People enjoy movies in different ways. Some watch primarily for the cinematography, while others watch purely to lose themselves in a story. One sure sign that you enjoyed a movie is when you find yourself quoting it. Maybe you throw quotes back and forth with a friend, or maybe you can recite the film from memory as entertainment when you’re alone in your car (guilty).
Quoting movies has always been one of my favorite pastimes. For years, my friends would ask me for my favorite quote from any given movie, and I could usually respond without having to think too hard. In case you haven’t figured this out yet…I’m a film nerd (and proud of it).
After much deliberation, I finally trimmed down the list of my favorite movie quotes to ten. That slash-and-burn was excruciating. I felt bad excluding so many good quotes, but I had to draw the line somewhere, or we’d be here all day.
Here they are, in chronological order:
Casablanca (1942)
“Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
This a great line to end a movie – one of the best “last lines” of all time.
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
“All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”
One of the most frequently misquoted lines in cinematic history, this one also ranks high on the list of best last lines. It splendidly represents the delusions of grandeur from Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson).
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
“Well, she turned me into a newt!”
“A newt?”
“…I got better.”
This film was the hardest to narrow down to one favorite line – it’s full of so many hilariously silly options. I would include the entire screenplay if I could, but again…we’d be here all day.
Predator (1987)
“Run! Go! Get to the chopper!”
I’m sure it’s a scientific fact that when you quote Arnold Schwarzenegger, you must also imitate his voice. This quote always comes to mind when I do Arnold’s voice, and it’s worth including on this list.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
“I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
After watching this film for the first time, I knew I had to memorize this quote. I can’t think of a better example of a character expressing their love to someone than Harry Burns (Billy Crystal). This film is my New Year’s Eve tradition with my wife, and it’s one of our favorites.
Groundhog Day (1993)
“Yeah, three cheeseburgers, two large fries, two chocolate shakes, and a large Coke. “
“And some flapjacks.”
“Too early for flapjacks?”
If I could get away with saying this to a cop after being pulled over, I would (on second thought…let’s just avoid getting pulled over). Phil Connors (Bill Murray) knew that he had no consequences that day and decided to have fun with it. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one was pure improvisation.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
“Get busy living or get busy dying.”
This is a great quote about life in general. You can either pick yourself up and keep going, or you can give up. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) says this at the best time of the movie – the crisis moment. The viewer is unsure if he is going to stick it out or end it all. You’ll have to watch to find out. Even if you already know…watch it again. There’s never a bad time to watch Shawshank.
Forrest Gump (1994)
“Sometimes, I guess there just aren’t enough rocks.”
There are many classic lines in this film, and again it was hard for me to pick just one. I think this line is underrated – I don’t hear it enough when people quote Forrest Gump. It makes me laugh every time and I think it’s the funniest choice!
The Big Lebowski (1998)
“Let me explain something to you. I am not Mr. Lebowski, you’re Mr. Lebowski. I’m The Dude, so that’s what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.”
This self-description of The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is simply perfect, not to mention that it’s the best clean quote from the film.
Wonder Boys (2000)
“Now, that is a big trunk. It holds a tuba, a suitcase, a dead dog, and a garment bag almost perfectly.”
“That’s just what they used to say in the ads.”
I should have included this film in my underrated films list. Its cast gave incredible performances, and the film is smart and well written. I’ve always loved this exchange between James Leer (Tobey Maguire) and Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas).
What are your favorite movie quotes? Did I miss anything important? Leave me a note in the comments!
Happy watching!
