How can Wednesday cut her brother's arm and nothing happened?

Question

In the movie The Addams Family, Wednesday cut off her brother Pugsley's arm, but it doesn't seem like it had any lasting consequences.

Is there any official explanation about how the arm got reattached?

They did many other things too that don't make sense.

OrangeDog · Accepted Answer · 2022-12-08T14:59:50.750

5

It was a fake arm (or at least, it wasn't his arm).

I think the implication is that it was in the package Fester gave them. The only mention in the script:

In a final vengeful moment, Wednesday HACKS AT PUGSLEY'S LEFT ARM, CUTTING IT OFF, SENDING A GUSHER OF BLOOD OUT OF HIS STUMP. THE ARM DROPS TO THE STAGE AND BOUNCES OFF, LANDING IN JUDGE WOMACK'S LAP.

You could interpret it as cutting his actual arm off, and then someone sewed it back on. The Addams films are full of implied maimings and things that would kill someone, but have no effect. Especially to Pugsly and Fester.

But I think the more obvious answer is they went beyond expectations in stage effects for a school play (and they already did with the choice of Hamlet).

edited Dec 08 '22 at 14:59

answered Dec 08 '22 at 13:34

OrangeDog

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so nothing officials either. It can be anything – user4951 Dec 08 '22 at 13:47
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There's nothing useful in the novelisation; https://i.stack.imgur.com/lCQTv.png – Valorum Dec 08 '22 at 14:14
You'd have to explain the sustained, high-pressure, aerated spray of blood as well, if Pugsley's arm had actually been cut off. (At the very least, the blood would come in spurts as the heart beats, instead of acting like a garden hose.) – chepner Dec 08 '22 at 14:15
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Nothing useful in the Movie Storybook: https://i.stack.imgur.com/9riOW.png – Valorum Dec 08 '22 at 14:19
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@chepner which is another reason to go for "fake arm" and some pumps and tubing. – OrangeDog Dec 08 '22 at 14:47
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Yes, my point is that there's little reason to believe it's anything other than a fake arm. – chepner Dec 08 '22 at 14:53
@chepner technically, I think it's probably a real arm. – OrangeDog Dec 09 '22 at 08:26
@OrangeDog Ah, yes :) I wonder whose? – chepner Dec 09 '22 at 12:37

How can Wednesday cut her brother's arm and nothing happened?

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