Summary
Micheal Keaton’s iconic performance in Tim Burton’s filmBeetlejuiceis filled with highly quotable lines.Beetlejuice, or Betelgeuse, is a dead bio-exorcist who tries to help the recently deceased Maitlands (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) scare off their house’s new inhabitants, the Deetz family (Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Jeffrey Jones). Despite his significance to the film,Keaton only appears on-screen as Beetlejuicefor about 17 minutes of the film and isn’t seen until almost half an hour in.
According to Keaton, the Beetlejuice character was never rehearsed or screen-tested. Keaton was given creative freedom to develop the character as he wanted, based on Burton’s designs. His character has inspired a television show, a Nintendo game, and a musical adaptation of the film.Keaton claims Beetlejuice has “stupid male energy,“making it easier to ad-lib many of his character’s iconic lines.
The 25 Greatest Quotes From Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice is one of director Tim Burton’s most memorable films and with the film’s dark humor and dialogue, it’s not hard to see why.
10"I’ll Do Anything To Get Your Business. Hell, I’ll Possess Myself If I Gotta. I’ve Got Demons Running All Through Me”
Along with some other promises in the commercial, he says that he would possess anyone to get results, even himself. Rather honestly, he admits he’s already got demons running through him.This promise, coupled with his physical performance, depicts Beetlejuice as a rather unstable character,despite being willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy the client.
9"The Only One I Think I Can Deal With Is Edgar Allan Poe’s Daughter. I Think She Understands Me”
Beetlejuice’s Attitude Toward Lydia
Here, Beetlejuice expresses his appreciation for Lydia and her strangeness. While not a direct reference to Poe, since he didn’t have a daughter,the quote alludes to the macabre nature that Poe and Lydia share.Her attitude and appearance tell him that Lydia is more twisted than other humans. She even claims to be “strange and unusual,” especially compared to her parents.
Beetlejuice’s casual reference to the famous author suggests he might be well-read. Perhaps Beetlejuice even encountered Poe in real life since he’s been around for centuries.
Beetlejuice’s casual reference to the famous author suggests he might be well-read. Perhaps Beetlejuice even encountered Poe in real life, since he’s been around for centuries. Of course, he is wrong in thinking that Lydia understands him, as even she can’t decipher his twisted ways. Nevertheless,the casual reference highlights Beetlejuice’s humor and his attitude toward someone grim like Lydia.
Beetlejuice’s Bio-Exorcist Resume
Beetlejuice begins listing his whole backstory when asked what makes him a qualified bio-exorcist.He’s embellishing his background for comedic effect,given that he’s been dead for hundreds of years. This means he’s stalked the afterlife long before he would have been able to attend these schools. Not only is his background comically specific, but it doesn’t do anything to prove his bio-exorcist credentials.
His trickster persona makes it hard to know when he is being serious or not. However, the line between reality and imagination is always slightly blurred in Burton’s strange world.
Beetlejuice is unable to be truly serious, even when it would help his case and get humans to free him.Perhaps he is jokingly lying here because he has no real credentials, and he’s trying to distract from that with comedy. His trickster persona makes it hard to know when he is being serious or not. However, the line between reality and imagination is always slightly blurred in Burton’s strange world.
7"I’m The Ghost With The Most, Babe"
Beetlejuice’s Appeal To Lydia
When Lydia looks for Beetlejuice to help save the Maitlands, she finds him relaxing in the miniature town. When she asks him if he’s a ghost, he states, “I’m the ghost with the most, babe,” without even looking at her. It’s hard to tell if his laid-back demeanor is real or just a part of his trickster persona. He soon changes tactics and realizes she might be able to free him from the model.
The name “Beetlejuice” is spoken 15 times in the movie.
Cooly, Beetlejuice explains to Lydia what his life is like, appealing to her sympathies and promising to help the Maitlands.Despite his cool attitude, his appearance and banishment make Lydia question Beetlejuice’s morality.When she realizes she has no choice but to summon him, the two play charades to teach Lydia his name. Throughout the scene, he can’t help but appear eager at the idea that he might be freed and get to rejoin society.
6"Cute Couple… Look Nice And Stupid Too"
Beetlejuice’s First Impression Of The Maitlands
Without revealing Beetlejuice’s appearance, the audience sees his character as they hear him peruse the newspaper.He turns to the obituaries, or what he refers to as the “business section.“He sees a picture of the recently deceased Maitlands and says his first line about them, which seems kind but hints at his ulterior motives.
Even before the audience sees Beetlejuice, they can tell he’s mischievous. Initially, he appears nice and earnest, but it is clear he will try to take advantage of the couple. The setting also develops his character well, as his room is hazardously filled with open flames, beers, and loose papers. The short scene also confirms thatthe Maitlands are officially dead and that Beetlejuice’s presence in their lives was not accidental.
5“Nice F***ing Model”
Beetlejuice’s Swear Word Temper Tantrum
When Beetlejuice is no longer the center of attention, he passive aggressively yells at the Maitlands.He even kicks over one of the miniature trees in the model, watching it fall in a small act of defiance. After his exclamation, he grabs his crotch and makes a loud honking noise to emphasize his point.
Beetlejuice’s explicit language is shocking, especially since this is one of the rare instances of a curse word being used. Despite the use of the f-word and some frightening imagery,the film still received a PG rating.Beetlejuice 2will receive a PG-13 age rating, promising even more scares and explicit language.
4"I’ve Seen The Exorcist About 167 Times And It Keeps Getting Funnier Every Single Time I See It”
Beetlejuice’s Favorite Funny Film
In the last line of his appeal as bio-exorcist, Beetlejuice states his love ofThe Exorcist, a famous horror film from 15 years prior.The fact that Beetlejuice thinks it is a laughable movie shows how his mind works.The Exorcist,a movie about the possession of a young girl, is explicitly not a comedy movie that speaks to Beetlejuice’s twisted nature.
Perhaps he finds it laughable as an “exorcist” himself, seeing how someone might exorcise a spirit instead of a living being like a bio-exorcist would do. Another theory is that Beetlejuice is trying to prove his bravery by showing that he laughs at things that would typically scare off others. Either way,Beetlejuice’s preferences are unusual,adding to his credentials as a weirdo and possibly his resume as a bio-exorcist.
3"If You Act Now, You Get A Free Demon Possession With Every Exorcism”
Beetlejuice’s Infomercial
The promise is comedic, offering demon possession as a good thing. This line might be directly related to Beetlejuice’s love ofThe Exorcist, which he explains later in the film. The offer doesn’t entice the Maitlands, though, as they have little need for possession, especially since they are so new to the dead world.Much like an infomercial salesman, he adds extra deals to convince the audience to reach out to him.
Beetlejuice Provokes The Maitlands
After an argument with the Maitlands,Beetlejuice becomes defensive, realizing they aren’t eager to free him. He wants to continue scaring Lydia, even though the couple now feels affectionate towards the teen. After a slight physical altercation, Beetlejuice provokes the couple more, saying, “Go ahead, make my millennium,” about Clint Eastwood’s famous line, “Go ahead, make my day.”
The alteration of the phrase emphasizes how old and timeless Beetlejuice is.He is not bound by human time systems, living day to day.He has lived for centuries and will likely continue to do so, stuck in a poltergeist’s limbo. It is almost sad that this could be the most exciting interaction of Beetlejuice’s past 1,000 years.
1"It’s Showtime!"
Lydia Summons Beetlejuice For Help
This is one of Beetlejuice’s most iconic lines, as it begins the extent of his chaos and madness.In a desperate effort to save the Maitlands from exorcism, Lydia summons Beetlejuice only after agreeing to marry him. The scene is tense, as the audience knows he is much more evil than Lydia can tell. Even the Maitlands look at each other in disbelief, though they know they have no other survival options.
Beetlejuice’s return is grand and theatrical, with “showtime” being an apt word. His entrance and costume are imaginatively constructed and fun to watch,proving Beetlejuice to be a real showman. Though he initially seems like a friendly ghost, he effectively halts the meeting and punishes the humans, taking them down one at a time. He is also able to help the Maitlands, just as he promised Lydia. Despite its brevity, the quote is one of the most iconic lines fromBeetlejuice.
Beetlejuice
Cast
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes. When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home. However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.
