Michael Keaton played the titular role in 1988’s Beetlejuice, but he shockingly appeared way less in the movie than one would expect. Before being cast as the lead character in Beetlejuice, Keaton was already known for his roles in The Mary Tyler Moore House, Mr. Mom, and Night Shift. Though Keaton’s version of Batman from 1989 would become a highlight of his career, his role as Beetlejuice will always be celebrated given the establishment of an iconic character by the time of Beetlejuice‘s wacky ending.
In addition to Tim Burton coming back as director, Keaton returned for Beetlejuice 2‘s ensemble cast. Keaton was joined by Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, who played Lydia and Delia Deetz, as well as franchise newcomers Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, and Justin Theroux. At first, it was unclear what role he would play, yet in Beetlejuice 2‘s ending, Beetlejuice had reunited with the Deetz family. Although the title of the movie connects to the figure, it does not ensure a major role, as proven by Keaton’s first stint as the character.
Michael Keaton Only Has 17 Minutes Of Screen Time In Beetlejuice
From A Film With A 92 Minute Runtime
In Beetlejuice, the character’s bio-exorcist expertise was first needed by Adam and Barbara Maitland to rid their home of the Deetz family. His chaotic methods were a tad too unorthodox, but he proved useful later in the movie. At the end of the original Beetlejuice, the mischievous character was sent back to the afterlife because, although he saved the Maitlands, the couple prevented him from marrying Lydia and ensuring his place among the living.
Despite his vital role in the overall plot of Beetlejuice, Keaton only had a little over 17 minutes of screen time in 1988’s Beetlejuice (via Huff Post). Given the eponymous character’s nature, this is far lower than expected. In total, Beetlejuice is 92 minutes long, making Keaton’s limited screen time even more glaring, begging the question of how this impacted the regular Tim Burton actor in Beetlejuice 2.
How Beetlejuice’s Limited Screen Time Still Helped The Movie
Beetlejuice Is A Character Who Is Better In Small Doses
Due to the blueprint for Keaton’s role in the original Beetlejuice, his part only took two weeks to film. Still, he left a significant impact on the movie, stealing the very few scenes the wacky character appeared in. To make the film more entertaining, Keaton ad-libbed the majority of the lines, giving the actor more freedom to make the role of Beetlejuice his own. The decision from Burton to allow Keaton to ad-lib his Beetlejuice scenes ultimately shaped the movie into a beloved classic that remained relevant enough to garner a sequel decades later.
Beetlejuice’s enduring popularity could even lead to a third film being made, especially due to Beetlejuice 2’s box office success.
With numerous catchphrases and memorable scenes such as Beetlejuice’s commercial, the snake transformation, and hilarious afterlife encounters, the fact that Keaton had so little time to work with makes the movie’s legacy even better. Keaton even had a say in Beetlejuice’s iconic look, with the team behind him winning an Oscar for Best Makeup for their creation. It makes sense why Keaton has been so outspoken about his positive experience working on Beetlejuice and how the role will always be one of his favorites.
Michael Keaton’s Small Beetlejuice Role Is Mirrored By The 2024 Sequel
Keaton’s Character Remains A Vital Bit Part
Given the small amount of screentime given to the titular character in Beetlejuice, many were wondering if the long-awaited sequel would follow this trend. The cult classic status of the first film naturally saw many worry that Keaton’s Beetlejuice would be used much more significantly, potentially robbing the film of what made the first so great. However, Beetlejuice 2 repeated Keaton’s 17-minute trick, fulfilling one of Michael Keaton’s only conditions for returning as the character in the sequel.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is slightly longer than the first movie, clocking in at 104 minutes in comparison to its predecessor’s 92 minutes. This means that Beetlejuice technically has even less screen time than the first movie regarding the context of the length of both stories, though this was to be expected given Beetlejuice 2‘s larger cast. Above all else, it proves that Burton and the writers of Beetlejuice 2 were well aware of how the iconic Keaton character should be used, thankfully maintaining that decades later.
Why Beetlejuice Is Such An Iconic Movie Character (Despite Hardly Appearing)
Beetlejuice Has A Number Of Factors That Make Him So Memorable
One of the defining factors that makes Beetlejuice so iconic despite his lack of screen time is Keaton himself. Seeing an actor of Keaton’s caliber who is capable of such gravitas let loose as an irreverent, silly, goofy character makes his appeal that much greater than it otherwise might have been had someone else been cast. Keaton nails the humor to make Beetlejuice someone who audiences love to watch, even if they do not outright root for him. This, paired with Keaton’s physical comedy and his iconic, wacky design, makes Beetlejuice immediately memorable.
Without him, both stories would stall, yet Keaton’s appearances imbue a sense of fast-paced craziness to take each film from one plot point to the next…
Aside from Keaton’s work, the smartness with which both Beetlejuice and Beetlejuice 2 use the character also helped him become iconic. It is the small screen time that makes the character work so well, given that Beetlejuice is the vehicle of the plot in both films. Without him, both stories would stall, yet Keaton’s appearances imbue a sense of fast-paced craziness to take each film from one plot point to the next. As such, the lack of screen time actually aids Beetlejuice’s iconicity, as his appearances signify each film moving to the next major sequence.
Finally, audiences often tend to respond to morally complex characters. Beetlejuice is very clearly a villainous presence in both films, with neither shying away from the awful things he has done in his life. Regardless, Beetlejuice remains someone who often sticks to his word. He helped the Maitlands in the first movie, and did the same several times for the Deetz family in Beetlejuice 2, though not without making his own nefarious motivations clear. This complexity, combined with Keaton’s performance, design, and irreverent humor, make the character immensely iconic despite his reduced screen time in Beetlejuice.
