TOP 30 MOVIE QUOTES  

TOP 30 MOVIE QUOTES

MOVIES are the most accessible (and arguably the most entertaining) form of art and, as a result, they amuse millions every year. Every guy has his favorite flick because they speak differently to each one of us, based on past experiences, taste and personality.
But a film's true impact on pop culture isn't measured in dollars and cents; its popularity is gauged by how often a dialogue from a movie is quoted. That said, check out the TOP 30 most memorable lines of American cinema.


# 30

"Today is a good day to die."
Old Lodge Skins, Little Big Man -- 1970
Jack Crabb is a white man who was raised among Indians in the 19th century. After becoming a gunslinger, marrying an Indian woman, and seeing her die at the hands of General Custer, Crabb becomes a scout for General Custer at the battle of the Little Big Horn. Crabb was the only white survivor. This particular line is spoken by Old Lodge Skins (Chief Dan George), one of the tribe elders, as he beckons the soldiers to come out and fight him.


# 29

"A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing."
Blake, Glengarry Glen Ross -- 1992
Based on a play by David Mamet, Glengarry Glen Ross tells the tale of stressed real estate salesmen who must absolutely meet their quotas if they're expected to keep their jobs. To boost morale, the company has Blake (Alec Baldwin), a very successful sales rep, come in. In a blistering speech of frightening reality, he explains to the hapless men what is needed, literally and figuratively, to make a sale.


# 28

"Yippee-ki-yay, motherf*cker."
John McClane, Die Hard -- 1988
Christmas Eve should have been a quiet night for New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis), but he is forced to take action when terrorists take over the Los Angeles high-rise building where everyone -- including his wife -- is partying. Despite being barefoot and inefficiently armed with a gun and his wit, McClane is forced to use explosives to dispatch bad guys targeting a police armored car. After dropping his bomb, McClane says this line, in reference to the cowboy he's been compared to.


# 27

"Hasta la vista, baby."
The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day -- 1991
In the blockbuster sequel to 1984's The Terminator , Arnold Schwarzenegger is now fighting for the forces of good, as a robot who is sent back through time to protect the teenage boy (John Connor, played by Edward Furlong) who would become the world's savior in the future. In a moment of comic relief, John attempts to teach The Terminator some "cool" expressions to use when eliminating bad guys. "Hasta la vista, baby" is one of them... and of course, he uses it later on in the movie.


# 26

"But, I'm funny how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to f*ckin' amuse you?"
Tommy DeVito, GoodFellas -- 1990
In Martin Scorsese's masterpiece (which was based on a true story), a group of gangsters -- Henry Hill, Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito (played by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, respectively) -- tries to climb the Mafia ranks. Joe Pesci's character is established as a dangerous killer, so when the "clown scene" rolls around, it's scary. Tommy tells a story and Henry comments on how genuinely funny it is, which prompts Pesci to say the famous line.


# 25

"Adrian!"
Rocky Balboa, Rocky -- 1976
Certainly one of the best sports movies of all time, Sylvester Stallone stars as a struggling boxer whose dream is to one day have his shot at a big fight. When he finally gets a chance to fight the heavyweight champion of the world, he ends up losing the bout. But he goes the distance and manages to make shy Adrian (Talia Shire) fall in love with him. When he screams his girlfriend's name at the end of the movie, we know he's experienced his own victory, and life couldn't be any sweeter for Rocky.


# 24

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works."
Gordon Gekko, Wall Street -- 1987
Wall Street is the ultimate "yuppie" movie, in which a young stockbroker looks for that one important client who will make him rich. He finds him in Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), who takes him under his unethical wing. When Gekko utters this speech, he's addressing stockholders at a meeting; his philosophy is that as long as a company is led by someone who wants to make money, there will be profits for everyone.


# 23

"Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.”
Lisa L und, Casablanca -- 1942
Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick Blaine, a cynical, insensitive American living in exile in Casablanca during World War II. Always looking out for number one, his plans are turned upside down when his former flame, Ilsa ###### (Ingrid Bergman), comes back into his life, asking for his help. Contrary to popular belief, it's Bergman who says this line, hoping to appeal to Rick's nostalgic tender side.


# 22

"I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
Howard Beale, Network -- 1976
A major TV network isn't doing business like it used to, so entertainment expert Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) is brought in to revive the news division. But this triggers a nervous breakdown for anchorman Howard Beale, played by Peter Finch, who is fired due to low ratings. While on the air, Beale tells viewers that television, the government and society in general are rotten, and that he plans to commit suicide. Incidentally, this boosts ratings, and that's when he tells viewers to rebel against the status quo.


# 21

"I coulda been a contender!"
Terry Malloy, On the Waterfront -- 1954
This timeless Marlon Brando movie is about a New Jersey longshoreman who witnesses mobsters taking over his union by committing murders. Struggling with his conscience, he ponders over whether he should speak out. When he utters the famous line, he's actually blaming his brother for keeping him from becoming a prize-winning boxer by telling him to take a dive at a crucial match. Oh, how he could have been somebody...


# 20

"You can't handle the truth."
Col. Nathan R. Jessup, A Few Good Men -- 1992
A U.S. Marine is killed on the military base at Guantanamo Bay because he wants to leave, incapable of being bullied by his fellow soldiers and officers. Defense lawyers Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore) are out to prove that the base commander, Jack Nicholson's Col. Jessup, is the one who ordered retribution against the victim. During a fiery cross-examination, Kaffee harasses Jessup until the latter's pride gives him away, forcing him to fire this line at the Navy attorney.


# 19

"Houston, we have a problem."
Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 -- 1995
Based on the true story of a NASA mission that proved Murphy's Law, Apollo 13 stars Tom Hanks as astronaut Jim Lovell. His crew is supposed to land on the moon but technical difficulties start piling up, forcing the ground crew to come up with an urgent solution to bring the astronauts home safely. When Hanks says this famous line, no one knows that it's only the beginning of their problems.


# 18

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."
Rhett Butler, Gone with the Wind -- 1939
Gone with the Wind is a favorite among many women, but Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) is the focus of our attention here. For the duration of the film, he's in an on-and-off relationship with Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), a headstrong narcissist. But just before the end credits start to roll, Butler gets tired of putting up with her crap and brushes her off with this cool line. More power to him.


# 17

"Heeere's Johnny!"
Jack Torrance, The Shining -- 1980
This adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name is about a husband and wife who become the caretakers of a deserted (and haunted) mountain resort, and bring their son along. But soon, madness sets in for Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), a novelist suffering from writer's block. Stranded in the hotel because of a snowstorm, Torrance is gradually driven to insanity, which leads him to break through the bathroom door with an axe and say this line, evoking The Tonight Show.


# 16

"If you build it, he will come."
The Voice, Field of Dreams -- 1989
Kevin Costner stars as Ray Kinsella, a farmer who hears voices: if he builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield, something will happen. Sure enough, the ghosts of dead legendary players are playing right before him, proving that baseball was great when money wasn't a factor, and that people once played for the sheer thrill of the game.


# 15

"Show me the money!"
Jerry Maguire, Jerry Maguire -- 1996
Tom Cruise is Jerry Maguire, a once successful sports agent who is struggling to sign up a mediocre player so he can stay in business. But as hot as he used to be, he meets his match with NFL player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.). Tidwell is an exuberant character who will only consider signing a contract with Maguire if the latter can promise to fight for him and land him a huge contract. As a result, Maguire is forced to scream, "Show me the money!" while on the phone with Tidwell. Back in 1996, you couldn't stop people from using that line everywhere you went.


# 14

"Wax on, wax off."
Mr. Miyagi, The Karate Kid -- 1984
The Karate Kid was one of the reasons to go to the movies in the '80s. It tells the story of a new kid in town, Daniel (Ralph Macchio), who is tormented by rich karate aficionados. In order to confront them in a tournament, the kid gets tutored by a handyman, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). The old man teaches Daniel that the heart and mind are more important than fists. One day, he has the kid wash cars, telling him to "wax on" with one hand and "wax off" with the other. In the end, Daniel realizes that washing cars served as karate practice.


# 13

"[...] You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"
"Di

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