Corpse Bride (2005)

Directors:

Tim Burton
Mike Johnson

Writers:

Tim Burton (characters) and
Carlos Grangel (characters) ...

Release Date:

23 September 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Loving You Is Like Loving The Dead

Plot:

When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.

Plot Keywords:

Corpse | Bride | Groom | Woods | Arranged Marriage

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Johnny Depp	...	Victor Van Dort (voice)
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Corpse Bride (voice)
Emily Watson	...	Victoria Everglot (voice)
Tracey Ullman	...	Nell Van Dort / Hildegarde (voice)
Paul Whitehouse	...	William Van Dort / Mayhew / Paul The Head Waiter (voice)
Joanna Lumley	...	Maudeline Everglot (voice)
Albert Finney	...	Finis Everglot (voice)
Richard E. Grant	...	Barkis Bittern (voice)
Christopher Lee	...	Pastor Galswells (voice)
Michael Gough	...	Elder Gutknecht (voice)
Jane Horrocks	...	Black Widow Spider / Mrs. Plum (voice)
Enn Reitel	...	Maggot / Town Crier (voice)
Deep Roy	...	General Bonesapart (voice)
Danny Elfman	...	Bonejangles (voice)
Stephen Ballantyne	...	Emil (voice)

Also Known As:

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Singapore: English title) (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some scary images and action, and brief mild language.

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX | SDDS

Certification:

UK:PG | Finland:K-7 | Ireland:PG | Singapore:PG | Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Philippines:G | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Norway:7 | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:MG6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Brazil:Livre | Australia:PG | Mexico:A | Portugal:M/12 | Czech Republic:12 | USA:PG (certificate #42021) | Malaysia:U | Spain:7 | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Germany:6 (f) | New Zealand:PG | Sweden:7 | Canada:G (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The puppets used neither of the industry standards of replaceable heads (like those used on The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)) or replaceable mouths (like those used by Aardman Studios in Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)) but instead used precision crafted clockwork heads, adjusted by hidden keys. This allowed for unprecedented subtlety, but was apparently even more painstaking than the already notoriously arduous animation. One animator even reported having recurring nightmares of adjusting his own facial expression in this fashion.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Victor is in the woods saying his vows, he puts his ring on the "branch" aka the corpse bride's hand and he puts the ring on the pointer finger. But in the next shot when she says "You may kiss the bride." the ring has magically moved to her ring finger.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Town Crier: Hear ye, hear ye, ten minutes to go till Van Dort's wedding rehearsal.

Movie Connections:

References The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Soundtrack:

Remains of the Day

Magic Music by Elfmann

Corpse Bride works for me on so many levels but outstanding is the integration of music and words. The musical that blended the words and music to such a level that one could hardly imagine the film without the composer's contribution. This should be advertised as Danny's production as was the practice of Rogers and Hammerstein, or Irving Berlin or Cole Porter. We have a new art form here: the animated opera. Music is alive and well in the world of the dead. The music in the titles presents themes which continue into the film. An important part of the love story is the interest of the main characters and their methods of expression of emotion via piano music. The characters exist in an aura of sound. Imagine a Russian epic without the Lara Theme or Rick's place without Sam's piano. This film has achieved an identity that says this is music and this is what the movies has to say. All awards to those involved!