YMMV / Amélie

• Angst? What Angst?: Amélie's life and upbringing has been largely dysfunctional and lonely, but she remains resolutely cheerful, kind-hearted and optimistic. She is, however, painfully shy and introverted as a result of her upbringing. Much of her Character Development centers around her loneliness and working up the nerve to live.
• Award Snub: It received five Academy Award nominations and went home empty-handed. It wasn't nominated for Best Picture, Director or Actress.
  • The 2019 UK Production of the musical received three Laurence Olivier Award nominations (for Best New Musical, Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, and Best Original Score) and lost all three. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album in 2021, but lost that as well.
• Awesome Music: The musical adaptation in 2015 has some amazing songs, like Stay or Thin Air.
  • The 2019 UK production features a completely reinvented score that leans much more on folk and jazz compared to the more pop-heavy score of its predecessor. Highlights include "When The Booth Goes Bright" and "The Flight of the Blue Fly".
• Common Knowledge: Amelie is a quintessential Manic Pixie Dream Girl? Well for starters, she can't be, because she's the protagonist. She also decides to bring joy into multiple people's lives, and not just her love interest. And her eccentric behavior has a very clear source - her parents home schooling her and being raised largely in isolation. Inserting herself into Nino's life is more about something she wants, rather than fixing his.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Caolan McCarthy received unanimous praise for his pastiche of Elton John in the West End production of the musical adaptation.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: The film is quite popular in Australia, and got voted #2 in an 'Australia's Favourite Movie' Poll.
• Gratuitous Special Effects: There are many special effects in this movie despite it being a romantic comedy. The stones skipping had to be done with CGI because Audrey Tautou is unable to do it in real life.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • Several, especially the ending.
  • The scene where Amélie helps the blind old man to "see" by vivaciously narrating everything on the street.
  • Gina, understanding Amélie's shy nature, screens Nino (via proverbs) and gives her approval because she wants to protect the co-worker she views as a friend.
• Older Than They Think: This film arguably pushed the whole 'roaming gnome' tradition into mainstream consciousness. Some people mistake the film for starting the prank, even though it was started in Australia in the 1980s. This plot point was even somewhat Ripped from the Headlines.
• Tear Jerker: Although the film generally isn't sad but rather a Romantic Comedy, tears of joy are common, and there are a few heartbreaking scenes.
• Tough Act to Follow: To this day, none of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's following films has managed to be as acclaimed or remain as iconic as this one.
• Unintentional Uncanny Valley: Amélie does not come out of the promo poster looking like a quirky, but good-natured young woman. Instead, the colours and sharp lighting make her look artificial and malicious, giving her unnaturally white skin and utterly lifeless eyes.
• The Woobie:
  • Amélie. Everything about her makes you want to hold her to show her everything will be all right.
  • Likewise with Lucien.
  • Georgette also seems to turn into one towards the end.

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