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* In the second half of ''Film/ShredderOrpheus'', Orpheus enters a depression after losing Eurydice, but at first he seems fine as he performs in concerts and skateboards with friends. Later, he admits to Linus that everything feels fake, he doesn't know who he is, and he doesn't have a life without Eurydice.
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* ''Film/BlackRat'': Asuka always smiled regardless of the circumstances, to the point that Kanako called it creepy, and Ryota and Skai both tell her to stop. Shortly before her suicide, she confesses to Kengo that she is not always smiling because she is happy.
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!! Female Examples
to:
-->'''Alvy Singer:''' Here, you look like a very happy couple, um, are you?\\
'''Woman:''' Yeah.\\
'''Alvy Singer:''' Yeah? So, so, how do you account for it?\\
'''Woman:''' Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say.\\
'''Man:''' And I'm exactly the same way.\\
'''Alvy Singer:''' I see. Wow. That's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something?
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-->Kiri, kiri, kiriiii...! (Deeper, deeper, deeepeeeer...!).
to:
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* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'': Violet Beauregard's mom has definite Stepford vibes, especially regarding her perfectionist coaching of her daughter. She's played, surprise surprise, by Missi Pyle, patron saint of this trope.
to:
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'': ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'':
** Violet Beauregard's mom has definite Stepford vibes, especially regarding her perfectionist coaching of her daughter. She's played, surprise surprise, by Missi Pyle, patron saint of thistrope.trope.
** Willy Wonka is recast as a StepfordSmiler whose zany persona masks a lonely {{Manchild}} longing for personal connection and a sense of family.
** Violet Beauregard's mom has definite Stepford vibes, especially regarding her perfectionist coaching of her daughter. She's played, surprise surprise, by Missi Pyle, patron saint of this
** Willy Wonka is recast as a StepfordSmiler whose zany persona masks a lonely {{Manchild}} longing for personal connection and a sense of family.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smiling in front of the mirror so that people would think he outgrew his "angry little kid" phase. [[spoiler:This is how he knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He recognized a fellow StepfordSmiler]].
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
* Paul and Mary Bland of ''Film/EatingRaoul'' are probably the world's most upbeat and together conservative couple ever, even as they descend into [[spoiler:theft, murder and cannibalism]].
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist Chris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains with those of white people and [[AndIMustScream banished their consciousness to The Sunken Place, where they are made to feel small and can only observe what their new hosts are doing with their body.]]]]
* The trope as a whole is mocked in ''Film/{{Heathers}}'':
-->'''Veronica:''' If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn't be a human being, you'd be a game show host.
* Played hilariously in ''Film/HotFuzz''. While by all accounts, Sandford is a picturesque British village, and all its citizens extreemly happy with their lives, it's revealed that that's all a cover for the fact that most of the town's elderly senior citizens are murdering people – ''in order to keep the cover''. That's right, in order to keep winning the ''Village of the Year'' award, the Neighborhood Watch Alliance kills anyone they find unsavory enough to ruin their chances of winning ''Village of the Year''.
* In ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', being absorbed by the pods turns you {{Empty|Shell}}. [[spoiler: By the end of the movie, this happens to either an entire town or to the entire U.S., depending on whether you're watching the original version or the 1978 remake.]]
* The trope as a whole is mocked in ''Film/{{Heathers}}'':
-->'''Veronica:''' If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn't be a human being, you'd be a game show host.
* Played hilariously in ''Film/HotFuzz''. While by all accounts, Sandford is a picturesque British village, and all its citizens extreemly happy with their lives, it's revealed that that's all a cover for the fact that most of the town's elderly senior citizens are murdering people – ''in order to keep the cover''. That's right, in order to keep winning the ''Village of the Year'' award, the Neighborhood Watch Alliance kills anyone they find unsavory enough to ruin their chances of winning ''Village of the Year''.
* In ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', being absorbed by the pods turns you {{Empty|Shell}}. [[spoiler: By the end of the movie, this happens to either an entire town or to the entire U.S., depending on whether you're watching the original version or the 1978 remake.]]
* ''Film/LastNight'': Patrick's sister Jenny spends most of the movie cheerfully acting like a party is going on rather than TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. However, there are some signs that she's not as tranquil as she seems. Most notably, she nervously closes her eyes as the ominous wave of light heads toward her and her friends, although she otherwise remains composed.
* John Candy's character Del in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' seems to be an indomitably chipper guy until it's revealed in the end that he's a deeply depressed widower.
* Norman Bates from ''Film/{{Psycho}}''. Outwardly smiling and charming, but oh so unwell behind the mask. It's even more unnerving because Norman himself is so unstable that he acknowledges his Stepford mask slipping on and off:
-->'''Marion:''' Sometimes, we deliberately step into those traps.
-->'''Norman:''' I was born into mine. I don't mind it anymore.
-->'''Marion:''' Oh, but you should. You should mind it.
-->'''Norman:''' Oh, I do ''(laughs)'' but I say I don't.
* Conner Rooney in ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' smiles when he is feeling shamed or humiliated, particularly when his father shows favoritism to Michael. When Peter asks him why he's always smiling, he leans down and deadpans, "Because it's all so fucking hysterical."
-->'''Marion:''' Sometimes, we deliberately step into those traps.
-->'''Norman:''' I was born into mine. I don't mind it anymore.
-->'''Marion:''' Oh, but you should. You should mind it.
-->'''Norman:''' Oh, I do ''(laughs)'' but I say I don't.
* Conner Rooney in ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' smiles when he is feeling shamed or humiliated, particularly when his father shows favoritism to Michael. When Peter asks him why he's always smiling, he leans down and deadpans, "Because it's all so fucking hysterical."
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* ''Film/TheStepfordWives'' is the [[TropeNamers Trope Namer]]. The wives are a kind of Empty type, being [[spoiler:robots]].
to:
* ''Film/TheStepfordWives'' PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
%% * Chancellor Palpatine in the[[TropeNamers Trope Namer]]. ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels. On the surface, he was the amiable Chancellor Palpatine, but below...he wasn't.
* ''Film/TheStepfordWives'': The wives are a kind of Empty type, being[[spoiler:robots]].[[spoiler:robots]]. They all have huge plastered smiles on their face and are perpetually in a happy, accomodating mood, all of which belies that they feel nothing below the surface.
* ''Film/TheStepfordWives2004'' had a gay couple, one of whom, [[spoiler:played by Roger Bart]] was a male example. The [[spoiler:main 'leader', played by Christopher Walken]] was one, too. [[spoiler:Said male leader was a ''robot'', built and programmed as "the perfect stepford husband" by Glenn Close's character to cope with her husband's adultery, and perhaps even her murder of him.]]
* Lenny in ''Film/StrangeDays'' maintains his chipper huckster facade in public, but in private he's deeply depressed.
%% * Chancellor Palpatine in the
* ''Film/TheStepfordWives'': The wives are a kind of Empty type, being
* ''Film/TheStepfordWives2004'' had a gay couple, one of whom, [[spoiler:played by Roger Bart]] was a male example. The [[spoiler:main 'leader', played by Christopher Walken]] was one, too. [[spoiler:Said male leader was a ''robot'', built and programmed as "the perfect stepford husband" by Glenn Close's character to cope with her husband's adultery, and perhaps even her murder of him.]]
* Lenny in ''Film/StrangeDays'' maintains his chipper huckster facade in public, but in private he's deeply depressed.
* ''Film/TheTrumanShow'':
** Meryl is an utterly creepy example of this trope. Almost everything she says is a sugary sweet soundbite that sounds like it could have come direct from a commercial, which gets even creepier when she's nattering on about cocoa when her husband is on the verge of a psychotic breakdown. [[spoiler: Of course, since she's actually an actress portraying the main character's wife on a 24/7 television show -- and [[AllThereInTheManual according to the]] WordOfGod, is a complete fame whore who gets a payrise every time she shills something successfully -- practically everything she says ''is'' a commercial of some sort.]]
** Marlon, Truman's best friend, is also this according to WordOfGod. He actually became Truman's real friend over the course of their lives, and underneath the image of beer-swilling party animal, is a deeply broken over having lied to him. [[spoiler: In a deleted scene, he turns a blind eye to Truman's escape.]]
** Meryl is an utterly creepy example of this trope. Almost everything she says is a sugary sweet soundbite that sounds like it could have come direct from a commercial, which gets even creepier when she's nattering on about cocoa when her husband is on the verge of a psychotic breakdown. [[spoiler: Of course, since she's actually an actress portraying the main character's wife on a 24/7 television show -- and [[AllThereInTheManual according to the]] WordOfGod, is a complete fame whore who gets a payrise every time she shills something successfully -- practically everything she says ''is'' a commercial of some sort.]]
** Marlon, Truman's best friend, is also this according to WordOfGod. He actually became Truman's real friend over the course of their lives, and underneath the image of beer-swilling party animal, is a deeply broken over having lied to him. [[spoiler: In a deleted scene, he turns a blind eye to Truman's escape.]]
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* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei briefly tries to smile and appear composed when her mother denies her request to go to the 4*Town concert but she quickly drops it after she says goodnight.
!!Male Examples
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' has Willy Wonka recast as a StepfordSmiler.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smiling in front of the mirror so that people would think he outgrew his "angry little kid" phase. [[spoiler:This is how he knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He recognized a fellow StepfordSmiler]].
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest in a long line of bastards, and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.\\
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* John Candy's character Del in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' seems to be an indomitably chipper guy until it's revealed in the end that he's a deeply depressed widower.
* Norman Bates from ''Film/{{Psycho}}''. Outwardly smiling and charming, but oh so unwell behind the mask. It's even more unnerving because Norman himself is so unstable that he acknowledges his Stepford mask slipping on and off:
-->'''Marion:''' Sometimes, we deliberately step into those traps.
-->'''Norman:''' I was born into mine. I don't mind it anymore.
-->'''Marion:''' Oh, but you should. You should mind it.
-->'''Norman:''' Oh, I do ''(laughs)'' but I say I don't.
* Conner Rooney in ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' smiles when he is feeling shamed or humiliated, particularly when his father shows favoritism to Michael. When Peter asks him why he's always smiling, he leans down and deadpans, "Because it's all so fucking hysterical."
* Chancellor Palpatine in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels. On the surface, he was the amiable Chancellor Palpatine, but below...he wasn't.
* From the Trope Namer, ''Film/TheStepfordWives2004'' had a gay couple, one of whom, [[spoiler:played by Roger Bart]] was a male example. The [[spoiler:main 'leader', played by Christopher Walken]] was one, too. [[spoiler:Said male leader was a ''robot'', built and programmed as "the perfect stepford husband" by Glenn Close's character to cope with her husband's adultery, and perhaps even her murder of him.]]
* Lenny in ''Film/StrangeDays'' maintains his chipper huckster facade in public, but in private he's deeply depressed.
!!Male Examples
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' has Willy Wonka recast as a StepfordSmiler.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smiling in front of the mirror so that people would think he outgrew his "angry little kid" phase. [[spoiler:This is how he knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He recognized a fellow StepfordSmiler]].
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest in a long line of bastards, and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.\\
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* John Candy's character Del in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' seems to be an indomitably chipper guy until it's revealed in the end that he's a deeply depressed widower.
* Norman Bates from ''Film/{{Psycho}}''. Outwardly smiling and charming, but oh so unwell behind the mask. It's even more unnerving because Norman himself is so unstable that he acknowledges his Stepford mask slipping on and off:
-->'''Marion:''' Sometimes, we deliberately step into those traps.
-->'''Norman:''' I was born into mine. I don't mind it anymore.
-->'''Marion:''' Oh, but you should. You should mind it.
-->'''Norman:''' Oh, I do ''(laughs)'' but I say I don't.
* Conner Rooney in ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' smiles when he is feeling shamed or humiliated, particularly when his father shows favoritism to Michael. When Peter asks him why he's always smiling, he leans down and deadpans, "Because it's all so fucking hysterical."
* Chancellor Palpatine in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels. On the surface, he was the amiable Chancellor Palpatine, but below...he wasn't.
* From the Trope Namer, ''Film/TheStepfordWives2004'' had a gay couple, one of whom, [[spoiler:played by Roger Bart]] was a male example. The [[spoiler:main 'leader', played by Christopher Walken]] was one, too. [[spoiler:Said male leader was a ''robot'', built and programmed as "the perfect stepford husband" by Glenn Close's character to cope with her husband's adultery, and perhaps even her murder of him.]]
* Lenny in ''Film/StrangeDays'' maintains his chipper huckster facade in public, but in private he's deeply depressed.
to:
* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei briefly tries to smile Chris and appear composed when her mother denies her request to go to the 4*Town concert but she quickly drops it after she says goodnight.
!!Male Examples
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' has Willy Wonka recast as a StepfordSmiler.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smilingBelle in front of the mirror so that people would think he outgrew his "angry little kid" phase. [[spoiler:This is how he knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He recognized ''Film/TheWoman'' are a fellow StepfordSmiler]].
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis,happy, successful, traditional couple with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest in a long line of bastards, and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.\\
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* John Candy's character Del in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' seems to be an indomitably chipper guy until it's revealedthree children in the end that he's suburbs... who keep [[WildChild a deeply depressed widower.
* Norman Bates from ''Film/{{Psycho}}''. Outwardly smiling and charming, but oh so unwell behind the mask. It's even more unnerving because Norman himself is so unstable that he acknowledges his Stepford mask slipping on and off:
-->'''Marion:''' Sometimes, we deliberately step into those traps.
-->'''Norman:''' I was born into mine. I don't mind it anymore.
-->'''Marion:''' Oh, but you should. You should mind it.
-->'''Norman:''' Oh, I do ''(laughs)'' but I say I don't.
* Conner Rooney in ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' smiles when he is feeling shamed or humiliated, particularly when his father shows favoritism to Michael. When Peter asks him why he's always smiling, he leans down and deadpans, "Because it's all so fucking hysterical."
* Chancellor Palpatineferal woman]] locked in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels. On cellar, ostensibly in an attempt to "civilize" her. And even before she came into the surface, he was the amiable Chancellor Palpatine, but below...he wasn't.
* From the Trope Namer, ''Film/TheStepfordWives2004'' had a gay couple, one of whom, [[spoiler:played by Roger Bart]]picture, there was a male example. The [[spoiler:main 'leader', played by Christopher Walken]] was one, too. [[spoiler:Said male leader was a ''robot'', built heaping helping of DomesticAbuse going on. Belle eventually snaps out of it once she realizes that [[spoiler:her husband and programmed as "the perfect stepford husband" by Glenn Close's character to cope with her husband's adultery, and perhaps even her murder of him.]]
* Lenny in ''Film/StrangeDays'' maintains his chipper huckster facade in public, but in private he's deeply depressed.son are raping the feral woman]].
!!Male Examples
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' has Willy Wonka recast as a StepfordSmiler.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smiling
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis,
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest in a long line of bastards, and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.\\
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* John Candy's character Del in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' seems to be an indomitably chipper guy until it's revealed
* Norman Bates from ''Film/{{Psycho}}''. Outwardly smiling and charming, but oh so unwell behind the mask. It's even more unnerving because Norman himself is so unstable that he acknowledges his Stepford mask slipping on and off:
-->'''Marion:''' Sometimes, we deliberately step into those traps.
-->'''Norman:''' I was born into mine. I don't mind it anymore.
-->'''Marion:''' Oh, but you should. You should mind it.
-->'''Norman:''' Oh, I do ''(laughs)'' but I say I don't.
* Conner Rooney in ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' smiles when he is feeling shamed or humiliated, particularly when his father shows favoritism to Michael. When Peter asks him why he's always smiling, he leans down and deadpans, "Because it's all so fucking hysterical."
* Chancellor Palpatine
* From the Trope Namer, ''Film/TheStepfordWives2004'' had a gay couple, one of whom, [[spoiler:played by Roger Bart]]
* Lenny in ''Film/StrangeDays'' maintains his chipper huckster facade in public, but in private he's deeply depressed.
Deleted line(s) 69,89 (click to see context) :
!!Mixed Gender Examples
* There's a rare humorous example of an Empty Stepford Smiler in ''Film/AnnieHall'', with a couple that Alvy Singer approaches on the street for relationship advice:
-->'''Alvy Singer:''' Here, you look like a very happy couple, um, are you?\\
'''Woman:''' Yeah.\\
'''Alvy Singer:''' Yeah? So, so, how do you account for it?\\
'''Woman:''' Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say.\\
'''Man:''' And I'm exactly the same way.\\
'''Alvy Singer:''' I see. Wow. That's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something?
* Paul and Mary Bland of ''Film/EatingRaoul'' are probably the world's most upbeat and together conservative couple ever, even as they descend into [[spoiler:theft, murder and cannibalism]].
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist Chris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains with those of white people and [[AndIMustScream banished their consciousness to The Sunken Place, where they are made to feel small and can only observe what their new hosts are doing with their body.]]]]
* The trope as a whole is mocked in ''Film/{{Heathers}}'':
-->'''Veronica:''' If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn't be a human being, you'd be a game show host.
* Played hilariously in ''Film/HotFuzz''. While by all accounts, Sandford is a picturesque British village, and all its citizens extreemly happy with their lives, it's revealed that that's all a cover for the fact that most of the town's elderly senior citizens are murdering people – ''in order to keep the cover''. That's right, in order to keep winning the ''Village of the Year'' award, the Neighborhood Watch Alliance kills anyone they find unsavory enough to ruin their chances of winning ''Village of the Year''.
* In ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', being absorbed by the pods turns you {{Empty|Shell}}. [[spoiler: By the end of the movie, this happens to either an entire town or to the entire U.S., depending on whether you're watching the original version or the 1978 remake.]]
* ''Film/LastNight'': Patrick's sister Jenny spends most of the movie cheerfully acting like a party is going on rather than TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. However, there are some signs that she's not as tranquil as she seems. Most notably, she nervously closes her eyes as the ominous wave of light heads toward her and her friends, although she otherwise remains composed.
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
* ''Film/TheTrumanShow''
** Meryl is an utterly creepy example of this trope. Almost everything she says is a sugary sweet soundbite that sounds like it could have come direct from a commercial, which gets even creepier when she's nattering on about cocoa when her husband is on the verge of a psychotic breakdown. [[spoiler: Of course, since she's actually an actress portraying the main character's wife on a 24/7 television show -- and [[AllThereInTheManual according to the]] WordOfGod, is a complete fame whore who gets a payrise every time she shills something successfully -- practically everything she says ''is'' a commercial of some sort.]]
** Marlon, Truman's best friend, is also this according to WordOfGod. He actually became Truman's real friend over the course of their lives, and underneath the image of beer-swilling party animal, is a deeply broken over having lied to him. [[spoiler: In a deleted scene, he turns a blind eye to Truman's escape.]]
* Chris and Belle in ''Film/TheWoman'' are a happy, successful, traditional couple with three children in the suburbs... who keep [[WildChild a feral woman]] locked in the cellar, ostensibly in an attempt to "civilize" her. And even before she came into the picture, there was a heaping helping of DomesticAbuse going on. Belle eventually snaps out of it once she realizes that [[spoiler:her husband and her son are raping the feral woman]].
* There's a rare humorous example of an Empty Stepford Smiler in ''Film/AnnieHall'', with a couple that Alvy Singer approaches on the street for relationship advice:
-->'''Alvy Singer:''' Here, you look like a very happy couple, um, are you?\\
'''Woman:''' Yeah.\\
'''Alvy Singer:''' Yeah? So, so, how do you account for it?\\
'''Woman:''' Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say.\\
'''Man:''' And I'm exactly the same way.\\
'''Alvy Singer:''' I see. Wow. That's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something?
* Paul and Mary Bland of ''Film/EatingRaoul'' are probably the world's most upbeat and together conservative couple ever, even as they descend into [[spoiler:theft, murder and cannibalism]].
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist Chris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains with those of white people and [[AndIMustScream banished their consciousness to The Sunken Place, where they are made to feel small and can only observe what their new hosts are doing with their body.]]]]
* The trope as a whole is mocked in ''Film/{{Heathers}}'':
-->'''Veronica:''' If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn't be a human being, you'd be a game show host.
* Played hilariously in ''Film/HotFuzz''. While by all accounts, Sandford is a picturesque British village, and all its citizens extreemly happy with their lives, it's revealed that that's all a cover for the fact that most of the town's elderly senior citizens are murdering people – ''in order to keep the cover''. That's right, in order to keep winning the ''Village of the Year'' award, the Neighborhood Watch Alliance kills anyone they find unsavory enough to ruin their chances of winning ''Village of the Year''.
* In ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', being absorbed by the pods turns you {{Empty|Shell}}. [[spoiler: By the end of the movie, this happens to either an entire town or to the entire U.S., depending on whether you're watching the original version or the 1978 remake.]]
* ''Film/LastNight'': Patrick's sister Jenny spends most of the movie cheerfully acting like a party is going on rather than TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. However, there are some signs that she's not as tranquil as she seems. Most notably, she nervously closes her eyes as the ominous wave of light heads toward her and her friends, although she otherwise remains composed.
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
* ''Film/TheTrumanShow''
** Meryl is an utterly creepy example of this trope. Almost everything she says is a sugary sweet soundbite that sounds like it could have come direct from a commercial, which gets even creepier when she's nattering on about cocoa when her husband is on the verge of a psychotic breakdown. [[spoiler: Of course, since she's actually an actress portraying the main character's wife on a 24/7 television show -- and [[AllThereInTheManual according to the]] WordOfGod, is a complete fame whore who gets a payrise every time she shills something successfully -- practically everything she says ''is'' a commercial of some sort.]]
** Marlon, Truman's best friend, is also this according to WordOfGod. He actually became Truman's real friend over the course of their lives, and underneath the image of beer-swilling party animal, is a deeply broken over having lied to him. [[spoiler: In a deleted scene, he turns a blind eye to Truman's escape.]]
* Chris and Belle in ''Film/TheWoman'' are a happy, successful, traditional couple with three children in the suburbs... who keep [[WildChild a feral woman]] locked in the cellar, ostensibly in an attempt to "civilize" her. And even before she came into the picture, there was a heaping helping of DomesticAbuse going on. Belle eventually snaps out of it once she realizes that [[spoiler:her husband and her son are raping the feral woman]].
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* ''Film/BadTeacher'': Amy Squirrell.
* Helen from ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'' is Depressed.
* Helen from ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'' is Depressed.
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%% * ''Film/BadTeacher'': Amy Squirrell.
%% * Helen from ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'' is Depressed.
%% * Helen from ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'' is Depressed.
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* Esther in ''Film/{{Orphan}}'' is [[{{Yandere}} Unstable]].
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%% * Esther in ''Film/{{Orphan}}'' is [[{{Yandere}} Unstable]].
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* Janine in ''Film/AnimalKingdom'': she maintains a sugary-sweet maternal demeanor as she [[spoiler:witnesses the criminal activity of her many sons, deals with the death of three of her children, plots to have her grandson murdered and blackmails a man into killing him.]]
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* Parodied with the camp counselors in the second ''Film/AddamsFamilyValues'' movie. Also, Wednesday's (fake) smile while at the camp, which is met with a "She's scaring me!" from another camper.
** Speaking of ''Addams Family Values''... What. About. DEB-BIE!?! Doesn't she deserve love? And jewelry? And the gag is, she would have fit in a lot more with the Addamses had she just been her real, psycho, self.
** Speaking of ''Addams Family Values''... What. About. DEB-BIE!?! Doesn't she deserve love? And jewelry? And the gag is, she would have fit in a lot more with the Addamses had she just been her real, psycho, self.
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* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei briefly tries to smile and appear composed when her mother denies her request to go to the 4*Town concert but she quickly drops it after she says goodnight.
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* ''Film/LastNight'': Patrick's sister Jenny spends most of the movie cheerfully acting like a party is going on rather than TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. However, there are some signs that she's not as tranquil as she seems. Most notably, she nervously closes her eyes as the ominous wave of light heads toward her and her friends, although she otherwise remains composed.
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* In ''Film/WhenAWomanAscendsTheStairs'', Keiko, also known as "[[AffectionateNickname Mama]]", is like this - she's a respected hostess with a number of male clients who like her (other hostesses also like her), and she's warm and friendly towards all of them, but underneath, she's melancholy and sad, hating every part of her life.
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* In ''Film/FirstMan'', Janet Armstrong is serious and not prone to smiling often, but is forced to put on a wholesome smile for the dozens of reporters who constantly lurk around her house or hang around for promotional photos.
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* The Japanese short film "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-rCfjbHVmg The Dolls with Attitude]]" has an extreme example in the main character: after years of forced smiling, her face one day hardens into an unmoving, permanently smiling porcelain doll mask, but no one but her seems to notice and her cheery smile leads to her becoming a popular idol. At first, it just looks like [[ClingyCostume a mask that she can't remove no matter how hard she tries]], [[spoiler:until she smashes her forced smile to pieces with her microphone during a live performance, revealing that her old face is completely gone and she's completely hollow underneath her current one. In a BittersweetEnding, she's freed from her permanent smile and rebrands herself with a goth/punk theme.]]
Deleted line(s) 26 (click to see context) :
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-rCfjbHVmg This Japanese short film]] has an extreme example in the main character; after years of forced smiling, her face one day hardens into an unmoving, permanently smiling porcelain doll mask, but no one but her seems to notice and her cheery smile leads to her becoming a popular idol. At first, it just looks like [[ClingyCostume a mask that she can't remove no matter how hard she tries]], [[spoiler:until she smashes her forced smile to pieces with her microphone during a live performance, revealing that her old face is completely gone and she's completely hollow underneath her current one. In a BittersweetEnding, she's freed from her permanent smile and rebrands herself with a goth/punk theme.]]
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** Speaking of ''Addams Family Values''... What. About. DEB-BIE!?! Doesn't she deserve love? And jewelry?
to:
** Speaking of ''Addams Family Values''... What. About. DEB-BIE!?! Doesn't she deserve love? And jewelry?jewelry? And the gag is, she would have fit in a lot more with the Addamses had she just been her real, psycho, self.
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* ''Film/TheStepfordWives'' is the [[TropeNamers Trope Namer]]. The wives are a kind of Empty type, being [[spoiler:robots]].
* ''Film/MeanGirls'': Gretchen (the 'one small step from a complete nervous breakdown' version, rather than the 'empty inside' version).
-->Why should Caesar just get to stomp around like a giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet?! What's so great as Caesar, hm? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar, Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar, and when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody, huh?! Because that's not what Rome is about! We should totally just ''STAB CAESAR!''
* Most characters in ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'' are Stepford Smilers, what with it being a [[TrappedInTVLand 1950s sitcom world made real.]] Eventually the teens who got zapped into Pleasantville help break the townspeople out of the trope.
* Gina [=McKee=] plays a particularly creepy variant of this in ''Film/{{Mirrormask}}''.
-->'''Black Queen:''' Because we are...what?\\
'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, Your Majesty.\\
'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
* ''Film/TheChumscrubber'' is essentially about an entire suburb full of {{Stepford Smiler}}s.
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'': Violet Beauregard's mom has definite Stepford vibes, especially regarding her perfectionist coaching of her daughter. She's played, surprise surprise, by Missi Pyle, patron saint of this trope.
* Speaking of Tim Burton, ''Film/EdwardScissorhands'' features a good number of Stepford Smilers.
* ''Film/MeanGirls'': Gretchen (the 'one small step from a complete nervous breakdown' version, rather than the 'empty inside' version).
-->Why should Caesar just get to stomp around like a giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet?! What's so great as Caesar, hm? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar, Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar, and when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody, huh?! Because that's not what Rome is about! We should totally just ''STAB CAESAR!''
* Most characters in ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'' are Stepford Smilers, what with it being a [[TrappedInTVLand 1950s sitcom world made real.]] Eventually the teens who got zapped into Pleasantville help break the townspeople out of the trope.
* Gina [=McKee=] plays a particularly creepy variant of this in ''Film/{{Mirrormask}}''.
-->'''Black Queen:''' Because we are...what?\\
'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, Your Majesty.\\
'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
* ''Film/TheChumscrubber'' is essentially about an entire suburb full of {{Stepford Smiler}}s.
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'': Violet Beauregard's mom has definite Stepford vibes, especially regarding her perfectionist coaching of her daughter. She's played, surprise surprise, by Missi Pyle, patron saint of this trope.
* Speaking of Tim Burton, ''Film/EdwardScissorhands'' features a good number of Stepford Smilers.
to:
* ''Film/TheStepfordWives'' is Parodied with the [[TropeNamers Trope Namer]]. The wives are a kind of Empty type, being [[spoiler:robots]].
* ''Film/MeanGirls'': Gretchen (the 'one small step from a complete nervous breakdown' version, rather thancamp counselors in the 'empty inside' version).
-->Why should Caesar just get to stomp around like a giantsecond ''Film/AddamsFamilyValues'' movie. Also, Wednesday's (fake) smile while at the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet?! What's so great as Caesar, hm? Brutus camp, which is just as cute as Caesar, Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar, and when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody, huh?! Because that's not what Rome is about! We should totally just ''STAB CAESAR!''
* Most characters in ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'' are Stepford Smilers, whatmet with it being a [[TrappedInTVLand 1950s sitcom world made real.]] Eventually the teens who got zapped into Pleasantville help break the townspeople out of the trope.
* Gina [=McKee=] plays a particularly creepy variant of this in ''Film/{{Mirrormask}}''.
-->'''Black Queen:''' Because we are...what?\\
'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, Your Majesty.\\
'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
* ''Film/TheChumscrubber'' is essentially about an entire suburb full of {{Stepford Smiler}}s.
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'': Violet Beauregard's mom has definite Stepford vibes, especially regarding her perfectionist coaching of her daughter. She's played, surprise surprise, by Missi Pyle, patron saint of this trope.
*"She's scaring me!" from another camper.
** Speaking ofTim Burton, ''Film/EdwardScissorhands'' features a good number of Stepford Smilers.''Addams Family Values''... What. About. DEB-BIE!?! Doesn't she deserve love? And jewelry?
* ''Film/MeanGirls'': Gretchen (the 'one small step from a complete nervous breakdown' version, rather than
-->Why should Caesar just get to stomp around like a giant
* Most characters in ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'' are Stepford Smilers, what
* Gina [=McKee=] plays a particularly creepy variant of this in ''Film/{{Mirrormask}}''.
-->'''Black Queen:''' Because we are...what?\\
'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, Your Majesty.\\
'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
* ''Film/TheChumscrubber'' is essentially about an entire suburb full of {{Stepford Smiler}}s.
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'': Violet Beauregard's mom has definite Stepford vibes, especially regarding her perfectionist coaching of her daughter. She's played, surprise surprise, by Missi Pyle, patron saint of this trope.
*
** Speaking of
Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
* Katherine in ''Film/CruelIntentions'' pretends to be an upstanding Junior League-type schoolgirl, when in reality she's an oversexed, scheming coke fiend who takes out her frustrations on her fellow female classmates by persuading them to sleep around and ruin their reputations as a result.
to:
* Katherine Janine in ''Film/CruelIntentions'' pretends to be an upstanding Junior League-type schoolgirl, when in reality she's an oversexed, scheming coke fiend who takes out ''Film/AnimalKingdom'': she maintains a sugary-sweet maternal demeanor as she [[spoiler:witnesses the criminal activity of her frustrations on many sons, deals with the death of three of her fellow female classmates by persuading them children, plots to sleep around have her grandson murdered and ruin their reputations as blackmails a result.man into killing him.]]
Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
* Creator/NicoleKidman's character in ''Film/ToDieFor'' is a sterling example. For extra fun, the movie is [[BasedOnATrueStory based on the real-life story]] of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Smart Pamela Smart.]]
to:
* Creator/NicoleKidman's character ''Film/BadTeacher'': Amy Squirrell.
* Helen from ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'' is Depressed.
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'': Violet Beauregard's mom has definite Stepford vibes, especially regarding her perfectionist coaching of her daughter. She's played, surprise surprise, by Missi Pyle, patron saint of this trope.
* ''Film/TheChumscrubber'' is essentially about an entire suburb full of {{Stepford Smiler}}s.
* ''Film/CloudAtlas'': The fabricant waitresses are genetically engineered to always smile.
* Katherine in''Film/ToDieFor'' is a sterling example. For extra fun, the movie is [[BasedOnATrueStory based ''Film/CruelIntentions'' pretends to be an upstanding Junior League-type schoolgirl, when in reality she's an oversexed, scheming coke fiend who takes out her frustrations on the real-life story]] of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Smart Pamela Smart.]]her fellow female classmates by persuading them to sleep around and ruin their reputations as a result.
* Helen from ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'' is Depressed.
* Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'': Violet Beauregard's mom has definite Stepford vibes, especially regarding her perfectionist coaching of her daughter. She's played, surprise surprise, by Missi Pyle, patron saint of this trope.
* ''Film/TheChumscrubber'' is essentially about an entire suburb full of {{Stepford Smiler}}s.
* ''Film/CloudAtlas'': The fabricant waitresses are genetically engineered to always smile.
* Katherine in
* Speaking of Tim Burton, ''Film/EdwardScissorhands'' features a good number of Stepford Smilers.
Changed line(s) 21,25 (click to see context) from:
* Parodied with the camp counselors in the second ''Film/AddamsFamilyValues'' movie. Also, Wednesday's (fake) smile while at the camp, which is met with a "She's scaring me!" from another camper.
** Speaking of ''Addams Family Values''... What. About. DEB-BIE!?! Doesn't she deserve love? And jewelry?
* The "Machine Man" in ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' when made to look like Maria, is literally Empty (because she's actually a robot). Somewhat [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] because the main character figures out from her actions and the beliefs she espouses, but no one else does. [[spoiler: She even laughs as she's being burned at the stake, before her true form reveals itself.]]
* Creator/TildaSwinton in ''Film/MichaelClayton'' makes every effort to appear a confident and poised professional who loves her job, but behind the scenes she's a timid, nervous wreck.
* Janine in ''Film/AnimalKingdom'': she maintains a sugary-sweet maternal demeanor as she [[spoiler:witnesses the criminal activity of her many sons, deals with the death of three of her children, plots to have her grandson murdered and blackmails a man into killing him.]]
** Speaking of ''Addams Family Values''... What. About. DEB-BIE!?! Doesn't she deserve love? And jewelry?
* The "Machine Man" in ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' when made to look like Maria, is literally Empty (because she's actually a robot). Somewhat [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] because the main character figures out from her actions and the beliefs she espouses, but no one else does. [[spoiler: She even laughs as she's being burned at the stake, before her true form reveals itself.]]
* Creator/TildaSwinton in ''Film/MichaelClayton'' makes every effort to appear a confident and poised professional who loves her job, but behind the scenes she's a timid, nervous wreck.
* Janine in ''Film/AnimalKingdom'': she maintains a sugary-sweet maternal demeanor as she [[spoiler:witnesses the criminal activity of her many sons, deals with the death of three of her children, plots to have her grandson murdered and blackmails a man into killing him.]]
to:
* Parodied with the camp counselors [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-rCfjbHVmg This Japanese short film]] has an extreme example in the second ''Film/AddamsFamilyValues'' movie. Also, Wednesday's (fake) main character; after years of forced smiling, her face one day hardens into an unmoving, permanently smiling porcelain doll mask, but no one but her seems to notice and her cheery smile while at the camp, which is met leads to her becoming a popular idol. At first, it just looks like [[ClingyCostume a mask that she can't remove no matter how hard she tries]], [[spoiler:until she smashes her forced smile to pieces with her microphone during a "She's scaring me!" from another camper.
** Speaking of ''Addams Family Values''... What. About. DEB-BIE!?! Doesn't she deserve love? And jewelry?
* The "Machine Man" in ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' when made to look like Maria,live performance, revealing that her old face is literally Empty (because completely gone and she's actually a robot). Somewhat [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] because the main character figures out from completely hollow underneath her actions and the beliefs she espouses, but no one else does. [[spoiler: She even laughs as current one. In a BittersweetEnding, she's being burned at the stake, before freed from her true form reveals itself.]]
* Creator/TildaSwinton in ''Film/MichaelClayton'' makes every effort to appear a confidentpermanent smile and poised professional who loves her job, but behind the scenes she's a timid, nervous wreck.
* Janine in ''Film/AnimalKingdom'': she maintains a sugary-sweet maternal demeanor as she [[spoiler:witnesses the criminal activity of her many sons, dealsrebrands herself with the death of three of her children, plots to have her grandson murdered and blackmails a man into killing him.goth/punk theme.]]
** Speaking of ''Addams Family Values''... What. About. DEB-BIE!?! Doesn't she deserve love? And jewelry?
* The "Machine Man" in ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' when made to look like Maria,
* Creator/TildaSwinton in ''Film/MichaelClayton'' makes every effort to appear a confident
* Janine in ''Film/AnimalKingdom'': she maintains a sugary-sweet maternal demeanor as she [[spoiler:witnesses the criminal activity of her many sons, deals
Deleted line(s) 27 (click to see context) :
* ''Film/BadTeacher'': Amy Squirrell.
* ''Film/MeanGirls'': Gretchen (the 'one small step from a complete nervous breakdown' version, rather than the 'empty inside' version).
-->Why should Caesar just get to stomp around like a giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet?! What's so great as Caesar, hm? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar, Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar, and when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody, huh?! Because that's not what Rome is about! We should totally just ''STAB CAESAR!''
* The "Machine Man" in ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' when made to look like Maria, is literally Empty (because she's actually a robot). Somewhat [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] because the main character figures out from her actions and the beliefs she espouses, but no one else does. [[spoiler: She even laughs as she's being burned at the stake, before her true form reveals itself.]]
* Creator/TildaSwinton in ''Film/MichaelClayton'' makes every effort to appear a confident and poised professional who loves her job, but behind the scenes she's a timid, nervous wreck.
* Gina [=McKee=] plays a particularly creepy variant of this in ''Film/{{Mirrormask}}''.
-->'''Black Queen:''' Because we are...what?\\
'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, Your Majesty.\\
'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
* Victoria and Sally from ''Film/Oblivion2013''. They veer into UncannyValley levels real badly (but for different reasons) by the movie's climax.
-->Why should Caesar just get to stomp around like a giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his big feet?! What's so great as Caesar, hm? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar, Brutus is just as smart as Caesar, people totally like Brutus just as much as they like Caesar, and when did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody, huh?! Because that's not what Rome is about! We should totally just ''STAB CAESAR!''
* The "Machine Man" in ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' when made to look like Maria, is literally Empty (because she's actually a robot). Somewhat [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] because the main character figures out from her actions and the beliefs she espouses, but no one else does. [[spoiler: She even laughs as she's being burned at the stake, before her true form reveals itself.]]
* Creator/TildaSwinton in ''Film/MichaelClayton'' makes every effort to appear a confident and poised professional who loves her job, but behind the scenes she's a timid, nervous wreck.
* Gina [=McKee=] plays a particularly creepy variant of this in ''Film/{{Mirrormask}}''.
-->'''Black Queen:''' Because we are...what?\\
'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, Your Majesty.\\
'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
* Victoria and Sally from ''Film/Oblivion2013''. They veer into UncannyValley levels real badly (but for different reasons) by the movie's climax.
* Most characters in ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'' are Stepford Smilers, what with it being a [[TrappedInTVLand 1950s sitcom world made real.]] Eventually the teens who got zapped into Pleasantville help break the townspeople out of the trope.
Changed line(s) 31,32 (click to see context) from:
* Helen from ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'' is Depressed.
* Victoria and Sally from ''Film/Oblivion2013''. They veer into UncannyValley levels real badly (but for different reasons) by the movie's climax.
* Victoria and Sally from ''Film/Oblivion2013''. They veer into UncannyValley levels real badly (but for different reasons) by the movie's climax.
to:
* Helen from ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'' ''Film/TheStepfordWives'' is Depressed.
* Victoria and Sally from ''Film/Oblivion2013''. They veer into UncannyValley levels real badly (but for different reasons) bythe movie's climax.[[TropeNamers Trope Namer]]. The wives are a kind of Empty type, being [[spoiler:robots]].
* Creator/NicoleKidman's character in ''Film/ToDieFor'' is a sterling example. For extra fun, the movie is [[BasedOnATrueStory based on the real-life story]] of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Smart Pamela Smart.]]
* Victoria and Sally from ''Film/Oblivion2013''. They veer into UncannyValley levels real badly (but for different reasons) by
* Creator/NicoleKidman's character in ''Film/ToDieFor'' is a sterling example. For extra fun, the movie is [[BasedOnATrueStory based on the real-life story]] of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Smart Pamela Smart.]]
Deleted line(s) 35,36 (click to see context) :
* ''Film/CloudAtlas'': The fabricant waitresses are genetically engineered to always smile.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-rCfjbHVmg This Japanese short film]] has an extreme example in the main character; after years of forced smiling, her face one day hardens into an unmoving, permanently smiling porcelain doll mask, but no one but her seems to notice and her cheery smile leads to her becoming a popular idol. At first, it just looks like [[ClingyCostume a mask that she can't remove no matter how hard she tries]], [[spoiler:until she smashes her forced smile to pieces with her microphone during a live performance, revealing that her old face is completely gone and she's completely hollow underneath her current one. In a BittersweetEnding, she's freed from her permanent smile and rebrands herself with a goth/punk theme.]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-rCfjbHVmg This Japanese short film]] has an extreme example in the main character; after years of forced smiling, her face one day hardens into an unmoving, permanently smiling porcelain doll mask, but no one but her seems to notice and her cheery smile leads to her becoming a popular idol. At first, it just looks like [[ClingyCostume a mask that she can't remove no matter how hard she tries]], [[spoiler:until she smashes her forced smile to pieces with her microphone during a live performance, revealing that her old face is completely gone and she's completely hollow underneath her current one. In a BittersweetEnding, she's freed from her permanent smile and rebrands herself with a goth/punk theme.]]
Deleted line(s) 40 (click to see context) :
* Gary King in ''Film/TheWorldsEnd'', despite projecting a highly hyper appearance, is a depressed man who's aware he's lost any chance at a decent life.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smiling in front of the mirror so that people would think he outgrew his "angry little kid" phase. [[spoiler:This is how he knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He recognized a fellow StepfordSmiler]].
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest in a long line of bastards, and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.\\
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* John Candy's character Del in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' seems to be an indomitably chipper guy until it's revealed in the end that he's a deeply depressed widower.
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest in a long line of bastards, and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.\\
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* John Candy's character Del in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' seems to be an indomitably chipper guy until it's revealed in the end that he's a deeply depressed widower.
* Conner Rooney in ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' smiles when he is feeling shamed or humiliated, particularly when his father shows favoritism to Michael. When Peter asks him why he's always smiling, he leans down and deadpans, "Because it's all so fucking hysterical."
* Chancellor Palpatine in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels. On the surface, he was the amiable Chancellor Palpatine, but below...he wasn't.
* Chancellor Palpatine in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels. On the surface, he was the amiable Chancellor Palpatine, but below...he wasn't.
Deleted line(s) 48,49 (click to see context) :
* Chancellor Palpatine in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels. On the surface, he was the amiable Chancellor Palpatine, but below...he wasn't.
* John Candy's character Del in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' seems to be an indomitably chipper guy until it's revealed in the end that he's a deeply depressed widower.
* John Candy's character Del in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'' seems to be an indomitably chipper guy until it's revealed in the end that he's a deeply depressed widower.
Changed line(s) 51,60 (click to see context) from:
* Conner Rooney in ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' smiles when he is feeling shamed or humiliated, particularly when his father shows favoritism to Michael. When Peter asks him why he's always smiling, he leans down and deadpans, "Because it's all so fucking hysterical."
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smiling in front of the mirror so that people would think he outgrew his "angry little kid" phase. [[spoiler:This is how he knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He recognized a fellow StepfordSmiler]].
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest in a long line of bastards, and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.\\
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smiling in front of the mirror so that people would think he outgrew his "angry little kid" phase. [[spoiler:This is how he knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He recognized a fellow StepfordSmiler]].
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest in a long line of bastards, and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.\\
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
to:
* Conner Rooney Gary King in ''Film/RoadToPerdition'' smiles when he ''Film/TheWorldsEnd'', despite projecting a highly hyper appearance, is feeling shamed or humiliated, particularly when his father shows favoritism to Michael. When Peter asks him why he's always smiling, he leans down and deadpans, "Because it's all so fucking hysterical."
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smiling in front of the mirror so that people would think he outgrew his "angry little kid" phase. [[spoiler:This is how he knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He recognizeda fellow StepfordSmiler]].
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everythingdepressed man who's aware he's lost up to that point and pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him any chance at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest ina long line of bastards, and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.\\
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
decent life.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', John Blake lost his parents at an early age, and practiced smiling in front of the mirror so that people would think he outgrew his "angry little kid" phase. [[spoiler:This is how he knew Bruce Wayne was Batman. He recognized
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] didn't start like this, but falls into it by ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything
--->'''Thor:''' Thanos is just the latest in
'''Rocket:''' And what if you're ''wrong?''\\
'''Thor:''' ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', pretty much everyone in Stalin's inner circle. When UsefulNotes/JosephStalin says smile, they smile, when Stalin says laugh, they laugh. After Stalin's eponymous demise, this continues during the SuccessionCrisis, with the Central Committee playing friendly while planning to manipulate, betray, and sometimes outright murder one another.
Deleted line(s) 62,63 (click to see context) :
* Paul and Mary Bland of ''Film/EatingRaoul'' are probably the world's most upbeat and together conservative couple ever, even as they descend into [[spoiler:theft, murder and cannibalism]].
* In ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', being absorbed by the pods turns you {{Empty|Shell}}. [[spoiler: By the end of the movie, this happens to either an entire town or to the entire U.S., depending on whether you're watching the original version or the 1978 remake.]]
* In ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', being absorbed by the pods turns you {{Empty|Shell}}. [[spoiler: By the end of the movie, this happens to either an entire town or to the entire U.S., depending on whether you're watching the original version or the 1978 remake.]]
Changed line(s) 71 (click to see context) from:
* Chris and Belle in ''Film/TheWoman'' are a happy, successful, traditional couple with three children in the suburbs... who keep [[WildChild a feral woman]] locked in the cellar, ostensibly in an attempt to "civilize" her. And even before she came into the picture, there was a heaping helping of DomesticAbuse going on. Belle eventually snaps out of it once she realizes that [[spoiler:her husband and her son are raping the feral woman]].
to:
* Chris Paul and Belle in ''Film/TheWoman'' Mary Bland of ''Film/EatingRaoul'' are a happy, successful, traditional probably the world's most upbeat and together conservative couple ever, even as they descend into [[spoiler:theft, murder and cannibalism]].
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist Chris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains withthree children in the suburbs... who keep [[WildChild a feral woman]] locked in the cellar, ostensibly in an attempt to "civilize" her. And even before she came into the picture, there was a heaping helping those of DomesticAbuse going on. Belle eventually snaps out of it once she realizes that [[spoiler:her husband white people and her son [[AndIMustScream banished their consciousness to The Sunken Place, where they are raping the feral woman]].made to feel small and can only observe what their new hosts are doing with their body.]]]]
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist Chris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains with
* Played hilariously in ''Film/HotFuzz''. While by all accounts, Sandford is a picturesque British village, and all its citizens extreemly happy with their lives, it's revealed that that's all a cover for the fact that most of the town's elderly senior citizens are murdering people – ''in order to keep the cover''. That's right, in order to keep winning the ''Village of the Year'' award, the Neighborhood Watch Alliance kills anyone they find unsavory enough to ruin their chances of winning ''Village of the Year''.
* In ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', being absorbed by the pods turns you {{Empty|Shell}}. [[spoiler: By the end of the movie, this happens to either an entire town or to the entire U.S., depending on whether you're watching the original version or the 1978 remake.]]
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
* In ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', being absorbed by the pods turns you {{Empty|Shell}}. [[spoiler: By the end of the movie, this happens to either an entire town or to the entire U.S., depending on whether you're watching the original version or the 1978 remake.]]
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
Changed line(s) 77,79 (click to see context) from:
* Played hilariously in ''Film/HotFuzz''. While by all accounts, Sandford is a picturesque British village, and all its citizens extreemly happy with their lives, it's revealed that that's all a cover for the fact that most of the town's elderly senior citizens are murdering people – ''in order to keep the cover''. That's right, in order to keep winning the ''Village of the Year'' award, the Neighborhood Watch Alliance kills anyone they find unsavory enough to ruin their chances of winning ''Village of the Year''.
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist Chris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains with those of white people and [[AndIMustScream banished their consciousness to The Sunken Place, where they are made to feel small and can only observe what their new hosts are doing with their body.]]]]
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist Chris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains with those of white people and [[AndIMustScream banished their consciousness to The Sunken Place, where they are made to feel small and can only observe what their new hosts are doing with their body.]]]]
to:
* Played hilariously in ''Film/HotFuzz''. While by all accounts, Sandford is a picturesque British village, and all its citizens extreemly happy with their lives, it's revealed that that's all a cover for the fact that most of the town's elderly senior citizens are murdering people – ''in order to keep the cover''. That's right, in order to keep winning the ''Village of the Year'' award, the Neighborhood Watch Alliance kills anyone they find unsavory enough to ruin their chances of winning ''Village of the Year''.
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonistChris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people Belle in ''Film/TheWoman'' are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains happy, successful, traditional couple with those three children in the suburbs... who keep [[WildChild a feral woman]] locked in the cellar, ostensibly in an attempt to "civilize" her. And even before she came into the picture, there was a heaping helping of white people DomesticAbuse going on. Belle eventually snaps out of it once she realizes that [[spoiler:her husband and [[AndIMustScream banished their consciousness to The Sunken Place, where they her son are made to feel small and can only observe what their new hosts are doing with their body.]]]]raping the feral woman]].
----
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist
----
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Changed line(s) 78 (click to see context) from:
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.
to:
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/ShockTreatment'': Denton is a hybrid of a [=TV=] station and a town, so naturally it encourages its residents to be shallow, cheerful consumers.consumers.
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist Chris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains with those of white people and [[AndIMustScream banished their consciousness to The Sunken Place, where they are made to feel small and can only observe what their new hosts are doing with their body.]]]]
* ''Film/GetOut2017'' features a scenario similar to the TropeNamer in which the protagonist Chris Washington and his white girlfriend Rose Armitage visit her family's home, a place where all the black people are strangely cheerful and servile in a way reminiscent of a modern-day slave plantation. [[spoiler:They're actually bodyjacked victims of the Armitage family, who replaced their brains with those of white people and [[AndIMustScream banished their consciousness to The Sunken Place, where they are made to feel small and can only observe what their new hosts are doing with their body.]]]]
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already on the animated films subpage
Deleted line(s) 1,3 (click to see context) :
!! Animated Examples
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and [[TheEmpath Sadness]], the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way because she has no idea what her purpose is aside from making Riley miserable) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes [[WellIntentionedExtremist increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times]]. Joy is so opposed to Sadness making any core memories that she goes against regulations and tries to purge it, which kick-starts the plot when that accidentally ejects her and Sadness and the core memories from Headquarters and into Long-Term Memory. Joy [[TookALevelInKindness gets better at the end]] [[spoiler: when she finally realizes that Sadness is essential to Riley's well-being when she sees one of Riley's sad memories became joyful because Riley's parents and teammates come to comfort her. She realizes that Sadness is her equal and that she [[ControlFreak went too far in trying to exclude her]] (and the other emotions, to a lesser degree), which almost caused Riley herself to become a Stepford Smiler.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and [[TheEmpath Sadness]], the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way because she has no idea what her purpose is aside from making Riley miserable) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes [[WellIntentionedExtremist increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times]]. Joy is so opposed to Sadness making any core memories that she goes against regulations and tries to purge it, which kick-starts the plot when that accidentally ejects her and Sadness and the core memories from Headquarters and into Long-Term Memory. Joy [[TookALevelInKindness gets better at the end]] [[spoiler: when she finally realizes that Sadness is essential to Riley's well-being when she sees one of Riley's sad memories became joyful because Riley's parents and teammates come to comfort her. She realizes that Sadness is her equal and that she [[ControlFreak went too far in trying to exclude her]] (and the other emotions, to a lesser degree), which almost caused Riley herself to become a Stepford Smiler.]]
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* ''The Chumscrubber'' is essentially about an entire suburb full of {{Stepford Smiler}}s.
to:
* ''The Chumscrubber'' ''Film/TheChumscrubber'' is essentially about an entire suburb full of {{Stepford Smiler}}s.
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** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and purusing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
to:
** In ''Infinity War'', he still jokes and smiles like he did in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', but is very much grieving over everyone and everything he's lost up to that point and purusing pursuing vengeance against Thanos because it's the only path left to him at this point, as he admits to Rocket Raccoon.
Changed line(s) 61 (click to see context) from:
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to bury himself in alcohol to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
to:
** In ''Endgame'', after the TimeSkip he becomes a grotesque parody of a [[BigFun jolly fat man]], seemingly happy and carefree but actually being wracked by guilt and self-loathing and trying to [[DrowningMySorrows bury himself in alcohol alcohol]] to compensate. Plus he still has a minor meltdown at the mention of Thanos' name -- especially because [[spoiler:he ''did'' get the vengeance on Thanos he wanted, and it didn't help his issues at all]].
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to:
* Constance Blackwood in ''Film/WeHaveAlwaysLivedInTheCastle''. Her sweet smiles, lovely '50s outfits, and perfect domestic skills conceal huge amounts of trauma and family dysfunction.
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* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and [[TheEmpath Sadness]], the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way because she has no idea what her purpose is aside from making Riley miserable) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes [[WellIntentionedExtremist increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times]]. Joy is so opposed to Sadness making any core memories that she goes against regulations and tries to purge it, which kick-starts the plot when that accidentally ejects her and Sadness and the core memories from Headquarters and into Long-Term Memory. Joy [[TookALessoninKindness gets better at the end]] [[spoiler: when she finally realizes that Sadness is essential to Riley's well-being when she sees one of Riley's sad memories became joyful because Riley's parents and teammates come to comfort her. She realizes that Sadness is her equal and that she [[ControlFreak went too far in trying to exclude her]] (and the other emotions, to a lesser degree).]]
to:
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and [[TheEmpath Sadness]], the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way because she has no idea what her purpose is aside from making Riley miserable) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes [[WellIntentionedExtremist increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times]]. Joy is so opposed to Sadness making any core memories that she goes against regulations and tries to purge it, which kick-starts the plot when that accidentally ejects her and Sadness and the core memories from Headquarters and into Long-Term Memory. Joy [[TookALessoninKindness [[TookALevelInKindness gets better at the end]] [[spoiler: when she finally realizes that Sadness is essential to Riley's well-being when she sees one of Riley's sad memories became joyful because Riley's parents and teammates come to comfort her. She realizes that Sadness is her equal and that she [[ControlFreak went too far in trying to exclude her]] (and the other emotions, to a lesser degree).degree), which almost caused Riley herself to become a Stepford Smiler.]]
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* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and [[TheEmpath Sadness]], the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way because she has no idea what her purpose is aside from making Riley miserable) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes [[WellIntentionedExtremist increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times]]. Joy is so opposed to Sadness making any core memories that she goes against regulations and tries to purge it, which kick-starts the plot when that accidentally ejects her and Sadness and the core memories from Headquarters and into Long-Term Memory. Joy [[TookALessonInKindness gets better at the end]] [[spoiler: when she finally realizes that Sadness is essential to Riley when she sees one of Riley's sad memories became joyful because Riley's parents and teammates come to comfort her. She realizes that Sadness is her equal and that she went too far in trying to exclude her.]]
to:
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and [[TheEmpath Sadness]], the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way because she has no idea what her purpose is aside from making Riley miserable) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes [[WellIntentionedExtremist increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times]]. Joy is so opposed to Sadness making any core memories that she goes against regulations and tries to purge it, which kick-starts the plot when that accidentally ejects her and Sadness and the core memories from Headquarters and into Long-Term Memory. Joy [[TookALessonInKindness [[TookALessoninKindness gets better at the end]] [[spoiler: when she finally realizes that Sadness is essential to Riley Riley's well-being when she sees one of Riley's sad memories became joyful because Riley's parents and teammates come to comfort her. She realizes that Sadness is her equal and that she [[ControlFreak went too far in trying to exclude her.her]] (and the other emotions, to a lesser degree).]]
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Changed line(s) 2,3 (click to see context) from:
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness, the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way because she has no idea what her purpose is aside from making Riley miserable) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes [[WellIntentionedExtremist increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times]]. Joy is so opposed to Sadness making any core memories that she goes against regulations and tries to purge it, which kick-starts the plot when that accidentally ejects her and Sadness and the core memories from Headquarters and into Long-Term Memory.
to:
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness, [[TheEmpath Sadness]], the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way because she has no idea what her purpose is aside from making Riley miserable) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes [[WellIntentionedExtremist increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times]]. Joy is so opposed to Sadness making any core memories that she goes against regulations and tries to purge it, which kick-starts the plot when that accidentally ejects her and Sadness and the core memories from Headquarters and into Long-Term Memory.
Memory. Joy [[TookALessonInKindness gets better at the end]] [[spoiler: when she finally realizes that Sadness is essential to Riley when she sees one of Riley's sad memories became joyful because Riley's parents and teammates come to comfort her. She realizes that Sadness is her equal and that she went too far in trying to exclude her.]]
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Changed line(s) 2,3 (click to see context) from:
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness, the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times.
to:
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness, the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way) way because she has no idea what her purpose is aside from making Riley miserable) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes [[WellIntentionedExtremist increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times.
times]]. Joy is so opposed to Sadness making any core memories that she goes against regulations and tries to purge it, which kick-starts the plot when that accidentally ejects her and Sadness and the core memories from Headquarters and into Long-Term Memory.
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Added DiffLines:
!! Animated Examples
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness, the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times.
* ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' has Joy, the anthropomorphic representation of the emotion. She is the leader of the five main emotions in the mind of 11-year-old Riley Anderson, whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco for her dad's new job. Up until now, Joy has been in charge of Riley and has generated all of her core memories (which power the Personality Islands, which make Riley who she is), but now that everything in her young life has been overturned and she has to make new friends in an unfamiliar city, the other four main emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness, the last of whom Joy has actively tried to keep out of the way) begin to challenge Joy, who becomes increasingly desperate to keep Riley happy at all times.
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Changed line(s) 7,9 (click to see context) from:
-->'''Black Queen:''' Because we are...what?
-->'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, Your Majesty.
-->'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
-->'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, Your Majesty.
-->'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
to:
-->'''Black Queen:''' Because we are...what?
-->'''Guard:'''what?\\
'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, YourMajesty.
-->'''BlackMajesty.\\
'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
-->'''Guard:'''
'''Guard:''' Not a home to Mr. Grumpy, Your
-->'''Black
'''Black Queen:''' Exactly!
Changed line(s) 56 (click to see context) from:
'''Thor:''' ''[Mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
to:
'''Thor:''' ''[Mirthless ''[mirthless chuckle]'' Well, if I'm wrong, then ''what more could I lose?''
Changed line(s) 64,69 (click to see context) from:
-->'''Alvy Singer:''' Here, you look like a very happy couple, um, are you?
-->'''Woman:''' Yeah.
-->'''Alvy Singer:''' Yeah? So, so, how do you account for it?
-->'''Woman:''' Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say.
-->'''Man:''' And I'm exactly the same way.
-->'''Alvy Singer:''' I see. Wow. That's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something?
-->'''Woman:''' Yeah.
-->'''Alvy Singer:''' Yeah? So, so, how do you account for it?
-->'''Woman:''' Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say.
-->'''Man:''' And I'm exactly the same way.
-->'''Alvy Singer:''' I see. Wow. That's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something?
to:
-->'''Alvy Singer:''' Here, you look like a very happy couple, um, are you?
-->'''Woman:''' Yeah.
-->'''Alvyyou?\\
'''Woman:''' Yeah.\\
'''Alvy Singer:''' Yeah? So, so, how do you account forit?
-->'''Woman:'''it?\\
'''Woman:''' Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting tosay.
-->'''Man:'''say.\\
'''Man:''' And I'm exactly the sameway.
-->'''Alvyway.\\
'''Alvy Singer:''' I see. Wow. That's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something?
-->'''Woman:''' Yeah.
-->'''Alvy
'''Woman:''' Yeah.\\
'''Alvy Singer:''' Yeah? So, so, how do you account for
-->'''Woman:'''
'''Woman:''' Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to
-->'''Man:'''
'''Man:''' And I'm exactly the same
-->'''Alvy
'''Alvy Singer:''' I see. Wow. That's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something?
Changed line(s) 72 (click to see context) from:
--> '''Veronica:''' If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn't be a human being, you'd be a game show host.
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Changed line(s) 76 (click to see context) from:
* Played hilariously in ''Film/HotFuzz''. While by all accounts, Sandford is a picturesque British village, and all its citizens extreemly happy with their lives, it's revealed that that's all a cover for the fact that most of the town's elderly senior citizens are murdering people - ''in order to keep the cover''. That's right, in order to keep winning the ''Village of the Year'' award, the Neighborhood Watch Alliance kills anyone they find unsavory enough to ruin their chances of winning ''Village of the Year''.
to:
* Played hilariously in ''Film/HotFuzz''. While by all accounts, Sandford is a picturesque British village, and all its citizens extreemly happy with their lives, it's revealed that that's all a cover for the fact that most of the town's elderly senior citizens are murdering people - – ''in order to keep the cover''. That's right, in order to keep winning the ''Village of the Year'' award, the Neighborhood Watch Alliance kills anyone they find unsavory enough to ruin their chances of winning ''Village of the Year''.
