History TearJerker / LittleShopOfHorrors

* Seymour's soliloquy during the song, "The Meek Shall Inherit". After Skip Snip offers Seymour the chance to do a lecturing tour about Audrey II, Seymour begins singing about how his future is starting, and that by keeping Audrey II around, he'll become richer and richer. However, Seymour realizes in horror what he's saying, realizing the catch: should he accept all these offers, he'll have to keep killing people and feeding them to the plant to keep it alive, which Seymour considers to be dangerous. Seymour initially decides that enough is enough, and that he must put an end to it all by destroying Audrey II. Unfortunately, Seymour reconsiders, fearing that if the plant, along with the fame and fortune it offered him, vanished, then Audrey would stop loving him. This fear is what drives Seymour to begin signing contracts.

* Seymour's soliloquy during the song, "The Meek Shall Inherit". After Skip Snip offers Seymour the chance to do a lecturing tour about Audrey II, Seymour begins singing about how his future is starting, and that by keeping Audrey II around, he'll become richer and richer. However, Seymour realizes in horror what he's saying, realizing the details of the catch: should he accept all these offers, he'll have to keep killing people and feeding them to the plant to keep it alive, which Seymour considers to be dangerous. Seymour initially decides that enough is enough, and that he must put an end to it all by destroying Audrey II. Unfortunately, Seymour reconsiders, fearing that if the plant, along with the fame and fortune it offered him, vanished, then Audrey would stop loving him. This fear is what drives Seymour to begin signing contracts.

* Seymour's soliloquy during the song, "The Meek Shall Inherit". After Skip Snip offers Seymour the chance to do a lecturing tour about Audrey II, Seymour begins singing about how is future his starting, and that by keeping Audrey II around, he'll become richer and richer. However, Seymour realizes in horror what he's saying, realizing the details of the catch: should he accept all these offers, he'll have to keep killing people and feeding them to the plant to keep it alive, which Seymour considers to be dangerous. Seymour initially decides that enough is enough, and that he must put an end to it all by destroying Audrey II. Unfortunately, Seymour reconsiders, fearing that if the plant, along with the fame and fortune it offered him, vanished, then Audrey would stop loving him. This fear is what drives Seymour to begin signing contracts.

* Seymour's soliloquy during the song, "The Meek Shall Inherit". After Skip Snip offers Seymour the chance to do a lecturing tour about Audrey II, Seymour begins singing about how is future his starting, and that by keeping Audrey II around, he'll become richer and richer. However, he realizes in horror what he's saying, realizing the details of the catch: should Seymour accept all these offers, he'll have to keep killing people and feeding them to the plant to keep it alive, which Seymour considers to be dangerous. Seymour initially decides that enough is enough, and that he must put an end to it all by destroying Audrey II. Unfortunately, Seymour reconsiders, fearing that if the plant, along with the fame and fortune it offered him, vanished, then Audrey would stop loving him. This fear is what drives Seymour to begin signing contracts.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2021_06_30_153442.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Reminder: it took 26 years for this film to be released with the director's cut ending.]]

** The way Audrey II slowly, reverently opens its jaws as Seymour tenderly lays Audrey in its mouth...as if even the evil, carnivorous plant whose stated goal is the destruction of the human race respects the enormity of what Seymour's doing.

** Depending on the actress and how it's done, that song the first time around also counts.[[note]]In the long-running off-Broadway play and the film, there was only '''one''' Audrey: Ellen Greene.[[/note]]

* Audrey's whole relationship with Orin is seriously hard to watch. He's spent years beating her and degrading her, and her self-esteem is in shambles, but she stays with him because "he's the only fella I've got", and because she's too scared to leave. As she puts it, he beats her up when he's "nice" and he'll be much worse if she leaves. Despite her friends and coworkers urging her to leave Orin and find someone that respects her, Audrey believes she doesn't ''deserve'' anyone better because of her past (it's heavily implied she used to be a stripper). So she stays with the creep because she thinks if she leaves him, she'll be alone, and she'd rather be abused than alone. For such a silly, over-the-top show, it definitely has a devastatingly true-to-life portrayal of an abusive relationship.

* The music for the entire scene of Audrey's death is just ''heartbreaking''. First, you have the "Somewhere That's Green" reprise, which is painful for obvious reasons. Then that song ends on the melody of "Suddenly Seymour", and then moves into a rising instrumental "Skid Row", ''all of which'' are darkly ironic to their counterparts on the soundtrack.

* In the cut content from "The Meek Shall Inherit", Seymour shows the only real regret for killing Mushnik. When he sings "''I sign these contracts, that means I'm willing/To keep on doing bloody, awful, evil things''", he sees a painting of Mushnik with blood seeping down it.

** What's Audrey's greatest dream? What fantasy does she cling to, despite believing it's a daydream she thinks she'll never achieve? Not fame and fortune, not living in a mansion, not being married to a millionaire. No, she fantasizes about living in a nice house in a safe neighborhood, with some "modern" appliances and a pretty garden, with a [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan husband that doesn't beat her and genuinely loves her]]. These very basic "[[MundaneLuxury luxuries]]" that Audrey absolutely deserves to have are completely out of her reach. (Well, not the guy, but she doesn't realize that Seymour loves her back at that point.) She doesn't even think she ''deserves'' those nice things!

* In the cut content from "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth", Seymour shows the only real regret for killing Mushnik. When he sings "I sign these contracts, that means I'm willing/To keep on doing bloody, awful, evil things", he sees a painting of Mushnik with blood seeping down it.

** In Act Two, Seymour notes that she's been upset since Orin "mysteriously disappeared. Audrey explains that she feels guilty, because "secretly, [she] wished for it." She then says that she sometimes wonders if it's her fault that Orin is gone and that it's terrible for her to wish that he was dead. Seymour in turn feels guilty that he caused Audrey pain rather than save her.

* In the cut content from "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth", Seymour shows the only real regret for killing Mushnik. When he sings, "No! No! There's only so far you can bend" he sees a painting of Mushnik with blood seeping down it.

* The final song, "Don't Feed the Plants". While it has a catchy beat, the second half of the song is performed by Seymour, Audrey, Mushnik and Orin, trying ''desperately'' to convince the audience not to give in to anything the Audrey [=IIs=] try to persuade them with and feed the plants after Audrey II eats them and succeeds in beginning its world domination. And the worst part? It's heavily implied that their words are falling on deaf ears, as the urchins begin the song by revealing that "unsuspecting jerks" have become the catalysts for the plant's growth in size and power. In retrospect, the Audrey II was a social experiment to determine the pure in a sea of the greedy and selfish, and ''all of humanity has failed.''

* The final song, "Don't Feed the Plants". While it has a catchy beat, the second half of the song is performed by Seymour, Audrey, Mushnik and Orin trying ''desperately'' to convince the audience not to give in to anything the Audrey [=IIs=] try to persuade them with and feed the plants after Audrey II eats them and succeeds in beginning its world domination. And the worst part? It's heavily implied that their words are falling on deaf ears, as the urchins begin the song by revealing that "unsuspecting jerks" have become the catalysts for the plant's growth in size and power. In retrospect, the Audrey II was a social experiment to determine the pure in a sea of the greedy and selfish, and ''all of humanity has failed.''

* The final song, "Don't Feed the Plants". While it has a catchy beat, the second half of the song is performed by Seymour, Audrey, Mushnik and Orin trying ''desperately'' to convince the audience not to give in to anything the Audrey IIs try to persuade them with and feed the plants after Audrey II eats them and succeeds in beginning its world domination. And the worst part? It's heavily implied that their words are falling on deaf ears, as the urchins begin the song by revealing that "unsuspecting jerks" have become the catalysts for the plant's growth in size and power. In retrospect, the Audrey II was a social experiment to determine the pure in a sea of the greedy and selfish, and ''all of humanity has failed.''

* The final song, "Don't Feed the Plants". While it has a catchy beat, the second half of the song is performed by Seymour, Audrey, Mushnik and Orin trying ''desperately'' to convince the audience not to give in to anything the Audrey IIs try to persuade them with and feed the plants after Audrey II eats them and succeeds in beginning its world domination. And the worst part? It's heavily implied that their words are falling on deaf ears, as the urchins begin the song by revealing that "unsuspecting jerks" have become the catalysts for the plant's growth in size and power. In retrospect, the Audrey II was a social experiment to determine the pure in a sea of greed and selfish, and ''all of humanity has failed.''

-->I'm feeling strangely happy now\\
Contented and serene\\
Oh, don't you see\\
I'll finally be\\
Somewhere that's green.

* In the cut content from "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth", Seymour shows the only real regret for killing Mushnik. When he sings, "Who knew that success would come with bloody, nasty strings?" he sees a painting of Mushnik with blood seeping down it.

Contended and serene\\

** Depending on the actress and how it's done, that song the first time around also counts.[[note]]In the longrunning off-Broadway play and the film, there was only '''one''' Audrey: Ellen Greene.[[/note]]

* Audrey got abandoned by her father when she was a child, ended up with an abusive jerk and is trapped in a dead-end job with no chance at escape.

** It's even worse in the film than in the musical, for several reasons. Seymour had ''just'' proposed to Audrey, and they were about to elope together--she was [[BloodSplatteredWeddingDress in her wedding gown]], for crying out loud! Plus, when Patrick Martin shows up afterwards, he finds Seymour standing at the top of a building, tears in his eyes, all ready to jump.

* Audrey's whole relationship with Orin is seriously hard to watch. He's spent years beating her and degrading her, and her self-esteem is in shambles, but she stays with him because "he's the only fella I've got", and because she's too scared to leave. Despite her friends and coworkers urging her to leave Orin and find someone that respects her, Audrey believes she doesn't ''deserve'' anyone better because of her past (it's heavily implied she used to be a stripper). So she stays with the creep because she thinks if she leaves him, she'll be alone, and she'd rather be abused than alone. Even when he dies, she feels guilty, because "secretly, [she] wished for it." For such a silly, over-the-top show, it definitely has a devastatingly true-to-life portrayal of an abusive relationship.

* While it's [[AwesomeMusic a catchy song the whole way through]], ''Skid Row (Downtown)'' gives a good look into the characters' desire to get out of the really bad situations they're in (Audrey's abusive relationship, Seymour working for a man who not only hates him but works him to the bone, etc). Is it any wonder Seymour is attracted by [[DealWithTheDevil Twoey's plan?]]

* [[DarkReprise Somewhere That's Green Reprise]]. WAAAH.
** Depending on the actress and how it's done, that song the first time around also counts.[[note]]In the longrunning off-Broadway play and the film, there was only '''one''' Audrey: Ellen Greene.[[/note]]
** You don't have to imagine [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNld-FpmbZQ the original stage version of the first "Somewhere That's Green"]].
** Seriously, though, think about it: what's Audrey's greatest dream? What fantasy does she cling to, despite believing it's a daydream she thinks she'll never achieve? Not fame and fortune, not living in a mansion, not being married to a millionaire. No, she fantasizes about living in a nice house in a safe neighborhood, with some "modern" appliances and a pretty garden, with a [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan husband that doesn't beat her and genuinely loves her]]. These very basic "[[MundaneLuxury luxuries]]" that Audrey absolutely deserves to have are completely out of her reach. (Well, not the guy, but she doesn't realize that Seymour loves her back at that point.) Hell, she doesn't even think she ''deserves'' those nice things! Can someone please just give this girl a hug? And maybe a domestic abuse hotline?

-->'''Audrey''': I'm feeling strangely happy now\\

** On that note, Audrey too. Audrey got abandoned by her father when she was a child, ended up with an abusive jerk and is trapped in a dead-end job with no chance at escape.
* While it's [[AwesomeMusic a catchy song the whole way though]] ''Skid Row (Downtown)'' gives a good look into the characters' desire to get out of the really bad situations they're in (Audrey's abusive relationship, Seymour working for a man who not only hates him but works him to the bone, etc). Is it any wonder Seymour is attracted by [[DealWithTheDevil Twoey's plan?]]

** The musical build up to the dramatic chord actually makes this troper feel a bit of sympathy for Seymour, even if the whole situation's his fault.

* Audrey's whole relationship with Orin is seriously hard to watch. He's spent years beating her and degrading her, and her self-esteem is in shambles, but she stays with him because "he's the only fella I've got", and because she's too scared to leave. Despite her friends and coworkers urging her to leave Orin and find someone that respects her, Audrey believes she doesn't ''deserve'' anyone better because of her past (it's heavily implied she used to be a stripper). So she stays with the creep because she thinks if she leaves him, she'll be alone, and she'd rather be abused than alone. For such a silly, over-the-top show, it definitely has a devastatingly true-to-life portrayal of an abusive relationship.