Topic Page: Burton, Tim, 1958-

Summary Article: Burton, Tim from Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia

Tim Burton was voted the 49th greatest director of all time in 1996 by

Entertainment Weekly. He was the youngest director on the list. Burton

became an influence in Hollywood at a young age due to his unique,

darkly humorous, and often quirky cinematic vision. His films are intensely

personal and highly stylized.

Born Timothy William Burton on August 25, 1958, in Burbank, California,

he spent much of his childhood secluded and entertained himself by

watching horror movies and drawing. Burton lived near a cemetery and

has commented on the “weirdness” of the situation. His rather macabre

childhood has influenced his filmmaking.

Director Tim Burton, November 2010. (Getty Images)

Image from: Director Tim

Burton, November 2010.

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After high school, Burton studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts, founded by Disney,

from whom he would eventually obtain a fellowship. He worked at Disney on The Fox and the Hound

(1981) and The Black Cauldron (1985), but found that he often had artistic differences with his colleagues.

Allowed by Disney to work on personal projects, he created a six-minute tribute to the horror actor

Vincent Price titled Vincent (1982), and the movie Frankenweenie (1984), which was judged by studio

administrators as unsuitable for children.

Paul Reubens (a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman) was so impressed by Frankenweenie that he asked the then 27-

year-old Burton to direct Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), which, to the delight of studio heads, turned

out to be a huge hit. His successful turn with this film led to his being chosen to direct the quirky

supernatural comedy Beetlejuice (1988), which starred Michael Keaton and which was embraced by

critics and audiences alike. Based on the critical and box-office success of these two films, Burton was

tapped to direct the enormously expensive Batman (1989), on which he again worked with Keaton.

His next movie, Edward Scissorhands (1990), is considered by many his seminal work. The film, which

featured the extraordinarily talented Johnny Depp as the eerily seductive Scissorhands, found Burton at

the height of his creative powers and showcased his ability to create a highly stylized and painstakingly

designed film. The working relationship between Burton and Depp has been a fruitful one, as they have

gone on to make five more films together.

Batman Returns (1992) saw Burton once again working with Keaton. The film was darker and stranger

than the original, showing how much creative freedom he had won. The film did well, but many people

were disappointed by it. While working on Batman Returns, he also produced the wildly popular The

Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), which he had written himself. The stop-motion animation movie

emphasized Burton's gothic style and dark humor. Mixing two of his favorite themes, Christmas and

Halloween, today it has become a cult classic.

Although Ed Wood (1994), his tribute to the legendary “worst director of all time,” did poorly at the box

office, it received some of the best critical reviews of Burton's career. The vibrant Mars Attacks! (1996)

was a step away from his typical style and was met with mediocre reviews and little box-office success,

despite the appearances by big name stars.

Burton returned to form with Sleepy Hollow (1999), where he again worked with Depp. His next two films

were more conventional. The remake Planet of the Apes (2001) did well at the box office but was

panned by critics. He followed with Big Fish (2003), which disappointed fans.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), a more faithful retelling of Roald Dahl's original story, was a

commercial and critical success. His second stop-motion film, Corpse Bride (2005), received an Academy

Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film and garnered more critical praise. Many consider it to

be the spiritual successor to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

His most recent work, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), received a Golden

Globe nomination for Best Director and won an Oscar for Best Achievement in Art Direction.

As of 2009, all but three of his feature films have been nominated for an Academy Award in some

category. Sweeney Todd won the Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) and Best Actor (Comedy or

Musical) Awards at the 65th Golden Globe Awards.

Selected Filmography

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Alice in Wonderland (2010);.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007);.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005);.

Big Fish (2003);.

Planet of the Apes (2001);.

Sleepy Hollow (1999);.

Mars Attacks! (1996);.

Ed Wood (1994);.

Batman Returns (1992);.

Edward Scissorhands (1990);.

Batman (1989);.

Beetlejuice (1989);.

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985).

References

Burton, Tim, and Mark Salisbury. Burton on Burton. Faber London. 2000.

Burton, Tim, and Kristian Fraga. Tim Burton: Interviews. University Press of Mississippi Jackson. 2005.

Woods, Paul A. Tim Burton: A Child's Garden of Nightmares. Plexus London. 2002.

Heiney, James

Copyright 2011 by ABC-CLIO, LLC

https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/burton_tim_1958

APAHeiney, J., & Heiney. (2011). Burton, Tim. In P. C. DiMare (Ed.), Movies in American history: an encyclopedia.

Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Retrieved from

https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/burton_tim_1958

ChicagoHeiney, James, and Heiney. "Burton, Tim." In Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia, edited by

Philip C. DiMare. ABC-CLIO, 2011. https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/burton_tim_1958

HarvardHeiney, J. and Heiney. (2011). Burton, Tim. In P.C. DiMare (Ed.), Movies in American history: an

encyclopedia. [Online]. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. Available from:

https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/burton_tim_1958 [Accessed 21 May 2018].

MLAHeiney, James, and Heiney. "Burton, Tim." Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia, edited by Philip

C. DiMare, ABC-CLIO, 1st edition, 2011. Credo Reference,

https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/burton_tim_1958. Accessed 21 May 2018.

https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/burton_tim_1958