WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for Beetlejuice 2!Tim Burton’s original 1988 movie left some key questions unanswered ahead ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, and one of the biggest mysteries was centered around the backstory of the Deetz family members, namely the fate of Lydia’s mother. WithBeetlejuice 2’s castbringing back Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz, the odds were much greater for these burning questions to finally receive satisfying answers. Not only isBeetlejuice 2’s story centered around the Deetz women and their relationships, butthe sequel also strongly focuses on Lydia’s struggles with motherhood while raising her teenage daughterAstrid (Jenna Ortega).
As the originalDeetz family members, Lydia’s daughter Astrid, and her fiancé Rory arrive at Winter River for the funeral of Lydia’s father Charles Deetz, the group confronts many of their familial resentments and conflicts from over the years. At one point inBeetlejuice 2, Lydia expresses her frustrations about Astrid “hating” her, with her stepmother Delia responding that Lydia similarly didn’t treat her well when she was a teen inBeetlejuice. During this conversation,Lydia and Delia finally reveal the fate of Lydia’s biological mother, who was never once mentioned in Tim Burton’s 1988Beetlejuicemovie.
Beetlejuice 2 Confirms Lydia’s Mother Is Still Alive
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Debunks Theories That Lydia’s Mother Died
When the Deetz family moved into the Winter River house in the 1988 horror-comedy, the unit consisted of teenager Lydia, her father Charles, and her stepmother Delia. Lydia clearly didn’t get along with Delia well during her adolescence, and made sure to correctAdam and Barbara Maitlandbyclarifying that O’Hara’s character was her “stepmother,” not her mother. Despite Lydia ensuring that this distinction was made, Winona Ryder’s character never revealed what happened to her biological mother.
Beetlejuice 2 Confirms An Original Character’s Survival After Years Of Death Theories
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice finally reveals the fate of an original character after decades of theories that they died in the 1988 movie.
In fact,Lydia’s mother is never directly mentioned or explained inBeetlejuice, leaving her parents’ backstory and familial situation a mystery. Did her mother die, leaving Charles to raise Lydia alongside Delia? Is Lydia’s mother out of the picture, with a strained relationship that includes few, if any, visits with her daughter? Or, is Lydia’s mother still alive and involved from afar, with Charles having primary custody as they move from New York City to Winter River?
It had long been thought that her absence, lack of any mentions, and Lydia’s interest in death and the macabre meant she was dead.
These were some of the options to potentially explain the mystery over the past 36 years, butBeetlejuice 2finally gives an answer. While the revelation is quite vague,Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceconfirms that Lydia’s mother is still alive. It had long been thought that her absence, lack of any mentions, and Lydia’s interest in death and the macabre meant she was dead, but it turns out she’s been alive all along.
“This same-same-but-different approach is felt throughout Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — and it is welcome. It proves you can fill a movie like this with callbacks to the original and still make it feel like its own, unified experience. And it’s no small thing for a legacy sequel to have a filmmaker at the helm who is actively revisiting their legacy."-Alex Harrison-Screen Rant’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Review
When Lydia and Delia speak about their strained dynamic in the original movie, Delia’s words seem to imply that Lydia’s mother is no longer alive, so Lydia makes sure to correct her that her mother isn’t dead. However, the implication is still thatLydia is estranged from her mother inBeetlejuice 2.
Beetlejuice 2 Doesn’t Reveal Why Lydia Didn’t Live With Her Mother As A Teen
The Reason For Lydia & Her Mother’s Estrangement Isn’t Revealed
It’s now officially been confirmed that Lydia’s mother is alive inBeetlejuice 2, but the sequel still doesn’t fill in some related questions from the original movie. Tim Burton’s 2024 horror-comedy doesn’t directly address Lydia’s relationship with her mother, only that Lydia resented Delia when she was a teenager, seemingly for replacing her mother.
Despite confirming she’s alive,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicestill doesn’t give Lydia’s mother a name.
Therefore,trying to understand why Lydia wasn’t living with her mother as a teenager still requires plenty of speculationand reading between the lines. While Lydia and Astrid fix their relationship and fulfill Richard’s wish for them to become closer again inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice’s ending, this change doesn’t come with any direct reflection on Lydia’s relationship with her own mother.
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Considering both Delia and Charles die in the sequel,Lydia’s mother is the only living parent she has left, which could lead Ryder’s character to attempt to mend their relationship. If Tim Burton ever decides to makeBeetlejuice 3, Lydia’s mother could finally be introduced and their estranged relationship over the past three decades can be addressed in more depth.
Why Confirming The Fate Of Lydia’s Mother Was So Important In Beetlejuice 2
Lydia’s Mother Couldn’t Be Ignored This Time
In addition to being a major unanswered question from the original movie, it was imperative to address Lydia’s mother inBeetlejuice 2due to the fact thatmuch of the plot hinges on Lydia’s personal struggles with motherhood.
It’s difficult to give justice to Lydia and Astrid exploring their relationship without also understanding the context of Lydia’s dynamic with her own mother, even thoughBeetlejuice 2largely uses her changing relationship with Delia to address this multigenerational conflict. In order to properly understand the Deetz family’s dynamic, it’s important to have some understanding of Lydia’s background with her mother.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Cast
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes. When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home. However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.
