Other than his frequent collaboration with filmmaker Tim Burton and the series of eccentric characters he usually plays, it is also interesting to note that a number of films starring Johnny Depp actually feature him in titular roles. This means that the name of a particular character he plays in the movie is also used as the film’s title. So far, these cinematic pieces also tend to showcase the many offbeat and outlandish characters he is often cast in. His early 1990s movies offer a significant share of character names that are also used as the films’ titles.
“Edward Scissorhands” (1990)
“Edward Scissorhands” an idiosyncratic, gentle, and innocent young man with scissors for hands, is a character that features a Frankenstein-meets-Pinocchio origin. After living in isolation for many years, he finds himself trying to live a supposedly normal life with a loving and accepting family. Soon, he falls in love with a beautiful girl who actually loves him back, but society leads them to make ultimate sacrifices for love. As the main character in the story, using his name as the film’s title further contributes to this motion picture work’s trademark as a memorably dark and unusual fantasy masterpiece.
“Cry-Baby” (1990)
“Cry-Baby” is about an interestingly defiant teenager who breaks the sub-culture taboos in his small and conservative Baltimore town. He is best remembered for his ability to shed a single tear. When he falls for a good girl wanting to be bad, this prompts the story to showcase a parody of teen musicals exploring the romantic angle of teen love. As a striking title with a good recall, “Cry-Baby” allows the film to have a clear focus on its main character and how he presents himself in the story. By combining the teen rebel and musical genres, this film presents the affection, turmoil, and issues teenagers encounter in their young lives.
“Ed Wood” (1994)
“Ed Wood” is a comedy-drama biopic about the cult filmmaker Ed Wood. This black-and-white offering inventively features the life of the B-movie director, the strange and low-budget films he made, and the people surrounding his controversial life as a struggling filmmaker. It shows his flair in making such obviously flawed but somehow memorable films and the passion he has for storytelling. As a character and a film title, the name Ed Wood becomes an effective and reverent homage to the man’s quest for greatness and the hurdles he faced along the way. Depp’s performance as Ed provides an oddly charming and buoyant retelling of the cult director’s movie career.
“Don Juan DeMarco” (1994)
“Don Juan DeMarco” tells the story of a young and unusual character presenting himself as a nobleman and lover who already seduced more than a thousand women. Yet, he is still unable to win the heart of the woman of his dreams. This man called Don Juan DeMarco attempts to commit suicide until a psychiatrist who has a few days left before his retirement offers to help him. Soon, it turns out that Don Juan’s treatment becomes a means to rejuvenate the sexual relationship of the aging doctor and his wife. Another eccentric role for the young Depp, he carries this philosophical romantic comedy’s story through the character he plays. Aptly titled with a central theme revolving around him, the film is able to capture the sensibilities of the major characters and the settings where they dwell and interact.