History Film / GhostWorld

* TrashTheSet: Hilariously averted when Seymour tries to knock a shelf over at Josh's shop but fails miserably because it's tightly fixed at the back.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ghost_world_poster.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300: Not WesternAnimation/{{Daria}} and Jane, honest.]]

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GhostWorldMovie.JPG]]

* LeFilmArtistique: The hilariously [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible incomprehensible]] short film "Mirror, Father, Mirror" made by Enid's clueless art teacher, Roberta Allsworth.

** In-universe, the art film "Mirror. Father. Mirror." that Enid's teacher shows to the class as an example of her work is [[SoBadItsGood hilariously awful]], whilst the actual, looks-like-a-person drawings Enid creates are lumped in with the boy who traces his favorite [[UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000 video game]] characters in felt-tip pen. Then they're passed over for another girl's wire coathanger sculpture.[[note]]This is ironic, considering ''ComicBook/LikeAVelvetGloveCastInIron'', one of Clowes' own graphic novels, is pretty darn bizarre. It's likely that Clowes believes in incomprehensible art (as one can see in any number of examples from his work), but instead was giving a TakeThat to unimaginative hacks who get by on cliche rather than originality or true provocation.[[/note]]

* AdultsAreUseless: Subverted, despite their flaws. Enid's father is well meaning and patient with Enid; Maxine finds a job for her, and Roberta offers her a full scholarship and stands up for her at the art show. Seymour in particular is intelligent and insightful and helps her to move beyond her teenage snark. Enid, however, won't (or maybe simply can't) accept their help or listen to them.

* ButtMonkey: Josh's every appearance involves him messing up at work, getting yelled at by his boss, or somehow exploited by Enid and Becky.

* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Enid thinks of herself as deeper, more intelligent and individual than other kids her age in the small town in which she lives. But this isn't saying much about where she may stand outside of that small town. The story suggests that she hasn't spent much time outside of the town in which she grew up. So she may be aware of the fact that she's nobody special in a more cosmopolitan setting.

* IntelligenceEqualsIsolation: Enid and Seymour. Enid thinks only stupid people have relationships and Seymour says he can't relate to most of humanity (and his actions bear him out).

* ADateWithRosiePalms:
-->'''Enid:''' I think I'm going crazy from sexual frustration.\\
'''Rebecca:''' And you haven't heard of the miracle of masturbation?

* SignificantSketchbook: Seymour discovers Enid's sketchbook at one point, and feels crushed when he sees a portrait of himself portrayed as depressing and alone.

* StoppedReadingTooSoon: Seymour discovers Enid's SignificantSketchbook at one point and feels crushed when he sees a portrait of himself showing him as depressing and alone. When confronting Enid, she points him to the later pages in her sketchbook which has many more portraits of Seymour in a completely different light, which he didn't see when initially skimming the pages. Seymour is visibly touched by this discovery.

* ThirdActMisunderstanding: Towards the end, Rebecca tells Seymour about their PrankDate upon which he gets furious and ends up in hospital. Enid then shows him her SignificantSketchbook and points to the later pages that show how differently she actually felt about him. Seymour is visibly touched by this.

* InspirationallyDisadvantaged: Subverted. The paralyzed valedictorian at Enid and Becky's graduation tells the rapt audience that her car accident taught her she doesn't need alcohol to have a good time. (One graduate gulps even before she starts speaking.) Afterward, Enid says she preferred her when she was was an "alcoholic crack addict" and that getting into a car wreck turned her into "Little Miss Perfect" overnight. Later, the valedictorian's date is shown [[{{Hypocrite}} pouring alcohol down her throat]].

* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Enid thinks of herself as deeper, more intelligent and individual than other kids her age in the small town in which she lives. But this isn't saying much about where she may stand outside of that small town. The story suggests that she hasn't spent much time outside of the town in which she grew up. So she may be aware of the fact that she won't be so special in a more cosmopolitan setting.

* NotSoDifferent:
** Enid and Seymour, although she sees him as a "clueless dork" at first.
** It is debatable whether her quirky style and interests are all that different than those of the Zine-O-Phobia "creeps" she insults ("Look who's talking Little Miss Badass" one answers) or the "extroverted bohemian losers" she mocks when she's out with Becky.

* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Subverted. Enid tries to be this for Seymour, but [[spoiler:she ends up ruining his life and her own in the process]].

* PrankDate: What Enid pulls on Seymour.

* NonIndicativeName The protagonists certainly don't explore a ghost world, let alone encounter any actual ghosts.

* NonIndicativeName The protagonists certainly don't explore a ghost world in this world, let alone encounter any actual ghosts.

* KissingUnderTheInfluence: Enid and Seymour. Enid regrets it as soon as she sobers up, but afterward Seymour wants to have a romantic relationship with her.

* NonIndicativeName The protagonists certainly don't explore a ghost world in this world, let alone encounter any actual ghosts.

* NonIndicativeTitle: The protagonists certainly don't explore a ghost world in this world, let alone encounter any actual ghosts.

* SliceOfLife: The film follows around a graduating teenage girl in a summer as she tries to decide what she's going to do with her life. The subplot about her trying to act as a ManicPixieDreamGirl for a 40-something man is only one of the many things she tries.

* TheStinger: After all the credits roll, there's another take of the scene where Seymour (Steve Buscemi) gets attacked by Doug in the minimart. Only this time, Buscemi's characer easily wins the fight, choking Doug with his own weapon, and stomps out triumphantly. He finishes with a little [[Film/ReservoirDogs Mr. Pink]] type dialogue.

* {{Adorkable}}: Seymour. In the eyes of Enid, anyway.

* CityOfWeirdos: Most of the strangers Enid and Becky encounter as they wander around their neighborhood, also the listless tenants shown in their tacky apartments at the start of the film.

[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/GhostWorldMovie.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:305: Not WesternAnimation/{{Daria}} and Jane, honest.]]

* CloudCuckooLander: Norm, an elderly, slightly shabby gentleman who is perpetually waiting for a bus on a line that was cancelled a long time ago.
* TheCloudCuckooLanderWasRight: Norm tells Enid and Becky that they don't know what they're talking about when they say the bus line was cancelled. Towards the end of the film, the bus does in fact arrive and Norm boards it.

* {{Adorkable}}: Seymour, for Enid anyway.

* ADateWithRosiePalms:
-->'''Enid:''' I think I'm going crazy from sexual frustration.\\
'''Rebecca:''' And you haven't heard of the miracle of masturbation?

* TeachersPet: Margaret from art class.

[[redirect:ComicBook/GhostWorld]]