...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
What About Bob?
- 488 statements
- 96 feature instances
- 40 referencing feature instances
| What About Bob? | type |
TVTItem | |
| What About Bob? | label |
What About Bob? | |
| What About Bob? | page |
WhatAboutBob | |
| What About Bob? | comment |
A 1991 comedy film directed by Frank Oz, starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss.Dr. Leo Marvin (Dreyfuss) is a successful therapist with a best-selling book out and a gig with a morning show scheduled. He's also insufferably smug.He accepts a new patient, Bob Wiley (Murray), who has been foisted upon him by a burned-out colleague. Bob has multiple issues — he's afraid of death, tight spaces and germs — but he immediately takes a shine to Dr. Marvin. Unfortunately for Bob, Dr. Marvin is about to leave on vacation and has no intention of taking work along with him. Unfortunately for Dr. Marvin, Bob is not good at taking a hint.Bob invites himself to join the Marvins at their lake house, bringing just his essentials and his goldfish. The locals, who don't care much for Dr. Marvin, are only too happy to let this lunatic interfere with his summer idyll. His own family finds Bob harmless and charming, unaware that his presence is making their psychologist father slowly come unglued. | |
| What About Bob? | fetched |
2024-02-19T14:46:03Z | |
| What About Bob? | parsed |
2024-02-19T14:46:03Z | |
| What About Bob? | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| What About Bob? / int_141a6acb | type |
Madness Mantra | |
| What About Bob? / int_141a6acb | comment |
Madness Mantra: Early in the film a random guy passes Bob on the street repeating "Son of a bitch! Dirty bastard! I'll get you...." to himself in contrast to Bob's "I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful"..... | |
| What About Bob? / int_141a6acb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_141a6acb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_141a6acb | |
| What About Bob? / int_15b2cab3 | type |
Tempting Fate | |
| What About Bob? / int_15b2cab3 | comment |
Tempting Fate: Siggy asks the catatonic Leo "How much worse can it get?" before the film cuts to Bob and Leo's sister's wedding. | |
| What About Bob? / int_15b2cab3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_15b2cab3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_15b2cab3 | |
| What About Bob? / int_181c8a41 | type |
Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace | |
| What About Bob? / int_181c8a41 | comment |
Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace: Leo breaks out of his catatonia during the wedding of his sister and Bob, letting out a Big "NO!" when the vows are made. | |
| What About Bob? / int_181c8a41 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_181c8a41 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_181c8a41 | |
| What About Bob? / int_183b52 | type |
Kafka Komedy | |
| What About Bob? / int_183b52 | comment |
Kafka Komedy: The universe hates Leo Marvin. All of his attempts to do good backfire, and his mistakes backfire even harder. | |
| What About Bob? / int_183b52 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_183b52 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_183b52 | |
| What About Bob? / int_18d15922 | type |
Title Drop | |
| What About Bob? / int_18d15922 | comment |
Title Drop: Done a couple of times. For example, when Leo returns from attempting to commit Bob to an institution and then gets a phone call telling him they can't take him as there's no reason to do so, Fay yells "What about Bob?" in an attempt to get an explanation of what has just happened. Also, when the family want Leo to apologize to Bob for pushing him in the lake. | |
| What About Bob? / int_18d15922 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_18d15922 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_18d15922 | |
| What About Bob? / int_1994ba0b | type |
Gone Horribly Right | |
| What About Bob? / int_1994ba0b | comment |
Gone Horribly Right: Leo only gives Bob the most apathetic and half-assed therapy possible in the one short session they have together, but amazingly enough, it does provide enough help for Bob to convince him that Leo is the doctor he absolutely needs. Which leads to the rest of the film's story and Dr. Marvin's eventual fall to madness. | |
| What About Bob? / int_1994ba0b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_1994ba0b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_1994ba0b | |
| What About Bob? / int_1b44c21 | type |
GrayAndGreyMorality | |
| What About Bob? / int_1b44c21 | comment |
Gray-and-Grey Morality: The (one-sided) conflict between Bob and Leo drives the plot of the film, but neither character can really be stated to be the hero or villain for most of it. Bob stalks Leo, invades his living space, tampers with his life, and drives him to insanity, but is otherwise a nice and well-meaning guy who has no idea what harm he's doing to his doctor. Meanwhile, Leo is a self-absorbed jerk who's more focused on being a celebrity than a proper psychologist, but he is right to find Bob's behavior concerning and increasingly frustrating. | |
| What About Bob? / int_1b44c21 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_1b44c21 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_1b44c21 | |
| What About Bob? / int_1e3a9a21 | type |
Angrish | |
| What About Bob? / int_1e3a9a21 | comment |
Angrish: When Bob asks Leo about scheduling five two-hour sessions a week (including Saturdays and Sundays) as they are driving back from the asylum, Leo stops the car, opens the passenger door, and says... well, it's supposed to be "Get out of the car!", but... | |
| What About Bob? / int_1e3a9a21 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_1e3a9a21 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_1e3a9a21 | |
| What About Bob? / int_222dc873 | type |
Black Comedy | |
| What About Bob? / int_222dc873 | comment |
Black Comedy: For a PG-rated movie, it's surprisingly very dark in places. | |
| What About Bob? / int_222dc873 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_222dc873 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_222dc873 | |
| What About Bob? / int_227f74e1 | type |
Hollywood Tourette's | |
| What About Bob? / int_227f74e1 | comment |
Hollywood Tourette's: Faked by Bob. He randomly shouts profanity (and gets Siggy to start doing the same to distract him from his fear of death), reasoning that if he pretends to have Tourette's, then he doesn't have to worry about really having it. Possibly played straight by the man who passes Bob on the street in the beginning of the film. | |
| What About Bob? / int_227f74e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_227f74e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_227f74e1 | |
| What About Bob? / int_22cf536c | type |
Chekhov's Gun | |
| What About Bob? / int_22cf536c | comment |
Chekhov's Gun: There are hand puppets of the likeness of Leo and his family in the vacation home. This seems like an odd detail until a bit later when Leo forces Anna to interact with them, indicating that he has humiliated his wife and son the same way with them. | |
| What About Bob? / int_22cf536c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_22cf536c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_22cf536c | |
| What About Bob? / int_22e716cf | type |
Therapist in Therapy | |
| What About Bob? / int_22e716cf | comment |
Therapist in Therapy: Dr. Marvin is driven to madness, and a mental hospital, after being forced to contend with Bob. | |
| What About Bob? / int_22e716cf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_22e716cf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_22e716cf | |
| What About Bob? / int_24321e44 | type |
Only Sane Man | |
| What About Bob? / int_24321e44 | comment |
Only Sane Man: Leo is the only one to notice Bob's obvious insanity, instability, and inappropriateness. All the supposedly normal people side with Bob against him. Although it helps that Bob, while clearly not very well-adjusted, is ultimately pleasant, friendly, well-meaning and likable, while Leo is a cold, arrogant, and thoughtless prick even before Bob enters his life. This is gradually inverted as the movie goes on, with Leo becoming more unstable as Bob begins to get better. | |
| What About Bob? / int_24321e44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_24321e44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_24321e44 | |
| What About Bob? / int_2711e392 | type |
The Complainer Is Always Wrong | |
| What About Bob? / int_2711e392 | comment |
The Complainer Is Always Wrong: Leo is the only one who objects to Bob's presence at his house; his wife and kids find Bob a delight and Leo is treated by both the script and the characters as being in the wrong for wanting Bob gone. | |
| What About Bob? / int_2711e392 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_2711e392 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_2711e392 | |
| What About Bob? / int_27f10418 | type |
Impersonating an Officer | |
| What About Bob? / int_27f10418 | comment |
Impersonating an Officer: Bob pretends he's a police detective to get Dr. Marvin's number out of the telephone operators who earlier rejected his request, claiming that he's killed himself, with the cops investigating. He shows no psychological handups when doing this, perhaps oddly, though maybe role-playing helps with his neuroses. | |
| What About Bob? / int_27f10418 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_27f10418 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_27f10418 | |
| What About Bob? / int_281de59f | type |
Extremely Short Timespan | |
| What About Bob? / int_281de59f | comment |
Extremely Short Timespan: Most of the film takes place over three days. The first day, Bob arrives in New Hampshire and spends the night at the Guttmans, the second day he goes sailing, gets pushed in the lake, and eats dinner with the Marvins. The third day starts with the Good Morning America crew and ends with the house getting blown up. | |
| What About Bob? / int_281de59f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_281de59f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_281de59f | |
| What About Bob? / int_28a5213a | type |
Small Name, Big Ego | |
| What About Bob? / int_28a5213a | comment |
Small Name, Big Ego: Leo is incredibly vain about his modest success as an author and in getting a television interview. | |
| What About Bob? / int_28a5213a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_28a5213a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_28a5213a | |
| What About Bob? / int_28bb0e7e | type |
Made Out to Be a Jerkass | |
| What About Bob? / int_28bb0e7e | comment |
Made Out to Be a Jerkass: Played with; Leo genuinely is a bit of a jerk, but he's not entirely wrong that Bob's presence is disruptive and inappropriate. However, because Bob is pretty nice underneath all his neuroses and Leo's own arrogance and jerkass nature has alienated everyone around him, Leo's actions towards Bob only serve to make him appear even more of a jerk. | |
| What About Bob? / int_28bb0e7e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_28bb0e7e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_28bb0e7e | |
| What About Bob? / int_2af6bbeb | type |
Break the Haughty | |
| What About Bob? / int_2af6bbeb | comment |
Break the Haughty: At the beginning of the film, Leo is confident to the point of arrogance about his new book and his upcoming television appearance, and is planning on spending the summer showing off how brilliant he is to his family and anyone else who will listen. By the end of the film, Bob has rendered him near catatonic. The irony is that Leo's "Baby Steps" method actually worked like a charm on Bob (even if this is due to something of a placebo effect) leading to immediate improvement that only got better with time. | |
| What About Bob? / int_2af6bbeb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_2af6bbeb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_2af6bbeb | |
| What About Bob? / int_2dc0d2bf | type |
Hidden Depths | |
| What About Bob? / int_2dc0d2bf | comment |
This also shows Hidden Depths of Bob's method of intrapersonal support, which is ironically much better than Leo's. | |
| What About Bob? / int_2dc0d2bf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_2dc0d2bf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_2dc0d2bf | |
| What About Bob? / int_2f7e9080 | type |
Placebo Effect | |
| What About Bob? / int_2f7e9080 | comment |
Placebo Effect: Bob taking "baby steps" actually does help distract him from his fears a bit, which is part of what makes him believe that Leo is a great therapist. | |
| What About Bob? / int_2f7e9080 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_2f7e9080 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_2f7e9080 | |
| What About Bob? / int_319e4a2f | type |
Even Evil Has Standards | |
| What About Bob? / int_319e4a2f | comment |
Even Evil Has Standards: Played With. Dr Marvin grows to hate Bob, but as he says: | |
| What About Bob? / int_319e4a2f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_319e4a2f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_319e4a2f | |
| What About Bob? / int_31a2a33c | type |
Stuff Blowing Up | |
| What About Bob? / int_31a2a33c | comment |
Stuff Blowing Up: What "Death Therapy" was meant to be. Bob brought the explosives into the house after he got out of the bindings Leo had set tied him with, which blows it up after he leaves. | |
| What About Bob? / int_31a2a33c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_31a2a33c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_31a2a33c | |
| What About Bob? / int_31fa019d | type |
All Psychology Is Freudian | |
| What About Bob? / int_31fa019d | comment |
All Psychology Is Freudian: Dr. Marvin idolizes Freud to the point that he named his son Sigmund and his daughter Anna (the name of one of Freud's daughters and the only child to follow him into psychoanalysis). | |
| What About Bob? / int_31fa019d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_31fa019d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_31fa019d | |
| What About Bob? / int_3214e476 | type |
Oblivious to Hatred | |
| What About Bob? / int_3214e476 | comment |
Oblivious to Hatred: Bob has no inkling that Leo finds him irritating at first, much less that at a later point Leo hates him enough to be driven to attempted murder. | |
| What About Bob? / int_3214e476 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_3214e476 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_3214e476 | |
| What About Bob? / int_347c2 | type |
Inkblot Test | |
| What About Bob? / int_347c2 | comment |
Inkblot Test: Bob tells the staff of the institution a joke about a patient who's shown a series of these and equates all of them with sex. When the shrink administering the test tells him that he's obsessed with sex, he says, "Well, you're the one drawing all the dirty pictures." | |
| What About Bob? / int_347c2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_347c2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_347c2 | |
| What About Bob? / int_3b4185fb | type |
Stalker without a Crush | |
| What About Bob? / int_3b4185fb | comment |
Stalker without a Crush: Bob sticks to Leo like glue despite the latter's efforts to get rid of him, as he is convinced that he cannot function properly without constant psychiatric counsel. | |
| What About Bob? / int_3b4185fb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_3b4185fb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_3b4185fb | |
| What About Bob? / int_3e87fc1f | type |
Psychological Projection | |
| What About Bob? / int_3e87fc1f | comment |
Psychological Projection: Dr. Marvin tells Dr. Tomsky, "You've been duped by a textbook narcissist, a brilliant sociopath!", right after trying to get Bob admitted to a mental hospital on false pretenses. She appears to be aware of this, suggesting after hearing it that he get some psychological help himself. | |
| What About Bob? / int_3e87fc1f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_3e87fc1f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_3e87fc1f | |
| What About Bob? / int_4023b8c8 | type |
First-Name Basis | |
| What About Bob? / int_4023b8c8 | comment |
First-Name Basis: When Bob first goes to see Dr. Marvin for treatment, Leo encourages him to call him by his first name, and then later in the movie, as a sign of his continuing Sanity Slippage, Leo insists that while he was allowed to call him by his first name in his office, he wants him to call him Dr. Marvin in his home. | |
| What About Bob? / int_4023b8c8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_4023b8c8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_4023b8c8 | |
| What About Bob? / int_4ae690ca | type |
Laughing Mad | |
| What About Bob? / int_4ae690ca | comment |
Laughing Mad: The Guttmans laugh crazily as the summer house goes up in flames, repeatedly shouting "BURN!" in between fits of cackling. In the third act, Leo can't resist cackling like a lunatic when he thinks he's gotten rid of Bob. | |
| What About Bob? / int_4ae690ca | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_4ae690ca | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_4ae690ca | |
| What About Bob? / int_50b05d30 | type |
Disproportionate Retribution | |
| What About Bob? / int_50b05d30 | comment |
Disproportionate Retribution: The Guttmans unleash Bob on Dr. Marvin simply because he bought the house they wanted to buy. Leo eventually escalates to actually trying to murder Bob because he is so irritating. | |
| What About Bob? / int_50b05d30 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_50b05d30 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_50b05d30 | |
| What About Bob? / int_53d302c | type |
Vertigo Effect | |
| What About Bob? / int_53d302c | comment |
Vertigo Effect: One of these shots is used on Leo's face when Bob tells him he left the explosives in the house. | |
| What About Bob? / int_53d302c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_53d302c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_53d302c | |
| What About Bob? / int_58b42f3d | type |
Trickster Mentor | |
| What About Bob? / int_58b42f3d | comment |
Trickster Mentor: Hinted at with Bob, of all people. By overplaying his own neurosis while Siggy is facing his own fear to dive, he gives the boy the courage to perform the dive. Bob abruptly stops the act and smiles faintly after Siggy successfully dives. This also shows Hidden Depths of Bob's method of intrapersonal support, which is ironically much better than Leo's. | |
| What About Bob? / int_58b42f3d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_58b42f3d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_58b42f3d | |
| What About Bob? / int_6220d661 | type |
Loony Fan | |
| What About Bob? / int_6220d661 | comment |
Loony Fan: Bob was recommended by his last therapist to Dr. Marvin. Bob takes a liking to Leo to the latter's chagrin. | |
| What About Bob? / int_6220d661 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6220d661 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_6220d661 | |
| What About Bob? / int_62434fe2 | type |
Sanity Slippage | |
| What About Bob? / int_62434fe2 | comment |
Sanity Slippage: Leo suffers this the more Bob gets involved with his family. Conversely, Bob experiences the inverse the more he gets involved with Leo and his family, gradually going from a neurotic mess to a well-adjusted man. | |
| What About Bob? / int_62434fe2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_62434fe2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_62434fe2 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6269a4b3 | type |
Psycho Psychologist | |
| What About Bob? / int_6269a4b3 | comment |
Psycho Psychologist: Even considering Bob's clear detriment on his sanity, Leo jumps to murder attempts quickly enough to make one wonder about how stable he was to begin with, and he doesn't seem like a particularly effective or empathetic therapist beforehand either. | |
| What About Bob? / int_6269a4b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6269a4b3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_6269a4b3 | |
| What About Bob? / int_66907f54 | type |
Hourglass Plot | |
| What About Bob? / int_66907f54 | comment |
Hourglass Plot: By the end of the movie, Bob is cured of his phobias, and Leo is driven insane and catatonic. In fact, Bob becomes a psychiatrist while Leo is a mental patient. | |
| What About Bob? / int_66907f54 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_66907f54 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_66907f54 | |
| What About Bob? / int_68068108 | type |
Evil Laugh | |
| What About Bob? / int_68068108 | comment |
Evil Laugh: Dr. Marvin gives a pretty funny one each time he thinks he's finally rid of Bob. | |
| What About Bob? / int_68068108 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_68068108 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_68068108 | |
| What About Bob? / int_69681e01 | type |
Big Brother Instinct | |
| What About Bob? / int_69681e01 | comment |
Big Brother Instinct: Leo is so overprotective of his sister that it comes off as borderline incestuous. He tackles Bob to the ground and has to be pulled off him when he sees Bob affectionately leaning on her shoulder. | |
| What About Bob? / int_69681e01 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_69681e01 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_69681e01 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6b05b601 | type |
Jerkass Has a Point | |
| What About Bob? / int_6b05b601 | comment |
Jerkass Has a Point: Leo is a very cold and unfriendly man, and his therapy isn't exactly helpful, but he's not entirely wrong or unreasonable to find Bob's presence something of an imposition or to become upset at how Bob's presence keeps making things unravel for him. Though considering how self-centered Leo is and how Bob’s interferences end up being blessings in disguise, this could be considered a moot point. | |
| What About Bob? / int_6b05b601 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6b05b601 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_6b05b601 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6dc502d1 | type |
Big Brother Worship | |
| What About Bob? / int_6dc502d1 | comment |
Big Brother Worship: Siggy's feelings towards Bob, who develops a strong bond with the Marvins. | |
| What About Bob? / int_6dc502d1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6dc502d1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_6dc502d1 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6eaff95 | type |
Leno Device | |
| What About Bob? / int_6eaff95 | comment |
Leno Device: Part of the reason we know Leo is professionally successful is that Good Morning America is interviewing him about his new book. | |
| What About Bob? / int_6eaff95 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6eaff95 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_6eaff95 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6ef6417b | type |
Disney Death | |
| What About Bob? / int_6ef6417b | comment |
Disney Death: When Dr. Marvin attempts to wake Bob the next morning after he's spent the night with the Marvins, he doesn't wake up. A great deal of foreshadowing has gone into suggesting that he would die. But then he is woken up by the alarm. | |
| What About Bob? / int_6ef6417b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_6ef6417b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_6ef6417b | |
| What About Bob? / int_7188489c | type |
Let the Past Burn | |
| What About Bob? / int_7188489c | comment |
Let the Past Burn: Dr. Leo Marvin's lakeside vacation house in New Hampshire is a symbol of his financial success at the cost of strained relationships with just about everyone (his son calls the trip there "another vacation that isn't a vacation", and his neighbors—the Guttmans—hate Dr. Marvin because they were saving to buy that house). At the end, Dr. Marvin tries to kill Bob with explosives, but ends up destroying the house instead. This is the straw that finally breaks Dr. Marvin and in the next scene he's more or less catatonic. And in the next scene, Bob unintentionally shocks Dr. Marvin back into full consciousness. Whether or not Dr. Marvin learned anything from the ordeal is an open question. | |
| What About Bob? / int_7188489c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_7188489c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_7188489c | |
| What About Bob? / int_7286e96d | type |
Idiot Ball | |
| What About Bob? / int_7286e96d | comment |
Idiot Ball: Leo has several moments: Telling Bob to wait at the Guttman's diner despite knowing what a chatterbox Bob is; the movie shows later that he knows full well they hate him. Dropping his son into the water suddenly, ensuring he will only be more afraid of diving. Breaking into a shop and stealing explosives; being a small town, it wouldn't have taken the police very long to find out who did it, particularly after the Marvins' house explodes. Though in total fairness, he's clearly snapped by this point. | |
| What About Bob? / int_7286e96d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_7286e96d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_7286e96d | |
| What About Bob? / int_75538142 | type |
Friend to All Children | |
| What About Bob? / int_75538142 | comment |
Friend to All Children: Bob's neuroses and childlike mannerisms allow him to inadvertently relate to Leo's children, especially Siggy who overcomes his fear of diving precisely because Bob was afraid to learn. | |
| What About Bob? / int_75538142 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_75538142 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_75538142 | |
| What About Bob? / int_7b50237d | type |
Distinction Without a Difference | |
| What About Bob? / int_7b50237d | comment |
Distinction Without a Difference: While being tied to a tree stump, Bob asks the following: | |
| What About Bob? / int_7b50237d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_7b50237d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_7b50237d | |
| What About Bob? / int_7c36c716 | type |
Angst Coma | |
| What About Bob? / int_7c36c716 | comment |
Angst Coma: Leo slips into one when a scheme to get rid of Bob ends up destroying his own house. He snaps out of it when his sister Lily marries Bob in the film's final scene. | |
| What About Bob? / int_7c36c716 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_7c36c716 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_7c36c716 | |
| What About Bob? / int_7efe1c56 | type |
Critical Psychoanalysis Failure | |
| What About Bob? / int_7efe1c56 | comment |
Critical Psychoanalysis Failure: Leo makes only token attempts to actually address Bob's psychological problems, focusing more on just getting rid of him so that he can enjoy his vacation. The failure of his ploys to get rid of him lead to his own nervous breakdown. Bob's previous therapists have been driven insane by his extreme dependency on them, even though nothing they do seems to help him overcome his phobias and neuroses (which only makes him cling more fiercely to the therapists). Carswell Fensterwald, the therapist who directs Bob to Leo, has been driven so far over the edge that he is quitting psychiatry entirely.note In an early draft of the script, Fensterwald inflicts Bob on Leo in revenge for Leo getting him expelled from Harvard years earlier. | |
| What About Bob? / int_7efe1c56 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_7efe1c56 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_7efe1c56 | |
| What About Bob? / int_7febc23b | type |
Establishing Character Moment | |
| What About Bob? / int_7febc23b | comment |
Establishing Character Moment: When Leo prescribes "a groundbreaking new book that has just come out," he pretends to scan his bookshelves before pulling out his own book. From an entire shelf of them. False modesty much? He also tells his secretary to charge him for a copy. | |
| What About Bob? / int_7febc23b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_7febc23b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_7febc23b | |
| What About Bob? / int_80de023f | type |
Non-Standard Prescription | |
| What About Bob? / int_80de023f | comment |
Non-Standard Prescription: Bob hunts down his psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin, who's on vacation in New Hampshire. Dr. Marvin makes Bob promise to go home, then writes Bob a prescription advising Bob to "Take a vacation... from your problems". This backfires, because it inspires Bob to take his vacation right there in New Hampshire, and he becomes The Thing That Would Not Leave in the Marvin household. | |
| What About Bob? / int_80de023f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_80de023f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_80de023f | |
| What About Bob? / int_8163e2bb | type |
Dramatic Drop | |
| What About Bob? / int_8163e2bb | comment |
Dropping his son into the water suddenly, ensuring he will only be more afraid of diving. | |
| What About Bob? / int_8163e2bb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_8163e2bb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_8163e2bb | |
| What About Bob? / int_820ac3c5 | type |
Dysfunction Junction | |
| What About Bob? / int_820ac3c5 | comment |
Dysfunction Junction: Part of the reason Bob is welcomed by Leo's family is that they have problems of their own (such as Sigmund's obsessive fear of death), and he is able to relate to them more easily than Leo is. | |
| What About Bob? / int_820ac3c5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_820ac3c5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_820ac3c5 | |
| What About Bob? / int_823c6e3e | type |
Large Ham | |
| What About Bob? / int_823c6e3e | comment |
Large Ham: Leo goes up to eleven with this after some MASSIVE Sanity Slippage toward the end of the film. Even after he develops an Evil Laugh, the highlight is him yelling at Bob to get out of his car with no discernable real English words. | |
| What About Bob? / int_823c6e3e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_823c6e3e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_823c6e3e | |
| What About Bob? / int_863fa679 | type |
What Happened to the Mouse? | |
| What About Bob? / int_863fa679 | comment |
What Happened to the Mouse?: Gill the goldfish is still inside the house when it explodes, and no one seems to notice. Bob briefly mentions staying with the Guttmans, so presumably Gill was safe with them. | |
| What About Bob? / int_863fa679 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_863fa679 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_863fa679 | |
| What About Bob? / int_8aa92e8d | type |
Minor Flaw, Major Breakup | |
| What About Bob? / int_8aa92e8d | comment |
Minor Flaw, Major Breakup: Bob claims he divorced his wife because she loved Neil Diamond. Perhaps the only real bit of psychological help Leo gives him is suggesting he actually divorced her to avoid rejection. | |
| What About Bob? / int_8aa92e8d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_8aa92e8d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_8aa92e8d | |
| What About Bob? / int_8ed5c6e4 | type |
Asshole Victim | |
| What About Bob? / int_8ed5c6e4 | comment |
Asshole Victim: Leo is not a nice man, and his discomfort is portrayed as amusing comeuppance. | |
| What About Bob? / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_8ed5c6e4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_8ed5c6e4 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9053903 | type |
Ignored Epiphany | |
| What About Bob? / int_9053903 | comment |
Ignored Epiphany: Leo admits to his wife that he's a failure after learning that both of his kids have issues with him because he's insensitive and doesn't listen to them. Unfortunately, he never realizes that he needs to change how he relates to them because he starts fixating on Bob as the source of his problems right after this. | |
| What About Bob? / int_9053903 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9053903 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_9053903 | |
| What About Bob? / int_90e31482 | type |
Laser-Guided Karma | |
| What About Bob? / int_90e31482 | comment |
Laser-Guided Karma: Given that Leo is a Dr. Jerk and that Bob doesn't mean to inflict his neuroses on other people (if he was smart enough to understand what he's doing to Leo, he'd be horrified), the whole movie is just the universe evening things out for Bob by letting Leo's previous behavior and treatment towards his family and other people come back to bite him in the ass. Literally, as things get better for Bob they get worse for Leo. | |
| What About Bob? / int_90e31482 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_90e31482 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_90e31482 | |
| What About Bob? / int_94332264 | type |
Busman's Holiday | |
| What About Bob? / int_94332264 | comment |
Busman's Holiday: Leo intends to spend his vacation relaxing (outside his television appearance), but Bob's presence means he effectively spends it working instead, which is part of what causes him to unravel over the course of the film. | |
| What About Bob? / int_94332264 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_94332264 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_94332264 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9591377d | type |
Heel Realization | |
| What About Bob? / int_9591377d | comment |
Heel Realization: Both of Leo's kids reveal how difficult it is to interact with him, and Leo confesses to his wife that he feels like a failure. Does he maybe try to find out where he went wrong and make amends? No, because a couple minutes later, Leo sees Bob helping Siggy learn how to dive, something he had been repeatedly failing to do, and it all goes downhill from there... Towards the end, after Leo's snapped once again, his family sit Bob down, tell him that he's the one causing Leo's instability and reluctantly inform him that he has to leave. Bob accepts that he's only making things worse for Leo and agrees to leave; unfortunately for him, while he's actually leaving Leo kidnaps him and straps him to a bomb. | |
| What About Bob? / int_9591377d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9591377d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_9591377d | |
| What About Bob? / int_9ae85487 | type |
Dr. Jerk | |
| What About Bob? / int_9ae85487 | comment |
Dr. Jerk: For a therapist, Dr. Marvin seems to have a staggering lack of compassion not just for his patients but for his own family, exemplified by his almost casual reaction to the news of Bob's (fake) suicide. In fact, the only real motivation he seems to have in helping anyone is his own ego-gratification. The only person to whom he shows any genuine affection is his sister (of whom he is very protective). Make of that what you will, considering the overt Freudian theme in this movie. | |
| What About Bob? / int_9ae85487 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9ae85487 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_9ae85487 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9d12bbc1 | type |
Foreshadowing | |
| What About Bob? / int_9d12bbc1 | comment |
Foreshadowing: Leo was recommended to Bob by his previous psychiatrist. When Leo phones the man to confirm this, he's packing up his office and after finishing the call, he happily mutters, "Free!" Leo says to Bob that he doesn't get angry or upset, foreshadowing the ending when Bob does precisely both things to him. | |
| What About Bob? / int_9d12bbc1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9d12bbc1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_9d12bbc1 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9e9203e1 | type |
Dramatically Missing the Point | |
| What About Bob? / int_9e9203e1 | comment |
Dramatically Missing the Point: After Dr. Marvin attacks Bob at his surprise birthday party when he puts his arm around his sister, Lily, and then becomes psychotic, Lily tells Bob how lucky her brother is to have him around, clearly unaware that Bob is the reason her brother, Leo, is losing his sanity in the first place. Justified somewhat in that she, Lily, had just met Bob and had no idea what had been going on prior to Leo's surprise birthday party. | |
| What About Bob? / int_9e9203e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9e9203e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_9e9203e1 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9f62723d | type |
Get Out! | |
| What About Bob? / int_9f62723d | comment |
Get Out!: "You've ruined my life! You've ruined my career! You've ruined my book! You've turned a perfectly peaceful house into an insane asylum! GET OUT!!!" | |
| What About Bob? / int_9f62723d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_9f62723d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_9f62723d | |
| What About Bob? / int_a54534a0 | type |
Parental Neglect | |
| What About Bob? / int_a54534a0 | comment |
Parental Neglect: The fact that Leo's wife and kids actually get along better with the neurotic and phobic Bob, who had driven previous psychiatrists insane, should tell you something about what a horrible husband and father Leo is, and serves as fuel for the fire of Leo's growing hatred of Bob. | |
| What About Bob? / int_a54534a0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a54534a0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_a54534a0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a5e77a67 | type |
The Cat Came Back | |
| What About Bob? / int_a5e77a67 | comment |
The Cat Came Back: No matter what Leo does, Bob manages to come back. He tells him to go back to New York and take "a vacation from [his] problems", but the Guttmans let Bob stay with them so that he can take said vacation near Leo. He tries to get rid of him before his Good Morning America interview, but the crew arrive just as Bob is leaving and they decide to make him part of the interview upon learning that Bob's a patient. Leo tries having Bob committed, only for the mental institution to tell him to take him back as he seems harmless to them. He tries abandoning Bob by the roadside, but Bob manages to hitchhike back to Leo's house ahead of him. All of which contributes to Leo's growing Sanity Slippage. Matters aren't helped by the fact that the main reason Bob keeps returning is because he thinks it's all part of the therapy. Ironically, the point when Leo finally snaps, kidnaps Bob and tries to kill him is mere moments after Bob, after a talk with Leo's family, has finally realized that his presence is causing Leo to snap and has genuinely decided to leave. | |
| What About Bob? / int_a5e77a67 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a5e77a67 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_a5e77a67 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a60e3252 | type |
Rule of Funny | |
| What About Bob? / int_a60e3252 | comment |
Rule of Funny: The film's outlandish premise can be looked past depending on whether or not you found the film funny. | |
| What About Bob? / int_a60e3252 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a60e3252 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_a60e3252 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a70223 | type |
Karma Houdini | |
| What About Bob? / int_a70223 | comment |
Karma Houdini: Depending on how you view Bob and Leo; Bob causes a lot of trouble for Leo over the course of the movie, and never really receives any punishment for it. It does help that Bob is well-meaning and often doesn't realise the trouble he's causing for Leo until it's too late. It could also be argued that Bob's miserable, neurotic life at the beginning of the movie is a kind of preemptive karma. While in the case of Leo, in 48 hours, his reputation is damaged in a disastrous interview, he gets a speeding ticket and a flat tire, and eventually culminating in blowing up his house and becoming a catatonic mental patient, Leo did break into a store, stole a large amount of explosives, and then tried to kidnap and murder somebody...but by sheer luck he's Easily Forgiven. Heck, he might've even gotten insurance on the house, which is what Siggy seems to imply ("Don't worry about the house"), which could potentially be insurance fraud. | |
| What About Bob? / int_a70223 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a70223 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_a70223 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a7ddc88e | type |
The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes | |
| What About Bob? / int_a7ddc88e | comment |
The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes: Leo is a bad husband and father, and his family is unhappy because of it. To top it off, he's rather oblivious to his failures in that department. This is primarily because he insists on treating his family like he would his patients. | |
| What About Bob? / int_a7ddc88e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a7ddc88e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_a7ddc88e | |
| What About Bob? / int_a9e84230 | type |
Funny Schizophrenia | |
| What About Bob? / int_a9e84230 | comment |
Funny Schizophrenia: Bob initially suffers from multiple phobias. This is Played for Laughs though, along with the issues of his psychiatrist and the guy's kids. While briefly held in a psychiatric hospital, Bob also makes jokes that the staff find very amusing. | |
| What About Bob? / int_a9e84230 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_a9e84230 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_a9e84230 | |
| What About Bob? / int_ad62678e | type |
Living Shadow | |
| What About Bob? / int_ad62678e | comment |
Living Shadow: Used in the poster art. While an eager Bob shakes a suspicious Leo's hand, the shadows show a screaming Leo strangling an obliviously laughing Bob. | |
| What About Bob? / int_ad62678e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_ad62678e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_ad62678e | |
| What About Bob? / int_af616e40 | type |
Accidental Misnaming | |
| What About Bob? / int_af616e40 | comment |
Accidental Misnaming: During his interview with Good Morning America, Leo is such a wreck that when he tries to explain that the "baby steps" approach doesn't usually work as quickly as it seems to have done with Bob, he accidentally refers to him as "Boob". | |
| What About Bob? / int_af616e40 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_af616e40 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_af616e40 | |
| What About Bob? / int_b77808f2 | type |
"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue | |
| What About Bob? / int_b77808f2 | comment |
"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: A text epilogue appears over the final shot, revealing that Bob went back to college and became a psychiatrist, then wrote a best-seller called Death Therapy - which has prompted Leo to sue Bob for the rights to the idea. | |
| What About Bob? / int_b77808f2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_b77808f2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_b77808f2 | |
| What About Bob? / int_bb18a227 | type |
It's All About Me | |
| What About Bob? / int_bb18a227 | comment |
It's All About Me: Dr. Marvin is this in regards to his patients. He's merely concerned with stroking his own ego over helping people. Over the course of the movie when he attempts to actually treat Bob, he gives him either vague, meaningless advice that could apply to anything, or gives him advice that really has no real ability to help him; such as telling him to simply "Take a vacation from [his] problems." When Bob first walks into his office, Marvin listens to his case with the most profoundly bored expression before just handing him a copy of his book and telling him that it will solve everything (making a note to bill him for said book later). This point is driven home when he receives notice in the middle of the night of Bob's (faked, unbeknownst to him) suicide early in the film. His reaction is to look slightly sad for just a moment and then nonchalantly say that they shouldn't let it spoil their family vacation before promptly going back to sleep, his lack of concern making him look very insensitive. And despite claiming to Bob that he doesn't want to let work intrude on his family vacation as a means of trying to get rid of him, he's quite happy to let work intrude on his family vacation when it involves a TV interview to promote his book and his therapy. | |
| What About Bob? / int_bb18a227 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_bb18a227 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_bb18a227 | |
| What About Bob? / int_bdc453a0 | type |
Incest Subtext | |
| What About Bob? / int_bdc453a0 | comment |
Incest Subtext: Being Freudian-themed, the movie of course features this in Leo's unusual fixation on his sister. | |
| What About Bob? / int_bdc453a0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_bdc453a0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_bdc453a0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_c335b9ec | type |
Irony | |
| What About Bob? / int_c335b9ec | comment |
Irony: Leo spends the entire movie both subtly and overtly trying to get rid of Bob, with Bob inevitably returning. When it's finally explained to Bob that his presence is doing Leo harm, he agrees to leave... at which point Leo, who has finally snapped, kidnaps him. | |
| What About Bob? / int_c335b9ec | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_c335b9ec | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_c335b9ec | |
| What About Bob? / int_c4db6423 | type |
Yank the Dog's Chain | |
| What About Bob? / int_c4db6423 | comment |
Yank the Dog's Chain: After going through all sorts of hell, Leo comes home to a surprise birthday party that his family had planned for him, with his beloved sister Lily showing up. Leo is delighted and it finally seems like things are looking up for him... until Bob shows up and puts an arm around Lily, causing Leo to attack him in a fit of rage, ruining the party. | |
| What About Bob? / int_c4db6423 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_c4db6423 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_c4db6423 | |
| What About Bob? / int_c5ef2d50 | type |
Cringe Comedy | |
| What About Bob? / int_c5ef2d50 | comment |
Cringe Comedy: The Good Morning America interview is hilariously uncomfortable to watch. Leo is so high-strung from Bob's presence that he completely botches his answers and comes off as stiff and unnatural, and he ends up getting completely upstaged by the far more relaxed (and much less professional) Bob. | |
| What About Bob? / int_c5ef2d50 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_c5ef2d50 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_c5ef2d50 | |
| What About Bob? / int_c5f0119c | type |
Insane Troll Logic | |
| What About Bob? / int_c5f0119c | comment |
Insane Troll Logic: Bob fakes having diseases and conditions because if he has to fake it, it means he doesn't actually have it. | |
| What About Bob? / int_c5f0119c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_c5f0119c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_c5f0119c | |
| What About Bob? / int_d52d28b6 | type |
Hypocrite | |
| What About Bob? / int_d52d28b6 | comment |
Hypocrite: Leo repeatedly uses the fact that he's on vacation and doesn't want to work as an excuse / justification for trying to get rid of Bob. While this isn't unreasonable in and of itself, he's also arranged to do a TV interview during his holiday in order to promote his book while surrounded by his family. Apparently he's quite willing to let work interrupt his vacation if he'll benefit from it in some way. | |
| What About Bob? / int_d52d28b6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_d52d28b6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_d52d28b6 | |
| What About Bob? / int_db8ace03 | type |
Epiphanic Prison | |
| What About Bob? / int_db8ace03 | comment |
Epiphanic Prison: Bob, unaware that Leo has tied him to explosives to kill him, interprets the ropes as a representation of his own internal psychological knots, and so by untying the ropes binding him, he can untie the psychological ropes that prevent him from functioning normally... and he proceeds to do both of those things. | |
| What About Bob? / int_db8ace03 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_db8ace03 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_db8ace03 | |
| What About Bob? / int_e062bcc4 | type |
Sink or Swim Mentor | |
| What About Bob? / int_e062bcc4 | comment |
Sink or Swim Mentor: Leo unwittingly and unwillingly becomes this for Bob — the more desperate his attempts to get rid of Bob become, the more Bob assumes that this is all part of the therapy, and the more Bob ends up being helped by it, to the point Leo unwittingly helps Bob become a healthy and functioning person. | |
| What About Bob? / int_e062bcc4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_e062bcc4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_e062bcc4 | |
| What About Bob? / int_e3d2f2 | type |
The Fool | |
| What About Bob? / int_e3d2f2 | comment |
The Fool: Bob. Without even trying, things just work out great for him all the time. | |
| What About Bob? / int_e3d2f2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_e3d2f2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_e3d2f2 | |
| What About Bob? / int_e42e91b4 | type |
Godwin's Law | |
| What About Bob? / int_e42e91b4 | comment |
Godwin's Law: After dropping Siggy in the lake, Leo turns and sees both the Guttmans floating out in a boat near him, and Mrs. Guttman screams the word "Hitler!" at him, all for the "crime" of buying the house they wanted. | |
| What About Bob? / int_e42e91b4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_e42e91b4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_e42e91b4 | |
| What About Bob? / int_e4f5affb | type |
The Chew Toy | |
| What About Bob? / int_e4f5affb | comment |
The Chew Toy: Dr. Marvin. Just to name a few ways in which the universe makes his life miserable: Anna leaves the car at the marina at his suggestion, meaning there is no way for Bob to leave their house when a torrential downpour begins, so that he is still at the house when Good Morning America show up for his interview. When he throws Bob out of his car, he is soon pulled over for speeding, then reverses into a street sign, gets a flat tire and is splashed with mud by another car when he gets out to replace it. | |
| What About Bob? / int_e4f5affb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_e4f5affb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_e4f5affb | |
| What About Bob? / int_e7e3674 | type |
Strapped to a Bomb | |
| What About Bob? / int_e7e3674 | comment |
Strapped to a Bomb: In the climax, Dr. Marvin snaps and tries to kill Bob by tying him up in the woods and hanging 20 pounds of black powder around Bob's neck. Leo jokingly refers to this as "Death therapy, a guaranteed cure!" Bob is completely oblivious to how much Leo hates him, so he immediately accepts that this really is some kind of therapy. Bob effortlessly unties himself, but assumes the still-ticking bomb is a prop and takes it with him back to Leo's house. | |
| What About Bob? / int_e7e3674 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_e7e3674 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_e7e3674 | |
| What About Bob? / int_eb8ec7c8 | type |
Jerkass | |
| What About Bob? / int_eb8ec7c8 | comment |
Jerkass: Dr. Marvin has let his professional success go to his head, at the expense of having meaningful connections with his own family, whom he treats more like stubborn patients than loved ones. Though they still love him, his wife and kids clearly find his attitude difficult to live with. | |
| What About Bob? / int_eb8ec7c8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_eb8ec7c8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_eb8ec7c8 | |
| What About Bob? / int_f36c4f98 | type |
Easily Forgiven | |
| What About Bob? / int_f36c4f98 | comment |
While in the case of Leo, in 48 hours, his reputation is damaged in a disastrous interview, he gets a speeding ticket and a flat tire, and eventually culminating in blowing up his house and becoming a catatonic mental patient, Leo did break into a store, stole a large amount of explosives, and then tried to kidnap and murder somebody...but by sheer luck he's Easily Forgiven. Heck, he might've even gotten insurance on the house, which is what Siggy seems to imply ("Don't worry about the house"), which could potentially be insurance fraud. | |
| What About Bob? / int_f36c4f98 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_f36c4f98 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_f36c4f98 | |
| What About Bob? / int_f4a3140c | type |
Survival Mantra | |
| What About Bob? / int_f4a3140c | comment |
Survival Mantra: At the beginning of the film, Bob tries to summon the courage to face his day by pinching his cheeks while repeating, "I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful..." After his first session with Leo, Bob obsessively repeats "Baby steps..." as he goes through various minor routines which normally leave him paralysed by anxiety. | |
| What About Bob? / int_f4a3140c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_f4a3140c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_f4a3140c | |
| What About Bob? / int_f6f2ff1 | type |
Insult Backfire | |
| What About Bob? / int_f6f2ff1 | comment |
Insult Backfire: All of Leo's insults, threats and, eventually, murder attempts are like water off Bob's back, as Bob is convinced that it's all merely part of the therapy. Indeed, throughout the movie he has nothing less than the utmost respect for Leo. | |
| What About Bob? / int_f6f2ff1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_f6f2ff1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_f6f2ff1 | |
| What About Bob? / int_f9876f7e | type |
Faking the Dead | |
| What About Bob? / int_f9876f7e | comment |
Faking the Dead: Bob fakes his own suicide in an attempt to figure out where Leo and his family are taking their vacation. | |
| What About Bob? / int_f9876f7e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_f9876f7e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_f9876f7e | |
| What About Bob? / int_fb56b948 | type |
My Sister Is Off-Limits | |
| What About Bob? / int_fb56b948 | comment |
My Sister Is Off-Limits: Bob's apparent romantic interest in Leo's sister Lily both drives him into and out of catatonia. | |
| What About Bob? / int_fb56b948 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_fb56b948 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_fb56b948 | |
| What About Bob? / int_fe0330fb | type |
Brick Joke | |
| What About Bob? / int_fe0330fb | comment |
Brick Joke: Leo describes his plan to strap Bob to a large number of heavy explosives as "death therapy", a guaranteed cure. At the end of the film, a caption mentions that Bob became a psychiatrist and wrote a bestseller called Death Therapy — resulting in Leo suing him for the rights to the idea. | |
| What About Bob? / int_fe0330fb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_fe0330fb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_fe0330fb | |
| What About Bob? / int_ff7f34c5 | type |
Pet the Dog | |
| What About Bob? / int_ff7f34c5 | comment |
Pet the Dog: The Guttmans applaud Siggy when he successfully performs his first dive, hinting that they don't extend their grudge against Leo to the rest of his family. | |
| What About Bob? / int_ff7f34c5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_ff7f34c5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_ff7f34c5 | |
| What About Bob? / int_name | type |
ItemName | |
| What About Bob? / int_name | comment |
||
| What About Bob? / int_name | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? / int_name | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| What About Bob? | hasFeature |
What About Bob? / int_name | |
| What About Bob? / int_name | itemName |
What About Bob? |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.