YMMV / Marty

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• And You Thought It Would Fail: The smash success of such a low-key film with the quite unconventional Ernest Borgnine as a romantic lead was so unexpected that rumors persist that the film was a real life Springtime for Hitler scheme.
• Hollywood Homely: To be honest, neither Clara nor Marty are that bad looking all things considered. Marty is a bit portly and Clara is a bit dowdy, but definitely not as hideous as they believe themselves to be.
• Ho Yay: Angie seems more than a little jealous of Marty hitting it off with Clara. Angie and Marty's other pals don't seem too keen on losing Marty to Clara either, although all of this may fall under Bros Before Hoes.
• Signature Scene: Whenever this film is spoken of, the clip always shown is the scene where Marty punches the bus stop sign in glee after seeing Clara home.
• Tear Jerker:
  • Marty's absolute resignation to his fate at the start of the film is pretty heartbreaking to see. Particularly when he explodes at his mother at the dinner table when she suggests that he should go to the Stardust Ballroom to meet a girl, saying she's heard it's "loaded with tomatoes" (beautiful women). You could tell the poor guy had already gone through a lot of rejection.
    Marty: Ma, sooner or later, there comes a point in a man's life when he's gotta face some facts. And one fact I gotta face is that, whatever it is that women like, I ain't got it. I chased after enough girls in my life. I-I went to enough dances. I got hurt enough, I don't wanna get hurt no more. I just called up a girl this afternoon, and I got a real brush-off, boy! I figured I was past the point of being hurt, but that hurt. Some stupid woman who I didn't even want to call up. She gave me the brush. No, Ma, I don't wanna go to Stardust Ballroom because all that ever happened to me there was girls made me feel like I was a-a-a bug. I got feelings, you know. I-I had enough pain. No thanks, Ma!
    ...Ma, leave me alone! Ma, whaddaya want from me? Whaddaya want from me? I'm miserable enough as it is! Alright, so I'll go to the Stardust Ballroom, I'll put on a blue suit, and I'll go. And you know what I'm gonna get for my trouble? Heartache! A big night of heartache! (long Beat) Loaded with tomatoes... that's rich!
  • That one shot of Clara sobbing while sitting by the phone waiting for Marty to call, which Marty wasn't able to because he was distracted by his friends.
  • In its own way, the reasoning for Marty's mother to have such a change of heart over her son dating. She was legitimately scared of being all alone, which is something that everybody can relate to.
• Values Dissonance:
  • The idea that Clara being college educated meant she was "one step from the street". Yeah, as if a woman having a job is such a terrible thing for her.
  • Being single at all being something to be ashamed of. Especially their ages. These days, most people don't get married until their late 20s-early 30s. While Marty would still be skewed a bit older, Clara is right within that wheelhouse of the average marrying age these days.
• The Woobie: Poor, poor Marty and Clara. Such lonely souls. It makes the fact that they found each other that much more heartwarming.

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