Why do people do this? Ok, so you liked the movie, what exactly does clapping accomplish? Who are you clapping for? The projectionist?! Please, someone explain this to me.
It does seem weird. I’ve only ever seen it done by Star Wars geeks at the endings of the re-releases of the original trilogy a few years ago. Maybe not surprisingly, there was no such applause at the end of The Phantom Menace. Actually that’s not exactly true. I saw it in a fairly full theater early in its run, and one guy DID start clapping at the end, but he quickly stopped when no one joined him, and then he was very still and quiet while many people (inclusing me) giggled at him.
And what about those people bursting into applause on the sides of the road at Princess Di’s funeral procession? Is that really the best way to express sorrow? Of course, in that case it was more like manufactured sorrow, where a lot of people weren’t entirely sure why they were meant to be so sad about her dying, so they weren’t entirely sure how to express it. Or something.
I’ve done it myself a few times; I didn’t think about it and it wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, but at a couple of movies I really liked, I found myself clapping at the end. It’s just a habit that many people have to express having liked something. It is also a way to share with others in the theater that enjoyed it too without having to converse with strangers–“I really liked that movie! Oh, you liked it too! Great!”
Perhaps the clapping at Princess Di’s funeral was simply a way for them to acknowledge the passing of the procession–they probably would have felt odd doing nothing. I found the people who were absolutely hysterical with grief far stranger. It was certainly a very sad thing, but since I didn’t know her personally, it didn’t make me weep and tear my hair.
You don’t go to enough children’s flix.
When I worked at a concession stand, they clapped every show, especially for animated stuff, but even for the “lesson” movies about lost dogs.
Slightly off-topic, but related…
The one I never understand is when people clap at a wedding. The minister pronounces them man and wife, they share a kiss, and start down the aisle…and everyone claps. WTF? Why the hell are you clapping for someone getting married?!?
The one I don’t get is why people boo the trailers. If you think it looks dumb, don’t go see it. The people on the screen can’t hear you, and 90% of the time the theater is only playing it because it’s one of the only trailers they have, or it came attached to the print. Surely you aren’t under the impression we APPROVE of a Power Rangers movie?!?! (Although, I confess I ran that one on Pulp Fiction for the sheer camp value, heh heh. Got a few good natured whoops and cheers.)
You never see it anymore, but 15-20 years ago people clapped on airplanes after a safe landing. It used to annoy me beyond belief.
People who clap at movies have no life. At least they don’t clap during the movie.
I clapped once at an airplane landing. It was a little two-prop plane from San Diego to LA and we hit some terrible weather. We had some serious drops in altitude and the plane was all over the place. We all thought we were going to die. When we landed (by that time we were ALL shitfaced drunk) everyone looked at each other, started smiling and then started clapping and whooping it up.
For general landings, this is unacceptable.
When I saw “Addams Family Values”, the whole theater burst into applause during the scene in which Wednesday, Pugsly, and their misfit friends trashed their happy perky summer camp. I guess a lot of people have less-than-fond memories of camp. 
I have been on an airplane where people clapped upon landing and I was clapping right along with them. All it takes is problems with the airplane, very bad weather in Seattle and an approach to the runway that had more thrills and chills than any of the bad ass roller coaster rides. When the damn thing finally made it down in one piece even the flight attendants were clapping and looking relieved.
I went to a movie one night with some friends and the theater we went to started having one of the staff, usually a teen, do an intro to the movie, point out emergency exits and garbage cans… stuff like that.
The poor kid was beat red and you could tell he was so embarassed and shy having to stand in front of a full theater to do this. He made it through his speach and then just kinda stood there for a minute. I looked at one of my friends and we started to applaud. Needless to say the entire theater full of poeple followed our lead, some people whistled and a few even yelled out good job to the kid.
Before you think we were really mean, the kid just laughed and waved… then he hustled his ass out of the theater!
I’ve clapped at the end of movies once or twice. I think for “Gladiator” and something else. Must not have been that great if I can’t even remember it now…
When I saw Apollo 13, after the too-long-radio-silence-during-reentry scene, when the scene switched to the capsule gently parachuting down to Earth (informing the audience that they survived), the many in the crowd started clapping.
At first I thought, “What a buncha fucking idiots. Not only did you people know they survived (or should have, it being a historical event), but who the hell is going to hear your clapping? The movie makers or the characters who are decades in the past?”
But then I found myself jealous of them. I enjoyed the flick, but probably not as much as they did.
Making you miss part of the movie, I’d imagine. Not only do they do this, but they will laugh for 10 fucking minutes at one scene. Not to say there is anything wrong with laughing, but, contain it so other people can enjoy the movie. Also, they seem to laugh at the idiotic parts, and completely miss the parts that really are funny. Maybe I just have an odd sense of humor?
We applauded twice during the South Park movie, in the same song. Once when they sing “…and that bitch Anne Murray too!” and once more when they sing “When Canada is dead and gone, there’ll be no more Celine Dion!”
To me clapping at movies is acceptable. Unless you live in Georgia. In Georgia, ahem, people tend to not only clap for a scene, but also continue to laugh at it. For the rest of the movie. This has only happened to me twice, but as your sitting there, a really funny scene comes up. The Audience claps. Wow. Then they keep clapping. And keep Clapping. Then, on top of this, later in the movie (aka 5 minutes later), during some key storyline twist or change, of course, somebody in the row in front of you will whisper something to his neighbor. Then they continue to laugh. And laug… you get the idea.
Welcome to Purgatory…
They beat him RED! That sounds painful! 
(I kid you, for I am a kidder.)
Some people will clap at anything though, seriously. I once got up and said “I’ll be starting the movie in just a sec but wanted to announce that there’s a blue Celica out front with it’s lights on…” Thunderous applause. Why thank you! Thank you!!! 
We’ve got an artsy theater in town and there it is normal to clap after a real good movie. People were cheering after The Full Monty, and people clapped after “Waking Ned Devine.” It seems okay, doing it there. Maybe it’s because people are often saying “Hooray for small independent films that kick ass.” I also think the precendet gets set earlier because they still have the original organ in the theatre, and an organist often plays before the feature. People always applaud him.
I agree, it would seem kinda odd to hear clapping in other movie theaters. Though there have been times when I think I would’ve joined in (at the end) if other people started it. My way of saying “I’ve seen a lot of crap this year, and this movie was a blessed exception.”
We’ve got a restaurant in town in a restored depot. Every time a train goes by a lot of people clap. I used to think this was bizarre until a waiter directed me to a photo in the lobby of a train which crashed into the depot. The clapping is to express relief that it didn’t do it again.
…even if the players aren’t there to hear it.
I saw Beauty and the Beast at the El Capitan theater in Hollywood its opening weekend, and it remains the most amazing (movie) theater experience I’ve ever had. It was a fantastic movie, for one, and the mood of the audience was just so…awe-struck, full of wonder, positive. When Belle showed up in the big famous yellow dress for the ballroomk dancing scene, the audience actually cooed, oohed, and ahhed. It was incredible!
I, for one, applauded at the end. That wasn’t just a great movie, it was a great experience. (And I’ve learned that the audience plays a huge role in the level of my enjoyment of a flick.)
People also clap when a locality they know shows up in a scene–I remember we clapped in the Harvard Square when Kevin Costner came to Boston.
Also, people clapped at the end of LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST at the same theatre. Maybe it’s a Cambridge thing :). But we applauded as the actors danced on for their credits as though we were at a stage show.
Maybe it’s different in other countries. I heard from a Dominican friend that it’s customary, no matter how smooth the flight, to applaud as soon as your plane touches the ground at the Dominican Republic.
Carolyn