Scissorhands (1990) Ending Explained
TL;DR:
Edward Scissorhands ends with Kim, now an elderly woman, telling her granddaughter the story of Edward, a gentle artificial man with scissors for hands who was taken in by her family. After being misunderstood and ostracized by the suburban community, Edward retreats to his isolated Gothic mansion, where he remains alone, creating ice sculptures that snow over the town. The film concludes with Kim affirming that Edward is still alive, forever frozen in time, and that the snowflakes are his gifts to the world. The ending is bittersweet, emphasizing themes of isolation, love, and the cruelty of societal judgment.
Detailed Explanation of the Ending
The finale of Edward Scissorhands is a poignant and melancholic resolution to the story of Edward, a synthetic being created by an inventor who died before replacing his scissor hands with human ones. The film is framed as a flashback, with an elderly Kim recounting Edward's tale to her granddaughter. The climax occurs after Edward is driven out of the suburban neighborhood due to misunderstandings, false accusations, and the town's fear of his differences. In a final act of love and protection, Kim kisses Edward and tells the mob that he is dead, allowing him to escape back to his crumbling mansion. The last shot shows Edward alone in the attic, still creating ice sculptures decades later, while snow falls over the town-revealing that the snowfall Kim's granddaughter sees is Edward's enduring legacy.
Symbolism and Themes
The ending reinforces the film's central themes of otherness, love, and the pain of unbelonging. Edward's exile to his mansion symbolizes society's rejection of those who don't conform. His eternal solitude reflects the loneliness of being misunderstood, while the ice sculptures represent the beauty he brings to the world despite his suffering. The snow, a recurring motif, ties into the fairy-tale quality of the story - Edward's creations literally soften the world, contrasting with the sharp edges of his hands and the harshness of human judgment. Kim's lie about his death underscores the sacrificial nature of love; she protects him but ensures they can never be together.
Unresolved Questions
- Does Edward ever leave the mansion again?
- Possible Answer: No, the film implies he remains there forever, hidden away.
- Why didn't Kim ever return to him?
- Possible Answer: She likely respected his need for solitude or feared reigniting the town's hostility.
- Could Edward have been "completed" if the inventor had lived?
- Possible Answer: Yes, but his unfinished state is central to his tragic identity.
- What happens to Edward after Kim dies?
- Possible Answer: He continues existing, alone, his story kept alive through her granddaughter's memory.
Personal Opinion on the Ending
The ending of Edward Scissorhands is one of the most hauntingly beautiful conclusions in cinema. It doesn't offer a tidy resolution but instead lingers in the realm of melancholy fantasy. Edward's fate is heartbreaking-he is both immortal and imprisoned, a symbol of artistic brilliance stifled by society's narrow-mindedness. Yet, there's a quiet hope in the idea that his snow reaches the town, a reminder that even the most isolated souls can touch the world. The film's refusal to give Edward a conventional happy ending makes his story more powerful; it's a meditation on how love and art persist despite cruelty and time.
Legacy and Emotional Impact
Decades after its release, the ending of Edward Scissorhands remains unforgettable because it balances sorrow with a strange kind of hope. Edward's eternal solitude is tragic, but his creativity-the snow-becomes a gift to the town that rejected him. This duality captures the essence of Tim Burton's style: dark yet whimsical, grotesque yet tender. The film's conclusion asks viewers to reflect on how society treats outsiders and how beauty often arises from pain. It's a fairy tale for the misfits, a reminder that some stories don't end with reconciliation but with quiet, enduring magic.