Line #5 YMMV/Ratatouille


1	!!The film:
2	* AccidentalAesop: While the main {{Aesop}} is that genius can come from anywhere, another seems to be, "set reasonable expectations for what you are capable of". The movie is about Rémy's efforts to make changes to improve his life so that he can cook and be recognized as more than a rat, but in the end [[spoiler:he doesn't change the populace's mind but wins over a few people and family who appreciate him for who he is and what he can do]]. Relatedly, Linguini is his worst at the end of the second act when [[spoiler:he overvalues his role as Rémy's puppet cook, providing the straw upon the camel's back for Rémy to steal from the kitchen; soon after, he relegates himself to the role of the waiter, a less-glamorous job that he's amazing at, and appears quite content with when he works the same role at the bistro he starts with Colette]].
3	* {{Adorkable}}: Linguini has [[TheKlutz clumsy mannerisms]], gets distracted around [[LoveInterest Colette]], and is a master of BuffySpeak.
4	* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
5	** Why exactly did the kitchen staff leave after Linguini tells the truth about Rémy? Did they think he finally lost his mind? Or did they believe him, but felt betrayed for being lied to and weren't willing to risk everything on a rat?
6	** Rémy claims to be against stealing food and wants to create, but is he so noble? Even in the beginning, Rémy's main argument with his father isnt that they're stealing, but that they're stealing literal garbage when they could just as easily steal food from the woman's house. Throughout the movie Rémy steals ingredients without concern as long as it's for his own cooking: saffron (which is a ''very'' expensive spice) from the old woman's house, the old woman's copy of ''Anyone Can Cook'', herbs from a neighbor's garden for the omelettes he makes for himself and Linguini. Is Rémy really trying to be better than his roots? Or is he a {{hypocrite}} who tries to justify his theft with self righteousness about creating art?
7	** [[PlayedForLaughs On a more humorous note]], some believe that Horst ''isn't'' [[MultipleChoicePast changing stories]] every time someone asks what he did to go to prison, but instead sharing different but connected details of an extremely bizarre heist.
8	** Is the Gusteau that Rémy with interacts truly a figment of his imagination or is he the actual spirit of the chef? While he only interacts with Rémy, his conversations and actions with the rat (such as him being able to physically pull him around) and his general role as a SpiritAdvisor, suggest otherwise. The script also states him to be "the Gusteau sprite", which also suggests that he is the spirit of the chef. Generally speaking, the film never exactly makes this clear.
9	** [[spoiler:Are all the customers of La Ratatouille aware that their food are being handled by a rat?]] [[spoiler:Maybe they do and they just don't care since they love the food.]]
10	* AluminumChristmasTrees:
11	** As crazy as it seems (to American viewers at least), the pest control shop with the dead rats hanging in the window is an actual store in Paris called Aurouze, and it's been around since 1872.
12	** Removing stars from restaurants in the event a chef dies ''isn't'' unfounded. The Michelin star system (three stars, not five) rates not only the food, but also the location/design and the staff, including the chef. If ''any'' of those aspects change, the restaurant has to be reevaluated and often loses a star in the process for a year. The system is designed to [[SeriousBusiness ensure a restaurant has truly ''earned'' the stars they receive]].[[note]]In fact Gusteau is partly inspired by the tragic real-life story of Bernard Loiseau, a French chef who took his own life in 2003 after rumors emerged that Michelin was planning to remove a star from his rating; Asian-inspired fusion cuisine swept France during TheNineties and Loiseau's traditionalist style of cooking fell out of favour.[[/note]]
13	** Anton Ego's last review of Gusteau's prior to the events of the movie said "Gusteau has finally found his rightful place in history right alongside another equally famous chef, Monsieur Boy-ar-dee." Ettore Boiardi was a real chef who ran a restaurant in Cleveland and became famous enough to start marketing a line of prepackaged Italian food. The earliest products were more akin to the boxed pastas and canned sauces still sold by more respectable brands today.
14	* {{Applicability}}: Known as "''Literature/TheFountainhead'' with cooking in place of architecture" in [[UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} Objectivist]] circles, due to its protagonist longing to use his talent not for altruistic purposes like checking food for poison but "to make things, to add something to this world," his mentor who was a genius in his field and once considered the best eventually falling from grace due to his unorthodox methods, and its DesignatedVillain being a CausticCritic who seemingly likes to write negative reviews ForTheEvulz. It's ultimately the same critic's very high standards that leads to the film's CentralTheme that "not everyone can be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." He then redeems himself by becoming a small business investor.
15	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
16	** Music/MichaelGiacchino [[{{Pun}} whips up]] another jazzy and insufferably catchy score for a Creator/BradBird film. The scene of Rémy imagines delicious combinations being represented by two different kinds of music fusing is one of the best visualizations in the whole film, and of food in general. And the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esohR65lsVg cue]] for Colette's TrainingMontage re-arranged as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5igpBHE0oiY a bombastic]] [[StealthPun salsa]] number for the credits just takes the cake.
17	** There's also a number of spontaneous slap-bass guitar riffs hidden throughout (courtesy of legendary session bassist Abraham Laboriel Sr.) which are [[HurricaneOfPuns just the cherry on top]].
18	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_hdmt4vpBo "Le Festin"]]. If you look at the translated lyrics, you'll see that the song is basically a theme for Rémy and the film; the tale of a thief who hates stealing while feeling that there wasn't a choice in the matter. Later on, the thief achieves and a new start in life through his passion and determination to break free.
19	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The scene with the arguing couple where the woman attempts to shoot the man before they launch into passionate kisses. [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext Ah, France.]]
20	* CrackShip: Yes, there is indeed ''[[InterspeciesRomance Rémy × Linguini]]'' fanart out there, and not all of it is [[RuleThirtyFour SFW]].
21	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
22	** Horst is a fairly popular character despite not having that big of a role in the movie. Usually viewers like him either because he's ShroudedInMyth, or because of his THUMB OF DOOOOOOM!
23	** Anton Ego, who many people consider one of the best Pixar characters of all time despite only appearing briefly in the third act, thanks to his great lines, memorable personality and being played by acting legend Creator/PeterOToole.
24	* EsotericHappyEnding: The film ends with Linguini, Remy and Colette opening their own private restaurant with the reformed Anton Ego being their top customer. However, while the tone is undeniably happy, consider the facts. The whole reason Linguini and Colette have to open a new restaurant is that Gusteau's ancestral restaurant was closed down after its "rat infestation" was exposed, meaning that the legacy of Gusteau is over and the once-world-famous chef has been reduced to a disgraced joke. Skinner is still obsessed with capturing Remy for his own use, and there's nothing stopping him from pursuing new schemes (however ineffectual they may be). Finally, there's an entire former restaurant staff out there that could, if they wanted to, come forward with believable evidence that Linguini is mentally unwell due to believing in talking, cooking rats, and considering that Linguini's "madness" ruined their careers, they'll likely have a grudge against him and his new restaurant.
25	* GeniusBonus:
26	** Anton's food-induced {{Flashback}} hails from Marcel Proust's concept of "involuntary memory" as expressed in his work ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Search_of_Lost_Time#Themes In Search of Lost Time]]'' where he describes eating a madeleine pastry with some tea which invoked a powerful memory of a madeleine he ate in childhood. It's a very well-known concept in France, used in common speak through the expression "''C'est ma madeleine de Proust''" (it's my madeleine of Proust).
27	** Skinner threatens to put Linguini through the duck press to get rid of all the fat in his head. ''La tour d'argent'' (The Silver Tower), the restaurant that inspired ''Gusteau's'' building, is famous for its pressed duck, considered "the height of elegance".
28	* HarsherInHindsight: Colette's backstory was always a sober point in an overall more lighthearted movie (her struggles to be taken seriously as a woman in a chauvinistic, male-dominated industry not played for laughs), but it got so much worse after [=#MeToo=] hit Pixar. Knowing that there were many real women who had their careers blocked, stunted, or ended by men like Creator/JohnLasseter makes some of Colette's scenes honestly hard to watch. The kiss between her and Linguini gets one hundred percent more cringeworthy too in light of Lasseter's multiple incidents of sexual harassment. When Colette pulls out her pepper-spray and backs away from Linguini, only to melt when he (accidentally) kisses her? Yeah. Not good. Not good at all.
29	* HeartwarmingInHindsight:
30	** As Rémy seems to be looking down on Linguini for being a garbage boy when the rat first encounters the kitchen, Gusteau‘s sprite stands up for the boy as a part of the kitchen. Rewatching the scene can look like him unknowingly defending his son.
31	** The 2020 [=TikTok=] musical perfectly encompasses the movie's themes. What started out as a simple original song stuck in a fan's head quickly spiraled into an internet meme where various theater fans came together and began contributing ideas, at a time when theater was all but shut-down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The collaboration began to spiral beyond music and songs to include choreography, set design and costume design, to form an actual stage-worthy production. This culminated on New Years 2021 when an actual Broadway production with the blessing of Disney was was streamed to a paying audience. This "one-night only" benefit event raised $1.9 million with the proceeds going to the Actors Fund and served as a reminder that great creative effort whether expressed in cooking or song or theater can come from anywhere.
32	* HilariousInHindsight:
33	** The scene where Rémy practices puppeteering Linguini, specifically the clip where the camera focuses on Linguini's right hand as he reaches for a tomato and ends up knocking over a wine glass, can remind some watchers of their experiences playing ''VideoGame/SurgeonSimulator2013''.
34	** The woman at the start of the movie has an umbrella stuck in a shotgun, which opens when she pulls the trigger. ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' introduces Brella-type weapons, shotgun-like weapons with umbrella canopies that open when the player holds the fire button.
35	** Horst ([[ShroudedInMyth supposedly]]) killing a man with his thumb suddenly doesn't seem so impossible now that [[Film/JohnWickChapter2 John Wick]] actually did the same thing… with a ''[[ImprobableWeaponUser pencil]]''.
36	** Linguini tells a disbelieving Colette he has "a ... [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tiny_Chef_Show tiny chef"]] who tells him what to do".
37	* IAmNotShazam: The film's title comes from a dish featured in the movie's climax (and the obvious pun on "rat"), not from any of the characters. That doesn't stop people from referring to Rémy as "Ratatouille", whether legitimately or ironically.
38	* LoveToHate:
39	** Skinner's such an absolute jerk that you can't help but laugh at his over the top villainy and the abuse he rightfully endured throughout the film. And that's not even getting into Creator/IanHolm's ''delectable'' performance.
40	** Anton Ego is a snobby CausticCritic who the heroes have to overcome, but his incredible theatricality and effortlessly intimidating nature makes him very fun to watch. Bonus points for proving to be a good man deep down and being played to perfection by Creator/PeterOToole.
41	* MemeticMutation:
42	** Ratatouille is a [[MechaShow Mecha Anime.]][[labelnote:Explanation]][[MobileSuitHuman with Linguini being the "Mecha."]] This joke is often phrased as "The Best Mecha Anime" and combined with a TakeThat at a "real" Mecha Anime.[[/labelnote]]
43	** A commonly shared misconception that ratatouille is made of different colored pepperoni, chips, cheese, and/or pasta.
44	** Jokes about people believing [[IAmNotShazam Ratatouille is the name of the rat]], the most common variant being "[[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} It's actually Ratatouille's Monster]]".
45	** In late 2020, the fan song "Ode to Rémy" led to a group of Tik-Tok users pitching and writing a Ratatoullie Musical. Soon, [[MemeAcknowledgement Disney joined in]] by filming a rap song filmed from the still-under construction ''Rémy's Ratatouille Adventure'' at Epcot. An actual full-fledged 60-minute musical premiered via [=TodayTix=] on New Year's Day 2021, and starred Creator/TitussBurgess as Rémy, Creator/WayneBrady as Django, Music/AdamLambert as Emile, Creator/KevinChamberlin as Gusteau (who also contributed the opening song "Anyone Can Cook"), Andrew Barth Feldman (''Theatre/DearEvanHansen'') as Linguini, Ashley Park (''Theatre/MeanGirls'') as Collette, Creator/MaryTesta (''Theatre/FortySecondStreet'', the 2018 revival of ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}!'') cross-cast as Skinner, Priscilla Lopez (''Theatre/AChorusLine, Theatre/InTheHeights'') as Mabel (the old lady in the beginning of the film) and Andre de Shields (''Theatre/TheWiz'', ''Theatre/{{Hadestown}}'') as Ego. Creator/PattonOswalt himself also thought it was hilarious and creative.
46	** [[https://twitter.com/vegandumbass/status/1248737878370390016 This Twitter interaction]] about not realizing that the title is a pun on "rat" and "ratatouille", due to a language barrier and that the pun doesn't carry over to Polish since the Polish word for "rat" is "szczur", went viral and is frequently referenced whenever a reference/joke doesn't work due to a language barrier (or whenever someone's LateToThePunchline).
47	** [[https://giphy.com/gifs/eZjrixTYeiCT6/html5 The scene]] where Anton Ego immediately flashes back to his childhood by eating Rémy's food has been occasionally used as a meme, usually with the caption "Me in (year decades into the future) when I remember the (popular meme in the present or recent past)".
48	*** It's also frequently used whenever a particularly good [[TheRemake remake]], PolishedPort, EvenBetterSequel, or SpiritualSuccessor to a property from 10 or more years ago comes out, with Anton eating the ratatouille being labeled something like "Me playing/watching X" and the flashback to him as a child being labeled "Me playing/watching Y as a kid".
49	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-pfJ5jW76Q Skinner's reaction]] to Renata's letter [[spoiler:revealing that Linguini is Gusteau's son]] has become popular as a meme and a reaction gif for information that's particularly shocking/disturbing. Similarly, a reversed version of the gif has become popular as a reaction for things that aren't as surprising/shocking as expected.
50	** In France, memes about the neglectful administration of UsefulNotes/{{Paris}} mayor Anne Hidalgo that caused rat invasions in RealLife feature Rémy or the ratcatcher shop sometimes.
51	** "I don't like [insert subject here], I LOVE IT!". Anton's quote has been used by various people to express their love of a particular subject (most commonly cartoons).
52	** "Gets criticized once, fucking dies."[[labelnote:Explanation]]A Website/FourChan post riffing on Gusteau's DeathByDespair, which quickly became a popular subject of parody in reference to similar perceived overreactions, both real and fictional.[[/labelnote]]
53	** ''Film/Venom2018'' and ''Ratatouille'' are the same movie.[[labelnote:Explanation]]A tumblr post describes both films as "movies about a creature from another species with a love of good food meets a mess of a human down on his luck living in a shitty apartment and the creature can control the human's action [sic] and he's unwilling at first but together they can learn to cooperate and together they can stop the evil rich man trying to take them down" [[/labelnote]]
54	* MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales: Despite the movie's villains being stereotypical {{French Jerk}}s and a fair amount of criticism for the pretension of French cuisine, it was a big hit in France. When it opened there, it set a new record for the biggest ever opening for an animated feature, grossing US$11,794,353 (10,703,375.35 Euro) on its first week. It held the top spot for another five weeks, and eventually went on to become the highest-grossing film of 2007. France is also, appropriately enough, the first country to get an attraction based off of the film in Disneyland Paris' Walt Disney Studios Park, likely as a result of its huge popularity.
55	* PeripheryDemographic: Website/AVClub noted that this movie has a cult following among artists of all media, because of how well it conveys the joy of creation. It is especially popular among culinary professionals, due to its focus on French cuisine and [[FoodPorn how appealing the food looks]].
56	* SignatureScene:
57	** Rémy driving Linguini by the hair. If one pictures a rat on top of someone's head controlling them by the hair, the first thing you will think of is this film.
58	** Anton Ego's flashback moment when he's eating Rémy's Ratatouille meal, along with his following review.
59	* StrawmanHasAPoint:
60	** While Rémy is right that eating people's garbage is hardly the noblest way of living, his attempts to elevate it to the level of stealing falls flat even if looked at from a human's perspective. Most humans would tend to agree with Django's justification that "It isn't ''stealing'' if no one wants it!", and it doesn't help that Rémy's only counterarguments are cheap jabs that try to apply human standards to rats ("If no one ''wants it'', why are we ''stealing it?!''") and suggesting that they at least try taking the higher-quality food from humans instead of settling for trash... which actually ''would'' qualify as stealing and completely undermines his initial point.
61	** Chef Skinner may be a petty {{Jerkass}} who serves as the film's BigBad, but ultimately it's pretty understandable why he wants a rat out of his kitchen. He's trying to run a business, and the last thing he needs is a disease carrying rat going around making food for his customers.
62	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: With the exception of Horst using his [[NoodleImplement deadly thumb]] off-screen, most we ever learn about the kitchen staff is what Colette briefly tells Linguini during the training montage. And what she tells him is ''fascinating'', [[spoiler:and would have better if the entire kitchen staff had returned to see that Linguini was telling the truth about Rémy instead of just Colette. It also says a lot about how irrelevant they actually were when they don't even get a WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue montage after quitting Gusteau's]].
63	* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Let's just say that quality assurance guarantee certifying that "no motion capture or any other performance shortcuts were used in the making of this film." seen near the end of the closing credits isn't there for nothing, with Creator/{{Pixar}} going all out with the film's animation, especially when it comes to the exquisitely-crafted food, the wonderfully animated fabric (which is hard to do, mind you) and the [[SceneryPorn lush backgrounds showing the beautiful landscape of Paris]].
64
65	!!The game:
66	* DemonicSpiders: The bubble-wrapped shrimps are extremely fast and can rapidly change directions on the move, making it exceedingly hard to defeat them without taking some damage first.
67	* GoodBadBugs: In both restaurant levels, it’s possible to jump right into the soup pan that houses the strangely-hostile lobsters. The results are pretty hilarious.

Context YMMV / Ratatouille