YMMV / One Hour Photo

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • The director stated that the end of the movie, showing a photograph of the Yorkin Family with Sy beaming among them was meant to be ambiguous. He said that in his opinion, the Yorkins forgave Sy because he ended up saving their family, and he got to be part of them like he always wanted to. But taking the work by itself, it's equally plausible that we are seeing Sy is still trapped in his delusions, thinking that he's part of their family unit, especially considering how unlikely it is that Maya would drop charges even if the Yorkins did.
  • When Sy gets fired, Yoshi, the other employee in the photo department, thanks Sy for taking him under his wing. Is he genuinely appreciative, or was he just saying that in case Sy went postal? His reaction to seeing Sy back in the store later on implies the second interpretation is correct.
• Award Snub: As the film gained prominence as one of Williams’ best dramatic performances, people are often surprised to find that he wasn’t nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, although he did nab a Saturn Award.
• Common Knowledge: Robin Williams was a fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion, but the inclusion of an Evangelion toy seen in this video was not his decision, however.
• Diagnosed by the Audience:
  • Judging by his temperamental behavior, impulsive actions, emotional instability and desperate desire for love, it's very likely that Sy has borderline personality disorder.
  • On top of that, his perfectionism, intense attention to detail and the fact he only lives for his work also heavily suggest he has obsessive-compulsive personality disorder as well. There's even a presentation detailing this online.
• Esoteric Happy Ending: The interpretation of the ending where Sy is forgiven and welcomed into the Yorkin family can come off as this to some, as it basically implies that Sy essentially gets a slap on the wrist for stalking a family, emotionally tormenting and humiliating a man and his mistress, threatening his boss and making hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of unauthorised photos of the family he was stalking for personal gratification (we know that Sy didn't have anything malicious in mind when he made those copies, but someone without that context could very easily assume he had less than pure intentions) just because he had a sympathetic motive.
• Fridge Brilliance: Sy's nightmare comes across as a BLAM, until he is chased by the police and runs across a hall where a lecture about a treatment for retinal degeneration is held. The former symbolizes Sy's increasing delusional state and aggression, while the latter symbolises realising the mistakes he's made.
• Fridge Horror: In light of Sy heavily implying he was sexually abused by his parents as a child.
  • Some of Sy's earlier lines become a lot creepier after watching the interrogation scene. For example, when he casually mentions to Jake how he was sick a lot as a child...specifically with mono and hepatitis, which can be sexually transmitted.
  • Also disturbing is the thought that a lot of Sy's lines in the hotel room scene may have been things he was parroting from his parents.
    Sy: Pretend! This is all pretend!
  • Sy giving expensive toys to Jake and making extra prints for the Yorkin family can convey the impression that Sy was grooming Jake. With The Reveal in mind, it's highly likely that Sy's parents did the same in order to keep his mouth shut about the abuse he was subjected to when he was a child.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Robin Williams playing a lonely and depressed man becomes a lot harsher after his death.
• He Really Can Act: Robin Williams' performance as Sy has earned him a lot of praise, giving him a more intense side of his acting that isn't shown very often.
• Memetic Mutation: For anime fans, the Neon Genesis Evangelion action figure scene, with the usual reactions being accusing Jake of being a SEELE agent, saying that Jake considers the Mass Production Eva. a "good guy" because he hates Asuka, Jake having really oblivious parents if they let him watch Evangelion, Jake and Sy having no idea what this anime is nevermind who that character is, how cool it would be if WalMart carried Evangelion merchandise, wondering what other characters Jake thinks are good guys, jokes agreeing with Jake and Sy's assessment of the Mass Production EVA., and so on.
• Nightmare Fuel: Sy's dream sequence with his bleeding eyes. There's also something unsettling about the growl-like expression he makes when he's caught by the cops.
• Paranoia Fuel: This movie is a damn good reason to only use a digital camera, if Manhunter hasn't convinced you yet.
• Ron the Death Eater: Sy is clearly supposed to be a sympathetic (if very troubled) protagonist, but a lot of viewers actively hope for the Yorkins to let him into their life at the end of the movie. This causes this to happen to Maya, who seems extremely traumatized by what Sy does to her. Although Maya is not the most sympathetic character, what happens to her is Disproportionate Retribution.
• Retroactive Recognition: Clark Gregg is one of the cops who take Sy in. Jim Rash as the customer sheepishly getting his homemade porn printed in the store.
• Tear Jerker: Nina and Jake sending Sy "good thoughts" after Jake deduces that even without really knowing him, he can tell Sy has spent most of his life alone. Gets worse when the film cuts to Sy standing dully by his kitchen sink with a glass of water — clearly, the good thoughts are not getting through to him.
• The Woobie: Sy is deeply disturbed, but only because he suffered a terrible past and seeks someone who loves him. If he had had a normal childhood, he might have been a decent guy.

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