Ratatouille/YMMV

"No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses, something isolated, detached, with no suggestion of its origin. And at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory – this new sensation having had on me the effect which love has of filling me with a precious essence; or rather this essence was not in me it was me. ... Whence did it come? What did it mean? How could I seize and apprehend it? ... And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray (because on those mornings I did not go out before mass), when I went to say good morning to her in her bedroom, my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane. The sight of the little madeleine had recalled nothing to my mind before I tasted it. And all from my cup of tea."
 * Audience-Alienating Premise: Who knew that a rat controlling a human so he could cook would be such a hit?
 * Crowning Music of Awesome: "Le Festin".
 * If you look at the translated lyrics, you'll see that the song is basically a theme for Remy and the film; the tale of a thief who hates stealing while feeling that there wasn't a choice in the matter. Later on, the thief achieves and a new start in life through his passion and determination to break free.
 * Designated Villain: Anton Ego is like this, with his coffin-shaped room and menacing demeanor, despite only being a food critic.
 * Did Not Do the Research: A mistake comes from the fact that, while the ratatouille is indeed the Game Breaker of culinary delight, it takes half a day to be correctly prepared (you need to prepare each vegetable separately, cook them at a very low heat in order to get rid of the excess of water without burning them, then saute them again together, once or in some case even twice...), yet Rémy manage to improvise one in very short notice: being a genius is not enough, you should need to twist the time to your whims to make it work.
 * Well, Ratatouille was on their menu, so it's possible they had most of the ingredients prepared just in case someone ordered it.
 * The dish Rémy makes isn't the traditional version. It's an interpretation of Ratatouille that Thomas Keller made up (or, if you prefer, Michael Guerard made up and Thomas Keller refined), it doesn't involve cooking each type of vegetable separately, and while it does take several hours and probably wouldn't be appropriate to make completely à la minute in a restaurant, its cooking time doesn't even begin to approach half a day. See for yourself.
 * Ensemble Darkhorse: Horst. Guess why.
 * I Am Not Shazam: The film's title comes from a dish featured in the movie's climax (and the obvious pun on "rat"), not from any of the characters.
 * Genius Bonus: Anton's food-induced Flash Back hails from Marcel Proust's concept of "involuntary memory". Quoth In Search of Lost Time:


 * It's actually a very well-known concept in France, used in common speak through the expression "C'est ma madeleine de Proust" (it's my madeleine of Proust).
 * Harsher in Hindsight: During Linguini's Training Montage, Colette comments on how cooking is not "like Mommy in the kitchen" when Linguini had recently lost his mother to an unspecified illness.
 * Also Fridge Brilliance: Ego loves the ratatouille so much because it is exactly like how his mother used to make it.
 * Magnificent Bastard: Anton Ego comes off as one. Admit it.
 * Nightmare Fuel:
 * The rat-catcher's shop, which is a Real Life store in Paris.
 * Whenever the rats appear in large groups. First there's the scene where the old lady shoots down her ceiling, revealing that ALL the rats have been living IN HER ROOF. Then there's the bit near the end where a swarm of rats chase the health inspector, swarm over his car (with him inside), interfere with the car's mechanics, and eventually bring him back, bound and gagged, to the kitchen, where they lock him in the freezer for who knows how long!
 * Periphery Demographic: The Onion AV Club noted that that this movie has a cult following amongst artists of all media, because it is one of the best at capturing the joy of creation.
 * Tear Jerker: Anton Ego's food-induced flashback. Some laugh, some weep.
 * What Do You Mean It's for Kids?: Pixar's films are usually smart enough to entertain adults, but this is the first that honestly feels like it was made specifically for adults. It wasn't, but still.