7. A Stroppy Teenager Or A Disturbed Child
Offenders: Beetlejuice, Dark Shadows, Vincent, Frankenweenie This isn't one that's looked at an awful lot or even used an awful lot, but when it comes up, you can't help but notice it. Let's start by looking at the miserable teenager character, who is almost always a girl. In both Beetlejuice and Dark Shadows, there was a slightly annoying and stereotypically rebellious brat who was almost always thinking exclusively about herself. I'm not sure if Tim Burton had an older sister but I sure as hell wouldn't be surprised. At least in Beetlejuice there were some redeeming features to her and she was actually the main character, not to mention the radical departure she goes through at the end. But the little b**ch in Dark Shadows? No matter how much I defend that movie, I cannot defend her. And now we move on to the scared little boy. And yes, it's always a boy. Usually wearing striped clothing. If the child isn't supernatural or some kind of chosen one, he's usually very bright, intelligent and thin as a rake. This was another cliche that annoyed me in Dark Shadows, especially because I really used to love it! Vincent, Burton's early short film, was an absolute treasure and definitely one of his greatest achievements (and featured a sister character bizarrely enough...) so when you start seeing him all over the place it's a little disappointing, and it takes the novelty away from the original. Oh, and did I mention that Burton's book 'Oyster Boy' is written almost exclusively about unwanted, slightly creepy kids? This one may seem a little mean-spirited, but it's really the only one that actually annoys me as opposed to amusing me. Moving on...