# Comedic Denouement **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009 "2021-09-20T17:08:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/1 "2021-09-20T17:08:23Z")
1. Is there a name for the comedic denouement we see at the very end of films like Animal House, Stripes, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High where a humorous caption tells what ultimately happens to some of the characters featured in the film (e.g. Bluto becomes a Senator, Sgt. Hulka opens a Hulkaburger franchise, Spicoli wins a big cash reward but blows it all on hiring VanHalen to play at his party, etc.)? Seems like it was a thing back in the late 70’s through the 80’s 2. Can you think of any other films that adopted this? 3. Was ‘Animal House’ the first film to introduce this? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/2 "2021-09-20T17:11:50Z")
Speaking of Van Halen, the video for Hot For teacher used this. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/3 "2021-09-20T17:14:21Z")
Not captioned but spoken-_Support Your Local Sheriff_ ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/4 "2021-09-20T17:16:54Z")
I think they’re just called epilogues or postscripts. The film version of A Man for all Seasons ends with a narrator [listing the fates of the characters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODejZPHC9vU). ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/5 "2021-09-20T17:37:06Z")
IDK the first time this was done for comedic irony, but the Matthau/Lemmon version of The Front Page preceded Animal House by four years. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/6 "2021-09-20T17:38:01Z")
I believe _Animal House_’s “denouement” was a satire of the one at the end of _American Graffiti._ ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/7 "2021-09-20T17:41:26Z")
I’d also call it “epilogue.” ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/8 "2021-09-20T17:42:54Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > - Is there a name for the comedic denouement we see at the very end of films like Animal House, Stripes, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High where a humorous caption tells what ultimately happens to some of the characters featured in the film (e.g. Bluto becomes a Senator, Sgt. Hulka opens a Hulkaburger franchise, Spicoli wins a big cash reward but blows it all on hiring VanHalen to play at his party, etc.)? Seems like it was a thing back in the late 70’s through the 80’s > - Can you think of any other films that adopted this? > - Was ‘Animal House’ the first film to introduce this? It is called a _character postscript_ and although it has become a common comedic trope of relating the absurdist future history of the characters, it actually started out as an epilogue technique in serious films like _The Great Escape_ and _Army of Shadows_ (in those cases, relating what happened to the real life counterparts of the characters portrayed in the films). In some circles it is considered, like voiceover, to be a cheap or outmoded narrative technique, and certainly it has been overdone in film and television to the point that it is no longer very novel. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/9 "2021-09-20T17:44:25Z")
The printed version of Arthur Miller’s play **The Crucible** has the play proper followed by a section entitled _Echoes Down the Corridor_ that tells the fates of the main characters > **[THE CURTAIN FALLS ECHOES DOWN THE CORRIDOR Not long after the fever died...](https://www.coursehero.com/file/p6avjkr/THE-CURTAIN-FALLS-ECHOES-DOWN-THE-CORRIDOR-Not-long-after-the-fever-died-Parris/)** > > THE CURTAIN FALLS ECHOES DOWN THE CORRIDOR Not long after the fever died Parris from SCIENCE Anatomy an at Freedom High School ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/10 "2021-09-20T17:46:47Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Not captioned but spoken- _Support Your Local Sheriff_ “And me? I go on to become a big star in Italian Westerns.” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/11 "2021-09-20T20:41:10Z")
TVtropes calls it the [“Where Are They Now?” Epilogue](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue). It credits _American Graffiti_ with “the iconic form” but also cites a number of films, novels, and plays going back as least as far as Emily Bronte with the character postscript device. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/12 "2021-09-20T21:06:13Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > It is called a _character postscript_ Interesting. I do not doubt you at all and that seems like a good descriptor but I tried Googling it and couldn’t come up with anything. Is it a term used within the film industry? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/13 "2021-09-20T21:45:22Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > I do not doubt you at all and that seems like a good descriptor but I tried Googling it and couldn’t come up with anything. Is it a term used within the film industry? I remember it from the film industry survey course I took at USC fifteen-ish years ago, and as related by a working screenwriter and producers (not a name you’d probably recognize but who had worked in the film and television industry for a couple of decades at that point). I would assume it was commonly used terminology but I can’t point to any specific reference. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/14 "2021-09-21T11:09:27Z")
I’ve seen _ **The Great Escape** _ multiple times, and don’t remember any epilogue, other than “This film is dedicated to the fifty.” An epilogue like the one in _ **American Grafitti** _ wouldn’t have been possible anyway, since virtually all of the characters were composites. If you read the book, it’s surprising how much the movie differs from it. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/15 "2021-09-21T13:57:08Z")
“Senator and Mrs. Blutarsky” is one of the few jokes in “Animal House” that hasn’t become super-cringey and is still hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/16 "2021-09-21T14:01:43Z")
Right! Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? _Hell no!_ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/17 "2021-09-21T14:58:58Z")
Is that a quote from Senator Blutarsky on 9/11? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/18 "2021-09-21T14:59:26Z")
It was quite common in 19th century sentimental novels. You’d get a rundown of what happened to the major characters after the end of the novel. For example (from _Tried for Her Life_ by Mrs. E.D.E.N. Southworth from 1875): > Mr. Blondelle was buried at Dubarry. > His confession was duly laid before the Governor of Virginia, who, in granting Sybil a pardon for the crime she had never committed, also wrote her a vindicatory letter, in which he expressed his respect for her many virtues, and his sorrow that the blundering of the law should have caused her so much of suffering. > The criminal’s confession and the Governor’s letter were both published through the length and breadth of the land. And Sybil Berners became as much loved and lionized as ever she had been hated and persecuted. > In the spring other exiles returned to the neighborhood: Captain Pendleton and his wife, once Miss Minnie Sheridan; and Mr. Sheridan, with his wife, once Miss Beatrix Pendleton. > Both these couples had long been married, and had been blessed with large families of sons and daughters. > The widow Blondelle sold out her interest in the Dubarry White Sulphur Springs, and with her step-son Raphael Riordon, returned to England. Under another name, those springs are now among the most popular in America. > Mr. and Mrs. Berners have but one child—Gem! But she is the darling of their hearts and eyes; and she is betrothed to Cromartie Douglass, whom they love as a son. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/19 "2021-09-21T15:19:15Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’ve seen _ **The Great Escape** _ multiple times, and don’t remember any epilogue, other than “This film is dedicated to the fifty.” Same here. IIRC, we see the few characters who successfully escaped arrive at their destinations, and of course we see Steve McQueen’s character back in his cell. But since most of the escapees were among those captured and then gunned down, an American Graffiti-style character postscript would have little to add, even if the characters weren’t composites. (I’ve read the book but that was half a century ago. Main thing I remember from it was that there were multiple escape attempts from a sequence of Nazi prisons, though the one featured in the movie took up the better part of the book, IIRC.) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009/20 "2021-09-21T15:37:10Z")
Yes, common in novels. _The Sound and the Fury_ comes immediately to mind. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedic-denouement/951009.md?page=2)