For years, the ending of the 2007 Pixar movie Ratatouille has had the whiff of an unsolved mystery.
In case you haven't seen it, at the end of the film the snobby food critic Ego gives the rat Remy's food a glowing review, saying that it reminds him of his mother's cooking.
This seems like a straightforward compliment, but don't forget: this is a Pixar film, and they love hiding clever references and details in the background of their films.
Now a new fan theory by Imgur user, the expertly titled ManImgurUsernamesAreDifficultToThinkOf, has uncovered a few background details in the movie that Ego's comment might have even more to it than we thought...
In the first big scene of Ratatouille, Remy and his family are forced out of an old woman's house. In her kitchen, she has a teapot, stove handles and jars...
Credit: Disney Pixar/Imgur
Advert
Along with translucent curtains, a tap and a fruit bowl here.
Credit: Disney Pixar/Imgur
These items crop up again later towards the end of Ratatouille when Ego eats Remy's dish and remembers his mother cooking for him at the family home.
Credit: Disney Pixur/Imgur
Advert
The eagle-eyed Imgur user also spots other similarities between the house in the first scene and the one in the flashback.
These similarities include the wooden chair in the living room and the fireplace, both of which look identical.
The fan's theory as a result of this is that the old woman at the start of Ratatouille is actually Ego's mother.
Advert
According to the theory, Ego grew up in the house in the countryside with his mother, who would cook ratatouille for him. Years later, after the mother has moved home for some reason, Remy sneaks in to watch cooking shows on TV and probably watch her cook too.
So if we come back to that dish of confit byaldi that Remy makes at the end of the film, there's a reason that it reminds Ego so much of his mother's dish.
That's because Remy learned how to make it from watching her do it. Well, that's my mind blown.
Advert
The theory might be a tiny bit of a stretch - for example, if it's true, age has not treated Ego's mother kindly.
But hey, the idea makes life more interesting and adds to our enjoyment of an already excellent film.
Hats off to Pixar for their attention to detail, yet again. You never cease to amaze us.
Featured Image Credit: Disney Pixar/ImgurTopics: Entertainment, TV and Film, fan theory, Pixar, Imgur