In response to past posts about stereotypes and clichés, I got out my 1999
paperback copy of Roger Ebert's book Ebert's Bigger Little Movie Glossary.
Which is a self proclaimed Greatly Expanded and Much Improved Compendium of
Movie Clichés, Stereotypes, Obligatory Scenes, Hackneyed Formulas, Shopworn
Conventions and Outdated Archetypes.

For example, the Detour Rule, In any thriller, it is an absolute certainty
that every road detour is a subterfuge to kidnap the occupants of a car.
the Grave Talk Rule, A handy screenwriters tool in which a character can
reveal his personality and motivation by explaining everything to a
tombstone.
the Myopia Rule, In which little girls who wear glasses in the movies always
tell the truth, but little boys who wear glasses in the movies always lie.
the Ultimate B- Western Cliché, is not "they went that away" or even "We'll
head'em off at the pass" but "We'll give him a fair trial" (Pause) "And then
we'll hang'em"
the Wrongheaded Commanding Officer Rule, In modern day police movies, the
commanding officer exists solely for the purpose of taking the hero off the
case, calling him on the carpet, issuing dire warnings, asking him to hand
over his badge and gun, etc.

--
*curmudgeon*
"The best read illiterate in the country"