History Film / IAccuseMyParents

* BrokenAesop: No one in the film cares that Jimmy is a 16 year old high school student who drinks, and even admits he's been "hitting the stuff kinda hard lately." (Some states did have a drinking age of 18 in the 1940s, but it's still odd that he has no problem ordering numerous cocktails at a nightclub.)

James "Jimmy" Wilson is an all-American [[strike:25 year old man]] teenage boy living in typical 1940's suburbia. He's a nice kid and even won the big essay contest at school... oh, and his parents like to drink, party, and gamble. This being a pseudo-propaganda film in the 40's, this pretty much ensures Jimmy will fall into a pit of debauchery and crime, and indeed he does; After meeting a pretty lounge singer named Kitty, Jimmy gets hired by her boyfriend, mobster kingpin Charlie Blake. After running a few errands for Blake, stupidly never suspecting that his boss is a criminal (or that he's even Kitty's boyfriend, as Jimmy starts dating her,), Jimmy eventually figures out the truth and goes on the run, then later accidentally kills Blake in a scuffle. Jimmy goes to court for manslaughter, but it all works out because the judge lightens Jimmy's sentence after the kid places the blame on his oblivious folks. Yeah, we're not sure how this excuse works, either.

* TitleDrop: Very early in the film, see the page quote.

* TooDumbToLive: Jimmy. Yet he lives.

* BrokenAesop: No one in the film cares that Jimmy is a 16 year old high school student who drinks, and even admits he's been "hitting the stuff kinda hard lately."

* IdiotBall: Jimmy carries this nearly the entire movie, but Kitty grabs it when she's breaking up with Jimmy. Blake has threatened her, and he hides in the closet to hear this. If Kitty was smart, she could have motioned to the closet door, or wrote something down, giving Jimmy the truth. But no, she plays the break-up straight, leading Jimmy to take the ball back and do something even stupider.

** It's implied to be a regional or statewide contest.

->'''Crow:''' [[TitleDrop We have a title!]]

*** To be fair, Jimmy continues to make foolish decisions after receiving religious instruction from his diner friend. It's not portrayed as a miracle cure, just as giving him a brief respite from said decisions.

* DawsonCasting: Jimmy, Kitty.

** Jimmy freely states when he passes on some alcohol that he's been "hitting the stuff hard lately". And this is ''completely'' brushed over for a nice little DoubleStandard. Mind you he's a ''high school student''.

James "Jimmy" Wilson is an all-American [[strike:25 year old man]] teenage boy living in typical 1940's suburbia. He's a nice kid and even won the big essay contest at school... oh, and his parents like to drink, party, and gamble. This being a pseudo-propaganda film in the 40's, this pretty much ensures Jimmy will fall into a pit of debauchery and crime, and indeed he does; After meeting a pretty lounge singer named Kitty, Jimmy gets hired by her boyfriend, mobster kingpin Charlie Blake. After running a few errands for Blake, stupidly never suspecting that his boss is a criminal (or that he's even Kitty's boyfriend, as Jimmy starts dating her), Jimmy eventually figures out the truth and goes on the run, then later accidentally kills Blake in a scuffle. Jimmy goes to court for manslaughter, but it all works out because the judge lightens Jimmy's sentence after the kid places the blame on his oblivious folks. Yeah, we're not sure how this excuse works, either.

* TooDumbToLive: Jimmy. Yet he does.

* IdiotBall: Jimmy carries this nearly the entire movie, but Kitty grabs it when she's breaking up with Jimmy. Blake has threatened her, and he hides in the closet to hear this. If Kitty was smart, she could have motioned to the closet door, or wrote something down, giving Jimmy the truth. But no, she does the breakup like a villain would.

* OnlySaneMan: Again the diner cook.

* TooDumbToLive: Jimmy.

James "Jimmy" Wilson is an all-American [[strike:25 year old man]] teenage boy living in typical 1940's suburbia. He's a nice kid and even won the big essay contest at school...oh, and his parents like to drink, party, and gamble. This being a pseudo-propaganda film in the 40's, this pretty much ensures Jimmy will fall into a pit of debauchery and crime, and indeed he does; After meeting a pretty lounge singer named Kitty, Jimmy gets hired by her boyfriend, mobster kingpin Charlie Blake. After running a few errands for Blake, stupidly never suspecting that his boss is a criminal (or that he's even Kitty's boyfriend, as Jimmy starts dating her), Jimmy eventually figures out the truth and goes on the run, then later accidentally kills Blake in a scuffle. Jimmy goes to court for manslaughter, but it all works out because the judge lightens Jimmy's sentence after the kid places the blame on his oblivious folks. Yeah, we're not sure how this excuse works, either.

* DropInCharacter: Shirley. She just occasionally shows up at the Wilsons' house, with no explanation for who she is and why she's there, much to the bewilderment of Joel and the 'Bots, who call her a GreekChorus.
** She flirts with Jimmy's dad, also. There's some hinting that Jimmy's dad is unfaithful (of course, the mom dances with other men at parties), and this girl might be his occasional mistress. One fan theory has it that Shirley is Mom's best friend ''and'' Dad's occasional mistress.

** She flirts with Jimmy's dad, also. There's some hinting that Jimmy's dad is unfaithful (of course, the mom dances with other men at parties), and this girl might be his occasional mistress.

** Jimmy freely states when he passes on some alcohol that he's been "hitting the stuff hard lately". And this is ''completely'' brushed over for a nice little DoubleStandard.

* TheFreelanceShameSquad: "Hee hee hee, she's ''drunk''!"

* FreelanceShameSquad: "Hee hee hee, she's ''drunk''!"

* LyricalShoehorn: Happens once or twice in Kitty's songs

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous: Jimmy gets a ''lot'' of money from his Dad. His mother's public drunkenness is actually kind of mild.

* MudaneMadeAwesome: Jimmy winning the essay contest seems to be a pretty big deal.

* SocietyMarchesOn: Remember when checks were completely blank, and you had to put in your ''own'' name and information, not just the recipient? Most banks will give out a book of such blank checks with a new account, to use until their pre-printed checks can arrive. Of course, most retailers won't take such "counter checks".

* AbusiveParents: Aside from some possible mild neglect, this is surprisingly averted.
** Though the film plays this straight.