10 of My Personally Memorable Movie Quotes

I love movies. And a long, long, long time ago, I used to rent about a dozen movies for the weekend, invite a house full of people over, cook a lot of food and start playing movies. Those were golden times, filled with golden memories. Today, I'm pulling some of my favorite famous movie qoutes out for you, dusting them off, and hoping you like them. Ticket please....

1. Probably one of the most famous movie quotes ever, came from Love Story (1970), when the character, Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O'Neal), tells Jennifer Cavalieri (Ali MacGraw), during one of film histories most gut wrenching moments EVER, "Love means, never having to say you're sorry." What a crock. I mean, I know they meant well, and in the context of the movie, it made sense, but do we really need any more encouragement for not taking responsibility, or accountability, for our actions? Yeah, I believed in the moment, and cried in the moment, just like everyone else. Then I came to. It took me a long time to learn, true love means looking at damage done, to others or self, and taking the next indicated step to correcting it, which usually means saying, "I'm sorry." And then the next, and even bigger step, of making actual amends for the initial hurt or damage.

2. And from the God Father (1972), along with other famous movie quotes from the same film, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse," When Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) speaks to Johnny Fontane (Al Martino), about a business man of interest. 'Nuff said, eh? What sales person has not used that line, when trying to close at least one big deal? It's a motivational thought. But getting back to where it came from... I wonder how many people know that "insurance," is rooted in the old racket of the same name ("insurance" - when you paid to keep bad things from happening - and not get reimbursed when they did), and the Bank Of America, was once the Bank of Italy. The series of God Father books and movies sure romanticized the heck out of the "Good Fellows."

3. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!" Movie quote, from the epic Gone With The Wind (1939), may be one of the most used quotes ever! When Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) stood in front of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), and made that proclamation, remember it was 1939! Bold for the times! It has fit many occasions - and to me - it implies that aristocratic aire, which allows for both familiarity and not caring, in the same moment. It is said that familiarity breeds contempt, even if just in the movies. I'm guilty of using it.

4. To this day, commercials are doing take offs of movie quotes and especially ones like the rant by Howard Beale(Peter Finch), from Network, (1976), "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" How many of us have not had someone rub our raw nerves just a little bit more until you think you can not just take another... word? moment? insult? look? letter? accusation? poor service/products? It's amazing how sometimes, quotes from movies seem to fill the space in your head, like no words you come up with on your own could or would.

5. "Houston, we have a problem." Apollo 13, (1995), (starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Kathleen Quinlan, Bill Paxton and more), is more famous as a movie quote now, but originally was a actual report of a life threatening situations aboard spacecraft. But today, honestly, has anyone worked a job, where this particular catch-phrase has not been used - to even simply imply, "the copier is jammed," or other daily life problems? One side note: The actual line from transcripts between control and the flight crew, showed one of the most famous movie quotes ever, was changed just a little, from past tense, to present tense, for added impact.

6. In Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) delivered the most famous of movie quotes, for men who have fought getting involved or married, every step of the way. He said to his fiancée, Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane), "I've sneered at every love scene in every play. " What a tough guy, huh? We all know them. They cross their arms over their chests, they are too cool to laugh out loud, get caught with tears in their eyes, or tell you how cute a puppy is. Till they meet their own Elaine Harper. And the movie is a great comedy which studies the art of being non-committed, while they discuss committing Mortimer's brother Theodore Brewster (John Alexander), who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt.

7. While still while visiting Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Theodore Brewster (John Alexander) delivers his own famous quote - a yell of "CHAAAARGGGE" while charging up the staircase in their home, when-ever he can, and blowing his bugle all the while, believing it is San Juan Hill. It adds to the hilarity of the dark comedy it is set in. It has also given me reason to smile, at my private joke, when I think someone I may be dealing with is about as competent as Theodore Brewster, himself!

8. And as far as famous movie quotes go, quotes that are closer to reality than we might like to admit, how about , "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"? Dr. Strangelove, (1964). Isn't that life imitating art (or government, at least) when there are seeming absurdities that are nevertheless true! Public lands we are not allowed to walk upon because they are closed to the public, free speech which requires a financial deposit for a facility in which to present your free speech, medi-care rather than medi-decline-of-service, majority rules - when the majority was never really consulted....

9. Amongst the most famous movie quotes here, I must include, from The Elephant Man, (1980), "I am not an animal! I am a human being!" John Merrick (played by John Hurt), is being hurt by total strangers, because he is different. I have worked with "challenged" people. I have felt the stares, and watched as people have leaned together to whisper and point. And I have, like others, suffered emotional harm. And there is no phrase of mind or conscience, more appropriate than the quote above, from The Elephant Man. We are all of us human beings.

10. And my last famous movie quote, but not the least, "Mama says, 'Stupid is as stupid does.'" as delivered Forrest Gump, (Michael Conner Humphreys - young Forrest Gump) in Forrest Gump (1994). A quote, which may be reserved for a moment when comedic comment is required, a moment when comedy will bring relief, but the quote its self, will bring no harm.

Resources:

www.google.com

www.imdb.com

www.wikipedia.org

www.phrases.org

www.filmsite.org