Beetlejuice is filled with plenty of eccentric characters in true Tim Burton fashion, but few stand out as much as Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara). Sure, Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is more than memorable, as is the titular Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), but Delia has a certain absurdity to her that is particularly charming. It’s due of course to the brilliant performance by Catherine O’Hara, as Delia’s antics help color in the first chunk of the movie before Betelgeuse’s arrival. Among these antics are her… interesting design choices, as she decides to completely gut the house she and her husband Charles (Jeffrey Jones) have just purchased in Winter River. Come Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Delia is just as eccentric as ever (dare I say more so?) and has seemingly relocated to New York City. She still owns the home in Winter River, even after the death of Charles, and when she and Lydia return to the town we learn that she kept one significant promise to Charles regarding the house.
Delia Kept Her Promise to Charles in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’
After Charles dies, Delia claims she needs to release the anger she has toward the deceased. When Astrid (Jenna Ortega) asks what Charles did to Delia that was so bad, Delia responds, “he bought this house!” It’s clear that her opinions on the house haven’t changed in 36 years. When we first meet Delia in Beetlejuice, she, Charles, and Lydia are moving into the Maitland family’s home in Winter River. Delia is less than pleased with the house but Charles is thrilled about it. As she walks around the home with utter disgust painted on her face, she ends up snapping at Charles, telling him that she needs to gut the house and make it her own, for the sake of her sanity (and his). Charles agrees on the condition that Delia leave his office alone. He tells her she can do whatever she likes with the rest of the house, but that the office is to be left untouched as it is the only space in the house that is solely his.
Delia ends up doing as she told Charles she would, and quite literally guts the house – bringing in oddly shaped sculptures she’s created, and giving the house an artsy, modern aesthetic. It ends up looking completely different from the quaint, rustic charm of the Maitland’s decor, but it is very Delia, and it does seem to help her adjust to the move better. In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice when Delia and Lydia return to the Winter River home, we see that there have been plenty of updates to the wacky decor adorning the halls. But one thing is left untouched: Charles’ office. Even 36 years later, Delia kept her promise of not redesigning his office, as silly as it may look void of her artsy flair. As harsh as Delia can be at times, this further proves how strong the love she has for Charles truly is. It may have been a small detail in the original film, but in the sequel, it holds a lot more weight due to Charles’ passing.
The Attic is Left Untouched in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’
While Delia made a promise to Charles to not redecorate his office, the rest of the house was fair game. However, a small but mighty detail in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that Delia notably hasn’t redesigned the attic either. Delia and Charles were quick to want to capitalize off of Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) when they discovered their home was indeed haunted by the deceased couple. However, their tunes changed when Betelgeuse came into the real world and terrorized them all. It was thanks to help from the Maitlands that the Deetz family escaped Betelgeuse’s clutch. Delia is of course still Delia, and isn’t the warmest person, but the fact that she left the attic untouched speaks volumes about her heart.
In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, we see that the attic still has the Maitlands’ decor and furniture untouched, as well as the town model in the center of the room. The only change is some added storage boxes of Lydia’s scattered around. But it’s still a time capsule of the original film, and Delia likely kept it untouched as a sort of peace offering, since the Maitlands were stuck inside the house and unable to leave. It allowed them to still have a piece of their old lives, despite being ghosts and unable to actually live them. It’s a small touch, but one that humanizes Delia a bit and honors the legacy of the original film in a fun nod.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The sequel to the cult classic brings back the infamous ghost Beetlejuice, who is unleashed upon a modern family, setting off a chain of hilarious and supernatural events. As mischief ensues, both the living and the deceased must deal with the resulting chaos, blending comedic antics with ghostly intrigue.
- Release Date
- September 6, 2024
- Cast
- Michael Keaton , Winona Ryder , Catherine O’Hara , Jenna Ortega , Justin Theroux , Willem Dafoe , Monica Bellucci , Arthur Conti , Nick Kellington , Santiago Cabrera , Burn Gorman , Danny DeVito , Sami Slimane , Amy Nuttall , Mark Heenehan , Charlie Hopkinson , Liv Spencer , Skylar Park , Matthew Lyons , Jane Leaney , David Ayres , Sophie Holland , Walles Hamonde
- Runtime
- 104 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Comedy
