Web Video / A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever

Tagline! ^note Note!

"Explicitly summing up the moral of the story,
awkwardly working in... the Movie Title."

— Page quote

Wealthy, Successful Protagonist (Who Is Handsome) seemingly has it all: wealth, success, good looks, a gorgeous metropolitan home, the works. But, as his Insightful Best Friend points out, he doesn't have something to live for that's bigger than himself.

In comes Social Worker, who informs Wealthy, Successful Protagonist that due to various circumstances, he has been assigned custody of Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy, a Catchphrase-spewing, mentally handicapped young man whose presence radically changes Wealthy, Successful Protagonist's comfortable status quo.

Things start looking up once Wealthy, Successful Protagonist meets Lead Female, a quirky, daring young woman who rejects social norms by dyeing her hair, and admires him for undertaking this responsibility. The two of them soon start dating, and Wealthy, Successful Protagonist learns to appreciate the positive impact Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy has on his life, and all seems well.

Then things get... complicated. Aside from dealing with his increasingly-rocky relationship with Lead Female and Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy's failing health, Wealthy, Successful Protagonist must also confront the machinations of a traitorous associate, inspire a young Latino boy to do well in school, defend an innocent black man in court, fight with the Native American metaphor against the American military metaphor, and help a local high school basketball team win the Big Game.

(Phew!)

The latest cinematic masterpiece from Famous And/Or Foreign Director, Movie Title features an all-star cast including Academy Award-Winning Actor, Academy Award-Winning Actress, Actor Desperately Trying For An Academy Award, Older Actress in a Comeback Attempt, and Beloved Actor Who Died This Year in his final role.

On the meta side of things, it's a hilarious send-up of Oscar Bait movies in general by the folks at BriTANicK.com. Given how its entire purpose is to hang a gigantic lampshade on such films, it's not surprising how incredibly Troperrific it is for a video that's only three and a half minutes long.

Created by Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher in 2010, the video was first posted on Cracked but can now be watched on the creators' YouTube channel.

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"Movie Title" contains examples of:

• The Alcoholic: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist is implied to be one. There's a dark shot of him on the balcony, holding a bottle.
• All-Star Cast: invoked Academy Award Winning Actor, Academy Award Winning Actress, Actor desperately trying to win Academy Award, Beloved Actor who passed this year and once famous Actress trying to revive her career.
• Angry Collar Grab: "Overreaction!" Enraged Wealthy, Successful Protagonist grabs Insightful Best Friend by the collar and pushes him against a wall after specifically outlining his major character flaws.
• Anvilicious: Invoked and parodied.
• Audience Murmurs: The conversation at the opening party is simply the characters saying "laughlaughlaugh" over and over.
• Better than a Bare Bulb: It's all Lampshade Hanging.
• The Big Board: Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy writes on whiteboard.
• Big Game: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist inspires a basketball team with his Rousing Speech.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Insightful Best Friend initially seems to have nothing but friendly concern for Wealthy, Successful Protagonist, but over the course of the narrative sleeps with Lead Female, specifically outlines Wealthy, Successful Protagonist's character flaws in a rather hostile fashion, has a sinister Matchlight Danger Revelation moment complete with Slasher Smile, and all in all appears to be the Character Once Thought Trustworthy Who May Not Be Trustworthy.
• Bound and Gagged: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist is treated to this after getting abducted by Traitorous Associate.
• Bowdlerise: The original cut from 2010 had a line by Older Actress stating that "said retard is now under your custody". The line was edited out for the 2011 release.
• Boy Meets Girl:
  Lead Female: My name.
  Protagonist: My name.
• Broken Smile: In the parking lot, Wealthy Successful Protagonist tries to control his temper and forces a smile while uttering "Frustration with these new circumstances!"
• Captain Morgan Pose: Protagonist is in this position while he's giving his Rousing Speech to the basketball team. He rests the ball on his uplifted knee.
• The Cassandra: Insightful Best Friend, whose attempts to make Wealthy, Successful Protagonist face up to his personal shortcomings or warn him about imminent danger are usually met with dismissal, overreaction, or a Flat "What".
• Catchphrase:
  Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy: My catchphrase!
• Caught in the Rain: Protagonist and Lead Female seek shelter in the car when it's pouring heavily outside.
• Cerebus Syndrome: What starts out as a self-absorbed guy frustrated with having to take care of an impaired person gradually turns more and more intense and (melo)dramatic.
• Children Raise You: Or perhaps Inspirationally Disadvantaged Wards Raise You. Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy not only brings meaning to Wealthy, Successful Protagonist's life, but he's also the reason that Wealthy, Successful Protagonist and Lead Female meet.
• Climactic Music: "And then the music gets... hopeful..."
• Cold-Blooded Torture: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist (Who Is Handsome) gets tortured at the hands of Traitorous Associate.
• Courtroom Episode: "Also, I must prove innocent this incredibly humble human male."
• Crisis Catch And Carry: Protagonist is seen running while carrying unconscious Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy in his arms.
• Crucified Hero Shot: At one point Wealthy, Successful Protagonist is seen shirtless in the snow, arms outstretched, eyes closed and face towards the sky. What do you mean, it's not symbolic?
• Darkened Building Shootout: Right after the Matchlight Danger Revelation, a character points a firearm at the camera from the top of a dark stairway.
• Dead Artists Are Better: "Beloved actor who died this year".
• Deliberately Monochrome: Two shots towards the ending. With a Splash of Color. Red, to be specific.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist, even if he isn't aware of it. He feels relieved after having found his purpose.
• Dramatic Shattering: The wine glass dropped on the floor.
• Drugs Are Bad: Social Worker, who is seen snorting crack between puffing on a cigarette.
• E = MC Hammer: Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy's whiteboard filled with mathematical scribblings, and an English Lit variant appears on the blackboard in Latin-American Teenager’s classroom.
• Establishing Character Moment:
  Protagonist: A toast establishing me as the Wealthy, Successful Protagonist (Who Is Handsome).
• "Everybody Laughs" Ending: The trailer ends with a laugh and happy mood: "It's not going to be entirely a dramatic film. Because we laughed there."
• Everyone Is Bi: Both Wealthy, Successful Protagonist and Lead Female are seen with same-gender love interests at some point.
• False Friend: "Suspicion that a character, once thought trustworthy, may not be trustworthy!"
• Flames of Love: The last scene is showing an intimate discussion between Protagonist and Lead Female by a fireplace.
• Futile Hand Reach: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist reaches for Lead Female and screams her name while being dragged away.
• Genre Mashup: A tearjerker drama with elements of crime, romance, comedy and sports.
• Good-Times Montage: Right after Boy Meets Girl. They are running in the city and laughing together under bedsheets.
• Grave-Marking Scene: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist is shown visiting the grave of someone, but it's not shown whose stone it is (although it's implied to be Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy).
• Gray Rain of Depression: Gloomy rain during the Passionate Plea scene in the car.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist and Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy are shown to become very close.
• The Hilarious Table: The beginning scene has Wealthy, Successful Protagonist at a dinner with everyone saying "Laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh", establishing that the protagonist is indeed successful at life.
• Idiot Savant: Parodied: Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy writes a Big Equation on a whiteboard.
• Incurable Cough of Death: Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy is coughing in his hospital bed.
• Inspirationally Disadvantaged: Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy, "a character suffering from the most topical disability of the present year".
• Jerkass: Social Worker. Flat-out calling Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy a "retard"? In her line of work? She's also seen snorting cocaine and kissing Lead Female, implying that Lead Female is cheating on Wealthy, Successful Protagonist with her.
• Kudzu Plot: "Friendly concern that a string of heightened and seemingly unrelated plots may now arise."
• "Lesson of the Day" Speech: For everyone who didn't get the movie's message, Wealthy, Successful Protagonist sums up its lesson at the end while sitting with Lead Female by a fireplace.
  "Explicitly summing up the moral of the story."
• LGBT Awakening: Lead Female accuses Wealthy, Successful Protagonist of being gay which seems to help her come to terms with her own bisexuality as she is later seen orbital kissing Older Actress In A Comeback Attempt. Unless Lead Female knew about her true sexual nature all along, which would make her a Hypocrite.
• Lost Aesop: Parodied, where one inspiring aesop after the other is thrown at the audience until you can't really tell anymore what the message actually is.
• Love Dodecahedron: Overlaps with Everyone Is Bi — Wealthy, Successful Protagonist x Lead Female; Wealthy, Successful Protagonist x Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy; Lead Female x Social Worker; and Lead Female x Insightful Best Friend.
• Magical Negro: "Friendly black, optimistic advice."
• Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Lead Female is a token Manic Pixie Dream Girl who helps Wealthy, Successful Protagonist to open up and enjoy his life to the fullest, though she does share that role with Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy.
• Matchlight Danger Revelation: Half-way through the trailer, Wealthy, Successful Protagonist strikes a match in the dark which illuminates the Slasher Smile of Insightful Best Friend.
• Mighty Whitey: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist decides to fight with the Native American metaphor against the American Military metaphor.
• Missing Trailer Scene: invoked Insightful Best Friend spills wine on himself in the bathtub.
  "This scene doesn't make it to the final cut of the movie."
• Mistaken for Gay: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist is taken for gay by Lead Female, which causes a Second-Act Breakup.

• The Mole: "Suspicion that a character once thought trustworthy may not be trustworthy!"
• Nonconformist Dyed Hair: Lead Female, who "rejects social norms" by dying blue and red streaks into her hair.
• Orbital Kiss: Visual effect of spinning camera during the Lesbian Kissing scene.
• Orwellian Retcon: The line referring to Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy as a "retard" was cut from the original release but can still be seen in an older copy.
• Oscar Bait: Actor Desperately Trying for an Academy Award as Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy.
• Parody: Of Oscar Bait movie trailers in general and this one in particular.
• Piggyback Cute: During their Falling-in-Love Montage, Protagonist is seen running through the city carrying Female Lead on his back. And Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy runs behind them.
• Pstandard Psychic Pstance: Protagonist touches his temples with both hands after he learned that Character once though trustworthy may not be trustworthy.
• Psychologist Teacher: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist functions as this towards Latin-American teenager.
• Real Trailer, Fake Movie: The entire thing.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: "Specific outlining of your major character flaws!"
• Recycled Soundtrack: The music playing in the final part of the trailer is the main theme from Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.
• Repeated for Emphasis: Delivered by Lead Female to the Protagonist: "PASSIONATE PLEA!!!... whispered repetition."
• Resentful Guardian: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist...at first. He gets better after Lead Female expresses an attraction to him due to his "seeming selflessness" in looking after Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy.
  Wealthy, Successful Protagonist: Frustration with these new circumstances!
• Ripped from the Headlines: Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy's disability is "the most topical disability of the present year".
• Romantic Rain: Wealthy Successful Protagonist and Lead Female have a tense romantic scene in a car while it's pouring.
• Rousing Speech: "Inspiring final lines of a speech that douchebags will quote in their FACEBOOK PROFILES!"
  Basketball Team: CHEER!!
• Save Our Students: "Also, I've got to use tough love to help this Latin-American teenager believe in himself."
• Say My Name: "LEAD FEMALE'S NAME!"
• Second-Act Breakup: "Differences are surfacing between us!"
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: "Overreaction!"
• Single Tear: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist sheds a Manly Tear during his Unbroken Vigil at Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy's hospital bedside, when Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy whispers his "naive, yet inspiring, statement".
• Sink or Swim Fatherhood: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist being forced into the caretaker role for Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy.
• Sitting on the Roof: Protagonist is seen sitting on the roof twice, once with Female Lead and also with Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy.
• Smart People Play Chess: Insightful Best Friend plays chess. Doubles as Crazy People Play Chess as we later see Insightful Best Friend unhinged with a slasher smile during the Matchlight Danger Revelation.
• Snow Means Death: Protagonist is seen standing at a cemetery on a winter day.
• Splash of Color: Lead Female's actress's introduction has her filmed in black-and-white but her skirt is bright red. Also Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy is in color with red rose petals falling on him on black-and-white background.
• Sting: Sound effect right before the naive yet inspiring statement.
• Sweeps Week Lesbian Kiss: Parodied with Lead Female and Social Worker's kiss, especially given that Social Worker is credited as "Older Actress In A Comeback Attempt."
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist (Who Is Handsome)
• Tempting Fate: "Reassurance that my good fortune will not waver."
• That Makes Me Feel Angry: Almost every line as a result of the characters explicitly voicing their feelings.
  Lead Female: Admiration of your seeming selflessness.
• This Means Warpaint: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist and Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy have war paint on their faces while fighting with the Native American metaphor.
• Title Drop: "Explicitly stating the moral of the story and awkwardly working in (Beat) the Movie Title."
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy. Just in case it wasn't obvious enough, there's a shot of him smiling peacefully as he stands in a shower of rose petals.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist starts out as a self-absorbed jerk but turns into a proper hero over the course of the plot.
• Tough Love: How Wealthy, Successful Protagonist has to help the Latino student.
• Trailers Always Lie: "This scene doesn't make it into the final cut of the movie."
• Trailers Always Spoil: The trailer gives away the movie's key points, like revealing the False Friend or the death of Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy.
• [Trope Name]: Every single line, apart from two: an exasperated "Dude!" when Wealthy, Successful Protagonist is informed that a string of heightened and seemingly unrelated plots may now arise, and a comment that a shot of laughter at the end of the trailer means that the film isn't going to be all serious.
• Troperiffic: As this page should well demonstrate.
• Unbroken Vigil: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist keeps vigil at Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy's hospital bed.
• Unsound Effect: "Laugh, laugh, laugh"; "CHEER!"; "Murmur of agreement"; "Ambient background noise."
• Vertigo Effect: Visual effect towards the end, in the scene with Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy in front of a puddle.
• White-Dwarf Starlet: "Older actress trying for a comeback".
• White Male Lead: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist.
• White Man's Burden: Wealthy, Successful Protagonist ends up single-handedly saving a Latin-American teenager, an "incredibly humble human male" (namely, an African-American), and the Native American metaphor.
• Whoopi Epiphany Speech: Inspirationally Disadvantaged Guy delivers one of these from his hospital bed. "Naive yet inspiring statement."
• You Just Had to Say It:
  Insightful Best Friend: Friendly concern that a string of heightened and seemingly unrelated plots may now arise.
  [Beat]
  Wealthy, Successful Protagonist: Dude!

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The Stinger