In this black-and-white short, novice director Tim Burton tells the story of Frankenstein's monster in suburbia as a children's fable about tolerance. Loving parents Ben (Daniel Stern) and Susan Frankenstein (Shelley Duvall) encourage their son Victor's (Barret Oliver) home movies, starring their energetic bull terrier, Sparky. Following a terrible car accident, Sparky is dead and Victor is inconsolable. After an experiment with a frog in his science class, Victor gets the idea to make an electrical experiment of his own. After building a fantastic laboratory with only household items, he reanimates his beloved dog. Unfortunately, the family's nosy neighbors become fearful of the monster, even though he has done no wrong. The climactic ending acts as an homage to James Whale's original 1931 film and its sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Review
This live-action short is a reworking of Universal's Frankenstein, creating a contemporary children's story with the look of a '30s gothic horror film. Shot in black-and-white with a overly booming score by David Newman and Michael Convertino, the all-American story of a boy and his dog is retold as an old horror movie in a mere half-hour. Shelley Duvall plays Victor's (Barret Oliver) mom with the right tone of uneasiness in the palm-treed suburban environment. Director Tim Burton's developing visual style is evident in scenes like Sparky's graveyard and the miniature golf course, both bearing the twisted fences and cartoon landscape that would become his trademark in The Nightmare Before Christmas. For all its morbid subject matter, Frankenweenie still functions as a parable of tolerance for things that are different. Victor's parents are supportive of him, and the angry mob of neighbors realizes that they misjudged poor Sparky based on his appearance. Well-known as the film Disney called "unsuitable for children," the company had no problem granting it a wide release after Burton became popular with Batman, Beetlejuice, and Edward Scissorhands. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
John Mansbridge - Art Director, Rick Heinrichs - Associate Producer, Bill Shepard - Casting, Jack Sandeen - Costume Designer, Tim Burton - Director, Michael Convertino - Composer (Music Score), David Newman - Composer (Music Score), Marvin J. McIntyre - Makeup, Thomas E. Ackerman - Cinematographer
