15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (2024)

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15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (1)

By Ben Protheroe

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15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (5)

Summary

  • Great movie quotes capture the essence of a film and can be recognized even out of context.
  • The circumstances and delivery of a quote can enhance its impact and popularity.
  • Movie quotes have the power to express complex emotions and themes in a concise and memorable way.

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Some movie quotes are so famous that even people who haven't seen the movies they come from will be able to recognize them instantly. The best quotes can summarize the entire thrust of a movie, revealing the themes and the tone with just a few words. Great delivery helps a quote catch on, but the circumstances are often more important. Any great movie can have outstanding quotes, as long as the script does all the work required to set up a poignant moment.

The best movie quotes can be stripped from their context and still hold meaning. This is how quotes work their way into the cultural lexicon. A single unforgettable line has the power to make a movie even better, but it often works the other way around. A well-written and well-acted story will make some of its best quotes even more powerful due to the weight of context. Taking these quotes out of the context of the movie doesn't fully describe what makes them so popular, but they are just as recognizable.

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15 "There's No Place Like Home."

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (6)
The Wizard of Oz

Musical

Fantasy

Family

Adventure

Release Date
August 25, 1939

Director
Victor Fleming

Cast
Margaret Hamilton , Jack Haley , Judy Garland , Bert Lahr , Ray Bolger

Although Dorothy forms some wonderful friendships in Oz, she knows she has to return to Kansas eventually. Her family are still there waiting for her. She wakes up in her bed with her aunt and uncle watching over her, as if her adventure in Oz was all a dream. There's a certain ambiguity to the phrase Glinda teaches her which will magically send her home. It doesn't state that home is superior in any way, but simply that it's unlike anywhere else. Dorothy can still miss her friends in Oz, but it isn't where she belongs, and she knows it. Even if her home isn't perfect, it's where she needs to be.

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14 "You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat."

Jaws (1975)

Jaws

Adventure

Horror

Thriller

Release Date
June 18, 1975
Director
Steven Spielberg

Cast
Roy Scheider , Robert Shaw , Richard Dreyfuss , Lorraine Gary , Murray Hamilton , Carl Gottlieb

Steven Spielberg limited the screen time of the shark in Jaws, which gave it a particularly menacing presence. Without being able to see the beast they are trying to capture, the three men are left to imagine how the shark might appear based on how many victims it claimed. When it finally breaks above the surface of the ocean, it's even more terrifying than Brody was prepared for. He bolts up and tells Quint that they are unprepared. Spielberg isn't known as a comedy director, but there is something undoubtedly funny about the obviousness of Brody's statement. It betrays how scared he is.

13 "You're Killing Me, Smalls."

The Sandlot (1993)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (7)
The Sandlot

Sport

Family

Comedy

Drama

Release Date
April 7, 1993

Director
David Mickey Evans
Cast
Marty York , Tom Guiry , Chauncey Leopardi , Marley Shelton , Patrick Renna , James Earl Jones , Brandon Quintin Adams , Mike Vitar

Said multiple times throughout the movie, this phrase has been adopted by fans of The Sandlot as a useful shorthand for a number of situations. The delivery helps sell the sheer exasperation, but the hyperbolic language also helps. Smalls is a complete outsider. He doesn't mean to cause anyone any trouble, but he's ignorant about the ways the neighborhood kids like to do things. He is especially ignorant when it comes to baseball, which is a vital part of making new friends in his new environment.

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12 "I'll Be Back."

The Terminator (1984)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (8)
Terminator

Sci-Fi

Action

Release Date
October 26, 1984
Director
James Cameron
Cast
Michael Biehn , Linda Hamilton , Lance Henriksen , Paul Winfield , Arnold Schwarzenegger

1980s action movies didn't just need a high body count and a gun-toting renegade, they also needed some quips thrown in for good measure. Nobody mastered this peculiar art quite like Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose emotionless delivery emphasized his character's careful word choice in The Terminator. Spoken to a police officer who denies the Terminator access to see Sarah Connor, the famous phrase sets up a brutal slaughter in the police station. The Terminator smashes a car through the front door before mercilessly and methodically shooting every police officer brave enough not to flee immediately.

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11 "Stop Trying To Make Fetch Happen!"

Mean Girls (2004)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (9)
Mean Girls

Comedy

Release Date
April 30, 2004

Director
Mark Waters
Cast
Amy Poehler , Lacey Chabert , Tina Fey , Rachel McAdams , Amanda Seyfried , Lindsay Lohan

Mean Girls is an extremely quotable comedy, and it combines a killer script with some brilliant performances. Mean Girls manages to tap into the dialect of high school girls, but some of its most famous phrases push things even further. "Fetch" is one example of the kind of ridiculous thing that these characters might say under different circumstances, but it is absolutely denied entry into the group's lexicon. The upcoming Mean Girls musical movie has a tough act to follow, and it will have to stand out in its own way.

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10 "Here's Looking At You, Kid."

Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca

Drama

Documentary

Romance

War

Release Date
January 23, 1943

Director
Michael Curtiz

Cast
Humphrey Bogart , Ingrid Bergman , Paul Henreid , Claude Rains , Conrad Veidt , Sydney Greenstreet

Casablanca is packed full of unforgettable quotes, most of which come out of Humphrey Bogart's mouth. Bogart oozes style as Rick, but Ilsa shakes up his relatively comfortable life when she reappears like a ghost from his past. He says "here's looking at you, kid" twice. The first time he says it to Ilsa in Paris when the two are at the height of their romance. The second time is a gut-wrenching goodbye, as he decides to stay behind in Casablanca while she travels to Lisbon. It's his own way of telling her that he still loves her, and that he still thinks about their past even though he decides to let it go.

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9 "To Infinity And Beyond."

Toy Story (1995)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (10)
Toy Story

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

Release Date
November 22, 1995

Director
John Lasseter
Cast
Tom Hanks , Don Rickles , Annie Potts , Tim Allen , Jim Varney

He isn't aspiring to a place or a time. He's stating that he is going to surpass a concept.

Buzz Lightyear's catchphrase in Toy Sto ry is completely nonsensical. It's not possible to go beyond infinity, but this reflects Buzz's limitless ambition. In his mind, he is a noble space ranger on a hostile alien planet, even though he is a plastic toy in a child's bedroom in reality. The nebulous nature of "infinity" also underlines Buzz's blustering bravado. He isn't aspiring to a place or a time. He's stating that he is going to surpass a concept. The phrase eventually gains more nuance as a call to action despite the possible consequences. Sometimes reckless, idiotic bravery is what's called for.

8 "You're Trying To Seduce Me, Mrs. Robinson... Aren't You?"

The Graduate (1967)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (11)
The Graduate

Romance

Comedy

Drama

Release Date
December 21, 1967

Director
Mike Nichols
Cast
Dustin Hoffman , Katharine Ross , Murray Hamilton , Anne Bancroft , William Daniels

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Benjamin does eventually enter into an affair with Mrs. Robinson, but he is very hesitant and unsure of himself to begin with. Mrs. Robinson wears animal print clothing as she toys with her young neighbor. He frantically paces around the room while she sits completely still. She has all the control until he boldly states her intentions outright, but he can't back himself up without her confirmation. Benjamin is caught at a crossroads after graduating from college. He doesn't know what he wants out of his life, and he isn't sure where to begin. Even his strongest moments are immediately undercut with doubt.

7 "I'll Have What She's Having."

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (12)
When Harry Met Sally

Comedy

Drama

Romance

Release Date
July 21, 1989

Director
Rob Reiner
Cast
Bruno Kirby , Meg Ryan , Carrie Fisher , Steven Ford , Billy Crystal

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The famous diner scene in When Harry Met Sally works as an icebreaker while the two main characters share a long car ride together. During their journey, they share their opinions on love and friendship, but Sally's fake orgasm in the diner is the first time she indulges Harry's constant talk about sex. It's a good way to shut him up, as well as everyone else in the small roadside diner. But one other customer knows what to say, and she delivers the perfect button to Sally's extravagant display. The woman who says the famous line is director Rob Reiner's mother, Estelle.

6 "E.T. Phone Home."

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Release Date
June 11, 1982
Director
Steven Spielberg
Cast
Drew Barrymore , Henry Thomas , Robert MacNaughton

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Elliott and his siblings have a lot of fun with the extra-terrestrial they find in their tool shed, but they can't communicate with one another. Gertie manages to teach E.T. some rudimentary English phrases, and his strange habits start to make sense. E.T. is from a highly intelligent space-faring species, but there are times when he seems to be on a similar level of intelligence to the children, merely because he has no understanding of the language or his surroundings. When he communicates his desire to go home, it humanizes him in a strange way. He is no longer a novelty. He is lost, scared, and alone.

5 "Say Hello To My Little Friend."

Scarface (1983)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (13)
Scarface

Crime

Drama

Release Date
December 9, 1983

Director
Brian De Palma
Cast
Al Pacino , Michelle Pfeiffer , Robert Loggia , Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio , Miriam Colon , F. Murray Abraham

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Although it's a strangely comical line, Tony Montana's defiant cry masks his hopelessness and rage. To claw his way to the top, Tony has to make violence his way of life. He turns his back on anything that doesn't help him accumulate more power and money, and he dies alone with only his guns by his side. There's an element of delusion to Tony's final stand in his mansion. There's no way that he can logically believe he will survive the dozens of armed men coming for his life, but he makes no attempt to surrender, and nor does he use his final moment for self-reflection.

4 "I Love The Smell Of Napalm In The Morning."

Apocalypse Now (1979)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (14)
Apocalypse Now

Drama

War

Mystery

Release Date
August 15, 1979
Director
Francis Ford Coppola
Cast
Marlon Brando , Martin Sheen , Robert Duvall , Frederic Forrest , Sam Bottoms , Laurence Fishburne

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Amid the swirling chaos of the battlefield, Lieutenant Kilgore squats down to share his thoughts with two soldiers. Despite the raging fires and explosions all around him, Kilgore feels at peace. He knows that his experience of war has permanently affected him, and he seems melancholic when he mentions that the war will be over someday. The constant noise of the scene dies down for just a moment to focus in on Kilgore's words, as if he is able to block out the battle entirely. His speech also acts as a way to reflect the audience's fetishization of war back onto them.

3 "The First Rule Of Fight Club Is: You Do Not Talk About Fight Club."

Fight Club (1999)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (15)
Fight Club

Drama

Release Date
October 15, 1999
Director
David Fincher
Cast
Brad Pitt , Meat Loaf , Edward Norton , Jared Leto , Helena Bonham Carter

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Although Fight Club lists eight rules, the first is by far the most famous. Even people who haven't seen Fight Club will be aware that whatever it is, you don't talk about it. Tyler Durden repeats the first rule, emphasizing the word "not" for the second rule. The fact that the fight club grows in popularity shows that members regularly break the first two rules, but this exclusivity is part of what is so appealing to people. The intrigue makes people want to ask questions, and they eventually get drawn into Tyler Durden's twisted philosophy.

2 "I'm The King Of The World!"

Titanic (1997)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (16)
Titanic

Drama

Romance

Release Date
December 19, 1997
Director
James Cameron
Cast
David Warner , Kathy Bates , Billy Zane , Bill Paxton , Bernard Hill , Kate Winslet , Leonardo DiCaprio , Gloria Stuart , Frances Fisher , Victor Garber

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The symbolism of the New World is full of possibilities for the working-class Jack, and he reverts to a sort of childlike glee at the bow of the ship

Titanic is a brilliant story of romance and tragedy, but one of its most iconic lines comes before Jack even meets Rose. After winning a ticket for the Titanic in a game of cards, Jack finds himself unexpectedly on board a transatlantic cruise. The symbolism of the New World is full of possibilities for the working-class Jack, and he reverts to a sort of childlike glee at the bow of the ship. He sees a pod of dolphins jumping in and out of the water and feels the wind racing through his hair, and he is finally free from the troubles of his past.

1 "All Those Moments Will Be Lost In Time, Like Tears In Rain."

Blade Runner (1982)

15 Movie Quotes That Are Instantly Recognizable (17)

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Blade Runner

Drama

Sci-Fi

Thriller

Release Date
June 25, 1982
Director
Ridley Scott
Cast
Harrison Ford , Rutger Hauer , Sean Young , Edward James Olmos , M. Emmet Walsh , Daryl Hannah , William Sanderson , Joe Turkel

Blade Runner focuses on the game of cat-and-mouse between Deckard and Roy, but Roy's final moments reveal the depths of his humanity, even though he is an artificial life form. Roy shows more emotion and perspective than any other character in the movie, and his remarkable closing monologue shows Deckard his true self. Initially fearful of Roy, Deckard develops a deep empathy and respect for him. His "tears in rain" speech manages to capture the themes of Blade Runner with concision and grace.

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