Funny / Life of Pi

The Book

• The scene where Pi's father explains how every single animal in the zoo can kill them. The black swans. The sloths. The elephant's butt. Probably doubles as terrifying for those with animal phobias.
  • The scene is capped off with Mr. Patel telling his son that guinea pigs are not dangerous...only for Pi to point how that they are dangerous when not domesticated.
• Pi orders pizza giving the name of "I am who I am". The pizzas arrive for "Ian Hoolihan".
• Pi's and the Japanese insurance agents' discussion getting derailed into an argument over whether bananas float. Finally Pi hands them a banana, points to a sink and tell them to try it out for themselves. They are amazed when the banana floats.
  • Then Pi inevitably asks them for his bananas back.
• The Japanese agents' responses to Pi in their Foreign-Looking Font (assumed to be Japanese):
  Mr. Okamoto: We have no proof they were meerkat bones.
  Mr. Chiba: Maybe they were banana bones! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
  Mr. Okamoto: Atsuro, Shut up!
  Mr. Chiba: I'm very sorry, Okamoto-san. It's the fatigue.
  Mr. Okamoto: You're bringing our service into disrepute!
  Mr. Chiba: Very sorry, Okamoto-san.
• Most of Pi's interior monologues. Particularly the one where he talks about what he thinks is a ridiculous part of Christianity by comparing it to a situation where his father feeds him to the lions because the lions are on an eating spree.
  Pi: Yes Father. That seems the right and logical thing to do.
  Father: Hallelujah my son!
  Pi: Hallelujah father!
  • Pi's growing, borderline uncharacteristic irritation as he learns more and more about Jesus Christ can be highly amusing. Includes a good bit of Cultural Posturing as he asserts how cool Hindu gods are compared to "your sweaty, chatty Son", and essentially scolds Jesus for cursing a poor fig tree. Morphs into heartwarming when, at the height of his annoyance, he promptly requests of the priest to be made a Christian, won over by exactly the simple humanity of Christ that had been driving him up the wall.
• The description of how Richard Parker (the tiger) got his name. Richard Parker was the name of the hunter who found the tiger. He named him 'Thirsty,' but their names got switched on the paperwork, leading to Richard Parker being found by Thirsty None Given.
  • Pi described whoever was responsible for this error as 'befuddled but diligent' as they managed to repeat the mistake on every single form.
• Pi's name being mispronounced as "Pissing" instead of "Piscine". It eventually leads to people at school making statements like "You're standing near a wall. Are you Pissing?"
• This excerpt:
  Pi: I can well imagine an atheist's last words: "White, white! L-L-Love! My God!" – and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, "Possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain," and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story.

The Film

• Pi tries to show Richard Parker who's boss by marking his territory. Richard Parker responds by spraying him back.
  Pi: Step 4: disregard steps 1-3.
• Pi's response after his father says they'll be sailing like Columbus.
  Pi: But Columbus was looking for India!
• Pi crosses himself and says "Amen" after praying before dinner and the following conversation ensues:
  The Writer: I didn't think Hindus said "Amen."
  Pi: Hindu Catholics do.
  The Writer: You're a Hindu Catholic?
  Pi: We get to feel guilty before hundreds of gods.
• Pi's brother mocking his multiple religions: "So, Swami Jesus, will you be making the hajj this year?"
  • In that same scene, Pi's parents have a very serious discussion with him about how one should pick one faith and stick with it, not exactly approving of him following three religions at once. After the father finishes things up, there's a beat and then Pi says, "I would like to be baptized". The look on his father's face is priceless.
• When Pi is training Richard Parker and motions for him to go under the tarpaulin, Richard Parker refuses. Pi's response? Chase after him screaming while holding a harpoon over his head.
• Pi's "Oh you." look when seeing Richard Parker eating some meerkats.
• The Great Lunch Exchange during the interview:
  Pi: Would you like a cookie for the road?
• At the start of the scene with the flying fish, just one lands in the boat at first. Pi struggles to grab it for a bit and throws it at Richard Parker, who clearly wants it, and shouts, "Here! It's yours!" He hits Richard Parker in the face with it and the fish bounces right off and back into the ocean.
  • This happens in the book as well.