History Film / PunchDrunkLove

* AmbiguousDisorder: Barry seems to suffer from some combination of severe anxiety and autism. Normally he's shy and reserved, but he sometimes gets extremely upset at certain emotional stimuli. He has tremendous difficulty staying calm whenever his sisters go too far in teasing him.

* ClassicalAntiHero: Barry is lonely, socially awkward, plagued with self-doubt, and has trouble keeping his negative emotions in check. Through the events of the film, he works towards overcoming these issues while fending off a gang of con artists.

* BerserkButton: Barry's gets pushed multiple times throughout the film, usually whenever his sisters embarrass/emotionally abuse him. It gets pushed again when Lena is injured in a car accident by the phone sex thugs - [[TookALevelInBadass only this time he channels his anger to fend off Dean's brothers]].

* AmbiguousDisorder: Barry seems to suffer from some combination of severe anxiety and autism. He gets extremely upset over certain emotional stimuli and has tremendous difficulty remaining calm.

* BerserkButton: Barry's gets pushed multiple times throughout the film, usually whenever his sisters embarrass/emotionally abuse him. It gets pushed again when Lena is injured in a car accident by the phone sex thugs- only this time it results in his TookALevelInBadass moment below.
* BigBad: Dean "The Mattress Man" Trumbell arguably acts as one for Barry, with his threats and attempted extortion of Barry jeopardizing his relationship with Lean and providing much of the tension in the movie.

* PsychopathicManchild: Although not villainous, it's clear that Barry's got serious anger issues. One of the movie's primary themes is demonstrating that in real life, this kind of typical early Adam Sandler character would make you fear for your life.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Barry seems to suffer from some combination of severe anxiety and autism.

-->'''Walter''': Barry— [[CrowningMomentOfFunny I'm a dentist]].

* BullyingADragon: The Mattress Man threatens Barry over the phone,[[spoiler: AFTER knowing Barry has dealt with the brothers single-handedly]], clearly not expecting to ever have to confront him in person. [[OhCrap He does.]]

* {{Determinator}}: "I'd say, 'That's that, [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Mattress Man]].'"

* MuggingTheMonster: When assaulting him at his house, one of the Four Blonde Brothers smirks as Barry advances and can be heard saying [[TemptingFate "C'mere."]][[spoiler: Big mistake.]]

* BullyingADragon: The Mattress Man threatens Barry over the phone,[[spoiler: AFTER knowing Barry has dealt with the brothers single-handedly]], clearly not expecting to ever have to confront him in person. [[OhCrap He does.]]]

* {{Anticlimax}}: Barry is frantically [and painfully] running from the Four Blonde Brothers when they drive past him and casually remind Barry that "''they know where he lives''". Barry stops running after this. They show up later and crash his car. [[spoiler:Barry gets out and quickly beats them up, smashes their truck with a crowbar, flies to meet their boss, and gets him to back down. In the words of the Matress Man, "That's, that."]]

* SmugSnake: The Mattress Man.

* {{Anticlimax}}: Barry is frantically [and painfully] running from the Four Blonde Brothers when they drive past him and casually remind Barry that "''they know where he lives''". Barry stops running after this. They show up later and crash his car. [[spoiler:Barry gets out and smashes their truck with a crowbar, flies to meet their boss, and gets him to back down. In the words of the Matress Man, "That's, that."]]

* CurbStompBattle: The Four Blonde Brothers make good on their threat and attempt to assault Barry at his home, crashing his car and injuring Iris. As the Brothers get out of their pickup brandishing a crowbar, [[TranquilFury Barry steps out and buttons up his suit.]]What follows can't even be charitably called a fight. [[spoiler: In less than thirty seconds, three of the brothers are lying injured on the ground and the fourth is cowering in abject terror in the backseat of the pickup, which has its windows smashed by Barry, now wielding the brother's own crowbar. It happens so quickly it can even be considered an AntiClimax (see above).]]

* CurbStompBattle: The Four Blonde Brothers make good on their threat and attempt to assault Barry at his home, crashing his car and injuring Iris. As the Brothers get out of their pickup brandishing a crowbar, [[TranquilFury Barry steps out and buttons up his suit.]][[spoiler: What follows can't even be charitably called a fight: In less than thirty seconds, three of the brothers are lying injured on the ground and the fourth is cowering in abject terror in the backseat of the pickup, which has its windows smashed by Barry, now wielding the brother's own crowbar. It happens so quickly it can even be considered an AntiClimax (see above).]]

* CurbStompBattle: The Four Blonde Brothers make good on their threat and attempt to assault Barry at his home, crashing his car and injuring Iris. As the Brothers get out of their pickup brandishing a crowbar, [[TranquilFury Barry steps out and buttons up his suit.]][[spoiler: What follows can't even be charitably called a fight: In less than thirty seconds, three of the brothers are lying injured on the ground and the fourth is cowering in abject terror in the backseat of the pickup, which has its windows smashed by Barry, now wielding the brother's own crowbar.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: Many viewers think Barry is autistic.

** Also falls under [[Rapid-Fire "Shut Up!"]]

** Also falls under {{Rapid-Fire "Shut Up!"}}

** Constantly apologizing is a trait Barry shares with his sister Elizabeth, as she apologizes multiple times to Lena for Barry's "weird" behavior. [[note]]Elizabeth doesn't realize that her presence is the reason Barry is acting "weird" in the first place.[[/note]]

* NotSoDifferent: Dean the Mattress Man has anger issues and is easily triggered just like Barry.

** Constantly apologizing is a trait Barry shares with his sister Elizabeth, as she apologizes multiple times to Lena for Barry's "weird" behavior. [[note]]She's unaware that her presence is the reason Barry is acting "weird" in that scene.[[/note]]

* BerserkButton: Barry's gets pushed when Lena gets injured in a car accident by the phone sex thugs. For more details, see TookALevelInBadass.

* BadLiar: Barry. And he tells a lot of them.

** Constantly apologizing is a trait Barry shares with his sister Elizabeth, as she apologizes multiple times to Lena for Barry's "weird" behavior.

** He basically suggests he's going to use them to be with Lena while she's travelling.

* {{Deconstruction}}: The movie takes the typical ''Film/BillyMadison'' / ''Film/HappyGilmore''-style Creator/AdamSandler character and deconstructs him by showing the real-life consequences of his behavior and how dangerous that person would feel to you if you actually met one. It also touches on the horrible upbringing that would cause a real-life person to develop a personality like that.

* {{Deconstruction}}: The movie takes the typical ''Film/BillyMadison'' / ''Film/HappyGilmore''-style Creator/AdamSandler character and deconstructs him by showing the real-life consequences of his behavior and how dangerous that person would feel to you if you actually met one. It also touches on the horrible upbringing that would cause a real life person to develop a personality like that.