The Addams Family quotes help make the live-action movies beloved by many thanks to the witty, kooky characters. The perfect cast, combined with cleverly written scripts, helped secure their positions as two of the most influential movies in pop culture history. Barry Sonnenfeld directed The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, with an iconic supporting cast including the talents of Christopher Lloyd, Joan Cusack, Dan Hedaya, and Dana Ivey.
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Actors Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, and Raul Julia steal the show with their portrayals of main characters Morticia, Wednesday, and Gomez, delivering performances and dynamics that were so good, they’re downright irreplaceable. The Addams Family movies endeared themselves with their gothic style, morbid sense of humor, and scripts filled with dialogue that is impossible to forget. The best Addams Family quotes include humorous, dark, and often sarcastic looks at the family and the world around them.
25 “I Would Kill For Her. I Would Die For Her. Either Way, What Bliss.”
Raul Julia As Gomez Addams
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In the opening sequence of The Addams Family, both Gomez Addams and Thing are making their way around their mansion when Gomez stops in the doorway of their bedroom to admire a sleeping Morticia. He utters this profession of love while he takes in the sight of her. What is funny is that his proclamation of love turns dark very quickly, and it doesn’t take long for this first movie to show that the darkness and thoughts of death were just normal for this loving couple.
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The correlation between love and death is the perfect embodiment of Gomez’s hopeless devotion to his wife and their morbid lifestyle. Both Morticia and Gomez love the idea of death as much as they love each other. Comparing their unwavering love with the idea of death, whether it was Gomez killing someone to show his love for Morticia or dying himself, was enough for him to exclaim that this was what true love meant for him.
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24 “Unhappy, Darling? Oh, Yes. Yes, Completely.”
Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
After she wakes from her beauty sleep, Gomez checks in on Morticia’s well-being in the most unorthodox way possible. It’s honestly unclear what’s more hilarious: his preference for asking about her unhappiness or the fact that she is and is so happy about it. In true Morticia and Gomez fashion, unhappiness is the new happiness, at least it is for this creepy and kooky Addams Family couple.
This is a perfect depiction of why this family acts the way they do. It has become almost common to see characters like Wednesday Addams talking about being miserable, but that is the state she wants to be in. That was clearly passed down from her mother, as Morticia seems to have a joyous and satisfied glow when she is completely unhappy since that is how this strange, demented family chooses to live their lives.
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23 “Cara Mia”
Raul Julia As Gomez Addams
This Italian term of endearment was uttered for the first time in the first act of The Addams Family and is reused myriad times throughout the series. “Cara mia” –which translates to “my dear“–is Gomez’s preferred pet name for Morticia. Usually, she replies in French right before they smother each other with kisses. This is something that fans have come to expect from Morticia and Gomez. While they are dark and love death, they are madly in love.
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They often outwardly show their love to an almost embarrassing level, but it is so par for the course that it never really embarrasses their children or other family members. However, it does often come across as a little overwhelming to people who don’t know them, especially since it is often so shocking compared to the dark and morbid attitudes they normally have at all times. Seeing this eccentric couple having pet nicknames for each other is still endearing though.
22 “I Wish I Had Enough Time To Seek Out The Dark Forces And Join The Hellish Crusade.”
Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
When Gomez checks on Morticia to see how she’s coping with the stress of having a third child, she confesses that she is bothered by something but not exactly what he expects. This statement is Morticia’s way of saying she wants to have her cake and eat it, too. Of course, Morticia’s cake is a little darker than most. The idea of Morticia Addams having another child was a big part of the storyline, but it was also one that seemed to take her out of much of the story’s action.
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At the same time, this quote really shows Morticia’s ”
fun
” side.
As most fans know, Morticia is someone who loves to explore her dark side, and while she is pregnant, this is not possible. Of course, Morticia likely would try anyway, despite the dangers, but that is what makes her such an interesting and unpredictable character. At the same time, this quote really shows Morticia’s “fun” side, as it is easy to imagine her joining the dark forces and heading on what she might consider a “hellish crusade.”
21 “You Frightened Me. Do It Again.”
Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
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This scene is an example of the playful dynamic between Morticia and Gomez, who are known for their heavy flirting throughout the Addams Family movies. When Morticia sees her husband spiraling downward, it scares her, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Actually, she quite enjoys it. Even when there is mortal danger, Morticia and Gomez Addams are all in on it.
While The Addams Family is mostly a comedy, it is also based in the world of horror, and this quote from Morticia shows the playful part of horror movies and TV shows. The entire purpose of scary movies and haunted houses is to create scary experiences for people who find them to be fun. It seems that a haunted house might be boring for Morticia and Gomez, but a trip through a real haunted graveyard might be more up to their standards. This quote shows that Morticia would at least be all up for it.
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20 “Is That For Your Brother? I Don’t Think So.”
Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
Wednesday and Morticia have a mother-daughter bond quite like no other. Morticia encourages Wednesday to stay true to herself and supports her in everything she does. This quote proves that. While Morticia pours her heart out to her mother at the kitchen table, Wednesday walks by in the background with a kitchen knife, to her mother’s dissatisfaction.
But, it’s not the fact that Wednesday is threatening to stab her brother that she’s concerned with, just the choice of weapon. After confiscating the knife, she hands Wednesday a bigger one. This is a huge joke, too, as it promotes their sibling rivalry, even though Pugsley is the smaller and less menacing of the kids. However, at the end of the day, it is a case of survival of the fittest, and Morticia and Gomez know that they need to raise their kids to be tough, even if they are using deadly weapons.
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19 “Our Lifeless Bodies Rotting Together For All Eternity.”
Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
This profession of love is one of the most romantic quotes in the entire franchise. In The Addams Family, Morticia and Gomez sit together in their cemetery under a moonlit sky. The intimate setting inspires fond memories of the couple’s first meeting, and the two fantasize about life after death. When Morticia talks about the idea of the two rotting together in matching corpses, she’s saying not even death can keep them apart.
This really shows the couple’s morbid romance, which to them is very romantic, but to others, it would be disturbing and possibly traumatic. For most people, being together forever, even after death, might be a romantic ideal. However, going on to the truthful outlook of this, since both bodies will rot together, it is still part of the original idea of being together forever, although it is much grosser to think about in this situation.
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18 “Boys?” “Homicide.”
Christina Ricci As Wednesday Addams
While Morticia is dropping Wednesday off at camp in The Addams Family Values, they meet Amanda and Ellen Buckman, a mother-daughter duo that is the exact opposite of them. When Morticia tells Ellen that Wednesday only has “one thing on her mind,” Ellen wrongfully assumes it is boys. Wednesday doesn’t hesitate to correct her that it is instead homicide. Mrs. Buckman tries to hide her discomfort, but Wednesday doesn’t care.
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She knows that she isn’t like most girls her age, and that doesn’t bother her one bit. This is also funny when looking at the future Netflix series Wednesday. In the first season, there was a large emphasis on Wednesday and a possible love interest. However, as Jenna Ortega is also a producer on the series, she emphasized that there should be no romantic subplot in the second season, which easily ties in with Wednesday not caring about boys when murder is on the menu.
17 “Imagine, Darling, If Fester Came Back. Half Alive, Barely Human. A Rotting Shell.” “Don’t Tease.”
Raul Julia As Gomez Addams & Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
This is another example of the amazing on-screen chemistry between Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia that made audiences fall in love with Gomez and Morticia. In The Addams Family, as Morticia snips away at her red roses, she attempts to offer a gloomy Gomez reassurance about his missing brother. When they propose the idea of resurrecting him as an undead rotting corpse, Gomez finds the idea intriguing. Gomez wants his brother back, and while that is an interesting idea, the immediate direction that the conversation takes is one that can only be undertaken by Morticia and Gomez.
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Seeing Fester rising from the dead as a rotted, barely human corpse seems horrifying, but for this couple, it is fascinating and something that they realize they would love to see. The quote is even better because Morticia is cutting the roses off and keeping only the thorns while saying this.
16 “That Poor Girl.”
Raul Julia As Gomez Addams
The late Raul Julia was a masterful Gomez. There hasn’t been a live-action Gomez Addams like him since. A scene stealer, he delivered lines like no other with a passion and ferocity that came off as natural. This scene was a prime example of his amazing delivery. When Gomez lifts the top of a life-size cake to find nothing but vapor inside, It’s clear he was expecting a surprised guest, but Lurch apparently baked the cake with her inside.
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One of The Addams Family’s many charms is the way everyone moves on completely unfazed. This is a terrifying moment, with the woman in the cake dying a horrifying death, but Gomez’s entire nonchalant response to the death is funny, and the fact that no one seems to care that someone died makes it even better. These moments are fleeting and quick jokes, so people don’t stop to think about how terrible the moment really was.
15 “The Human Spirit, It Is A Hard Thing To Kill.” “Even With A Chainsaw.”
Judith Malina As Grandmama Addams
When a skeptical Wednesday questions the news of her uncle’s return from the Bermuda Triangle, the phony Dr. Greta Pinder-Schloss (later revealed to be con artist Abigail Craven) tries to deter her. When she tells Wednesday the human spirit is hard to kill, Granny co-signs in a way that insinuates that she knows this for a fact. Knowing the Addams family, it wouldn’t be surprising.
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It is rare to get many great quotes out of Grandmama, which is disappointing since there were so many wonderful attempts for humor from the character. Judith Malina plays Grandmama in the first Addams Family movie, and her quotes are rare and usually offhanded in response to other people’s quotes. However, the legendary Carol Kane replaced Malina in the second movie, and the character got a lot more attention, although this was still her best quote of the two films.
14 “All That I Can Forgive, But, Debbie, Pastels?”
Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
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At the realization that Debbie Jellinsky (Joan Allen) has become a negative influence on her brother-in-law, Morticia doesn’t bat an eye. It is clear that Morticia has no qualms with evil intentions, and even when she knows that someone is doing something to hurt Fester, that doesn’t bother her because Fester can take care of himself. However, she could not leave Fester’s house without letting Debbie know how tacky her choice of home decor was.
The entire moment was great because Morticia was disturbed by the tacky home decor while not really caring about anything else. It also shows that maybe Morticia wanted to find a way to lash out at Debbie and decided that insulting her home and taste was the best way to bet under the woman’s skin since she clearly didn’t care she was hurting Fester. Only the great Anjelica Huston could make a line so catty come off so gracefully.
13 “Kids.”
Raul Julia As Gomez Addams
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As unorthodox as they may be, Morticia and Gomez are amazing parents. This scene gives us an example of their loving bond. While the family prepares to have a séance, Pugsley unexpectedly pulls out a meat cleaver. Gomez catches him in the act and confiscates the weapon, and Pugsley replies with an innocent giggle. The way Gomez minimizes the entire situation is a reflection of his passive parenting style and his strong adoration of his children who could never do wrong in his eyes.
Just as Morticia did earlier with Wednesday, who was taking a knife in to attack her brother, only to have her give her daughter a bigger one, this was Gomez playing the same game with Pugsley. The kids clearly want to try to kill each other, mostly as a deadly game, and the fact their parents are proud of their attempts makes the moments even funnier, in a very disturbing way.
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12 “No Calls. No Cares. No Survivors.”
Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
A running gag throughout the Addams Family films is the recollection of Morticia and Gomez’s honeymoon. In this scene, as Gomez becomes weary of his brother’s well-being, Morticia recalls a honeymoon cruise where there were no calls, cares, or “survivors.” There are many reasons that a couple would find their honeymoon relaxing and memorable. Not having anyone bothering them or calling them is one big reason. Another is the idea of not having a care about anything but having fun.
The idea that their honeymoon cruise also came back with “no survivors” delivers a story that the movies never did go into detail on.
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Those are two things that Morticia mentions here, but there is one other that brings up something quite sinister. The idea that their honeymoon cruise also came back with “no survivors” delivers a story that the movies never go into detail on. Also, the fact that Morticia looks at this as one of the highlights fits her character perfectly. This horrific memory would trouble most couples, but not the Addamses — they were quite pleased with the outcome.
11 “What Do You Say?” “Now.”
Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams & Christina Ricci As Wednesday Addams
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The Addams Family dynamic is hilariously unique. This scene with Wednesday and her Uncle Fester showcases that beautifully. During Fester’s first breakfast with the Addamses, Wednesday asks him to pass her the salt. Morticia follows up with “What do you say?” In response, Wednesday rudely replies “Now.” The rude, assertive follow-up to such an initially sweet request is so unexpected, it’s laugh-out-loud funny.
It isn’t clear if this is the correct response that Morticia was going for, but seeing her asking her daughter to say “please” seems out of character, so this might be the exact answer that she wanted to hear, as she clearly has raised her daughter to go after what she wants. Either way, seeing Wednesday acting so rude and crass, and then seeing Uncle Fester meekly pass her the salt shaker was perfect for the entire family dynamic here.
10 “Excuse Us. Second Honeymoon.”
Raul Julia As Gomez Addams
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In this scene, Morticia and Gomez can’t keep their hands off each other as the memories of their visit to the Bermuda Triangle send them down memory lane, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. After firing off a list of deadly venues that include Devil’s Island and the Black Hole of Calcutta, the couple politely excuse themselves.
What makes this scene so great is that the entire franchise has shown how Gomez and Morticia’s love story is demented and full of dark and morbid fantasies. They seek to love each other to death. They have fantasies of rotting together in their graves after they die. They also show here that they find arousal in the darkest of topics, and when speaking of places of tragedies and unnatural deaths, the two feel the need to rush off for a romantic moment.
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9 “I Believe They Own–” “Gomez, No!” “–A Buick!”
Raul Julia As Gomez Addams & Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
When Gomez runs to a local police station to report Debbie’s lying, manipulative ways, he runs down a list of reasonable causes that she should be arrested, except that none of the excuses actually sound harmful or criminal. He demands that the police do something about Debbie marrying his brother. The police seem unconcerned about the wedding, and then he admits that she took him to Hawaii and then moved into a large home where they make love constantly.
At worst, he demands the officer issue Debbie a subpoena for purchasing, to which Morticia seems horrified, a Buick. It’s hilariously left field, and Huston’s performance only adds to the magic. The best part of this is that Nathan Lane cameos as the police desk sergeant, and his reaction to the entire complaint is feigned disgust. However, it is clear he is only humoring these weird people until Gomez openly insults him, which gets the entire family arrested.
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8 “Would You Die For Me? Promise?”
Joan Cusack As Debbie Jellinsky
On their wedding night, the gold-digging Debbie begins plotting Fester’s downfall in an attempt to steal his money. It’s clear that she’s up to no good as she snatches the chord of the radio from the outlet and creeps closer to the tub. After he promises to die for her, she tests that theory by throwing the radio in the tub in an attempt to electrocute him. Little did she know that one little brush with death isn’t enough to take down an Addams.
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The attempt backfires, and she ends up with a happy, smiling Fester, much to her disdain. One of the running jokes is that Fester has the power of electricity and can even put a light bulb in his mouth and light it up, which he does here. If Debbie wanted to kill him, she chose one of the worst ways to do it. However, the entire lead-in with him promising he would die for her leads to the punchline where she says, “Pumpkin,” only to horrifyingly see him smiling with the light bulb in his mouth.
7 “Cyanide? Fester, As If We’d Run Out.”
Anjelica Huston As Morticia Addams
As Morticia attempts to help Fester unpack his luggage, she comes across a group of peculiar items, most of which are deadly weapons. As she takes the items out one by one, she suddenly halts at the sight of a glass bottle. This bottle contains the deadly poison cyanide, which would startle most. Instead, Morticia turns around, amused at the audacity of Fester to dare think she would run out of such an essential ingredient.
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The best part of this quote is that none of the weapons that Uncle Fester is carrying cause any sort of suspicion in Morticia. This is especially concerning since this isn’t the real Uncle Fester, and is an “imposter” named Gordon, who brought lots of weapons to use against the Addamses as he and his “mother” tried to steal their fortune. The idea that she figures all the weapons are normal and that the cyanide is just par for the course is all part of the gag.
6 “It’s Called ‘Is There A God?'”
Christina Ricci As Wednesday Addams
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While Wednesday and Pugsley are going about their everyday routine of beheading toys in the attic, Wednesday tries to persuade Pugsley to sit in their electric chair by telling him they’re going to play a game. Ever the gullible Addams, Pugsley sits in the chair excitedly, unsure of what to expect. When Pugsley innocently asks Wednesday what game they’ll be playing, she straps him in and coolly replies “Is there a god?“
The big running joke throughout the first movie was Wednesday and Pugsley trying to kill each other in random ways. However, it was Wednesday’s more dangerous games and threats that really stole the show. Putting her little brother into an electric chair and then basically telling him she is going to kill him might be the best of these dangerous games. It was a nice way to finish off this running gag, although neither of the kids ever took it to the extreme lengths of actually killing each other.