As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.
The novel
- The constant use of the word "cunt" is taken to such extreme levels in Begbie's narrative chapters, that at times you can't even tell who he's talking about.
- "Perfume" James' One-Scene Wonder, where he cheerfully informs Gav, who has given Second Prize a ton of money to paint his living room, that a heavily inebriated Second Prize has just bought a stack of perfume off him.
- Begbie claiming that Renton is 'spoiling it for every cunt' when he says he doesn't want a full English breakfast. The absurdity of the comment just makes it laughable.
The film
- Sick Boy and Renton casually, almost disinterestedly watching the home porno of Tommy and his girlfriend. Of course, the theft of the video inadvertently leads to their breakup and Tommy's downward spiral and eventual death.
- Renton shooting the dog in the nuts with an air-rifle.Sick Boy: For a vegetarian Rents, you're a fucking evil shot.
- The bed sheets scene. Nausea Fuel doesn't quite cover it.
- Spud's speed-fuelled interview.
- Begbie discovering the girl he's feeling up in a car is a transvestite.Begbie: I'm not a fucking buftie and that's the end of it.
- Tommy trying to get Renton, Sick Boy and Spud to go on a walk with him up some mountains.Spud: Tommy...this is not natural, man.(Cut to Tommy stood in a green field with hills in the background)Tommy: It's the great outdoors!
- During the club scene, Spud and Tommy's conversation has to be subtitled due to the blaring music. The text is occasionally a bit different from the actual dialogue.Spud: Did [Lizzy] go ballistic?Subtitles: Was she upset?Tommy: Big time, absolutely fuckin' radge!Subtitles: Very.
- Renton and Spud casually strolling into an old folks' home and taking the telly out from a room full of pensioners.
- The gang's reaction from the balcony as they watch a fight Begbie picked seemingly spontaneously erupt into a full-scale Bar Brawl.
- The scene in the book is a bit more outrageous; Begbie launches into a full-scale investigation of the bar, sweeping the whole place and even the injured man's friends up in his bullshit. Then he boots the group's ringleader "in the baws" and walks away. The audacity of the situation is bewildering.
- When Renton ODs, Mother Superior asks dryly if he would "like [him] to call a cab". We soon see a shot of an ambulance speeding through the streets, siren blaring... passing by in the distance while Renton lies in the road, waiting for the literal cab Mother Superior called to pick him up and toss his comatose body on the hospital's doorstep. Furthermore, the cab driver casually dumps Renton in front of the hospital and snatches the note Swannie has left in Renton's shirt pocket for the far.
- Renton goes to see Mikey Forrester, a dealer he hates, to score a final hit before going off junk. All he has are opium suppositories, which are inserted anally. After Renton takes them, Mikey asks if they feel good, to which Renton replies,
- A meta example. Kelly Macdonald in her naivete invited her mother and brother to the set - for the day she was to film Diane and Renton's sex scene.
