YMMV / Angela's Ashes

• Awesome Music: The film has an absolutely magnificent score, courtesy of the one and only John Williams.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: The book was better received in America (where it won a Pulitzer) than in Ireland, undoubtedly due to its less-than-glowing depiction of Limerick. Ironically, much of its international popularity was likely thanks to the late 90s surge in Hibernophilia.
• Memetic Mutation: Referring the tuberculosis as THE CONSUMPTION, while obviously not originating from this work, stands out in a lot of people's minds, especially given the film's narrator's habit of emphasising it.
• Moral Event Horizon: Malachy Sr has several moments including:
  • Putting his pint down on Eugene's coffin is sadly symbolic; the children die because Malachy Sr drinks away the dole.
  • He drinks the money sent from his parent for the new baby Michael.
    • For context, the money his parent sends him is £5, in 1920 money that was equivalent to £244 of today money, and he drank it away in a single night.
  • Later on, he finds a job in England, and goes to it, eventually however, he just stops sending them money, with the implication being that, while there actually was a job in England, he used it as an opportunity to just abandon his family.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Frank, in his differing attitudes towards his parents that seem to slip into Skewed Priorities. He makes it clear early on that he prefers his father over his mother. He knows that Malachy Sr's alcoholism is the main cause for his family's perpetual poverty, but can't bring himself to call out his father for this because he loves listening to his stories. Angela, on the other hand, actually makes an effort to try to feed her children, even when she has to humiliate herself by going on welfare to do so. Yet Frank barely acknowledges her efforts, and even slut-shames her later on when she sleeps with Laman Griffin in order to ensure that her children have a place to stay.
• The Woobie: The entire city of Limerick. Seriously, not one good thing happens for them in the book. But if we're choosing individuals, Frank definitely qualifies.