History YMMV / Mermaids1990

!!The Film

* NightmareFuel: The scene with the angel statues looking down on Charlotte in the bell tower are a little unnerving, complete with StaggeredZoom and ScareChord.

** Rachel's tearful monologue to a sleeping Kate as she recovers in the hospital.

* AwardBaitSong: "It's In His Kiss (Shoop Shoop)" covered by Cher in the end credits.

** At the costume party, Lou (Bob Hoskins) was dressed as a pirate. He would later go on to play the pirate Smee in director Steven Spielberg's Hook (1991).

* ValuesDissonance: Given the movie's 1960s setting, not a single eye is batted over 15-year-old Charlotte dating [[spoiler: and later losing her virginity to]] 26-year-old Joe. Nowadays due to the age of consent in many states ranging from 16-18 years old it's very likely that Joe could be charged with having sex with a minor (even at the time, the age of consent was 16 in Massachusetts where it's set-which doesn't mean it was always enforced, then or now).

** After she kisses Joe, Charlotte says she should be "burned at the stake." Winona Ryder would later star in "The Crucible" as a girl accusing others of being witches during the Salem witch hysteria. It is often erroneously believed that accused persons at Salem were burned at the stake. In 1987, Cher had starred as a witch in "Witches of Eastwick," which, like this movie and "The Crucible," was set in New England.

* ValuesDissonance: Given the movie's 1960s setting, not a single eye is batted over 15-year-old Charlotte dating [[spoiler: and later losing her virginity to]] 26-year-old Joe, nowadays due to the age of consent in many states ranging from 16-18 years old it's very likely that Joe could be charged with having sex with a minor (even at the time, the age of consent was 16 in Massachusetts where it's set-which doesn't mean it was always enforced, then or now).

* ValuesDissonance: Given the movie's 1960s setting, not a single eye is batted over 15-year-old Charlotte dating [[spoiler: and later losing her virginity]] to 26-year-old Joe, nowadays due to the age of consent in many states ranging from 16-18 years old it's very likely that Joe could be charged with having sex with a minor (even at the time, it was 18 in California where it's set-which doesn't mean it was always enforced, then or now).

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: Lou and Charlotte making an ocean- themed room for Kate.

** After a bombastic fight, Mrs. Flax and Charlotte finally open up to each other, and have an actual heart-to-heart discussion. Something they've never done as mother and daughter.
* HilariousInHindsight: At the time of the film's release, Creator/WinonaRyder was in a relationship with Creator/JohnnyDepp (which soon ended). A decade later, Creator/ChristinaRicci, who played Ryder's little sister in the film, [[SheIsAllGrownUp would co-star]] as Depp's love interest in ''[[Film/SleepyHollow1999 Sleepy Hollow]]'' (1999) and ''Film/TheManWhoCried'' (2000).

* ValuesDissonance: Given the movie's 1960s setting, not a single eye batted over 15-year-old Charlotte dating [[spoiler: and later losing her virginity]] to 26-year-old Joe, nowadays due to the age of consent in many states ranging from 16-18 years old it's very likely that Joe could be charged with having sex with a minor.

* HilariousInHindsight: At the time of the film's release, Winona Ryder was in a relationship with Creator/JohnnyDepp (which soon ended). A decade later, Creator/ChristinaRicci, who played Ryder's little sister in the film, [[SheIsAllGrownUp would co-star]] as Depp's love interest in ''[[Film/SleepyHollow1999 Sleepy Hollow]]'' (1999) and ''Film/TheManWhoCried'' (2000).

* RetroactiveRecognition:
** [[Series/StrangerThings Joyce Byers]] has a crush on [[Film/SixteenCandles Jake Ryan]].
** Charlotte's kid sister is [[Film/TheAddamsFamily Wednesday Addams]].

* ValuesDissonance: Given the movie's 1960s setting, not a single eye batted over 15-year-old Charlotte dating [[spoiler: and later losing her virginity]] to 26-year-old Joe, nowadays due to the age of consent in many states ranging from 16-18 years old it's very likely that Joe could be charged with having sex with a minor.

** [[Film/Beetlejuice Lydia Deetz]] and [[Film/TheAddamsFamily Wednesday Addams]] as sisters!

* HilariousInHindsight: At the time of the film's release, Winona Ryder was in a relationship with Creator/JohnnyDepp (which soon ended). A decade later, Creator/ChristinaRicci, who played Ryder's little sister in the film, [[SheIsAllGrownUp would co-star]] as Depp's love interest in ''[[Film/SleepyHollow1999 Sleepy Hollow]]'' (1999) and ''The Man Who Cried'' (2000).

* HilariousInHindsight: At the time of the film's release, Winona Ryder was in a relationship with Creator/JohnnyDepp (which soon ended). A decade later, Christina Ricci, who played Ryder's little sister in the film, [[SheIsAllGrownUp would co-star]] as Depp's love interest in ''[[Film/SleepyHollow1999 Sleepy Hollow]]'' (1999) and ''The Man Who Cried'' (2000).
* NightmareFuel: The scene with the angel statues looking down on Charlotte in the bell tower are a little unnerving, complete with StaggeringZoom and ScareChord.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: As Mrs. Flax wishes Charlotte well on her date, Mrs. Flax's youngest daughter Kate stumbles through the hallway with a pumpkin on her head, banging into things and eventually falling to the kitchen floor saying that she's a monster shark. It's adorable.

* AdaptationDisplacement: Many viewers are unaware that this film is based on a novel.

* EarWorm: Cher's cover of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shoop_Shoop_Song Betty Clarke's "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in his kiss)]] will stay in people's heads for a long, long time.

* HilariousInHindsight: At the time of the film's release, Winona Ryder was in a relationship with Creator/JohnnyDepp (which soon ended). A decade later, Christina Ricci, who played Ryder's little sister in the film, [[SheIsAllGrownUp would co-star]] as Depp's love interests in ''[[Film/SleepyHollow1999 Sleepy Hollow]]'' (1999) and ''The Man Who Cried'' (2000).

* EarWorm: Cher's cover of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shoop_Shoop_Song Betty Clarke's "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in his kiss)]] will stay in people's heads for a long, long time.

* EarWorm: Cher's cover of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shoop_Shoop_Song_(It's_in_His_Kiss) Betty Clarke's "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in his kiss)]] will stay in people's heads for a long, long time.