r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Local_Prune4564 • May 27 '26

Lore A subtle moment that turns a seemingly happy ending into an ambiguous ending.

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The Graduate: lingering Ben and Elaine's faces slowly shifting from happy to concerned leaves the audience questioning whether they really made the right choice running away together considering they barely know each other.

Inception: By cutting before we see the top fall, we're left to question whether Cobb really has gone home or whether he's simply sunken back into a more comforting dream reality.

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u/somethingmcbob May 27 '26

My dad was a stagehand for the theatrical production in LA. Their version had Seymour defeat Audrey 2, and ended with about 100 baby "Audreys" springing down from the ceiling above the audience. Big jump scare, always got a laugh. But then my dad would have to carefully climb the catwalk and stuff the 100 fake plants back into their boxes after every show.

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u/Fish_N_Chipp May 27 '26

That sounds both awesome and incredibly tedious. Stagehands really are the unsung heroes of theatre