give up a hobby she is talented at and passionate for because the kids have been, according to a desperate Gomez, [[ParentalNeglect "neglected"]] (ie eating delicious fudge candy; Morticia doesn't care that they've been staying up late or grabbing snacks after bedtime due to a lack of supervision). Note that nothing is stopping Gomez from taking care of this. Morticia quite happily decides that being a mother is the greatest thing any woman can be, more than anything else.
144** Fester demands little Wednesday be beaten for helping herself to his fireworks collection. Gomez's ''only'' objection with that is there should be good reason for a beating. Although his "not without good reason" comment might be more about the idea of beating people up in general, as he's otherwise portrayed as someone who would never hit the children (and despite his "that's very touching" comment is clearly uncomfortable with Fester talking about his own father's abusive behaviour) and is reluctant to punish them in any way at all.
145** In "Mother Lurch Visits the Addams Family," when Morticia and Gomez are teaching Lurch how to behave like a gentleman while they pretend to be his servants, Morticia tries to convince Lurch to "make eyes" at her, because supposedly a real wealthy man always sexually harasses his maid.
146* ValuesResonance:
147** Morticia and Gomez were among the first TV couples who openly and passionately showed their affection for each other, they ''always'' functioned as a team, with one never keeping secrets or vocally resenting the other in any way. It's also completely egalitarian; any important decisions about the children, they make together. They both show complete respect to each other at all times, and even when they disagree, they always try to hear the other one out and reach a solution they both can agree upon.
148** There's also the parents' relationship with their children. Gomez is decidedly ''not'' a BumblingDad but rather an extremely active co-parent with Morticia, who in turn is not automatically viewed as correct because WomenAreWiser, instead always consulting with Gomez about the kids. They actively encourage Wednesday's and Pugsley's habits--whatever they may be--and teach them everything from fine arts to dance to mechanical engineering. It's telling that in the very first episode, Gomez is originally against sending Wednesday and Pugsley to school not because of the curriculum, but because he wants to be around his kids as much as possible. And even when the children misbehave or take up (comparatively) "weird" hobbies like joining the Boy Scouts, Gomez and Morticia are always shown as supportive even when they don't necessarily approve.
149
150!!The pinball and video games:
151* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAWUSzovFjs remix of the main theme]] heard on the title screen of ''Fester's Quest''.
152* GoodBadBugs: On the pinball machine, entering mansion rooms gives you awards in a fixed order. The thing is that the game is programmed to give awards only up to the 255th room. Entering mansion rooms from the 256th and onwards will instead give ''massive'' amounts of points (as it's getting data from code meant for other aspects of the game). That being said, only a handful of people in the world would be good enough to enter that many mansion rooms before a Game Over, and these people only became that good decades after the machine was first released.
153* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Getting multiball on the pinball machine adaptation. Gomez will say "Now you've done it!" (or, alternately, "It has to warm up... so it can ''kill you!''"), all music and sounds cease...and then a slow, low rumbling sound, getting faster and higher-pitched, until BAM! Multiball!!
154--> "SHOWTIME!"
155* SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames: The [=SNES=] game of the first film is a Mario-esque platformer with some {{Metroidvania}} elements to it, where you explore the Adams Family Residence to rescue most of the family which unlocks the gate to the final level where you go to rescue Morticia. The game has AntiFrustrationFeatures in the form of Pugsley's Den from where you find a secret rooms to that help ease the difficulty; there is a room with lots of extra lives, a room with multiple hearts for refilling depleted health, and rooms with almost all of the power-ups available in the game. There are also three [[OptionalBoss optional bosses]] who each reward you a HeartContainer when defeated, further reducing potential frustration.
156%%** The [[Pinball/TheAddamsFamily the pinball machine]] is also a lot of fun. It's no surprising that it went on to become the highest-selling table in history.
157* TheProblemWithLicensedGames:
158** ''Fester's Quest'', though fairly ambitious, is a prime example of poorly-designed NES games: most notably, its weapon system, which is practically designed to get on your nerves in some way. For much of the game, you either have a strong weapon with an attack pattern so erratic it misses half the time and becomes downright unusable in close quarters, or a weapon that shoots straight but deals the damage of a popgun. [[PowerupLetdown And you can often accidentally pick up powerups that will turn one into the other.]]
159* ScrappyMechanic: "[[CreatorThumbprint The Power]]", a magnet located roughly in the center of the playfield which will pulse as certain times (mainly during "Seance/Super Seance" and the multiball modes), flinging the ball in wild and unpredictable directions. Some of these directions include the drain or a ricochet to the drain with nothing the player can do about it. It is so bad that all major competitions, and most minor competitions, where ''The Addams Family'' is present will have this magnet physically removed so it never bothers the competitors, with the alternative being players spending inordinate amounts of time holding balls on the flippers waiting for the Power to disable itself temporarily.
160* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: The main theme of the pinball table bears more than a passing resemblance to the main theme of Creator/PatLawlor's previous table, ''Pinball/FunHouse1990''.
161
162!!TheMusical:
163* AngstWhatAngst: Mal takes being molested by a squid pretty well. Not only is he not upset about it, he’s happy about it [[AssPull because it made him realize his love for Alice.]]
164* AssPull: In the Broadway version, Mal gets raped by the Addams’ family squid, which somehow brings out his love for Alice and redeems him. There’s no explanation for this.
165** Also in the Broadway version, many people found it rather unlikely that a woman so effortlessly confident and collected as Morticia would become so overwhelmed by the idea of growing old, especially when in the first film she romantically muses over her rotting together with Gomez in their graves forever.
166* AudienceAlienatingPremise:
167** Gomez and Morticia are one of the most beloved power couples of all time. This show has them spend nearly the entire show feuding with each other, with Morticia being DemotedToExtra in favor of her husband and turned into a [[{{Jerkass}} colossal bitch]].
168** The musical takes Wednesday Addams, a character who’s popular for being the exact opposite of the typical teenage girl, and makes her entire character arc wanting to be normal. The fact that her LoveInterest who causes this is generally regarded as being a boring character makes it even worse.
169** There’s also the matter of Pugsley, Lurch, Grandma, Thing, and Coussin Itt either being downplayed or completely absent in favor of new, fairly uninteresting characters.
170* BaseBreakingCharacter: None of the following characters can really be considered TheScrappy in this version, but there’s still a lot of people who don’t like their AdaptationalPersonalityChange:
171** In both the Broadway and licensed version, Morticia manages to come across as wildly different compared to her usual self, with her dry delivery being the only part of her character still in tact. The Broadway version adds a plot where she starts to feel self-conscious about her age, causing her to ignore her family and wallow in her misery for most of the show, a change that’s extremely different from a character who’s usually so self confident. The licensed version changes it so that she has her trademark confidence back, but now [[TookALevelInJerkass she’s taken a huge level in jerkass,]] acting in a rude and cruel behavior towards almost every other character. Morticia is usually cold on the surface but warm inside, but this version is the closest thing the show has to a villain due to her constantly antagonizing her family, not helping them with any of their problems, and almost leaving them at the end for incredibly petty reasons, something she’s never truly called out on. Also, ignoring characterization issues, many don’t like how she’s blatantly secondary to Gomez In terms of prominence in this version, as the two are typically completely equal co-leads.
172** The whole plot is actually based around Wednesday’s AdaptationalPersonalityChange, as she tries to forego her usual identity in order to be normal and get together with her LoveInterest. While the transformation never fully occurs (in fact it feels somewhat forgotten about later) the musical version of Wednesday’s arc is to become the antithesis of her popular self, all in the name of her [[TheGenericGuy forgettable boyfriend.]]
173** Grandma Addams’ personality in this version is pretty much just “aren’t old people so wacky?”, resulting in some serious CringeComedy.
174** Much like his mother, Pugsley also TookALevelInJerkass, acting like a spoiled brat who’s selfish actions endanger everyone else’s happiness. But due to this inadvertently helping the others, [[KarmaHoudini he not only gets away with it, but is commended for it.]]
175** More downplayed when it comes Gomez and Fester, whose versions here feel more in line than the other family members, and are seen as two of the stinger characters. However, the {{Flanderization}} of Gomez’s Latin nationality and Fester’s obsession with love are seen as somewhat out there choices. And as mentioned above, some didn’t like Gomez’s noticeable province over Morticia.
176** In terms of new characters, some people like Lucas because he genuinely loves Wednesday and is willing to be crazy for her, while others find him to be [[TheGenericGuy boring and without personality.]] The fact that he causes a beloved character to try and change everything about herself also didn’t endear him to some audience members, even though he himself doesn’t try to influence her into this.
177* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Fester's song "The Moon and Me" since it had nothing to do with the plot.
178* BrokenBase: “In the Arms” and it’s removal from the current version. Some people are glad it’s gone as the plot being solved by Mal getting molested felt [[AssPull completely asinine.]] Others felt that the removal of the song robs Mal of his big moment which many would argue is one of the show’s best numbers. Most will agree though that while his redemption and reprise of “Crazier Than You” makes more sense from a narrative perspective, the execution is much less interesting and generic compared to the unexpected and out there nature of the original.
179** The show as a whole caused a BrokenBase between people who found it to be a fun, light hearted story, and others who thought it was derivative of other works and made the titular family look OutOfCharacter.
180* CargoShip: A subplot in the musical is Fester being in love with the moon.
181* ClicheStorm: A major criticism of the show is that it’s a standard telling of the SlobsVsSnobs story borrowing heavily from other more popular shows like Theatre/YouCantTakeItWithYou and Theatre/LaCageAuxFolles.
182* CriticalDissonance: The musical was absolutely torn apart by critics, but the brand name recognition helped it do better with audiences, with it now being a very popular choice amongst high school productions. To put it simply, in the long run the show was a critical failure but a commercial success.
183* EnsembleDarkhorse: Unlike the other family members, Lurch is pretty much the same as he’s always been, and despite being mute for almost the entire show, he gets his fair share of laughs throughout. The fact that he is a rare example of a bass in musical theatre also helps.
184** Of the new characters, Alice is the most popular. Like her son, she comes across as genuinely nice and accepting of the Addams Family, but unlike him, she has a more defined arc and character, and gets to sing the show’s darkest number, ironically making the Addams feel uncomfortable for once.
185* EthnicScrappy: While Gomez himself isn’t [[TheScrappy a scrappy]] in this version, some didn’t care for the stereotypical [[{{Flanderization}} playing up of his of his Latin origins]] which noticeably downplays his relation to his monster side, which takes away from his mysterious nature.
186** The idea of Gomez being Spanish isn’t new, as his name has Latin connotations, he constantly acts as a LatinLover, and he was famously played by Creator/RaulJulia in the movies. However, unlike prior portrayals, this one is much more explicit with Gomez speaking in a highly exaggerated accent and repeatedly mentioning his family members who all have stereotypically over the top Hispanic names. It wouldn’t be so bad if Gomez was actually played by Latino actors, but after the very white Creator/NathanLane originated the role, he’s commonly portrayed by white men.
187* MemeticMutation: A snippet from “One Normal Night” has become [[https://www.tiktok.com/music/one-normal-night-7143317339390757675 somewhat popular]] on Platform/TikTok.
188* QuestionableCasting: Creator/NathanLane as Gomez. Many people said he didn’t have the look and feel of the character compared to Creator/JohnAstin and Creator/RaulJulia. The team behind the show defended the casting by noting that this version was inspired by the original comic, a claim that falls flat when its extremely clear that this version has essentially the same personality as those two, with the only differences being that Gomez is now more of a typical Lane-esque DeadpanSnarker.
189* TheScrappy: Mal isn’t particularly popular due to being a {{Jerkass}} [[StopHavingFunGuys buzzkill]] for most of the show. In the original version, he gets to have a big number where he reforms himself and pledges his love to his wife, but the whole thing is undercut by his redemption happening due to a blatant AssPull. The current version removed it, but that ends up robbing the character of his only major solo, with his replacement song being an underwhelming reprise.
190* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Wednesday wants to be normal, Morticia is a bad wife and mother, Gomez is a weird mix between a Latino stereotype and Creator/NathanLane, Pugsley is a selfish brat, [[OldWindbag Grandma is a walking wacky old person cliche,]] and Fester is obsessed with love.
191** In terms of the licensed retooling, the most controversial change was the removal of “In the Arms” as it leaves Mal without a major solo, with his replacement number being a much more generic reprise. However, as noted above, many thought that the original song was problematic.
192*** Not only is Mal’s solo taken away, but so is the original version of “Let’s Not Talk About Love”, which is second most significant number, effectively taking away most of the character’s music.
193* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
194** Morticia’s role as the strong and loving family matriarch is downplayed in favor of Gomez. If the show really wanted to go in the direction it did, it might’ve worked better if their roles were somewhat swapped. Morticia being more self composed would likely take the idea of her daughter getting married better than Gomez who’s somewhat of a {{Manchild}}. Meanwhile, Morticia’s numbers are more flashy and showy then Gomez’s, while he gets to sing the much more somber and calm “Happy/Sad”. An argument could easily be made that big production numbers are more in character for someone as hyperactive as Gomez while a bittersweet ballad is more fitting for someone who’s calm and cool like Morticia.
195** While they’re still present, Pugsley, Lurch, and Grandma are all DemotedToExtra in favor of [[CanonForeigner the Beinekes.]] At least they get to appear though, with Thing only making a quick cameo and Cousin Itt being completely absent (although some productions stick him in anyway).
196** With the {{r|eplacementScrappy}}andom ''[[ReplacementScrappy new]]'' [[ReplacementScrappy boyfriend]] ''[[ReplacementScrappy Lucas]]'', there's no attempt to bridge the play with the continuity of the films and thus poor ''Joel'' never gets ''mentioned''! Of course, even if it was in the same continuity, it is possible that Joel [[CartwrightCurse wouldn't continue to be around]], [[JumpScare given]] the Values [[FrightDeathtrap conclusion]]...Still that doesn't mean he should have been replaced by someone so ''[[TheGenericGuy dull]]''.

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