When most people think of Tim Burton movies, Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, even recent films like Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children come to mind. Films in with a slightly gloomy, dark setting and brimming with unique characters.

At first glance, Big Eyes doesn’t seem like one of them.

It tells the true life story of Margaret D. H. Keane (Amy Adams), an artist famous for her big-eyed children paintings.1958, Margaret met her then husband, Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), the Big Eyed children paintings were sold under his name.

Eventually, Margaret divorces Walter and reclaims her work, while suing Walter for libel and slander. The court case at first goes nowhere. The judge has Margaret and Walter each create a painting in the court in one hour to prove who is the real artist. Walter hesitates to paint, citing a sore shoulder making it difficult to hold a paintbrush. Margaret finishes hers in 53 minutes.

This movie doesn’t seem to fit into the dark gothic style Burton’s movies are known for. At least until you look at the paintings seen throughout the film. Miss Keane’s paintings depict waifs, seemingly orphaned or forsaken children left to fend for themselves. The paintings had these waifs in dark, somber settings. Even without this, the children’s unnatural eyes are unsettling. These things fit into Burton’s style.

Another aspect of Burton’s movie style is eccentric characters. Ranging from quirky and peculiar like Edward Scissorhands, to outright deranged and insane such as the Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland. This movie’s cast of characters are very much normal, except for Walter, who while not deranged or peculiar, is goofy and a little strange. But as the Big eyed children become more and more popular, Walter becomes controlling and paranoid, and we see Walter for who he really is.

Although, Burton has made comedy movies such as Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and superhero movies, Batman (1989) and its sequel Batman Returns (1992).

Overall, Big Eyes may not seem like a Tim Burton movie, but one looks into the children’s eyes tell you that they were meant to be in one of his works.