unheralded screenwriters who have provided generations of movie-goers with such memorable movie quotes and lines of dialogue, from film speeches, one-liners, quips, punchlines, statements, insults, and even mis-quotes. Their words are remembered through popular use, critical acclaim, shock value and quotability, and for many other reasons. from the greatest films, but they have remained as part of the film's legacy (and etched a place in movie history) anyway! | |
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to draw up a list of the "ten most famous movie quotes ever."
. revealed the 100 greatest movie quotes in American films, as chosen by leaders of the entertainment community in 2005, including a listing of the top 10. See also the link to AFI's . | |
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from the previous section. Here's a selection of some of the worst ever heard, many of which were seriously delivered by the actors/actresses. | |
has provided a very comprehensive selection of the (in multiple parts, and illustrated) throughout cinematic history, with background for each speech/monologue, and the actual text. | |
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Copyright © 1996-2024 Filmsite LLC. All rights reserved.
Notable movie lines become part of our real lives, working their way into pop culture, parodies, and becoming so ingrained in our lexicon, we may even forget where they came from in the first place. Take, for example, the phrase "a case of the Mondays." Today, we all know exactly what that means, a reference to the dreaded return to work after a blissful two days away from the office. But did you remember that that phrase actually originated from the 1999 movie "Office Space" ? In the digital age, the most iconic movie quotes get transformed into gifs and memes. "Look at me, I'm the captain now," from "Captain Phillips" has received full meme treatment, as has "Why so serious?" from "The Dark Knight."
In 2005, the American Film Institute (AFI) compiled a list of the greatest movie quotes based on feedback from more than 1,500 leaders in the creative community including film artists, critics, and historians. There have, of course, been many worthy additions over the last decade and a half that warrant future consideration: Lines like "I drink your milkshake," from "There Will Be Blood," or "I wish I knew how to quit you," from "Brokeback Mountain," were delivered shortly after the cut-off date.
But for now, the list spans the 75 years between 1927 and 2002. The quotes in AFI's list were selected from a ballot that included 400 choices from American films that have deeply circulated throughout popular culture over the years to expand their historical legacies. The earliest film quote comes from 1927's "The Jazz Singer," with "Wait a minute, wait a minute—you ain't heard nothin' yet," a slick self-reference to its status as the first "talkie." The final year represented is 2002's "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" with the line "My precious" delivered by Andy Serkis' unforgettable Gollum.
1939 saw the most movie quotes on the ballot, the year that powerhouse films "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind" premiered. "Casablanca" is the film with the most quotes in the top 100—a whopping six—whittled down from 10 quotes. Three of the lines are delivered on the foggy tarmac where Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman say goodbye with iconic panache.
Read on to see how many of the quotes from the top 100 you already know by heart.
- Quote: "I'm the King of the World!" - Character: Jack Dawson - Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
James Cameron famously shouted this movie line (delivered as Jack Dawson spreads his arms and shouts it from the ship's prow) after winning the Oscar for Best Director for "Titanic" in 1998. Twenty years later, he told "Vanity Fair" that he regretted the "hubris." "I now realize what was wrong with my choice to do that." "Titanic" is still tied with "Ben-Hur" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" for the most Oscar wins of all time.
- Quote: "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!" - Character: Wicked Witch of the West - Actor: Margaret Hamilton
"The Wizard of Oz" remains one of the most influential films in history, in part because it features witches (both good and bad). These on-screen witches gave way to the popular Broadway show "Wicked," and this famous line pops up anywhere witches are referenced.
- Quote: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." - Character: Johnny Castle - Actor: Patrick Swayze
"Dirty Dancing" writer Eleanor Bergstein, explained that Patrick Swazye didn't want to say the iconic line , but he gave it one take. Swayze's earnest performance as Johnny Castle made this line an enduring classic, both silly and sweet. The line was also a 2005 song title for the rock band Fall Out Boy.
- Quote: "My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you." - Character: George M. Cohan - Actor: James Cagney
Released in 1942, this story about the composer of America's most patriotic songs, became easy propaganda to get the U.S. in a rousing mood for World War II. James Cagney as Cohan speaks the line to President Roosevelt after receiving a medal for serving his country. The line solidifies the notion of the family as a cornerstone of patriotism, and as an extension of the strength of powerful, good men.
- Quote: "Snap out of it!" - Character: Loretta Castorini - Actor: Cher
As Loretta, Cher slaps Nicolas Cage twice before speaking this famous admonition. Loretta's inspired anger in the face of a declaration of love comes across as a spirited rebellion against traditional romantic norms.
- Quote: "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." - Character: John Keating - Actor: Robin Williams
Robin Williams was already a star when "Dead Poets Society" premiered, but he would grow into a beloved cultural icon after this film. "Dead Poets Society" endures due to its theme, tied to this powerfully optimistic line , in a film that's beautiful, but sorrowful.
- Quote: "I feel the need—the need for speed!" - Character: Pete Mitchell & Nick Bradshaw - Actor: Tom Cruise & Anthony Edwards
Tom Cruise's hotshot pilot Maverick was a famously adorable rapscallion—a trait embodied in this short, simple line. Despite its overall campiness, reflected best in the unforgettable volleyball scene, the film's sequel is set to release in 2020 . Cruise will reprise his role.
- Quote: "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!" - Character: Mame Dennis - Actor: Rosalind Russell
This film became famous for bucking Hays Code restrictions in the 1950s with open references to homosexuality and gender-bending. This film became a camp classic for its " gay sensibility " and for Rosalind Russell's exuberant costumes and one-liners like this one, delivered to her repressed nephew.
- Quote: "Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac...It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!" - Character: Carl Spackler - Actor: Bill Murray
Bill Murray's famous "Cinderella" monologue didn't appear in the "Caddyshack" script—the actor was only given directions to lop the heads off tulips while practicing his golf swing. Murray requested mums instead, and improvised the famous riff doing imaginary sports commentary.
- Quote: "Who's on first?" - Character: Dexter - Actor: Bud Abbott
It's hard to imagine this long bit about about a baseball player named "Who's" would appeal to a contemporary audience. The classic comedy duo Abbott and Costello use the line "Who's on first?" as fodder for wordplay antics. In this routine filled with dialogue about baseball players, some also have the names "Tomorrow" and "Naturally," allowing for extended comic hijinks.
- Quote: "A martini. Shaken, not stirred." - Character: James Bond - Actor: Sean Connery
This line captures the essence of the special agent hero: handsome and cultured, with impeccable taste. Not surprisingly, the line (which originated in Ian Fleming's "007" novels) endures not only in the films, but in contemporary cocktail culture .
- Quote: "Tell 'em to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Gipper." - Character: Knute Rockne - Actor: Pat O'Brien
George Gipp was a real-life football player who became forever entwined with the political mythology of Ronald Reagan. The former president starred as the dying "Gipper," and asks his coach to inspire his team with the line. It became a catchphrase during Reagan's campaign, a crossover between politics and popular culture.
- Quote: "Listen to me, mister. You're my knight in shining armor. Don't you forget it. You're going to get back on that horse, and I'm going to be right behind you, holding on tight, and away we're gonna go, go, go!" - Character: Ethel Thayer - Actor: Katharine Hepburn
In this tear-jerking scene, stars confront old age and mortality in a love story rarely shown in Hollywood. Katharine Hepburn performed the role while suffering from Parkinson's, and delivers this line while comforting her ailing husband.
- Quote: "Sawyer, you're going out a youngster, but you've got to come back a star!" - Character: Julian Marsh - Actor: Warner Baxter
Ruby Keeler (as Peggy) stars in this Busby Berkeley musical set in the "backstage" of Broadway, filled with cinematic dance numbers. When the star breaks her ankle, the show must go on, so the director sends ingenue understudy Peggy to the stage with this famous line.
- Quote: "Attica! Attica!" - Character: Sonny Wortzik - Actor: Al Pacino
"Dog Day Afternoon," about a bank heist gone wrong, got the audience on the side of the criminals. When Al Pacino (as robber Sonny) emerges from the bank and confronts the cops, he gets the crowd to chant "Attica! Attica!" This is a reference to the 1971 prison riot and the prisoner's rights movement, demonstrating the film's strong anti-establishment bent. Pacino ad-libbed the lines after consulting with the assistant director.
- Quote: "My precious." - Character: Gollum - Actor: Andy Serkis
Gollum became an emblem for CGI performances after "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," setting the bar for characters created by animators and portrayed by actors. Gollum is especially intriguing for his grotesque obsession that's somehow still relatable. The line was quickly "memed" as a stand-in for obsessive behavior.
- Quote: "Oh, no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast." - Character: Carl Denham - Actor: Robert Armstrong
This line is delivered when King Kong has fallen off the Empire State and lies dead in the street below. It's a romantic rigaromole: it really was the airplanes, but here the men who tortured the poor creature deflect responsibility onto a woman.
- Quote: "Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make." - Character: Count Dracula - Actor: Bela Lugosi
If the castle wasn't freaky enough, Count Dracula utters these creepy lines to an out-of-town guest who hears howls in the distance. The line is eerie, but also filled with humanity and beauty that breathes within Bela Lugosi's intense performance as the iconic vampire.
- Quote: "Toga! Toga!" - Character: John "Bluto" Blutarsky - Actor: John Belushi
John Belushi shines as the emblematic co-ed in this paean to college party life set in a fraternity house on probation. Belushi plays the feral Bluto with an animal-like unshackling, as if he's the unfettered id of the frat boy soul.
- Quote: "Hello, gorgeous." - Character: Fanny Brice - Actor: Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand repeated this famous line during her Best Actress Academy Award acceptance speech. In the film, the camera pans to her character, decked out in a leopard print coat and hat, gazing at herself in the mirror and greeting her lovely visage.
- Quote: "Yo, Adrian!" - Character: Rocky Balboa - Actor: Sylvester Stallone
After the brutal fight, and the even crueler loss to Apollo Creed, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) tries to make his way through the throng to Adrian. "Rocky" was a small film, and an early major role for Stallone, but the underdog story took the country by storm and became a titan franchise.
- Quote: "I am serious…and don't call me Shirley." - Character: Dr. Rumack - Actor: Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen's deadpan delivery comes after the perfect set-up, "Surely you can't be serious." "Airplane's" slapstick silliness reveled in wordplay and sight gags, but popular culture fell in love with this line as the ideal rejoinder to use upon hearing "surely."
- Quote: "Open the pod bay doors, HAL." - Character: Dave Bowman - Actor: Keir Dullea
The sentient HAL computer in Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi epic speaks with a calm and chilling voice. When Keir Dullea (as astronaut Dave) implores the computer to open the doors, the simple red eye and disembodied voice of HAL offers an eerie counterpart to the outwitted human.
- Quote: "Soylent Green is people!" - Character: Det. Robert Thorn - Actor: Charlton Heston
In this sci-fi thriller about environmental disaster, set in 2022, the apocalypse has caused a shortage of food and humans subsist on a mysterious substance called, you guessed it, soylent. This famous line, which admittedly gives away the movie's ending, is performed by Charlton Heston with characteristic hysteria.
- Quote: "Hasta la vista, baby." - Character: The Terminator - Actor: Arnold Schwarzenegger
There's something about Arnold Schwarzenegger's line deliveries—he performs in a way that's both stiff and also infused with sincerity. Since he plays a robot in the "Terminator" franchise, his dialogue is rife with humor. The script co-writer revealed that he and director James Cameron used to say this catchphrase to one another, but Schwarzenegger made it one of his trademarks.
- Quote: "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." - Character: Blanche DuBois - Actor: Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh captures the vulnerability of Blanch DuBois that's epitomized in this line—it also contains an irony that strangers aren't kind. The world is harsh and women like her won't survive, despite her optimistic facade that hides a traumatized woman just beneath.
- Quote: "Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown." - Character: Lawrence Walsh - Actor: Joe Mantell
In 1974, "Chinatown" shocked audiences with its distressing, tragic ending. The chilling effect of one of its final lines relays the dark notion that no one can be saved, and even the most twisted corruptors get away with their crimes.
- Quote: "Mother of mercy, is this the end of Rico?" - Character: Rico Bandello - Actor: Edward G. Robinson
"Little Caesar" was one of the first gangster films, brimming with corruption, violence, and indecency before the film industry's organized censorship. The famous last line, gangster Rico's dying words were toned down from "Mother of God," in order to avoid offending the religious.
- Quote: "No wire hangers, ever!" - Character: Joan Crawford - Actor: Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford doubled the appeal of glamourous rage-filled melodrama in "Mommie Dearest." She delivers the line wearing a layer of face cream and smeared red lipstick in the middle of the night, as her hysteria is revealed.
- Quote: "Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothin' yet!" - Character: Jakie Rabinowitz/Jack Robin - Actor: Al Jolson
This famous line inaugurates the moment in film history when "talkies" took over. It was the first film with a synchronized soundtrack that included both dialogue and singing. "The Jazz Singer" is just as famous for sequences with Al Jolson donning blackface , which complicates the film's history and legacy.
- Quote: "Is it safe?" - Character: Dr. Christian Szell - Actor: Laurence Olivier
The chilling irony of asking about safety during a torture scene makes "Marathon Man" an unforgettable horror film that's still relevant today . Laurence Olivier plays a Nazi war criminal whose brutality is especially apparent when Dustin Hoffman's character, an unwitting runner caught up in his plot, ends up in his dentist chair.
- Quote: "They're here!" - Character: Carol Anne Freeling - Actor: Heather O'Rourke
Young Carol Anne seems happy enough when she announces the presence of the entities who are about to wreak terrifying havoc on her family. The television static, usually innocuous, becomes a sign of unrest. As in many horror films, the ideal American life is ripe for shock and horror in "Poltergeist."
- Quote: "Here's Johnny!" - Character: Jack Torrance - Actor: Jack Nicholson
1980's "The Shining" was deemed one of the scariest movies of all time based on a study of viewers' heart rates while viewing the film. This quintessential cinematic jump scare has origins in "The Tonight's Show's" iconic introduction of Johnny Carson by Ed McMahon. During the "Here's Johnny!" scene, when the deranged Jack bursts through a door with an axe, viewers' pulses rose by 28.2% .
- Quote: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." - Character: Rick Blaine - Actor: Humphrey Bogart
Rock band Fall Out Boy's 2005 album, "From Under the Cork Tree," has two song titles that are famous movie lines: "Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner," and "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World." Humphrey Bogart's leading man Rick delivers this line that captures the universal notion of fated love. More than 75 years after its release, " Casablanca" still has a strong hold on popular culture.
- Quote: "Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape." - Character: George Taylor - Actor: Charlton Heston
The first "Planet of the Apes" film premiered in 1968, with five additional films through 1973. Director Tim Burton rebooted the series in 2001, and audiences have flocked to new films beginning with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" in 2011. Charlton Heston delivers the famous line as the marooned and imprisoned astronaut Taylor, with his characteristic emotional grit. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" repeats the line, but gets a response this time: "No!" from leader Caesar.
- Quote: "Elementary, my dear Watson." - Character: Sherlock Holmes - Actor: Basil Rathbone
This quip became the ultimate response from smarties to those less-adept. Sherlock Holmes is the quintessential deductive genius, magnified by the simpler wits of this sidekick Watson. The quote is not actually in any of Arthur Conan Doyle's books ; it's an invention from the cinematic adaptations.
- Quote: "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" - Character: President Merkin Muffley - Actor: Peter Sellers
Stanley Kubrick's surreal dark comedy captures the absurdity of war and senselessness of atomic weapons in this line. During a live reading of the movie script, comedic actress Catherine O'Hara channeled President Merkin Muffley , delivering the line to laughter.
- Quote: "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?" - Character: Benjamin Braddock - Actor: Dustin Hoffman
This line's iconicity comes from the visual that accompanies it. The young college grad, Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) delivers the line while shot through the silhouette of Mrs. Robinson's leg, giant in the foreground. The shot offers the striking composition of the older woman overpowering the diminutive Benjamin.
- Quote: "What a dump." - Character: Rosa Moline - Actor: Bette Davis
Bette Davis' campy delivery of this snarky line still inspires imitations of those in need of the perfect insult to toss at reasonably non-dumpy locales. The line was given gorgeously caustic homage by Elizabeth Taylor in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ," who says it when surveying a nice enough, well-furnished room.
- Quote: "Say hello to my little friend!" - Character: Tony Montana - Actor: Al Pacino
Al Pacino's unhinged portrayal of Tony Montana makes this violent spectacle an oft-parodied line due to its over-the-top carnage. In 2017, a play version starring kids went viral .
- Quote: "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" - Character: Oliver - Actor: Oliver Hardy
The iconic comedy duo known for films packed with slapstick hijinks popularized this recurring catchphrase . Hardy would say it with a deadpan delivery to the hapless Laurel.
- Quote: "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." - Character: Scarlett O'Hara - Actor: Vivien Leigh
Showing the theatrical nature of the cinema, Vivein Leigh as Scarlett delivers a powerful soliloquy set to the rousing, emotional score. She speaks this line right before the film's intermission, her silhouette against the sunset and the plantation land. Though Scarlett has barely suffered, in terms of what's possible in the 19th century south, the line represents the power to rebuild and carry on after losing the civil war, and the slavery system that maintained the Southern economy.
- Quote: "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." - Character: Michael Corleone - Actor: Al Pacino
Michael Corleone is merciless and brutal in this award-winning film. Though the sentiment in this line is often attributed to the ancient text "The Art of War," or Machiavelli's "The Prince," both guides for ruthless leadership, the line was in fact written by filmmakers Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola.
- Quote: "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." - Character: Gordon Gekko - Actor: Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko transcended his titan character and captured the capitalist zeitgeist of the "decade of excess." His slicked hair and reptilian namesake helped present a broad critique of wealth in America.
- Quote: "A boy's best friend is his mother." - Character: Norman Bates - Actor: Anthony Perkins
Hitchcock's psychological thriller was Freudian to the core: that is, obsessed with a mother who wasn't even there. Bates blames his behavior on his mother, when in actuality, he embodies her and wreaks havoc in her place.
- Quote: "La-dee-da, la-dee-da." - Character: Annie Hall - Actor: Diane Keaton
In 1977, Diane Keaton introduced a fresh type of romantic heroine: the prototypical manic pixie dream girl . Keaton won the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of the quirky, unabashed woman.
- Quote: "There's no crying in baseball!" - Character: Jimmy Dugan - Actor: Tom Hanks
While Tom Hanks may be America's sweetheart, in "A League of Their Own," he plays a grumpy curmudgeon with a heart of gold. Despite delivering this line, the tough coach still has a soft spot.
- Quote: "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know." - Character: Capt. Geoffrey T. Spaulding - Actor: Groucho Marx
The wordplay wit in this line characterizes the Marx Brothers humor style as seen in their many film comedies. In "Animal Crackers," Groucho Marx plays a cowardly outdoorsman who tells tall tales at an upper-crust party, like the joke here, about an African safari he took.
- Quote: "You had me at 'hello.'" - Character: Dorothy Boyd - Actor: Renée Zellweger
Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire brought the notion of self-awareness to romance films. The line quickly became a cultural catchphrase, representing an elaborate way to say "yes" that's easy to tailor to any situation.
- Quote: "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" - Character: Harry Callahan - Actor: Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood often plays lone cowboys and tough cops. As Harry, he delivers his iconic line after rising from a lunch counter to stop a crime. He's even still chewing his food as he struts across the street, gun in hand. Harry laughs, a towering figure over the wounded man, then he strolls away.
- Quote: "Houston, we have a problem." - Character: Jim Lovell - Actor: Tom Hanks
"Apollo 13" is based on the 1970 moon landing mission. Astronauts Jack Swigert and James Lovell each said close versions of the famous line, but they expressed it in past tense . The revised line was used earlier in pop culture, but Tom Hanks' delivery in "Apollo 13" as the imperiled astronaut gave the phrase new life.
- Quote: "It's alive! It's alive!" - Character: Henry Frankenstein - Actor: Colin Clive
Dr. Frankenstein's excitement in achieving his goal comes through clearly in this iconic line. This eventually disastrous narcissism became ripe fodder for parody. Gene Wilder does an excellent spoof of this line in "Young Frankenstein" from 1974.
- Quote: "Well, nobody's perfect." - Character: Osgood Fielding III - Actor: Joe E. Brown
The gender-bending subtext of "Some Like It Hot" is powerful, and not even that subtle. Joe E. Brown as Osgood has been wooing Jack Lemmon's character who's dressed in drag. When Lemmon says "I'm a man," and pulls off his wig, Osgood's quip (it almost didn't make it in the movie ) displays open and romantic, homosexual love.
- Quote: "Shane. Shane. Come back!" - Character: Joey Starrett - Actor: Brandon De Wilde
This movie includes the classic Western trope of a lone cowboy riding into town, heroically saving it, then disappearing into the sunset. The tear-jerker ending has gotten the meme treatment, now a joke of sentimental hokum, when the child cries for the hero to return.
- Quote: "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars." - Character: Charlotte Vale - Actor: Bette Davis
Bette Davis stars as a woman who's diagnosed with cancer, undergoes a flashy makeover, and falls in love with a married man. The line captures her can-do spirit with regards to going without love.
- Quote: "Stella! Hey, Stella!" - Character: Stanley Kowalski - Actor: Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando delivers this famous line using his signature "method" acting style, revealing seemingly unstaged anguish. The line appears over in over in other iterations as a representation of melodramatic acting. In "The Disaster Artist," James Franco (as hack actor Tommy Wiseau) performs an over-the-top interpretation of this line in acting class.
- Quote: "I see dead people." - Character: Cole Sear - Actor: Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment was the ultimate turn-of-the-millennium child actor, speaking this line in a profoundly creepy manner. He in fact delivers this line earlier than the notorious twist ending , offering a clue that audiences famously missed the first time around.
- Quote: "We'll always have Paris." - Character: Rick Blaine - Actor: Humphrey Bogart
"Casablanca" has multiple lines in the top 100 greatest, and two of them come from Humphrey Bogart as Rick, during his final monologue to Ilsa on the tarmac. "We'll always have Paris" caught on as a catchphrase to use to make light of great loss. "Casablanca's" Paris montage also provides a quick shorthand for the couple's romance and breakup.
- Quote: "Plastics." - Character: Mr. Maguire - Actor: Walter Brooke
When it premiered in 1967, "The Graduate" stood out as a cinematic anthem for counterculture men who longed to break free of social expectations. Young Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) runs away with another man's bride, for example. Earlier, the line "Plastics" summarizes the out-of-touch, shallow nature of an older generation that only cares about money and tradition.
- Quote: "We rob banks." - Character: Clyde Barrow - Actor: Warren Beatty
"Bonnie and Clyde" used a new style of editing that changed American cinema and offered a subversive take on glamorous criminality. Set during the Great Depression, the line "We rob banks," comes across as an exciting, seductive brag without a touch of shame.
- Quote: "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." - Character: Forrest Gump - Actor: Tom Hanks
"Forrest Gump" was beloved by '90s audiences for its perceived wholesome take on American history. In the film, the box of chocolates adage acts a profound segue between Hanks as the simpleton Forrest and his partners on the bus bench. In 2019, the scene was used on " Saturday Night Live " to mock the first attorney general in Trump's administration, the Southerner Jeff Sessions.
- Quote: "If you build it, he will come." - Character: Shoeless Joe Jackson - Actor: Ray Liotta (voice)
The entire premise of "Field of Dreams," building a cornfield baseball diamond as a time portal for famous players, should never have worked. However, despite the premise and the disembodied voice that first speaks the lines, the movie became a beloved, sentimental hit with this catchphrase often quoted.
- Quote: "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth." - Character: Lou Gehrig - Actor: Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper played famous ballplayer Lou Gehrig in this true story that's still considered a cultural touchstone. Gehrig's speech moved the nation as he reflected on his career in the wake of a devastating diagnosis of ALS that he referred to as " a bad break ." Gehrig's wife helped write the speech that appeared in the film.
- Quote: "I'll be back." - Character: The Terminator - Actor: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger became a star thanks to his hilariously stiff deliveries, not in spite of them. This line got laughs in "The Terminator," when Schwarzenegger's killer robot says it to a cop. He makes good on his promise by crashing a car into the precinct.
- Quote: "Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!" - Character: Gold Hat - Actor: Alfonso Bedoya
The "stinking badges" line from "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" endures throughout popular culture, as an idiom and in movies, comics, video games, and music. It appeared in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles," as well as in the Broadway production of rock band Green Day's "American Idiot."
- Quote: "You're gonna need a bigger boat." - Character: Martin Brody - Actor: Roy Scheider
Much of the suspense in "Jaws" was created through the film's soundtrack and the point of view shots, rather than seeing the shark itself. This famous line, still commonly referenced today, created a sense of scale through Chief Brody's reaction shot to one of the film's first big reveals.
- Quote: "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow." - Character: Marie "Slim" Browning - Actor: Lauren Bacall
The production code prevented movies from featuring lewd content, so films used innuendo. These seemingly innocent lines sizzled with an undercurrent of sex. Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart's characters have a love-hate relationship (as well as a real-life romance) in "To Have and Have Not."
- Quote: "I'll have what she's having." - Character: Customer - Actor: Estelle Reiner
Director Rob Reiner's mother spoke this one-liner, the comic relief to Meg Ryan's epic fake climax as the prim Sally. In an early screening for movie distributors, men failed to laugh, but women in the audience erupted at seeing their dissatisfaction validated.
- Quote: "Round up the usual suspects." - Character: Capt. Louis Renault - Actor: Claude Rains
The 1995 film "The Usual Suspects" took its title directly from this line in "Casablanca." The line refers to "fall guys" or "patsies" who are framed for crimes. The line is delivered by corrupt police chief Renault, but this time he's helping out hero Rick.
- Quote: "After all, tomorrow is another day!" - Character: Scarlett O'Hara - Actor: Vivien Leigh
Scarlett thinks through her husband's decision to leave her, and after a series of aural flashbacks finds her bearings and vows to win him back. While she does get the final line in the film, it doesn't quite overpower Rhett's betrayal.
- Quote: "I want to be alone." - Character: Grusinskaya - Actor: Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo became known for her reclusive nature, which was linked to her repeated line as the dancer in "Grand Hotel." She gained fame for her notoriously beautiful and emotive close-ups, especially in black and white. Recently, a cache of her letters was discovered that reinforced Garbo's reputation for loneliness and solitude.
- Quote: "You can't handle the truth!" - Character: Col. Nathan R. Jessup - Actor: Jack Nicholson
The courtroom histrionics in this military trial drama, written by Aaron Sorkin, bristle with rage and tension. Tom Cruise plays a defense attorney bent on outwitting the colonel (played by Jack Nicholson) by tricking him into confessing on the witness stand. Nicholson delivers an unforgettable performance in a speech that begins with with "You can't handle the truth" and continues to confront the responsibility of those who guard the nation.
- Quote: "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'" - Character: Ilsa Lund - Actor: Ingrid Bergman
This famous line is usually misquoted as "Play it again, Sam," a line that's not actually in the movie . Woody Allen's film and stage play also misquote the line. Both Rick and Ilsa ask Sam to simply play the nostalgic song.
- Quote: "I'm walkin' here! I'm walkin' here!" - Character: Ratso Rizzo - Actor: Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman's character Ratso pounds the hood of a cab about to hit him as he crosses the street. The line captures the frustration of being a pedestrian ignored by cars. The line was ad-libbed when a car drove through the shot. Hoffman almost shouted, " We're shooting a movie here ," instead of "I'm walking here."
- Quote: "Why don't you come up sometime and see me?" - Character: Lady Lou - Actor: Mae West
Mae West spoke these lines to Cary Grant in a film filled with the usual censorship-defying double entendres. West was ahead of her time as an openly desirous woman, defying cultural norms at the time about women's behavior. She once spent ten days in jail over the content in her play, "Sex."
- Quote: "Show me the money!" - Character: Rod Tidwell - Actor: Cuba Gooding Jr.
Cuba Gooding Jr. won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his vibrant performance as a football player who doesn't get the money or recognition he wants. The famous line endures, and regularly gets gif and meme treatment as shorthand for the bottom line.
- Quote: "I am big! It's the pictures that got small." - Character: Norma Desmond - Actor: Gloria Swanson
This melodrama about an aging actress is a larger reflection on Hollywood's constant shifts, especially during the change from silent cinema to talkies. Norma Desmond's line shows her refusal to let go of her celebrity persona.
- Quote: "There's no place like home." - Character: Dorothy Gale - Actor: Judy Garland
"The Wizard of Oz" is one of the most influential films of all time, still generating constant allusions in films and popular culture today. "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," a recent indie movie about longing for home, referenced this famous line. The film's universal themes about home and exile have influenced thousands of other works .
- Quote: "Bond. James Bond." - Character: James Bond - Actor: Sean Connery
All the Bond actors eventually deliver this line, but Sean Connery was the first. Dashing, slick, and a paragon of handsome masculinity, he's just as dapper in a tuxedo lighting a cigarette as he is killing an adversary in cold blood.
- Quote: "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." - Character: Dr. Hannibal Lecter - Actor: Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins, the Welsh Shakespearean actor, was cast against type as the sicko murderer in "The Silence of the Lambs." There's an odd allure in the clash between Dr. Hannibal Lector's taste for refined gourmet food and also, for cannibalism. In the scene when Lector tries to intimidate the FBI agent (Jodie Foster) he's supposed to help, he utters this line then performs a strange sucking flutter that ups the creep factor.
- Quote: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." - Character: Rick Blaine - Actor: Humphrey Bogart
"Casablanca's" producer reportedly wanted an " upbeat closing line " that also included cynicism. They almost went with "Louis, I might have known you'd mix patriotism with a little larceny," but the famous line about friendship does a better job of delivering a more optimistic Hollywood ending.
- Quote: "I'm as mad as h*ll, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" - Character: Howard Beale - Actor: Peter Finch
Not only does enraged news anchor Howard Beale declare this on-air when he veers off-script, he encourages viewers to go to their windows and shout it to the streets. The screenplay about the merger between news and entertainment proved a harbinger for contemporary media.
- Quote: "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" - Character: Arthur "Cody" Jarrett - Actor: James Cagney
James Cagney plays a desperate gangster particularly devoted to his criminal mother in a final shootout scene to rival them all. The betrayed tough guy goes out in a blaze of glory after delivering this final line with unhinged fervor.
- Quote: "Rosebud." - Character: Charles Foster Kane - Actor: Orson Welles
The payoff for the mystery of Kane's final word comes in the closing shots of the film. The realization of what "Rosebud" was and what it meant to the wealthy tycoon gives the film a tragic overlay for first-time viewers. The line is oft-parodied, including several times in the "Peanuts" comic strip, in particular one from 1973 when Lucy spoils the "Rosebud" revelation for Linus.
- Quote: "They call me Mister Tibbs!" - Character: Virgil Tibbs - Actor: Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poiter, one of the first black movie stars, plays Virgil Tibbs, a city cop wrongly accused of a crime. The film's sequel uses this line as its title. Poitier's intense delivery demonstrates the groundbreaking actor's strength and dignity in the face of racist injustice.
- Quote: "E.T. phone home." - Character: E.T. - Actor: Pat Welsh
Steven Spielberg's blockbuster became an instant cultural touchstone that delighted audiences and guaranteed tears . E.T. remains a well-known film with its main character both wise and childlike, generating widespread appeal. The simple line captures the longing for home and desire for connection that are the film's central themes.
- Quote: "The stuff that dreams are made of." - Character: Sam Spade - Actor: Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart's hard-boiled detective Sam Spade takes the line from Shakespeare's "The Tempest," and alters it from "the stuff that dreams are made on." Here, it refers to the emptiness of the titular statue (and the cynicism of romance) at the center of the film.
- Quote: "Love means never having to say you're sorry." - Character: Oliver Barrett IV - Actor: Ryan O'Neal
This weepy romance was a huge hit in 1970, and though its famous line endures, the film eventually fell out of favor. To contemporary audiences, the line now tends to come across as dysfunctional or trite. Psychotherapists certainly don't recommend this approach . It's become a meme as well — for instance, cats who have been up to no good.
- Quote: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." - Character: Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore - Actor: Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall plays the colonel in "Apocalypse Now" with a war-weary bravado that's both optimistic and brazen in the face of horror. The line goes on to use a slur to reference the enemy and ends with "smells like victory." This quip is oft-used in movies and TV to crack a joke about any pungent smell.
- Quote: "What we've got here is failure to communicate." - Character: Captain - Actor: Strother Martin
A sadistic prison guard says this line to irrepressible prisoner Luke (played by Paul Newman) in this film about rebellion in the face of brutal authority. The audience roots for Luke to escape, but by the end, as he's surrounded by police, he repeats the line with woeful irony.
- Quote: "You talkin' to me?" - Character: Travis Bickle - Actor: Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro was nominated for the Best Actor for his role as crazed vigilante veteran Travis Bickle. The line captures the universal behavior of rehearsing in front of the mirror while trying to be and look cool. Bickle pulls a gun and practices what he might say when it came time to use it.
- Quote: "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." - Character: Margo Channing - Actor: Bette Davis
Bette Davis perfectly delivers this witticism as aging actress Margo. She downs a martini and struts to the staircase to deliver this zinger at a party. As an older actress, Margo is up against Eve (Ann Baxter) in this film about the adversarial relationships between women in the entertainment industry.
- Quote: "May the Force be with you." - Character: Han Solo - Actor: Harrison Ford
The force from the "Star Wars" universe is a touchstone in popular culture. When Han Solo offers these words to Luke Skywalker, it shows that even the cynical space outlaw has faith in the young Jedi. Now the line commemorates " Star Wars Day, " a celebration for fans on May 4th. Get it?
- Quote: "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." - Character: Norma Desmond - Actor: Gloria Swanson
Norma Desmond's line captures the delusional narcissism of the lead character. The line is often parodied, notably on "The Carol Burnett Show," making light of her being unaware her time has passed.
- Quote: "Go ahead, make my day." - Character: Harry Callahan - Actor: Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood's tough guy cop line became a touchstone of the Reagan era, when the actor-turned- president used it in political speeches to signal the same kind of masculine prowess used in "Dirty Harry" movies. Notably, the scene in "Sudden Impact" shows the Eastwood character using the line on a black man, a stereotypical representation of a witless criminal whose partners are easily overtaken by the single white man.
- Quote: "Here's looking at you, kid." - Character: Rick Blaine - Actor: Humphrey Bogart
This line, a popular quip in the 1930s, was reportedly ad-libbed by star Humphrey Bogart . The line captures the raffish bravado of heartbreak. Rick delivers the line to the love of his life, right before she leaves forever to be with another man.
- Quote: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." - Character: Dorothy Gale - Actor: Judy Garland
Dorothy's classic line about finding yourself in a new world resurfaces again and again in pop culture. A YouTube supercut has 58 examples of the line used in movies and TV shows. One notable reference occurs in "Avatar" when Colonel Quaritch says, "You are not in Kansas anymore. You are on Pandora, ladies and gentlemen."
- Quote: "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." - Character: Terry Malloy - Actor: Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando as washed-up boxer Terry delivers this famous line that captures the "coulda woulda shoulda" lament of anyone who feels their time has passed. Robert DeNiro as Jake LaMotta repeats the line in "Raging Bull," but Brando's delivery is what endures.
- Quote: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." - Character: Vito Corleone - Actor: Marlon Brando
For first-time viewers, this line's payoff comes in the form of a grotesque surprise: the head of a beloved racehorse in the bed of a movie producer. That's the "offer" Vito Corleone makes to get a movie role for his godson. The line euphemizes strongarm tactics, using feigned civility as a cover for the extreme violence of these cinematic gangsters.
- Quote: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." - Character: Rhett Butler - Actor: Clark Gable
Even though Scarlett plans to win back husband Rhett, (in another famous line,) his quip is delivered with such confidence that the audience loses faith Rhett will ever return. The line could have been " I don't give a straw ," as revealed in a sheet of alternate options.
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TAGGED AS: movies , quotes , RT25
In 2023, Rotten Tomatoes turns 25, and to mark the occasion, we’re celebrating the best movies and television from the last 25 years.
They’re the lines you’ve worn on T-shirts and Photoshopped into memes. They’re the lines you’re maybe a little sick of, but can’t stop loving. Before they were famous, though – before they were parodied on SNL and printed onto ironic mugs – they were words on a page and then words in a movie you were hearing for the first time, and they stuck. Maybe they were hilarious (poor Gretchen, “fetch” never happened), or maybe they were chilling (“I see dead people”). Maybe they were delivered just right (“Why… so… serious?”).
Here, we’re looking back at the 25 most memorable lines from the movies since August 1998, the year that Rotten Tomatoes came into this world. If we missed a favorite of yours, let us know in the comments.
Office Space (1999)
We could run through an entire stack of Post-Its writing down our favorite lines from Mike Judge’s cult favorite, but this chipper, grating, morning greeting wins out – an encapsulation of the deep, smiley rage suppression that gives Office Space its kick.
The Matrix (1999)
Before the Wachowskis’ signature franchise erupted into several sequels’ worth of sprawling mythology, it presented viewers with a sci-fi story that was brilliant in its simplicity, built on the idea of a world in which every component of our everyday reality is really part of a ruse designed to lull us into subservience to a hidden yet all-seeing order. Decades later, it’s this line — and this idea — that reflects the Matrix movies’ legacy, for better and for worse.
Notting Hill (1999)
When you pair America’s sweetheart with Britain’s reigning rom-com king, you have to bring your A-game, and writer Richard Curtis did just that for Notting Hill . With this heartbreaking line, he manages to somehow get us rooting for one of the world’s richest and most glamorous movie stars, and screaming with frustration at the regular “fairly level-headed bloke” whose love she’s asking for.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Neither M. Night Shyamalan nor Haley Joel Osment knew that the intensely whispered “I see dead people” would become the center of Disney’s marketing push for The Sixth Sense – and the subject of parodies for decades. When we talked with Osment, he said he was just thankful Twitter hadn’t been invented at the time the film came out, when he was 11.
Fight Club (1999)
From Chuck Pahalniuk’s pen to Brad Pitt’s mouth and into the minds of college students all over the country…
Gladiator (2000)
The debate over whether Ridley Scott’s (somewhat) historical drama deserved to clean up at the Oscars has been raging for more than 20 years, and we aren’t here to finish it. It’s far easier to confront the question posed by Russell Crowe’s Maximus as his quest for vengeance brings him face to face with the jeering crowd egged on by the man responsible for the deaths of his family. Are you not entertained? The answer, all these years later, remains a rousing yes.
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
The Furious franchise has evolved greatly over the years, shifting gears (sorry!) from smallish-scale Point Break- alike to globe-trotting stunt spectacular, each entry one-upping the other in terms of scale and ludicrousness. What keeps the whole thing grounded, and provides the through-line from 2001 right through to this year’s Fast X ? Family, of course, but also the dedication to awesome cheese perfectly encapsulated by this line/mantra/religion. Us too, Dom, us too.
Legally Blonde (2001)
For years, fans clamored for Reese Witherspoon to bend and snap her way back to Elle Woods and the Legally Blonde franchise, and it isn’t hard to see why. While she’s starred in productions with more dramatic heft, it’s impossible to resist Elle’s cheerful can-do spirit — not to mention her unerring sense of style.
Training Day (2001)
Denzel Washington won an Oscar for playing corrupt narcotics cop Alonzo in Atonine Fuqua’s Training Day , and it might have been his delivery this line – puffed-up and chest-pounding as he realizes power is slipping away – that got any hesitant Academy voters across the line.
Finding Nemo (2003)
One of the most beloved characters in the Pixar pantheon, Finding Nemo ‘s Dory resonates because she’s a lot like all of us. Sure, we may not be able to breathe under water, and okay, most people don’t experience persistent memory loss — but who among us hasn’t put on a brave face and forged ahead in spite of not having any idea what they’re doing?
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
As repellent as he is pitiable, Andy Serkis’ Gollum is the living embodiment of greed’s ability to warp and debase, and it’s a testament to the actor’s mocap-assisted work in the role that you feel for the duplicitous little guy as often as you want to see him throttled. It’s a performance that’d be tough to surpass, let alone imitate — but that hasn’t stopped generations of viewers from giving it their best shot by hunching over, sneering, and hissing Gollum’s unforgettable two-word catchphrase.
Mean Girls (2004)
Mean Girls ’ Regina George (Rachel McAdams) is the queen bee of her group, and this was perhaps her sharpest stinger. Irony is, while “fetch” didn’t happen, this line caught on in a big way.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
It’d be very easy to fill an entire feature with the best of the many laugh-out-loud non sequiturs from this film, so we won’t blame you if you feel compelled to argue that a different line deserved to be included. We had to go with this one, though — 60 percent of the time, it’s our favorite, every time.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
When Jake Gyllenhaal said these words to Heath Ledger while shooting Brokeback Mountain , he probably had no idea what a life they would go on to have: first as a wrenching moment between their characters, Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar; then as a source of parody and a meme (mostly among those too immature to cope with the film); finally, and most recently, as a shorthand for the film itself, and what it meant to the LGBTIQA+ community to see a gay couple portrayed authentically and without judgment in a major release.
On paper, there’s nothing particularly special about this line – it’s kinda just a statement of fact (it is Sparta, after all – not Athens or Thermopylae, and definitely not madness, nor blasphemy). But coming out of Peak Gerard Butler’s mouth as a kind of gravelly scream for the ages, and accompanied by that iconic slow-mo kick, it’s gone down in film history. Watching this moment, we are all Sparta (even those of us without six packs).
Snakes on a Plane (2006)
You may not recall the insane hype around Snakes on a Plane in the lead up to its release – an irony-fueled internet buzz-wave that stemmed, essentially, from the absurdity of its premise-capturing title. You may not even remember much of the film itself. But there is no way you forgot this line, spoken by profanity wizard Samuel L. Jackson in one of those legendary B-movie inspiration speeches he’s so masterful at delivering. (Fun fact: The line has aired on FX as the more-safe-for-work “monkey-flying snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane.”)
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Speaking of Oscar winners… This rather surprising analogy for oil drainage, spoken by Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview, was inspired by real-life words to congress from then Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, spoken during a 1920s Congressional investigation. Or so Paul Thomas Anderson has said – the original quote has not been found.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
The absurdity of life and the futility of our best-laid plans are recurring themes throughout the Coen brothers’ pitch-black filmography, and perhaps no moment distills these themes more effectively than the chillingly impassive way Anton Chigurh rests a stranger’s fate on the flip of a coin. You’d think he’d be more inclined to aim that cattle gun at his barber, but this way works better for the movie.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning turn as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film might well have given us the best comic-book movie villain ever. The character’s most famous line – “Why so serious?” – became iconic even before the film’s release, centering one of the most effective marketing campaigns of recent decades.
Taken (2008)
It was in 2008, while in his mid 50s, that Liam Neeson discovered a very particular set of skills – gravelly line-readings, a death-stare for the ages, and a capacity for rapid-fire action – that would launch a whole new chapter of his career: Liam Neeson, Action Star! And while the past decade has been littered with Neeson action programmers (right up to 2019’s Cold Pursuit ), none have matched Taken for its intensity, impact, and the power of that oft-quoted bedroom scene.
The Hunger Games (2012)
There are plenty of action-packed, effects-enhanced, and completely thrilling moments throughout the Hunger Games franchise, but few are as simultaneously inspiring and terrifying as the quiet scene in which Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) steps forward to take her young sister’s place in the Games. The line is lifted directly from the same scene in first book of Susanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy.
Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut is loaded with memorable moments, and it was difficult to pick just one — but there’s just something so horribly effective about this line, and the way it reflects the fundamentally frightening loss of autonomy that looms at the core of this audaciously ambitious blend of horror, comedy, and social commentary.
Black Panther (2018)
This greeting of the Wakandan people, and the accompanying gesture, infiltrated popular culture following the release of mega-hit Black Panther in February 2018. Interestingly, the most memorable use of the phrase might come in Infinity War , and not Black Panther , when T’Challa shouts the phrase as he leads his Wakandans into battle against Thanos’s forces.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
An endless font of quips and comebacks, Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark — a.k.a. Iron Man — is responsible for many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most quotable moments, to the extent that it’s hard to pick just one. All that being said, it’s just as difficult to quibble with this quote, especially knowing it was added to the script after Downey shared that it was something one of his own real-life children said to him.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
For a movie that sends the viewer hurling through one wildly outlandish universe after another, Everything Everywhere All at Once comes equipped with an awful lot of situations and sentiments that are powerfully relatable to most of us here on regular boring old Earth. This line is a case in point — what better way of expressing one’s undying love than to offer yourself up for heartbreak and taxes?
Photos courtesy of Buena Vista, Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Paramount, Marvel Studios, Focus Films, Lionsgate, Paramount Vantage, A24.
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Is that all you've got?
Making films can't be easy. Lucky for script writers, there's always a cliché on hand if they ever get stuck...
"Bond. James Bond." "I'll be back." "Show me the money!" "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." "You talkin' to me?"
Done right, a well-crafted one-liner can outgrow its film and enter the annals of cinema, not to mention the vocabulary any well-versed film buff. But, if you're here hoping to find the next "Life is like a box of chocolates", we strongly advise you look elsewhere. This list's not about quality, it's all quantity.
As let's face it, originality is overrated. And rather than spend hours poring over and adjective or pronoun, sometimes scriptwriters need something quick, familiar and hugely clichéd. And there are no finer examples/worse offenders than the following 20 lines, which are quite possibly the most overused in the history of cinema.
As heard in: Ali (2001), Alien 3 (1992), American Pie: The Wedding (2003), Date Movie (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Rocky II (1979), Scary Movie 2 (2001), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), The Mummy Returns (2001),Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Up in the Air (2009), Righteous Kill (2008), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), Hanna (2011), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), Rango (2011), Speed Racer(2008), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), Employee of the Month (2006), Fool's Gold (2008), Hackers (1995), Little Man (2006), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Scooby-Doo (2002), Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009), The Hot Chick (2002), The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), The Scorpion King (2002), The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior (2008), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006),Two for the Money (2005), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), She's All That (1999), The Bounty Hunter (2010), Bulletproof (1996), Highlander: Endgame (2000), Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007), The Collector(2009), G-Force (2009), Jonah Hex (2010), Harlem Nights (1989), Muppets From Space(1999), Death Race 2 (2010), The Glimmer Man (1996), Bring It on Again (2004), Green Street 2 (2009), Imagine That (2009), Van Wilder: Freshman Year (2009), Mean Girls 2 (2011), St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009), House Party 2 (1991),StreetDance 3D (2010).
As heard in: Around the World in 80 Days (2004), Boat Trip (2002), City Slickers (1991), City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994), Doom (2005), Miss Congeniality (2000), Scooby-Doo (2002), Shark Tale (2004), My Life in Ruins (2009), When in Rome (2010), Return to Halloweentown (2006), GoldenEye (1995), UHF (1989), American Pie: The Wedding (2003), The Scorpion King (2002), The American President (1995).
As heard in: Armageddon (1998), Apocalypse Now (1979), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Bandits (2001), Batman Begins (2005), Definitely, Maybe (2008), Dreamcatcher (2003), Frequency (2000), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), Die Another Day (2002), Enemy of the State (1998), Nightbreed (1990), The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), Notes on a Scandal (2006), Dance of the Dead (2008), Dante's Peak (1997), Ticker (2001), Career Opportunities (1991), Retroactive (1997), Skeleton Man (2004), Thr3e (2006), Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997), Operation Endgame (2010), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), Driven (2001), I Spy (2002), Ladder 49 (2004), Pushing Tin (1999), The 'burbs (1989), Vertical Limit (2000), Volcano (1997), The Final Destination (2009), Hard Rain (1998), Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), Spy Hard (1996) Head Over Heels (2001), Nightbreed (1990), On Deadly Ground (1994), Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001), Knock Off (1998), The Big Easy (1986), Hunt to Kill (2010), Python (2000), Cars (2006), Land Raiders (1969), American Graffiti (1973), Chicken Run (2000), Meet the Robinsons (2007), National Treasure (2004), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).
As heard in: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Batman & Robin (1997), Bridge to Terabithia (2007), Con Air (1997), Grease 2 (1982), Halloween (1978), Hot Shots! (1991), Legends of the Fall (1994), Secondhand Lions (2003), Shrek 2 (2004), Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004), Tron (1982), Treasure Planet (2002), Where Eagles Dare (1968), G-Force (2009), Your Highness (2011), Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010), Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004), Herbie Rides Again (1974), Laurel Canyon (2002), Saboteur (1942), Jerry Maguire (1996), The Comancheros (1961), Desperate Hours (1990), Switchback (1997), White Fang (1991), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Boa vs. Python (2004), Lassie (2005), Air Buddies (2006), Deep Core (2000), Weekend (2011)
As heard in: Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), Backdraft (1991), Cold Mountain (2003), Con Air (1997), Evolution (2001), Four Brothers (2005), Hidalgo (2004), Hollow Man (2000), Jacob's Ladder (1990), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Planet Terror (2007), Practical Magic (1998), Proof of Life (2000), Pulp Fiction (1994), Starship Troopers (1997), The Edge (1997), The Number 23 (2007), True Romance (1993), Punisher: War Zone (2008), A Perfect Getaway (2009), The Outsiders (1983), Above the Law (1988), Scorched (2003), The Day After (1983), The Gauntlet (1977), Wing Commander (1999), Eden Lake (2008), Mo' Money (1992), Nine (2009), Iron Will (1994), Ticker (2001), You Don't Know Jack (2010), Brothers in Arms (2005), On the Line (2001), The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (2007), Children of the Corn: The Gathering (1996), Damage (2009), Shrek (2001), The Butterfly Effect (2004).
As heard in: Back to the Future Part II (1989), Belly of the Beast (2003), Boot Camp (2008), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Goldfinger (1964), Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000), Little Man (2006), Mercenary for Justice (2006), Racing Stripes (2005), Night at the Museum (2006), Seed of Chucky (2004), Who's Your Caddy? (2007), The A-Team (2010), The Blind Side (2009), Shoot 'Em Up (2007), Tactical Force (2011), The Patriot (1998), Self-Medicated (2005), Jack Falls (2011), Out of the Blue (1980), Inside Man (2006).
As heard in: Apocalypse Now (1979), Armageddon (1998), Finding Nemo (2003), Independence Day (1996), Iron Man (2008), Platoon (1986), Reservoir Dogs (1992), The Rock (1996), X-Men (2000), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Twelve Monkeys (1995), Cinderella Man (2005), Frequency (2000), Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000), National Treasure (2004), Ransom (1996), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Starship Troopers (1997), Dick Tracy (1990), Daylight (1996), Doctor Dolittle (1998), Jaws 2 (1978), Six Days Seven Nights (1998), Volcano (1997), Dante's Peak (1997), Windtalkers (2002), Bachelor Party (1984), Blown Away (1994), Confidence (2003), Dangerous Minds (1995), Herbie Fully Loaded (2005), Popeye (1980), Reindeer Games (2000), The Kid (2000), The Rocketeer (1991), Fear (1996), An American Werewolf in Paris (1997), Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), Oliver! (1968), Rollerball (1975), Piranha (1978), White Noise 2: The Light (2007), Housesitter (1992), Easy Money (1983), Old Yeller (1957), Mean Girls 2 (2011), Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), Gladiator (2000), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Avatar (2009), King Kong (2005), Jaws (1975), Million Dollar Baby (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), Mission: Impossible II, Pearl Harbour (2001), The Aviator (2004), Sunshine (2007), Top Gun (1986), Speed Racer (2008), Public Enemies (2009), Lethal Weapon (1987), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Hollow Man (2000), Bad Boys II (2003), The Fifth Element (1997), Enemy of the State (1998), Fast Five (2011), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Airplane! (1980), Deep Impact (1998), Ghostbusters II (1989), Antz (1998), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), The A-Team (2010), The Firm (1993), The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009), Labyrinth (1986), Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Cliffhanger (1993), Revolver (2005), Rambo III (1988).
As heard in: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Breaking and Entering (2006), Cliffhanger (1993), Daylight (1996), Hitch (2005), Norbit (2007), Payback (1999), The Frighteners (1996), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), The Prestige (2006), Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007), Daylight (1996), Platoon (1986), Tooth Fairy (2010), The General's Daughter (1999), Cruel Intentions 3 (2004), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Laws of Attraction (2004), Stigmata (1999), Space Truckers (1996), Speed (1994), Unthinkable (2010), The Rookie (1990), Kangaroo Jack (2003), Four Lions (2010), Insomnia (2002), Jumper (2008), Scary Movie 4 (2006), Shaft (2000), Toy Story (1995), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), The Terminator (1984), Mission: Impossible II (2000), Monsters vs Aliens (2009), Side Effects (2005), The Karate Kid, Part III (1989).
As heard in: A Walk To Remember (2002), American Psycho (2000), Basic Instinct 2 (2006), Coyote Ugly (2000), Eraser (1996), John Tucker Must Die (2006), Johnny English (2003), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Top Gun (1986), Wolf Creek (2005), Dorian Gray (2009), Replicant (2001), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra (2009).
As heard in: 28 Days Later... (2002), Basic Instinct (1992), Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Grindhouse (2007), Lost Highway (1997), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Bucket List (2007), The Fifth Element (1997), The Rock (1996), The Truman Show (1998), True Romance (1993), Unforgiven (1992), We Were Soldiers (2002), Waterworld (1995), Wild Wild West (1999), Twelve Monkeys (1995), The Hangover Part II (2011), Arlington Road (1999), Bring It On (2000), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Green Street (2005), Point Break (1991), Poltergeist (1982), Showgirls (1995), Stigmata (1999), Swingers (1996), The Break-Up (2006), The French Connection (1971), The People vs. Larry Flint (1996), The Score (2001), Push (2009), He's Just Not That Into You (2009), Love and Other Drugs (2010), Blood Work (2002), Cashback (2006), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), Stepmom (1998), Tango & Cash (1989), The Flintstones (1994), Wicker Park (2004), Crazy Heart (2009), She's Out of My League (2010), Flashdance (1983), Romper Stomper (1992), The Dilemma (2011), Vampires Suck (2010), Repo Man (1984), American Gigolo (1980), The Business (2005), House Party 2 (1991).
As heard in: American Pie (1999), American Pie: The Wedding (2003), Bad Boys (1995), Breach (2007), Dude, Where's My Car? (2000), Chinatown (1974), Go (1999), John Tucker Must Die (2006), One Night at McCool's (2001), Spartan (2004), The Whole Ten Yards (2004), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Wild Hogs (2007), Working Girl (1988), You, Me and Dupree (2006), Sex Drive (2008), The Bounty Hunter (2010), Love and Other Drugs (2010), Very Bad Things (1998), Alien Autopsy (2006), Another Gay Movie (2006), Capricorn 1 (1978), For Love or Money (1993), Johnson's Family Vacation (2004), Kangaroo Jack (2003), National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze (2003), National Lampoon's Dirty Movie (2011), The Man (2005), The Out-of-Towners (1999), What Just Happened (2008), Doghouse (2009), Love & Sex (2000), Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation (2008), Getting Played (2006), Magicians (2007), Fraternity House (2008), Stealing Candy (2003), The Break-Up Artist (2009)
As heard in: Antz (1998), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Cars (2006), Fantastic Four (2005), Flushed Away (2006), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Grandma's Boy (2006), Lethal Weapon (1987), Manhattan (1979), Predator 2 (1990), The Goonies (1985), The Last Boy Scout (1991), The 'burbs (1989), At Close Range (1986), Bottoms Up (2006), Cheaper by the Dozen (2005), Man of the Year (2006), Smiley Face (2007), Teen Wolf (1985), The Fog of War (2003), The King of Comedy (1982), Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007), Krull (1983), Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), I'm Still Here (2010), Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000), The Newton Boys (1998), Doctor Detroit (1983), Dracula III: Legacy (2005), Hardbodies (1984), Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five (2008).
As heard in: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Beerfest (2006), Capote (2005), Meatballs (1979), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), October Sky (1999), Postal (2007), Spider-Man (2002), Spider (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Net (1995), Fast and Furious 4 (2009), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), Mulholland Falls (1996), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010), Atlantis: Milo's Return (2003), Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil (2006), Duma (2005), The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005), Descent (2007), The Perfect Host (2010), Dark Shadows (1966), Scary Movie 3 (2003), The Outrage (1964), Behind Enemy Lines 2: Axis of Evil (2006), Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Gladiator (2000), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Falling Down (1993), Ivanhoe (1982).
As heard in: Big (1988), Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971), The Cooler (2003), The Great Race (1965), The Shining (1980), The Marine 2 (2009), Brighton Rock (2010), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008), Wake (2010), The Man from Nowhere (2010), The Green Mile (1999), Bringing Down the House (2003), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Last Action Hero (1993), The Rocker (2008), Natural Born Killers (1994), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Man on Fire (2004), Species II (1998), Mission: Impossible II (2000), The Whole Ten Yards (2004).
As heard in: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), American Gangster (2007), Adaption (2002), American History X (1998), Any Given Sunday (1999), Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996), Chicago (2002), Day of the Dead (1985), Dogma (1999), Donnie Brasco (1997), Grease (1978), Heat (1995), Idiocracy (2006), Meet Joe Black (1998), Mystery Men (1999), Pi (1998), Planet Terror (2007), S.W.A.T. (2003), Snatch (2000), The School of Rock (2003), The Sting (1973), The Warriors (1979), True Romance (1993), U.S. Marshals (1998), Kick-Ass (2010), Generation Kill (2008), Hollywood Homicide (2003), Passenger 57 (1992), Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985), Taxi (1998), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Brooklyn's Finest (2009), Jeepers Creepers II (2003), Nixon (1995), Fire Down Below (1997), Harlem Nights (1989), Paint Your Wagon (1969), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Toy Soldiers (1991), Looking for Eric (2009), Death Race 2 (2010), Bunny and the Bull (2009), Carry on at Your Convenience (1971).
As heard in: Alien vs. Predator (2004), Batman Begins (2005), Die Hard 2 (1990), Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Night at the Museum (2006), Point Break (1991), Poltergeist (1982), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), The Terminator (1984), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), The Gift (2000), The Hurricane (1999), The Island (2005), Unforgiven (1984), Vertical Limit (2000), Sherlock Holmes (2009), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), Shutter Island (2010), Bridge of Frankenstein (1935), House of the Dead (2003), I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), FeardotCom (2002), I'm Still Here (2010). Skyfall (2012), The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Donnie Darko (2001), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008).
As heard in: From Dusk Til Dawn (1996), Blood Diamond (2006), A Simple Plan (1998), Empire Records (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), Hitman (2007), Layer Cake (2004), Midnight Express (1978), Panic Room (2002), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Risky Business (1983), Scream 2 (1997), The Hitcher (1986), The Rock (1996), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), The 6th Day (2000), Avatar (2009), Gamer (2009), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Hobo with a Shotgun (2011), Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1999), You Don't Know Jack (2010), The Net 2.0 (2006), Essex Boys (2000).
As heard in: Crocodile Dundee (1986), Scary Movie (2000), The Notebook (2004), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), True Romance (1993), The Invention of Lying (2009), Black Hawk Down (2001), Independence Day (1996), No Country for Old Men (2007), Scarface (1983), Any Given Sunday (1999), Ghost (1990), High Fidelity (2000), United 93 (2006), Sucker Punch (2011), My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Willow (1988), World Trade Center (2006), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Ladder 49 (2004), That Thing You Do! (1996), Fool's Gold (2008), Frantic (1988), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), Birth (2004), Ladyhawke (1985), Oscar (1991), Deep Impact (1998).
As heard in: Be Cool (2005), Bringing Down the House (2003), Click (2006), Dead Man (1995), Flyboys (2006), Oscar (1991), Revolver (2005), Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Two Brothers (2004), Unknown (2006), What Women Want (2000), Blazing Saddles (1974), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Meet John Doe (1941), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Barb Wire (1996), Inception (2010), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010), G-Force (2009), Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Labyrinth (1986), Paul (2011), Boomerang! (1947), Destiny Rides Again (1939), Space Chimps (2008).
As heard in: Back to the Future Part III (1990), Batman Begins (2005), Click (2006), Deliverance (1972), Gone Baby Gone (2007), Madagascar (2005), Night at the Museum (2006), Rocky III (1982), The Notebook (2004), The Shining (1980), Twister (1996), Bolt (2008), Death Proof (2007), Rango (2011), Drillbit Taylor (2008), Freddy Got Fingered (2001), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), Open Range (2003), The Benchwarmers (2006), The Flintstones (1994), The Whole Ten Yards (2004), Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), Are We There Yet? (2005), Open Season (2006), Undercover Brother (2002), Wonderland (2003), Super (2010), The Dilemma (2011), The Last Seduction (1994), Paint Your Wagon (1969), Vampire in Brooklyn (1995), Wonderfalls (2004), Shrink (2009), D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996).
Related reviews and shortlists.
Devan Coggan (rhymes with seven slogan) is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly. Most of her personality is just John Mulaney quotes and Lord of the Rings references.
It ain't a Marvel movie without a snarky one-liner or a well-deployed pop culture reference. Quips and quotes have been a cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since Tony Stark dropped a MySpace reference in the opening scenes of 2008's Iron Man , and they're as integral to this world as Cap's shield or Thor's hammer.
With Avengers: Endgame bringing MCU's Infinity Saga to a close and MCU's fourth phase taking its place, EW is looking back on some of the series' best one-liners. (We're sticking to single lines, so no dialogue between multiple characters. Apologies to "Where is Gamora?" / "Who is Gamora?" / "Why is Gamora?")
Warning: This post contains spoilers, but we're going in chronological order by film release date, so read at your own discretion.
"I am Iron Man." —Tony Stark ( Robert Downey Jr. )
"I do anything and everything that Mr. Stark requires — including, occasionally, taking out the trash." —Pepper Potts ( Gwyneth Paltrow )
"Hulk smash!" —Bruce Banner ( Edward Norton )
"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to exit the donut." —Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson ) to Tony Stark
"Look, it's me. I'm here. Deal with it. Let's move on." —James Rhodes ( Don Cheadle ) to Tony Stark
"This drink, I like it. Another!" —Thor ( Chris Hemsworth )
"Mew mew? What's mew mew?" —Darcy Lewis ( Kat Dennings ) mispronouncing Mjolnir
"Does he need CPR? Because I totally know CPR." —Darcy Lewis, regarding a passed-out Thor
"I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from." —Steve Rogers ( Chris Evans )
"I can do this all day." —Steve Rogers
"I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance." —Steve Rogers to Peggy Carter ( Hayley Atwell )
"I'm just a kid from Brooklyn." —Steve Rogers
"That's my secret, Captain...I'm always angry." —Bruce Banner ( Mark Ruffalo )
"We have a Hulk." —Tony Stark to Loki ( Tom Hiddleston )
"There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." —Steve Rogers on Loki
"He's adopted." —Thor on Loki
"Puny god." —Hulk
"Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?" —Tony Stark to Thor
"I recognize that the council has made a decision, but given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it." —Nick Fury
"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." —Tony Stark to Bruce Banner
"Oh my God. That was really violent." —Pepper Potts after destroying Killian ( Guy Pearce )
"You're in a relationship with me. Everything will never be okay." —Tony Stark to Pepper Potts
"This is so unlike you, brother. So clandestine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out?" —Loki to Thor
"I can feel the righteousness surging. Hey, wanna have a rousing discussion about truth? Honor? Patriotism? God bless America!" — Loki, as Captain America
"I should not be left in charge of stuff like this. I don't get paid enough. I don't get paid, period." —Darcy Lewis
"Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" —Steve Rogers
"Hey fellas, either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil." —Natasha Romanoff ( Scarlett Johansson )
"On your left." —Steve Rogers
"I do what he does, just slower." —Sam Wilson ( Anthony Mackie ) on Steve Rogers
"You said it yourself, bitch: We're the Guardians of the Galaxy." —Peter Quill ( Chris Pratt )
"We are Groot." —Groot ( Vin Diesel )
"Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it." —Drax ( Dave Bautista )
"You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed…walk it off." —Steve Rogers
"Language." —Steve Rogers
"The city is flying. We're fighting an army of robots. And I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense." —Clint Barton ( Jeremy Renner )
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" —Scott Lang ( Paul Rudd )
"Ah, she left me. Yeah, my ma died, too. And my dad got deported. But I got the van!" —Luis ( Michael Peña )
"Baskin Robbins always finds out." —Dale (Gregg Turkington), after firing Scott Lang
"I don't care." —T'Challa ( Chadwick Boseman ) to Clint Barton
"So, you like cats?" —Sam Wilson to T'Challa
"Anybody on our side hiding any shocking and fantastic abilities they'd like to disclose? I'm open to suggestions." —Tony Stark
"Dormammu, I've come to bargain." —Doctor Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch )
"Just Wong? Like Adele? Or Aristotle? Drake, Bono, Eminem…" —Doctor Strange to Wong ( Benedict Wong )
"I'm Mary Poppins, y'all!" —Yondu ( Michael Rooker )
"You shouldn't have killed my mom and squished my Walkman." —Peter Quill
"He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn't your daddy." —Yondu
"We're really gonna be able to jack up our prices if we're two-time galaxy savers." —Rocket ( Bradley Cooper )
"I just keep imagining you waking up in the morning, sir, looking in the mirror and then all seriousness, saying to yourself, 'You know what would be a really kickass name? Taserface!'" —Rocket
"Don't do anything I would do, and definitely don't do anything I wouldn't do. There's a little gray area in there, and that's where you operate." —Tony Stark to Peter Parker ( Tom Holland )
"So…you got detention." —Steve Rogers
"We know each other! He's a friend from work!" —Thor
"I'm made of rocks, as you can see, but don't let that intimidate you. You don't need to be afraid unless you're made of scissors! Just a little rock-paper-scissors joke for you!" —Korg ( Taika Waititi )
"There was one time when we were children. He transformed himself into a snake, and he knows that I love snakes. So I went to pick up the snake to admire it, and he transformed back into himself and he was like, 'Blech, it's me!' And he stabbed me. We were 8 at the time." —Thor on Loki
"Hey, Auntie." — Erik Killmonger ( Michael B. Jordan )
"The real question is… WHAT ARE THOOOOOOOSE?" —Shuri ( Letitia Wright )
"Guns. So primitive." —Okoye ( Danai Gurira )
"You cannot talk one more word, and I will feed you to my children! I'm kidding. We're vegetarians." —M'Baku ( Winston Duke )
"Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards." —Tony Stark
"I don't want to go." —Peter Parker
"Get lost, Squidward." —Tony Stark
"They taught it on Asgard. It was an elective." —Thor on Groot
"What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say? Jesus?" —Peter Quill
"You can do it. You can do anything. You're the world's greatest grandma." —Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson) to her dad, Scott Lang
"You want a juice box and some string cheese?" —Hank Pym ( Michael Douglas ) to Scott Lang
"Higher, further, faster, baby." —Carol Danvers ( Brie Larson )
"If toast is cut diagonally, I can't eat it." —Nick Fury
"Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-a-Bear." —Tony Stark to Rocket
"I get emails from a raccoon, so nothing sounds crazy anymore." —Natasha Romanoff
"That is America's ass." —Steve Rogers
Related content:
Updated: Dec 7, 2023
Epic lines by Guy Ritchie, Quentin Tarantino, Neil Gaiman, and more
Image: Freepik
No soul can be braver than a screenwriter or filmmaker putting their labours of love out there into the world for everyone to see. It’s a risk like no other. Audiences either lap up your work or reject it outright. It’s rare to find any in-betweens these days.
As if that worry isn’t enough, we also have to bite our nails over film critics’ and other reviewers’ views about our movies.
While more reviews equal more coverage (and, thus, more publicity), it’s still a clammying experience when we see a scathing takedown of our best efforts. Some of these powerhouse experts hold the final word in film recommendations and can sway public opinion.
Yet, there’s also the increasing disconnect between what critics prefer and what audiences do. And so, we wonder whether it’s worth pleasing a select bunch of highbrows at the cost of a larger viewership.
I’m all for having the necessary conviction while writing and making a film, without worrying about what critics say. No point in making a movie that critics fill up with praises while box-office counters go empty, right? I unabashedly admit my inclination towards creating commercial entertainers over arthouse cinema.
For more inspiration and strength, seek them out in these 50 quotes by some of the finest screenwriters and filmmakers of our time. You’ll automatically develop the much-needed grit and gumption, without the need for validation. Not saying that film criticism shouldn’t exist—though it can be way better than the hotchpotch it has become. Simply spelling out that it depends on us what we do about it.
“If film critics could destroy a movie, Michael Bay and Adam Sandler would be working at Starbucks. If film critics could make a movie a hit, the Dardenne brothers would be courted by every studio in town.”
― Alonso Duralde
“There was a cultural war going on, the ’60s was going on. All the film critics were square.”
― John Waters
“Someday, I’ll make a film that critics will like. When I have money to waste.”
—Francois Truffaut
“You highbrows writing on movies are nuts! In order to write about movies, you must first make them.”
― Orson Welles
“To see a film once and write a review is an absurdity.”
― Stanley Kubrick
“There’s not much in a critic showing off how clever he is at writing silly, supercilious gags about something he hates.”
“No film critic’s going to say it, but Madagascar 3 is better than The Artist .”
― Chris Rock
“I despise the phony, fancy-pants rhetoric of professors aping jargon-filled European locutions— which have blighted academic film criticism for over 30 years.”
― Camille Paglia
“What critics call dirty in our pictures, they call lusty in foreign films.”
—Billy Wilder
“Of course, the French are making very credible movies and it is still one of the greatest nations in terms of world cinema, but the real problem is the decay in film criticism.”
― Wim Wenders
“I would never have guessed that the profession of film criticism would be going the way of the dodo bird.”
—Quentin Tarantino
“One thing I don’t do anymore is read or pay attention to the critical response…”
― Casey Affleck
“In some cases, the critics just didn’t like the film—fair cop. Others, I think, didn’t understand it.”
—Guy Ritchie
“In this age of consumerism, film criticism all over the world—in America first but also in Europe—has become something that caters for the movie industry instead of being a counterbalance.”
“Reviews, although they feel devastating in the immediate moment, are not remotely as significant as the significance you endow them with on the day that they appear.”
—Tony Kushner
“The culture of independent film criticism has totally gone down the drain…”
“Plays can outlast even the opinions of the chief film critic of The New York Times …”
“Many, many critics say to me that my films are not good because they are too unbelievable, but this is my style.”
―Dario Argento
“It’s hard to see a film one time and really ‘get it’ and write fully and intelligently about it.”
—Richard Linklater
“I never think anyone will like what I do.”
—Terence Davies
“A lot of the films I do go down brilliantly critically and win awards, but not a lot of people see them.”
—Martin Compston
“I'm always terrified the critics won’t like my film and of course you always count the people who leave at the screening. They are on your death list. The people who stayed, stayed because they wanted to. You see it in a different way with an audience.”
“They used to criticize happy endings, but really, what’s the point of going to a film if you have to come out hating your fellow man?”
—Ray Harryhausen
“Critics are not aware of it, but (directing) is hard, physical work.”
—Roger Corman
“I’m sad that so many critics so uncritically use words like franchise, which should be reserved for your local Burger King.”
—David Edelstein
“For the film to ‘earn’ the right to be criticized on a scientific level is a high compliment indeed.”
—Neil deGrasse Tyson
“I don’t have any bone to pick with critics … Most of my bone is I would be a better film critic than most of the film critics I read.”
“In America, even the critics—which is a pity—tend to genre-ize things.”
—Francis Ford Coppola
“You can get critically acclaimed and go to various film festivals around the world, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the majority of people are going to hear about it.”
—Hugo Weaving
“The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I’ve made, you get the impression that they’re all about themes, or problems, or ideas. But those are actually things that develop out of characters, out of images, and out of other things. These more abstract things develop while working on the material, and out of it. It’s not a theoretical exercise from the outset.”
—Michael Haneke
“A theatrical on a tight budget really only becomes about generating critical reviews for you and your film, not revenue.”
—Aurora Guerrero
“I don’t have a very high opinion, actually, of the world of criticism—or the practice of criticism. I think I admire art criticism, criticism of painting and sculpture, far more than I do that of, say, films and books, literary, or film criticism. But I don’t much like the practice. I think there are an awful lot of bad people in it.”
—Tom Robbins
“Would it be nice to win a film award one day? Yes. But the critics are going to have to wait till I’m ready. Right now, my gift is making big movies that audiences want to see.”
—Brett Ratner
“Making judgments on films is in many ways so peculiarly vaporous an occupation that the only question is why, beyond the obvious opportunities for a few lectures’ fees and a little careerism at a dispiritingly self-limiting level, anyone does it in the first place.”
—Joan Didion
“I think films are about having a good time, so I don’t know that there’s a message. The message of a film is always what a critic writes, and the fun of a film or the emotion of a film is what the audience feels.”
—Steve Martin
“The artist doesn’t have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews, the ones who want to write don’t have the time to read reviews.”
—William Faulkner
“Film criticism became the means whereby a stream of young intellectuals could go straight from the campus film society into the professionals’ screening room without managing to get a glimpse of the real world in between.”
—Judith Crist
“Does the critic wish to influence the kind of film that costs more than £250,000? It is as if he were to send a postcard to General Motors explaining that he would like them to make a raft next year, or a helicopter, instead of a car.”
—Kenneth Tynan
“Sometimes, it occurs to me that the job of a serious cultural critic mostly consists in telling the generality of people that their opinions—on films, on books, on all manner of widgets, gadgets, and even the latest electronic fidgets—simply aren’t up to scratch.”
“People think I’m against critics because they are negative to my work. That’s not what bothers me. What bothers me is they didn’t see the work. I have seen critics print stuff about stuff I cut out of the film before we ran it. So, don’t tell me about critics.”
—Jerry Lewis
“Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.”
—Neil Gaiman
“In city after city, newspaper after newspaper has diminished its staff of critics, sometimes to zero. Film and TV critics have been dropped and not replaced. Maybe they’re deemed unnecessary because nobody cares if anything’s good or not.”
—Tom Shales
“Critics sometimes appear to be addressing themselves to works other than those I remember writing.”
—Joyce Carol Oates
“I’m telling you, every film I’ve ever made has been hated by the UK critics.”
—James Gray
“What distinguishes modern art from the art of other ages is criticism.”
—Octavio Paz
“Pay no attention to what the critics say. A statue has never been erected in honor of a critic.”
—Jean Sibelius
“Having the critics praise you is like having the hangman say you’ve got a pretty neck.”
—Eli Wallach
“There are many critics who invite me on their show, and I (tell) them that (whenever) my film releases, you … give it (a) one-and-a-half-star rating. That’s fine. There’s no issue because stars will matter when I’m planning to open a five-star hotel. When I’m making films, I don’t need stars.”
—Rohit Shetty
“Critics in particular treat CGI as a virus that’s infecting film.”
—Peter Jackson
“Ignore critics.”
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Think you know all the best movie lines from beloved films? Let's find out!
To test your movie trivia skills, we've gathered the very best movie quotes from all your favorite films, including classics like "Jaws," "Casablanca," "Star Wars," " Jerry Maguire ," "The Godfather" and a host of other box office hits.
In the list below you'll find funny movie quotes, serious sayings and the most memorable utterances by some of film's most iconic actors. Think Jack Nicholson , Matthew Broderick , Bette Davis, Renée Zellweger and oh-so-many more.
Let's start with an easy one. Can you name the film this quote is from?
“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and nice chianti.”
It's from "Silence of the Lambs," when serial killer , Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), recounts to Clarice Starling ( Jodie Foster ), about what happened to another unsuspecting government official who tried to "test" him.
OK, how about this one? "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."
Naturally, that's Johnny Castle ( Patrick Swayze ) telling Baby's parents excuse us, Francis' (Jennifer Grey) parents, that nobody, and he means nobody , prevents his girl from taking center stage at Kellerman's.
You may have guessed those film quotes right off the bat. But we've got a host of others guaranteed to increase your trivia IQ . If you guess them all correctly, then congratulations — you're officially crowned, well , king of the world!
Sarah is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter for TODAY who covers holidays, celebrities and everything in between.
Pop culture.
We are all guilty of it. You see a movie, hear a perfect quote, and then spend the next several weeks trying to fit that quote in every conversation you have. Some movies just have a way of infiltrating every conversation. Then there are movies that, even if you’ve never actually seen them, you can recite quotes from them. These are of the 50 most quotable movie lines ever!
1. “We’re going to need a bigger boat.” – Chief Brody, Jaws
2. “Goonies never say die.” – Mike, The Goonies
3. “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” – John Keating, Dead Poets Society
4. “You go, Glen Coco!” – Damian Leigh, Mean Girls
5. “Feed me, Seymour!” – Audrey II, Little Shop of Horrors
6. “I’ll have what she’s having.” – Deli Patron, When Harry Met Sally
7. “Alrighty then!” – Ace Ventura, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
8. “Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back
9. “I’m glad he’s single because I’m gonna climb that like a tree.” – Megan, Bridesmaids
10.”I fart in your general direction.” – Frenchman, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
11. “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” – Hamilton “Ham” Porter, The Sandlot
12. “Hakuna Matata!” – Timon and Pumbaa, The Lion King
13. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” – Johnny Castle, Dirty Dancing
14. “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” – Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
15. “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” – Johnny Torrance, The Shining
16. “They’re taking the Hobbits to Isengard!” Legolas, Lord of the Rings
17. “Why so serious?” – The Joker, The Dark Knight
18. “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are… it is our choices.” – Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
19. “I’m the king of the world!” – Jack Dawson, Titanic
20. “Just keep swimming.” -Dory, Finding Nemo
21. “It’s a trap!” – Admiral Ackbar, Return of the Jedi
22. “You talkin’ to me?” – Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver
23. “It’s all in the reflexes.” – Jack Burton, Big Trouble in Little China
24. “Great Scott!” – Doc Brown, Back to the Future
25. “ Say ‘what’ again , I dare you, I double dare you m****rf****r, say what one more goddamn time!” – Jules Winnfield, Pulp Fiction
26. “You’re obviously not a golfer.” – The Dude, The Big Lebowski
27. “Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!”- George Taylor, Planet of the Apes
28. “Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at ‘hello.’” – Dorothy Boyd, Jerry Maguire
29. “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” – Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather
30. “You can’t sit with us!” – Gretchen Wieners, Mean Girls (yes, two Mean Girls quotes because of course)
31. “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” – Kilgore, Apocalypse Now
32. “A boy’s best friend is his mother.” – Norman Bates, Psycho
33. “We’re four misfits who don’t belong together, we’re playing for other misfits. They’re the outcasts right at the back of the room. We’re pretty sure they don’t belong either. We belong to them.” – Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody
34. “Just when I think you couldn’t possibly be any dumber, you go and do somethin’ like this – and totally redeem yourself!” – Harry Dunne, Dumb & Dumber
35. “At least you’ll never be a vegetable – even artichokes have hearts” – Amélie Poulain, Amélie
36. “My insurance doesn’t cover PMS.” – Walter Stratford, 10 Things I Hate About You
37. “I remember my first beer.” – Brennan Huff, Step Brothers
38. “I’m a mog – half man, half dog. I’m my own best friend.” – Barf, Spaceballs
39. “Wow, we’re identical!” – Fred and George Weasley, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
40. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.” – Princess Leia, Star Wars: A New Hope
41. “It’s almost a shame to smoke it. It’s like killing a unicorn… with, like, a bomb.” – Saul, Pineapple Express
42. “I like that boulder. That is a nice boulder.” – Donkey, Shrek
43. “They’re here!”- Carol Anne, Poltergeist
44. “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”- Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs
45. “To infinity and beyond!” – Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story
46. “I see dead people.”- Cole Sear, The Sixth Sense
47. “Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” – Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz
48. “Don’t let the beard fool you. He’s a child!” – Stu Price, The Hangover
49. “This … is … SPARTA!” – King Leonidas, 300
50. “In case I don’t see ya…good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight.” – Truman Burbank, The Truman Show
Did some of your favorite quotes make it on our list? Let us know your favorite quote in the comments below.
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5. casablanca.
8. gone with the wind.
14. the wizard of oz.
20. casablanca.
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10 video game adaptations even worse than borderlands, 10 film noir remakes that did justice to the original.
From epic shootouts to exploding cars and intense fight scenes, the elements of a good action movie are well-known by now. There have been some films that stand out from the others, though, being able to compose multi-million dollar franchises. Part of the success of these films is owed to the chemistry of the great actors and the way they can combine amazing action sequences with great line readings, with actors like Sylvester Stalone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Tom Cruise immortalizing certain phrases and lines into the pantheon of great movie quotes.
New action movies are coming out every year, but few are so memorable as the ones that can be recognized by one simple line of dialogue. Here are the most famous lines and quotes in action movies.
Updated on August 28th, 2023, by Timothy Lindsey: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
"this is sparta".
The movie 300 is known for the action sequences, cast, and of course, the one-liner that is probably one of the most replicated lines in recent pop culture and film history. An evocative scene from a well-known story, the "This is Sparta!" moment comes early in the film after a message of war is delivered.
This moment leads the Spartans to war with the Persians, which is exhilarating to watch. The movie has other great lines such as '"Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty, for tonight we dine in hell!" However, the Spartan war cry is the most famous one out of all the great ones.
"i feel the need… the need for speed.".
Tom Cruise as Pete Maverick marked a few generations as the charming and daunting pilot in Top Gun . Maverick starts the phrase, but he finishes it with his best pal Goose (Anthony Edwards), making it even more unique.
"I feel the need...the need for speed" will never be forgotten by generations of fans. This is an iconic line for one of the biggest '80s movies we can't live without , and the is sequel already just as huge. This dialogue symbolizes everything for these characters: who they are and who they want to become.
"i will look for you, i will find you, and i will kill you.".
After years of being an acclaimed dramatic actor, Liam Nelson is now known for his action roles. He has been a part of important action movie franchises, such as The Dark Knight trilogy and Star Wars , to name a few.
However, it's his line after his daughter is kidnapped in the first Taken movie that has become synonymous with his career. "I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you." A promise just as much as a treat, after hearing his daughter being kidnapped in another country, he can't do anything to stop it at the moment — but he can go after the men that caused her harm, and don't worry, he will.
"the first rule of fight club is: you do not talk about fight club.".
The adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's book by director David Fincher quickly became a cult classic. The psychological thriller combined with unique and bizarre fight sequences is adored worldwide. The first time the main character, and the audience, meet the official Fight Club , the iconic quote is delivered.
Fans learned there are a couple of rules to becoming a part of the exclusive and dangerous club. The most famous of them all? "The first rule is: you do not talk about Fight Club." A legendary line in a beloved cult classic.
"dodge this.".
The Matrix movies have a bunch of iconic lines, such as "Follow the white rabbit" and the politically appropriated "red pill" speech. In the first movie, Neo dodges the bullets being fired at him in slow motion, and then he is almost killed.
That's when Trinity appears and saves him, uttering the sarcastic and daunting line to the Agents in a great example of the comedic element present in a serious action movie that revolutionized cinema. "Dodge this" had to be on this list.
Related: 10 Action Movies That Should Get a Prequel
"you've got to ask yourself one question: do i feel lucky well, do ya, punk".
Clint Eastwood is a pillar of the movie industry. He has acted, directed, and produced numerous successful movies, from Eastwood's great Westerns to his later recent dramas. Though directed by the great Don Siegel, Dirty Harry is undoubtedly one of Eastwood's best projects.
A high-stakes story, where he has to run against time to save the victim. It quickly became a classic line in an action movie, though it's often misquoted as "Do you feel lucky?" The full quote provides some context and is excellent as a whole, I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?
"yippee ki yay, motherf*****.".
The police officer John McClane, played by the excellent Bruce Willis , is an action classic and deserves a place on any list of '80s action movies . The line "Yippee Ki Yay, Motherf*****" happens in the first Die Hard movie, when McClane is talking to terrorist leader Hans Gruber (the bad guy) who is trying to figure out who he is.
Gruber then proceeds to provoke the action hero by mentioning many American action movies and asking if he is one of those kids who spent too much time watching these types of movies. A funny line that the character says a couple more times throughout the franchise, and resonates deeply with action fans because of the context it's given in.
"the name is bond, james bond.".
The most famous MI6 agent, and the entire James Bond franchise, has an endless amount of great movie lines to choose from. It's the way he takes his Martinis "Shaken, not stirred," his sexual double entenders like "Keeping the British end up, sir," and snarky lines like "Shocking. Positively shocking."
Nevertheless, his introduction is one of the most famous lines in movie history. It is also a line that's highly anticipated by fans, especially when a new actor takes on the role. "The names Bond, James Bond" should live on forever.
"you’re a disease, and i’m the cure.".
Sylvester Stallone is an emblematic actor (and director) in action movies. He was two of the most well-known action characters: Rocky Balboa and John Rambo. In most of his movies, he has great one-liners, but the one in Cobra has got to be on this list for one reason: it resonates with the core of most characters the actor played.
The scene when he enters the supermarket to try to stop the kidnapper and save the hostages is funny and nostalgic for all of those who grew up watching the actor fight evil in all its forms in his movies. "You're a disease, and I'm the cure" is perfectly funny and heart-pounding considering it's Sylvester Stallone, and it's an action film.
"i'm captain jack sparrow.".
It is hard to argue against Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) being one of the greatest film protagonists of all time. Correction, it's Captain Jack Sparrow. In the first installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, The Curse of the Black Pearl , Sparrow reminds Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and his crew, who mutinied against Sparrow when he was Captain of the Black Pearl, who he is. The crew left Jack for dead on a deserted island some years ago, but he escaped.
Now crossing paths again, Jack tells them that they forgot something important when they left him for dead. He says the iconic phrase, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." In other words, that is just who he is. He gets out of the toughest situations by simply being himself. He is a goofy, swashbuckling, and adventurous pirate who always calls himself a captain, with or without a ship.
Related: Top 10 Action Movies of 2021
"for frodo.".
Much like Avengers: Endgame, which is later cited on this list, Return of the King (the third installment of the Lord of the Rings franchise) shows fans another great quote before an epic final battle. Before the battle at the Black Gate of Mordor, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) rallies his troops once more by saying two words: "For Frodo." He then proceeds to charge against the entire army of Mordor before his army soon follows behind.
The importance of Frodo cannot be overstated in this series. He is the one who decided to carry the weight of The One Ring. The reason Aragorn and Co. are at the Black Gate of Mordor is because they are there to draw out the evil armies so that Frodo and Sam can slip by unnoticed to destroy the ring. Aragorn and Co. are fighting for Frodo. It is one of the great quotes before a battle in film history.
"say hello to my little friend".
Al Pacino has given some of the most iconic and imitated line readings in history, perhaps most especially in the epic shootout scene from Scarface . After doing a literal mountain of cocaine, he sees on his security camera that people are coming to get him, so he prepares himself the best way Montana knows how: with violence.
"Say Hello to My Little Friend" is one of the most legendary movie lines in cinema history and also represents a good portion of Pacino's body of work, becoming synonymous with the actor (and especially his mafia movies).
"i hate snakes, jock".
There is no greater fear for a character in all of cinema than Indiana Jones's fear of snakes. Fans recognize that at the very beginning of the legendary film series. In Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), the adventurous archaeologist (Harrison Ford) is on the run from South American natives trying to kill him, per the order of clever archaeologist René Belloq (Paul Freeman). Dr. Jones has a plane waiting nearby with his pilot pal Jock standing by to take off.
As arrows are being shot at him, Jones jumps into the river that the plane is sitting on, and Jock starts the engine. As he gets into the cockpit of the plane, Jock's pet snake is also in the cockpit. That prompts Jones to say the legendary line, "I hate snakes, Jock!" This certainly isn't the last time that fans hear of Jones's fear of snakes, as he has at least one moment with the slithering species in every one of the five films.
“you're gonna need a bigger boat.”.
Steven Spielberg has one of the most fantastic bodies of work in modern film history. His 1975 action thriller Jaws is probably one of his most famous and beloved movies. The daunting scene when the characters realize the actual danger they were facing came from things going wrong on set.
It was a catchphrase on set that the crew said every time something went wrong, so Roy Scheider decided to ad-lib the catchphrase a few times during the movie. "You're gonna need a bigger boat" is one of the most underrated lines of any action film over the last five decades.
"eye of the tiger.".
Yes, this is also the title of one of the greatest songs of all time, which could be considered arguably the best song of the Rocky franchise. However, in Rocky 3, the legendary boxer known as Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) loses his itch to the box. After the death of his trainer and after being defeated by the brutal Clubber Lang (Mr. T), Rocky doesn't have the fire to box anymore.
However, when old rival and famous boxer Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) volunteers to help train him for a re-match against Lang, he tells him that he has lost his "eye of the tiger." In other words, he lost his love and joy for the sport. Later on, Creed helps Rocky discover this passion again and before the final round of the re-match, he tells Rocky to win the fight saying, "Eye of the tiger." Rocky eventually knocks out Lang to reclaim the World Heavyweight Title.
Related: The 12 Most Underrated Action Movie Performances of All Time
"hasta la vista, baby.".
The Terminator movies, granted most of Schwarzenegger's movies, have great lines that became iconic. In the first installment in the series, "I'll be back" and so many others are instantly recognizable.
However, "Hasta la Vista , Baby " has to be one of the best on this list. Maybe it became so famous because of the way it was presented in the movie (first as a joke and later in a life-or-death situation), or just the way Schwarzenegger said it with his distinct Austrian accent. Either way, it is one of the most famous lines in modern cinema history, let alone in the action genre.
"avengers, assemble".
This was the quote that MCU fans were waiting for. In arguably the greatest superhero film of all time comes the most beloved quote of the entire series. Once all the heroes return from the snap in Avengers: Endgame to help Captain America, who was staring at Thanos and his intergalactic army all alone, Cap utters the iconic line, "Avengers, assemble!"
It is a line that MCU fans were teased with at the end of Age of Ultron and finally got to hear just before the heroes charge against Thanos. Not only did it fire up the army of heroes, but it put a charge into fans in every movie theater all over the world.
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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ReviewerStockPhrases
"There is no such thing as 'fun for the whole family.'" — Jerry Seinfeld
Also known as " reviewer-speak ", these are cliche phrases that media critics use to describe works. Coming up with original ways to describe multiple things within one same month/week/issue can be hard. On top of that, reviews need to be interesting in addition to informative. That's why critics of all types tend to have an arsenal full of stock terms they can pull out to summarize how they feel about the subject. These could range from pretty basic descriptors to flat out sensationalism. Either way, you can expect to see these phrases uttered more than a few times if you read enough reviews or entertainment-related news reports.
Some examples of this are " X on crack " ," X Meets Y ", "best X of the year", "fun for the whole family!" These cliches are often parodied.
Reviewer Standard Comparisons is a Sub-Trope . See also Review Ironic Echo , when reviewers can't resist making an obvious Pun on the title or a line from the work to make fun of it.
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For many viewers, a movie can simply exist as something to fill a void of upwards of 90 minutes. Film critics, who spend their lives scribbling notes in dark theaters, ask for a little more.
" I have a colleague who describes his job as 'covering the national dream beat,' because if you pay attention to the movies they will tell you what people desire and fear in their deepest secrets," the late Roger Ebert wrote in 1992 . "At least, the good ones will. That's why we go, hoping to be touched in those secret places. Movies are hardly ever about what they seem to be about. Look at a movie that a lot of people love, and you will find something profound, no matter how silly the film may seem."
Sometimes the best thing to come out of a movie is a blistering review. INSIDER rounded up 50 of the funniest, most searing movie reviews ever written.
"'Valentine's Day' is being marketed as a Date Movie. I think it's more of a First-Date Movie. If your date likes it, do not date that person again. And if you like it, there may not be a second date." — Roger Ebert , Chicago Sun-Times.
"I've had mosquito bites that were more passionate than this undead, unrequited, and altogether unfun pseudo-romantic riff on 'Romeo and Juliet.'" — Marc Salov , The Austin Chronicle.
"I know what you're thinking ... 'Enough beating around the bush. Just tell us whether you liked it.' Consider this, which I will say in terms this movie would understand, if you were on an airplane, 'The Other Woman' might not be preferable to simply staring into your empty airsick bag, but it has enough nicely executed physical comedy that in the event you become ill, it is definitely preferable to staring into your occupied airsick bag." — Linda Holmes , NPR.
"This is a movie about how words aren't cool, but you can still expect a girl to fall at your feet in response to mild wordplay. Please keep up. Or throw whatever device you’re reading this on into the ocean. Send me a postcard ... tell me what it’s like to be free." — Kaitlyn Tiffany and Lizzie Plaugic , The Verge.
"While I had the misfortune to see 'Bright' in a theater, most people will simply press 'play' out of curiosity on their Roku remote. I am willing to concede that this might elevate the experience a little ... the ability to take a quick trip to the kitchen or restroom after shouting 'no, don't pause it' to your partner on the couch will be liberating." — Jordan Hoffman , Vanity Fair.
"'Battlefield Earth' saves its scariest moment for the end: a virtual guarantee that there will be a sequel." — Desson Howe , The Washington Post.
Roger Ebert imagined what the conversation between studio executives would have looked like when they greenlit the movie:
"Studio Executive A: Kind of like 'Working Girl Turns a Trick?'
"Studio Executive B: Cuter than that. We start with three 12-year-old boys. They're going crazy because they've never seen a naked woman.
"Studio Executive A: Whatsamatter? They poor? Don't they have cable?"
"When viewed as a rom-com, 'Sex and the City 2' is terrible and crappy and a horrific inversion of everything the show once was. But when viewed as a science fiction film, 'SATC2' is subversive, stylish and chilling. Like The Island from 'Lost,' we may never know The City's true identity — Is it a VR computer program? A malevolent interdimensional god? Satan?" — Cyriaque Lamar , i09.
"Even making a little game of it, and trying to pinpoint the exact moment when Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez fell in love, stops being fun after a while. Perhaps it's when he says, in an attempt to seduce her, 'I'm the bull, you're the cow.' Or when she beckons him into foreplay by lying back in bed and purring, 'Gobble, gobble' — which could forever change the way you view your Thanksgiving turkey." — Christy Lemire , The Associated Press.
"It's good to know that, if we have to leave Earth someday, we won't have to go without our kitsch. Forensics experts will be digging through the rubble of this fiasco for a long time, trying to reconstruct the accident. How did so many lines fall flat? Why were the action scenes so corny and unconvincing? Who put the stink on this?" — Jack Mathews , New York Daily News.
" At its best/worst, 'Superbabies' hallucinatory idiocy inspires open-mouthed horror at what happens when an ill-conceived premise leads to even more jaw-droppingly misguided execution." — Nathan Rabin , AV Club.
"I'd rather wake up next to a severed horse head than ever watch 'Gotti' again. The worst movie of the year so far, the long-awaited biopic about the Gambino crime boss' rise from made man to top dog took four directors, 44 producers and eight years to make. It shows. The finished product belongs in a cement bucket at the bottom of the river." — Johnny Oleksinski , New York Post.
"In the just-released 'Jaws: The Revenge' the shark's main course is intended to be Roy Scheider's widow, Ellen Brody, a frumpy middle-aged woman played by boring actress Lorraine Gary, who happens to be married to the president of MCA Universal, which finances the 'Jaws' films and which explains her lead role. Let's put it this way: When you see and hear the nasal Lorraine Gary on screen you want the shark to eat her." — Gene Siskel , Chicago Tribune.
"The kid in front of me spent most of the movie playing Tetris on his phone. I didn't care enough about the movie to ask him to stop, or to find a cooler game." — Wesley Morris , The Boston Globe.
"With emotions as sincere as the soap flake snow on its sets, 'Jack Frost' goes on to show how much fun it is to have a snowman as a loving, though dead, father … As one more Hollywood effort to look on the sunny side of fatality, 'Jack Frost' is so sugarcoated that it makes other recent efforts in this genre look blisteringly honest." — Janet Maslin , The New York Times.
"'The Snowman' is like if aliens studied humanity and tried to make their own movie in an attempt to communicate with us. This simulacrum contains all the requisite pieces of a movie, but humanity got lost in translation." — Barbara VanDenburgh , The Arizona Republic.
" The people who made this movie — which, as always, is set up for a sequel — will be laughing all the way to the bank. But isn't there someone in that bank who can lock them all inside a safety-deposit vault and throw away the key?" — Peter Rainer , The Phoenix New Times.
"The plot of Michael Grais' and Mark Victor's screenplay is even more nonsensical than it needs to be, revolving around frequent unmotivated trips between parallel cartoon and live-action universes, and around the question of whether cartoon women will have sex with human men." — Janet Maslin , The New York Times.
"'Titanic' is a good, often stunning movie caught in a three-and-a-half hour drift. As we marvel at the physical spectacle of the Titanic's last few hours, we're left staggeringly untouched by the people facing their last moments. This movie should have blown us out of the water. Instead, we catch ourselves occasionally thinking the unpardonable thought: 'OK, sink already.'" — Desson Howe , The Washington Post.
"The story has no center; the duck is not likable, and the costly, overwrought, laser-filled special effects that conclude the movie are less impressive than a sparkler on a birthday cake. George 'Star Wars' Lucas supervised the production of this film, and maybe it's time he went back to making low-budget films like his best picture, 'American Graffiti.'" — Gene Siskel , The Chicago Tribune.
"The film could have turned out worse, but only via the addition of a Tom Green cameo, or an accident in which the actors caught on fire." — Keith Phipps , The AV Club
"'Mac and Me,' which opened yesterday at the Guild and other theaters, has a final police shootout and a fiery explosion in which Eric is the victim. When a doctor announced that Eric was gone, a small boy behind me said, 'He ain't dead,' with all the calm assurance of an experienced moviegoer who knows perfectly well that if E.T. came back, so would Eric. Cloning is a dangerous thing." — Caryn James , The New York Times.
"In the end, though the metaphor of mental institution as battleground is an interesting one to explore, that is not the analysis at the heart of this movie. Nope, 'Sucker Punch' is a two-hour $82 million fetish film examining how hot sad schoolgirls look when holding weapons. Snyder should have just made a porn movie — it might have been better, and it definitely would have been cheaper and more honest." — Dodai Stewart , Jezebel.
"It's as if 'Movie 43' was itself a feature-length f--- you to Hollywood, a movie made simply to show how bad a movie a studio could be induced to make and actors could be persuaded to act in." — Richard Brody , The New Yorker.
"Universal has had some fun with its marketing campaign, using the tag-line, 'Don't miss the climax.' It's a shame, though, that the posters exhibit considerably more ingenuity than the film itself." — Brian Lowery , CNN.
"It's a Netflix original movie, but it feels like a violation of nature that it somehow isn't from Lifetime or the Hallmark Channel. Nathan Atkins is credited with the screenplay, but this film is such a perfect amalgam of established tropes that I am not entirely convinced that isn't a pseudonym to keep us from discovering that Netflix has created the artificial-intelligence technology to generate a script using auto-complete." — Dana Schwartz , Entertainment Weekly.
"It plays like a piece of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan fan fiction, written by a child who actually doesn't know who they are but has watched the 'Princess Diaries' films." — Carly Mallenbaum , USA Today.
"An even less charitable way to put it is that a clearly excited 7- or 8-year-old kid sitting in front of me busted out crying and had to be whisked out of the theater by his father within the first five minutes. Perhaps he was unnerved by the harsh, operatic violence of Bruce Wayne's parents getting murdered — the mom's pearls get tangled around the gun, somehow, which allows for some very tight and poignant slow motion — or maybe he was offended by the notion that a 2016 Batman movie felt it necessary to depict Bruce Wayne's parents getting murdered. Either way, this kid bounced." — Rob Harvilla , Deadspin.
"I'll admit, I've been dreading the thought of trying to at all explain the plot of this movie — even in broad, simple terms. I honestly had anxiety dreams last night about this moment. It's like staring at a projected kaleidoscope for two and a half hours and then trying to tell someone about the plot." — Mike Ryan , Uproxx.
"It's not really a movie. I suppose it's what could be called a recorded behavior. It simply reproduces, with some crude fidelity, the hapless anguish of a grieving man as he copes with his loss. It has no characters, it has no conflict, it has nothing that could be called a plot. It offers no reason to watch it — that is, no reason within the picture." — Stephen Hunter , The Washington Post.
"This is one of those movies where victims repeatedly have opportunities to escape but choose not to, guaranteeing still more grotesque degradation, full of gore, torture, and sexual humiliation — and contains not an iota of wit or intelligence to justify any of it." — Michael Ordoña , The Los Angeles Times.
"' Avatar' isn't about actors or characters or even about story; it's about special effects, which is fine as far as it goes. But for a movie that stresses how important it is for us to stay connected with nature, to keep our ponytails plugged into the life force, 'Avatar' is peculiarly bloodless. It's a remote-control movie experience, a high-tech 'wish you were here' scribbled on a very expensive postcard. You don't have to be fully present to experience 'Avatar'; all you have to do is show up." — Stephanie Zacharek , Salon.
"Pretentious and inane, 'I Know Who Killed Me' arouses unexpected sympathy for its embattled star. 'Should we populate the movie with competent, strong performances, or were we looking for stars?' asks the producer, Frank Mancuso Jr., in the film's production notes. Out of the mouths of producers." — Jeannette Catsoulis , The New York Times.
"I'm curious about who would go to see this movie. Obviously moviegoers with a low opinion of their own taste. It's so obviously what it is that you would require a positive desire to throw away money in order to lose two hours of your life. 'Sorority Boys' will be the worst movie playing in any multiplex in America this weekend, and, yes, I realize 'Crossroads' is still out there." — Roger Ebert , The Chicago Sun-Times.
"With two decades of perspective on 'Forrest Gump's triumph, you get the sense that '90s audiences were relieved to see a film that said it was OK — even honorable — to ignore all the bad stuff about war. So, too, was the Motion Picture Academy, which 12 months after lauding 'Schindler's List' decided, 'Screw it, let's give the awards to the movie that sells cookbooks.' — Amy Nicholson , LA Weekly.
"'Life Itself' thinks you're stupid. Or, if not stupid, unable to understand how a movie should work. It's a movie made for people who can't be trusted to understand any storytelling unless it's not just spoon-fed but ladled on, piled high, and explained via montage and voiceover" — Kate Erbland , IndieWire.
"There's the broad racism and misogyny of the piece. After the controversial walk-offs, Netflix claimed that this was 'satire.' It's not. There's nothing satirical about Sandler's bad Native American accent, which totally comes and goes, by the way, or Schneider's Hispanic caricature. Saying that this is satire is like the drunk guy at the bar telling you how many black friends he has after telling a racist joke. Don't fall for it." — Brian Tallerico , RogerEbert.com.
" [M. Night Shyamalan] directs the material as if he'd written it (which he did), and not a single friend dared tell him the truth." — Mick LaSalle , SFGate.
"It turns out that 'Crossroads' is not a music video, not yet a movie, but more like an extended-play advertisement for the Product that is Britney." — Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post.
"The movie is symptomatic of a social attitude that might be called the security of incompetence. There's something reassuring about a bad movie that doesn't ask you to think or feel or even pay attention ... we can all be happy D-minus students huddled together in communal self-disgust in a D-minus world." — Stephen Holden , The New York Times.
"In 'Grown Ups 2,' which is set on the last day of school, our heroes are now all living in the same small town together, and everybody's pretty happy, so there's little to motivate the action. It makes the first movie look like 'The Maltese Falcon.'" — Bilge Ebiri , Vulture.
"You absolutely can fault [George Clooney] for wrongheadedness in making a movie that condemns racism, and specifically segregation in the postwar housing boom, albeit in the most broad, perfunctory, awareness-ribbon-wearing way while barely allowing its black characters to speak. 'Suburbicon' might be the biggest embarrassment to pious Hollywood liberalism since 'Crash' won best picture in 2006." — Chris Klimek , NPR.
"I admired the camerawork, the wide-angle close-ups of flaring nostrils, and the pandemonium of the crowd scenes in the second half of the film when it goes haywire and insanity reign. It's an odd sensation to still remember moments of technical brilliance in a movie I never want to see again." — Rex Reed , The Observer.
" This movie doesn't scrape the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn't the bottom of the barrel. This movie isn't below the bottom of the barrel. This movie doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with barrels." — Roger Ebert , Chicago Sun-Times.
"Why do American audiences accept the stance that silly movies have to be terrible by definition? There's nothing enjoyable about 'Joe Dirt.' Absolutely nothing. Spade's generic nonperformance is the centerpiece of a very wobbly story, and he simply isn't enough of an actor to keep you interested." — Paul Tatara , CNN.
"My notebook usually remains near my lap, but at this movie, it made involuntary trips over my mouth to cover all of my gasping. The entire experience is shameful — for us, for the filmmakers, for whoever at the studio had the job of creating the ads, in which the cast appear to be starring in hostage posters." — Wesley Morris , Grantland.
"How bad is 'From Justin to Kelly?' Set in Miami during spring break, it's like 'Grease: The Next Generation' acted out by the food-court staff at SeaWorld." — Owen Gleiberman , Entertainment Weekly.
"Just how repellent is 'National Lampoon's Gold Diggers?' So stupefyingly hideous that after watching it, you'll need to bathe in 10 gallons of disinfectant, get a full-body scrub and shampoo with vinegar to remove the scummy residue that remains. Some movies leave a bad taste in the mouth. This one causes full-on halitosis." — Jen Chaney , The Washington Post.
"For all of its cult potential, and my God, is this film rife with it, it is 'Venom's' insidious political intonations, which were entirely avoidable, that become the least palatable aspect of the film. And this is a movie where you see Tom Hardy eat out of a garbage can." — Sarah Tai-Black , The Globe and Mail.
"' North' is one of the most unpleasant, contrived, artificial, cloying experiences I've had at the movies. To call it manipulative would be inaccurate; it has an ambition to manipulate, but fails … I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it." — Roger Ebert , Chicago Sun-Times.
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10 great movies famous for one unforgettable quote.
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Great movies often have famous lines, but some classics are best or even only known today for one particular quote. While many screenwriters strive for naturalistic dialogue that doesn't stand out, some of the most iconic moments in cinema come from lines of flowery speech that stick in the audience's mind. Films like The Godfather , The Big Lebowski , and Clueless have tons of quotable lines that have stood the test of time and lasted with their film's legacy.
Some great films, however, are primarily known for one line of dialogue, either because that quote perfectly encapsulates the themes of the movie, or because it's so good that its legacy outlasts its origins. These movie quotes can be funny, heartbreaking, scary, revealing, or even a mix of all of them. What matters is that they have gone down in history, perhaps even single-handedly keeping these great movies in popular culture.
Related: 10 Quotes That Still Give Us Chills Years Later
The biggest issue with this 1973 sci-fi thriller is that the most famous element of the film is its final twist. If audiences today know anything about Soylent Green it's that " Soylent Green is people ." The film follows Charlton Heston as a detective in an apocalyptic future, where people eat a substance made from sea plankton known as Soylent Green. In the film's shocking conclusion, it is revealed that Soylent Green is not made from sea plankton but rather from human remains.
It is a shocking and upsetting twist, especially for the time, so it makes sense that this line has lasted. Heston’s delivery at the end of the film as he repeatedly shouts " Soylent Green is people " also imprints the quote into the audience’s mind. Outside the reveal, Soylent Green is a tense little thriller, but its legacy will always be its ending reveal.
Related: 15 Twist Endings More Famous Than The Movies Themselves
Billy Wilder knew how to end a movie. His films often conclude on their most iconic lines, like his 1959 comedy Some Like it Hot , which ends with its funniest joke. However, when it comes to famous Wilder lines, nothing will ever top this one from the ending of Sunset Boulevard . Part film-noir, part meta-commentary of the film industry Sunset Boulevard is the greatest movie about movies and has an incredible script filled with great lines. The closing moment of an aging movie star turning to the camera and saying " All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up " is one of the most iconic moments in all of cinema.
This moment and line have taken on a life of their own, as people will quote it not even knowing what movie it's from. It just works as a line to say when someone is taking a photo, but within the context of the film, it is a powerhouse moment, and the only way the movie really could end. Sunset Boulevard is a film that will always be remembered and referenced by film lovers, but its final line will have an even bigger legacy.
Sometimes a movie quote doesn't just stick to one movie, but to an entire star persona as well. Sidney Poitier is an icon of mid-20th-century cinema and a true movie star in every sense. In the Heat of the Night is one of Poitier's most memorable films, as he plays a Black detective who gets involved with a racially hostile murder case in the Deep South. Poitier's character goes through extreme humiliation throughout the film, so when he stands up for himself and shouts, " They call me Mister Tibbs! " it is a powerful moment.
Poitier's delivery of the line is a big reason for its legacy, as his gigantic screen presence gives the dialogue extra weight and emotion. However, the line also perfectly represents the film's feelings on racial inequality and the scene proves to be the movie's most emotionally powerful moment. This quote was instantly popular, and they even named the film's sequel They Call Me Mister Tibbs! because of how iconic the line had already become.
On the Waterfront is a seminal American film, and one of the movies that cemented Marlon Brando as a Hollywood legend. While the film and its director, Elia Kazan, have their complicated history in real-world politics, there is no denying how powerful Brando's speech about the life he could have had is. Once again, the delivery of this quote has made it all the more iconic, as " I coulda been a contender " is a go-to for anyone trying to impress with a Brando impression, but it is also the emotional core of the film and one that has resonated with audiences for generations.
Panned upon its initial release, this biopic about film star Joan Crawford and her abusive relationship with her daughter quickly became a cult classic. While the film has been reevaluated, and even praised by some critics, a lot of its appeal has come from Faye Dunaway's campy performance as Crawford. Her performance has inspired countless drag shows and fan events, but her delivery of " no wire hangers! " has become the film's biggest lasting legacy. Mommie Dearest holds up today as having one of the most complicated legacies of any Hollywood film, and its artistic merits will be argued forever, but " no wire hangers! " will be quoted for longer.
All About Eve has one of the most acclaimed screenplays in motion picture history. The script by Joseph L. Mankiewicz is tightly structured with sharp dialogue. The film perfectly showcases Bette Davis's screen persona, and the famous line " Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night " is brought to life by her dry wit and snark. Much like Sunset Boulevard 's " I'm ready for my close up ," this quote has gotten a lot of mileage out of versatility in real-world situations, but within the movie, it is one of its bigger laughs.
What makes this quote from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre stand out is that despite its relative unimportance in the film, it has become the film's lasting legacy. John Huston's Western is a dark tale of masculinity and greed. It is a deeply affecting movie while still offering plenty of thrills and one of Humphrey Bogart's best performances. However, the most iconic part of the film is a line one of the Mexican antagonists says in response to being asked for identification.
There are plenty of other great lines in this movie, but the mix of a hilarious, yet still threatening, delivery and just how fun it is to say, has made the line stand the test of time. The line has found a lot of life outside the film, being referenced and spoofed in movies like Blazing Saddles , UHF , and even an episode of My Name is Earl . It is a line many people hear and don't even know what movie it is originally from. That has made the quote even more fun when it happens in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , as watching the film unlocks seven decades of references.
On first impressions, There Will Be Blood appears to be one of Paul Thomas Anderson's more serious and intense films. However, it does have a darkly wicked sense of humor, which it uses to craft the sinister tail of oil mogul Daniel Plainview. The famous " I drink your milkshake " monologue is a perfect example of this, as Daniel Day-Lewis's Plainview taunts Paul Dano's Eli Sunday. The scene is equal parts scary, funny, and bizarre. Plainview uses such an oddly specific metaphor to tell his competitor he has him beaten that it can't help but be the highlight of the film.
Related: 10 Best Movies Like There Will Be Blood
A League of Their Own has only improved since its release. Unlike a lot of comedies of its era, the jokes aren't dated or offensive but actually ahead of their time. Tom Hanks's performance as a washed-up coach has also gone down as a highlight of his career, and his delivery of " There's no crying in baseball! " is a stand out of the film. This quote has also found a life outside the film, as many a coach or mentor has used " There's no crying in [blank] ” for whatever they're talking about. The film has heart and hilarious performances, but nothing can top Hanks's genuine bewilderment as his player cries.
The quote of Stanley yelling " Stella! " up to the balcony has not only defined the film adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire , but also the very popular Tennessee Williams play it's based on. Marlon Brando has about four or five iconic movie quotes that will be referenced for the rest of time, but this one from Streetcar will always remain the most iconic. The line has become so ubiquitous with not just the text it's from, but also just the name Stella. It is so simple but performed so earnestly and effectively that it has burrowed its way into pop culture, refusing to leave.
He really was the best!
Whether he was making us laugh so hard our sides started to hurt in comedies like Mrs. Doubtfire and The Birdcage , excelling in more dramatic roles like in Good Will Hunting , and Dead Poets Society, or stealing the show in Aladdin , the late great Robin Williams was never short of a good line. As we continue to mourn his tragic 2014 death a decade later, we can’t help but look back at some of the best movie quotes from the standup-comedian-turned-actor .
Long considered one of Robin Williams’ best movies , Dead Poets Society features what could be best described as one of the actor’s most famous quotes, his classic “Carpe diem” speech to his new students at Welton Academy. It’s great on its own, but in the context of the story, it’s the stuff of magic.
We ain’t never had a Disney character like this before Robin Williams introduced the world to his Genie in Aladdin , and we really haven’t had one as over-the-top and genuine since. This unforgettable line from one of the best Disney songs still has us jiving 30-plus years later.
The various therapy sessions throughout Good Will Hunting not only featured some of the best scenes and biggest revelations of the movie, they also gave us this unforgettable line when Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) tells Matt Damon ’s Will Hunting about the night he skipped a Sox playoff game to meet his future wife.
What makes this quote, and so many others from Good Morning, Vietnam , is the fact that Robin Williams largely improvised his broadcasts by Adrian Cronauer on the Armed Forces Radio Service each morning, per SlashFilm .
A ‘90s movie that made way more at the box office than you’d guess, The Birdcage also features one of Robin Williams’ best characters, South Beach drag club owner Armand Goldman. A source of hilarious lines throughout the movie, this one about his son marrying the daughter of a conservative senator, is one of the best.
Francis Ford Coppola ’s Jack isn’t the best movie, but it does have a lot of heart. This is especially true when Robin Williams’ rapidly aging character gives an emotional speech at his high school graduation, at which point he looks like an old man on the verge of death.
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Robin Williams’ Peter Banning transforming from an uptight lawyer who’s lost touch with his inner child back to Peter Pan in Hook is great, even if people try to dunk on Steven Spielberg ’s fantasy film. Yelling the classic “bangarang!” line while fighting Captain Hook ( Dustin Hoffman ) and his pirates is still so much fun.
One of the best horror movies of the 2000s , One Hour Photo features Robin Williams’ most disturbing role with his portrayal of Seymour "Sy" Parrish. In addition to forming an unhealthy obsession with a family, the odd photo technician also gives us some unnerving and powerful quotes like this one.
There’s so much great footage of Robin Williams recording his Aladdin lines ; crazy improv sessions that probably led to quick yet killer lines like this one after being freed from his lamp. Like many of his quotes in the movie, this one is both simple and effective.
Though Ben Stiller ’s Larry Daley was the main character in Night at the Museum , Robin Williams’ Teddy Roosevelt, or at least the wax figure at the Museum of Natural History was the heart and soul of the 2006 fantasy comedy about a museum coming to life at night. Both hilarious and inspirational, this line never fails to impress.
This classic quote from the final moments of Hook is great not only because it applies so well to Robin Williams’ character’s journey throughout the movie, but also because it also speaks to the whole audience, both the young and old.
When Alan Parrish (Robin Williams) yells at Peter Shepheard (Bradley Pierce) in the heat of a life-or-death situation in Jumanji , he loses his cool and becomes the one thing he didn’t want to be: his own father. It’s a great moment that completely changes things for the recently returned Alan and sets the tone for the rest of the film.
Yeah, Robin Williams’ Genie provides most of the comedic relief in Aladdin . But let’s not forget how the character also gives us one of the most touching and heartwarming moments when he and Aladdin are saying their goodbyes. Grab a tissue!
Death to Smoochy is an odd and dark Robin Williams comedy that hopefully is never forgotten by the sands of time. This hilarious and incredibly mean-spirited line comes when Williams’ children’s show host gives it to some parents, and it never gets old.
Christopher Nolan ’s Insomnia is a tense, introspective thriller that’s just as much about failure and guilt as it is about a homicide investigation. The cat-and-mouse game played by detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and murder suspect Walter Finch (Robin Williams) leads to some tense moments, including the one that gave us this touching yet unnerving line.
Regardless of your opinions on Mrs. Doubtfire , the 1993 comedy gave us some remarkable lines from Robin Williams, including the closing moments from his character’s children’s show. This poignant response to a child’s letter about their parents’ divorce is just too good.
Patch Adams isn’t the first movie you probably think of from Robin Williams’ filmography, but this 1998 medical drama has a lot of heart and great quotes. This includes this statement from Williams’ titular character when he’s laying out his philosophy in front of an antagonistic group of doctors.
Though Maxwell "Wizard" Wallace (Robin Williams) ends up being a scumbag (his facial hair should give it away), his words of wisdom to Freddie Highmore’s young guitar virtuoso in August Rush are just grand.
Mrs. Doubtfire is full of hilarious moments that still come up 30-plus years after the film’s release. One of those is the scene in which Robin Williams’ character sets his blouse on fire while trying to cook a gourmet dinner. The “hot flashes” comment is just the icing on the face, er cake.
Though largely forgotten a quarter-century after its release, What Dreams May Come , the Robin Williams movie exploring the afterlife, has some touching and profound moments throughout. That includes this powerful moment between Williams’ character and his deceased wife.
Patch Adams doesn’t shy away from conversations about death, and Robin Williams’ titular character is someone who speaks freely and honestly about the subject. When speaking in front of a board of his peers, the kind-hearted unlicensed doctor speaks about accepting death and treating those in their final days with dignity and respect.
Genie's desire to be free from his lamp and eternity of servitude throughout Aladdin creates some truly profound moments, which is a lot for an animated kids' movie. To not celebrate this unforgettable line from Robin Williams would be an injustice to the character and the late actor who spoke these words.
Chris Columbus’ adaptation of Bicentennial Man , despite being an OK film, features a tremendous performance by Robin Williams, which saw his character, Andrew Martin, go from a robot to a human by the time the credits rolled. In his final moments, Andrew gives us an emotional plea for his humanity.
The back-and-forth between Armand (Robin Williams) and Albert Goldman (Nathan Lane) in The Birdcage makes a good movie into a great movie. This line from Armand to his life partner is just so catty and perfectly illustrates their differing philosophies and personalities.
Robin Williams’ Teddy Roosevelt is the MVP of the Night at the Museum franchise and a character that’s always going to provide a good laugh, even when at the expense of someone else. This is especially true whenever the wax figure comments on Larry Daley’s (Ben Stiller) confidence, or lack thereof.
Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) talking about his late wife and how she continues to impact him after her passing in Good Will Hunting adds so much to the Oscar-winning film. This is even true when he’s talking about her little habits, like her foul farts.
The 2009 dark comedy, World’s Greatest Dad , sees Robin Williams play a high school teacher who hides the true details of his son’s death by writing a fake suicide note. The grieving father, who had a role in his deceased son becoming a posthumous icon, says these fitting words after it all comes crashing down.
The World According to Garp is a Robin Williams movie everyone should check out at least once. And no, it’s not just because of great lines like this. However, this hilarious and somewhat morbid line doesn’t hurt the movie.
This wonderfully written (and delivered) line from Dead Poets Society is one that idealistic English teachers around the country jotted down and hung up in their classrooms after the film’s 1989 release. And who could blame them?
Moscow on the Hudson , the Robin Williams movie about a soviet circus musician who defects to America during a trip to NYC, is full of hilarious and sardonic lines like this one. Playing on the “Land of the Free” trope of American exceptionalism, this great quote speaks a great deal of truth.
Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King includes one of the most outrageous yet sincere performances of Robin Williams’ career with his portrayal of Parry, an unhinged homeless man who helps out Jeff Bridges’ shock jock radio DJ. There are a lot of great lines, but this bonkers yet helpful quote takes the cake.
Everyone loves a good reference, and Mrs. Doubtfire does just that during the movie’s absurd fancy restaurant sequence. After Mrs. Doubtfire’s (Robin Williams) fake teeth fall out, we are treated to an homage to the Dead Poets Society ’s “Carpe diem speech,” and it’s wonderful.
There’s not a day that goes by when we don’t miss Robin Williams and his larger-than-life personality. However, we can take solace in knowing that he left us with a massive body of work and beloved characters who will always be there when we need them the most.
Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.
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