“Homecoming” is the moment when an audience member understands a joke or reference in a film or comedian’s routine after leaving the theater. It can be a background detail, cryptic dialogue, or sophisticated joke. Some directors and comedians intentionally include “way homers” for viewers to discover upon further viewings.
It’s not always possible for an audience member to catch every single detail in a film or understand every reference in a comedian’s monologue. Some jokes or clues or other obscure details might only start to make sense on the way home from the theater or after a second viewing. This type of after-the-fact epiphany is often called a homecoming, as this is the precise moment many members of the public have it, on their way home.
One way homer can be is a background detail or a cryptic snippet of dialogue that doesn’t seem to make sense on first viewing. A movie about a rampaging alcoholic, for example, might include a scene where the main character watches a classic movie on television. The scene might not make much sense at the time, but returning home the viewer might realize that the clip was from a classic booze-themed movie like Days of Wine and Roses. The reference would be considered a homer way.
A comedian may also deliver a more sophisticated or cerebral joke during his stand-up routine which can feel like a bombshell with the audience at the time. In fact, the comedian would like to call the joke a “way homer” because he knows some audience members will get the gist of the joke on their way home from the show. While it might not be a good idea for a comedian to fill his roster with cerebral or dark jokes, the occasional “way homer” can be very effective. Comedians such as Sara Silverman and the late Mitch Hedberg are famous for their use of dark references or highbrow humor.
Some directors like the Coen brothers and Zucker are famous for including a number of homer moments in their films. It might take several viewings to notice all the jokes, movie parodies, and pop culture references in movies like Fargo and Airplane. In the Alan Parker film The Commitments, all of the posters displayed in the video library promote real Alan Parker films, a detail many viewers may not notice the first time around. Nearly every episode of the sitcom Seinfeld contains at least one reference to Superman, which would be another detail for those who view syndicated reruns of the show.
A moment at home can often be a satisfying intellectual or pop cultural “snack” after first enjoying the broad brushstrokes of a well-crafted film.
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