Did Jim Deserve to Die in EDWARD SCISSORHANDS?

[@brocksampson3405]

Easy answer: Yes! He's another dumb jerk who got what he deserved. The second he said or did something that shows how bad he is. I immediately knew he was a goner and I was rooting for it. But with how you preferred an ending like Jim getting arrested for life or died in an accident without Edward causing it like Jim getting clumsy and falls through the window but either way. I'm leaning more into how Jim met his fate. Also, I like how you covered some good history here in cinemas. This film is a classic.

[@alana1835]

i think his death was ultimately a final corruption of edward, making it so that edward can’t ever truly leave humanity behind because his hands are still stained with the blood of someone he killed. necessary? probably not. for good reason? yes.

[@NinjaKooopa]

Great commentary and gags, Ken! That comment from Ebert js revisionist history. So many of the old film nior and classic horror films end with someone dying. I don't know how he missed that since this movie is like a modern retelling of Frankenstein. Also, good slob reference.

[@KennyStepsIntoMovies]

Lol, appreciate it!

[@dominicsanimatedreviews5966]

Yes, definitely. He ruined Edward's life out of jealousy, and nearly led to an innocent kid being run over. However, this isn't enough for him, he HAS to go one step further by trying to kill him. He doesn't feel any sense of accountability. Note that after Jim is scratched, he feels more angry. He looks more at his jacket being ripped. Even after all of this, it isn't enough that Jim is so petty and cruel that he doesn't just want a rival out of the way. The mere existence of Edward is enough. He also gets very abusive towards Kim. He is well on his way to becoming a dangerous person with no remorse towards anything he's done. ,

[@ryanohara476]

Yes Jim was evil!

[@GoodGrimace]

YES

[@ScottNapolitan]

From what I understand, yes, I think so. Here's why. For starters, he was a jealous narcissist who hated Edward just because he was different and treated him like trash. And the way he bullied him became more and more severe throughout the film. Plus he even tried to kill him at the end, he had a gun. Edward was acting in self-defense when he stabbed him with one of his scissors and pushed him out the window of his mansion to his death.

[@KennyStepsIntoMovies]

I appreciate your thoughts! Thanks for the comment!

[@ScottNapolitan]

Thank you, and you’re welcome!👍

[@ScottNapolitan]

I did see this in the theatre, but I probably only rented it once or twice in the early 90's, therefore there are probably many parts that I have forgotten about entirely, and by that I mean they're not even in my memory banks.

[@MarkisMellow]

As a kid I was glad when he died, but now I don’t really think he deserved it. Imagine if in Back to the Future, Marty murdered Biff, it would feel weird and out of place. Biff isn’t a good person but I don’t think he deserves to die and now I think that with Jim.

[@ScottNapolitan]

I guess one difference is that Biff received a come-uppance when Marty accidentally went back in time and interfered with his parents meeting, and had to fix what he'd done, so when he returned to 1985, he was a very different kind of person who treated others more respectfully considering that after George genuinely stood up to him in 1955 by punching him out before he could give him a spiral arm fracture he'd turned over a new leaf and learned not to bully people. (The part when he did become evil was after his 2015 self gave the Sports Book to his 1955 self, causing the alternate 1985, he'd actually murdered George, but they fixed that after Marty retrieved the book from 1955's Biff and then burned it as Dr. Brown instructed him to.)

[@Crasher1982]

Btw I grew up with this movie. If anyone who worked on this movie sees this comment - Well done. Super movie.

[@michaelnally2841]

As someone who didn’t see this until they were an adult. I get what people are saying. Jim is not redeemable by what we see. He’s controlling, he’s a narcissist, he frames Edward, and of course helps lead to him being banished. I agree in the context of the scene Edward is justified in killing Jim. However if Jim was arrested for what he did I think that would’ve been more warranted punishment. Had Jim done something more severe like kill Kevin with his car and had edward blamed for it than yes.

[@KennyStepsIntoMovies]

@michaelnally2841 great insights! It just felt too big for a movie like this with how everything had been going.

[@michaelnally2841]

@ though I feel the intention of it may have been to show case there’s no going back for Edward to return to the town

[@stevenriley9312]

Jim needed to die. All the arguments made for and against his death were good, but there's one more thing to remember, Jim was NEVER going to leave Edward alone. If Jim was arrested, he would have waited until he was released from prison or juvie or whatever and then he still would have gone up there to kill Edward. The moment Kim broke up with him was the moment Jim decided he was going to do whatever it took to make sure Edward died and if Edward didn't kill him Jim would've kept trying. Moreover, Jim hitting Kim was a clear indication that he might've killed Kim too at that point. No matter what argument anyone can make, Jim had to die.

[@KennyStepsIntoMovies]

@@stevenriley9312 interesting read on the plot!

[@stevenriley9312]

@KennyStepsIntoMovies Thank you! One more thing though and it's regarding the manner in which Jim died. Edward had to be the one to kill him and I have 4 reasons. The first 2 have been said many times (the town somewhat corrupting Edward to do something like that, and the fact that it was self defense since Jim was trying to kill him)but here's 2 other reasons. 1, it shows that what Jim said earlier in jest that Edward would do anything for Kim was right on the money. Remember, Jim hit Kim during the final battle and before that Edward wasn't fighting back. But the moment Jim struck Kim he signed his own death warrant. And 2, it needed to be a death to show Jim himself that he had lost. He had done nothing but be awful to Edward the entire movie and likely thought Edward would do nothing to him in retaliation. When Edward stabbed him though, look at Jim's face. It's a look that says "Oh crap, maybe I shouldn't have been tormenting the guy with blades for fingers". Not that the knowledge was going to save him at that moment but it was the final humiliation for this despicable jerk that the victim defeats the bully.

[@Crasher1982]

I think so. It was self-defence and self-defence is acceptable.

[@ScottNapolitan]

Totally, it was either him or Edward! (Maybe Kim eventually, too.)

[@Crasher1982]

@@ScottNapolitan Indeed.