History YMMV / BenandArthur

* ParanoiaFuel: It's kinda impossible to not be paranoid with so many psychotically homophobic fucks.

* DawsonCasting: Inverted and lampshaded; the guy playing the private investigator looks way too young, which Victor calls him out on. It turns out that he's an ''intern.''

** At one point, Ben punches Arthur so hard that he's knocked unconscious and gets a nosebleed. His justification is that he deserved it for "saying stupid things". [[DomesticAbuse What a great lesson for viewers]] [[SarcasmMode Amirite?]]

** Both films have terrible leading actor-writer-directors, who are fond of showing off their bodies much more so than most audience members are fond of seeing them.

* CriticalResearchFailure: With the option to marry Arthur in Hawaii now gone, Ben mentions to Tammy that he and Arthur can marry in Vermont instead, as a means to dismiss Tammy's claim that "men can't get married in the United States". Vermont allowed same-sex civil unions in 2000, while the film was released in 2002; as [[WebVideo/ObscurusLupa Obscurus Lupa]] noted, same-sex marriage was not possible in Vermont until 2009.

* UnfortunateImplications: Where to '''begin'''?
** All Christians are apparently violent homophobes who either actively seek to kill homosexuals, or at least are happy to condone it.
*** Actually, it's more like there's basically three types of people in this world: homosexual, psychotically homophobic, and (very rarely) non-psychotically homophobic.
** Furthermore, it's seemingly acceptable to [[spoiler: kill such people]], and even [[spoiler: ''burn them alive'']]. Contrast this with the way that [[spoiler: the death of the lawyer]] is depicted as a horrible thing, even if it doesn't get followed up on very well.
*** Note that Ben and Arthur (affirmed homosexuals), Victor and the attorney (presumed homosexuals per [[{{WordofGod}} Mraovich's statements]]), and the priest (many of whom have been outed as pedophiles in recent years) are [[spoiler: killed]], while Tammy and Stan (patent heterosexuals) [[spoiler: survive]], inferring that [[spoiler: death is the only fate for sexual deviants, while those who practice approved sexual behaviors will stay alive]].
** There are only three female characters in the film; Mildred, who comes across as rather unpleasant, Tammy, who is a complete whackjob, and Ben and Arthur's attorney, who [[spoiler:gets StuffedIntoTheFridge and then is never mentioned again]].
** According to Sam Mraovich, the attorney is supposed to be a lesbian. While no doubt an attempt to give homosexual women some token representation in the film, the fact that she's the only character who shows any real sympathy for Ben and Arthur's situation ends up giving the implication that heterosexual people are fundamentally unable to empathize with homosexuals.
** After an argument, Ben punches Arthur, knocking the latter down. In the following scene, Ben tends to Arthur's wounds and gives the following gem: "That'll teach you to not say stupid things." An already bad comment is made worse by the following: Considering how irritating Arthur has been up to this point, we actually ''cheer'' when Ben throws the punch. This places the audience in an awkward position of tacitly ''condoning'' domestic violence, which sadly presides in many hetero- and homosexual relationships and is ([[ValuesDissonance usually]]) ''condemned''.
** The tagline for the film is "Only the power of love can defeat a holy soldier on a mission." In the film, however, [[spoiler:the ''opposite'' happens: Said "holy soldier" actually defeats the ostensibly loving protagonists by killing them. Such success as accomplished by Victor would render the tagline false.]] With a dose of [[FridgeLogic Fridge Logic]], however, one could reinterpret the tagline and the events in the film to imply that the two protagonists [[spoiler:''lacked'' the love that was necessary to stop Victor]], meaning that Ben and Arthur weren't really in love to begin with. This would give the impression that homosexuals form relationships out of sheer interest ([[MoneyDearBoy sharing the rent]], having a regular sexual partner, proving some point about the viability of a homosexual relationship, etc.) and are simply incapable of (or even uninterested in) committing to steady, trusting relationships based on love.

* SoBadItsHorrible

* DesignatedHero: Arthur. You can ''sorta'' sympathise with him in spite of his
bitchy, narcissistic behavior... at least until he [[spoiler:torches a priest alive]]. Ben to a lesser extent; he comes across as a fairly decent guy overall, but his admission of having affairs with other men behind his then-wife's back really doesn't help.

* DesignatedHero: Arthur. You can ''sorta'' sympathise with him in spite of his bitchy, narcissistic behavior... at least until he [[spoiler:torches a priest alive]]. Ben to a lesser extent; he comes across as a fairly decent guy overall, but his admission of having affairs with other men behind his then-wife's back really doesn't help.

* {{Squick}}: Arthur's bathtub baptism, mostly because Victor thinks they should be performed with the recipient "naked in Jesus's eyes."

*** Note that Ben and Arthur (affirmed homosexuals), Victor and the attorney (presumed homosexuals per [[{{WordofGod}} Mraovich's statments]]), and the priest (many of whom have been outed as pedophiles in recent years) are [[spoiler: killed]], while Tammy and Stan (patent heterosexuals) [[spoiler: survive]], inferring that [[spoiler: death is the only fate for sexual deviants, while those who practice approved sexual behaviors will stay alive]].

** According to Sam Mraovich, the attorney is supposed to be a lesbian. While no doubt an attempt to give homosexual women some token representation in the film, the fact that she's the only character who shows any real sympathy for Ben and Arthur's situation ends up giving the implication that heterosexual people are fundamentally unable to empathise with homosexuals.

** The tagline for the film is "Only the power of love can defeat a holy soldier on a mission." In the film, however, [[spoiler:the ''opposite'' happens: Said "holy soldier" actually defeats the ostensibly loving protagonists by killing them. Such success as accomplished by Victor would render the tagline false.]] With a dose of [[FridgeLogic Fridge Logic]], however, one could reinterpret the tagline and the events in the film to imply that the two protagonists [[spoiler:''lacked'' the love that was necessary to stop Victor]], meaning that Ben and Arthur weren't really in love to begin with. This would give the impression that homosexuals form relationships out of sheer interest ([[MoneyDearBoy sharing the rent]], having a regular sexual partner, proving some point about the viability of a homosexual relationship, etc.) and are simply incapable (or even uninterested) in committing to steady, trusting relationships based on love.

** The tagline for the film is "Only the power of love can defeat a holy soldier on a mission." In the film, however, [[spoiler:the ''opposite'' happens: Said "holy soldier" actually defeats the ostensibly loving protagonists by killing them. Such success as accomplished by Victor would render the tagline false.]] With a dose of [[FridgeLogic Fridge Logic]], however, one could reinterpret the tagline and the events in the film to imply that the two protagonists [[spoiler:''lacked'' the love that was necessary to stop Victor]], meaning that Ben and Arthur weren't really in love to begin with. This would give the impression that homosexuals form relationships out of sheer interest ([[MoneyDearBoy sharing the rent]], having a regular sexual partner, proving some point about the viability of a homosexual relationship, etc.) and are simply incapable (or even uninterested) in committing to steady, trusting relationships based on love.

** Both films have terrible leading actor-writer-directors, who are fond of showing off their bodies much moreso than most audience members are fond of seeing them.

** A wedding is an important plot point in both films; in ''The Room'' the wedding never actually happens, while in this film the wedding '''does''' technically happen, but isn't recognised by the state of California.

*** Note that Ben and Arthur (affirmed homosexuals), Victor and the attorney (presumed homosexuals per [[{{WordofGod}} Mraovich's statments]]), and the priest (many of whom have been outed as pedophiles in recent years) are [[spoiler: killed]], while the only other person who has any bearing on the plot and [[spoiler: survives]] is Tammy (a patent heterosexual), meaning that [[spoiler: death is the only fate for sexual deviants, while those who practice approved sexual behaviors will stay alive]].

** Furthermore, it's seemingly acceptable to kill such people, and even ''burn them alive''. Contrast this with the way that the death of [[spoiler:the lawyer]] is depicted as a horrible thing, even if it doesn't get followed up on very well.

** The tagline for the film is "Only the power of love can defeat a holy soldier on a mission." In the film, however, [[spoiler:the ''opposite'' happens: Said "holy soldier" actually defeats the ostensibly loving protagonists by killing them. Such success as accomplished by Victor would render the tagline false.]] With a dose of [[FridgeLogic Fridge Logic]], however, one could reinterpret the tagline and the events in the film to imply that the two protagonists ''lacked'' the love that was necessary to stop Victor, meaning that Ben and Arthur weren't really in love to begin with. This would give the impression that homosexuals form relationships out of sheer interest ([[MoneyDearBoy sharing the rent]], having a regular sexual partner, proving some point about the viability of a homosexual relationship, etc.) and are simply incapable (or even uninterested) in committing to steady, trusting relationships based on love.

*** Note that Ben and Arthur (affirmed homosexuals), Victor and the attorney (presumed homosexuals per [[{{WordofGod}} Mraovich's statments]]), and the priest (many of whom have been outed as pedophiles in recent years) are [[spoiler: killed]], while the only person who has any bearing on the plot and [[spoiler: survives]] is Tammy (a patent heterosexual), meaning that [[spoiler: death is the only fate for sexual deviants, while those who practice approved sexual behaviors will stay alive]].

*** Note that Ben and Arthur (affirmed homosexuals), Victor and the attorney (presumed homosexuals via [[WordofGod]]), and the priest (many of whom have been outed as pedophiles in recent years) are [[spoiler: killed]], while the only person who has any bearing on the plot and [[spoiler: survives]] is Tammy (a patent heterosexual), meaning that [[spoiler: death is the only fate for sexual deviants, while those who practice approved sexual behaviors will stay alive]].

*** Note that Ben and Arthur (affirmed homosexuals), Victor and the attorney (presumed homosexuals via [[WordofGod]]), and the priest (many of whom have been outed as pedophiles in recent years) are [[spoiler: killed]], while the only person who has any bearing on the plot and [[spoiler: survives]] is Tammy (a patent heterosexual), meaning that [[spoiler: death is the only fate for sexual deviants, while those who practice approved sexual behaviors will keep living]].

** In fairness, the attorney ''does'' clarify the matter by stating that Ben and Arthur attained a civil union in Vermont, not a marriage. However, this comes ''after'' Ben and Arthur already made the trip to Vermont. Considering that the two protagonists are serious about legally consummating their relationship (not to mention that a trip to any other state that allows same-sex marriage would certainly prove expensive for two paper cup washers at a café), [[FridgeLogic shouldn't the two of them have known beforehand]] that they would only get a ''civil union'' in Vermont, not a full-fledged ''marriage'' license?
** In fact, shouldn't they have learned that the moment they ''walked into the appropriate Vermont office'' to either get a civil union or have their request for a marriage license rebuffed?