My Ten Favorite Movie Quotes

There have been hundreds - maybe thousands - of movies made in the history of cinema. And yet, only a fraction of those movies have memorable dialogue - lines that inspire us or make us laugh - lines with insights that grab our attention and make us say "wow." These are the quotes that linger with us long after we leave the movie theater and the name of the movie fades in our minds.

Over my years of going to movies, the ideas and insights that characters' lines presented are what have impressed me most. After a lot of thought and research on my favorite movies at http://www.moviequotes.com and http://imbd.com, here are ten of my favorite movie quotes:

1. "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger." - This line by Claire Belcher (Olympia Dukakis) from Steel Magnolias (1989) has been presented many ways. I first encountered it while working on a project with an individual while standing behind her laptop at a meeting and seeing "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." scroll across the screen-saver. The phrase has had a profound affect on how I deal with adversity and I was surprised to learn that the quote originated in Steel Magnolias when I finally saw the movie on TV recently.

2. "I haven't met that many happy people. How do they act?" This is one of the great lines from The Big Chill (1983) and is part of the entire introspective theme of the movie. The line, spoken by Chloe (Meg Tally) struck home as I watched the movie for a second time. Happiness is an elusive state of mind that we all want to find and hold on to in our lives. I am learning that the reality may be that we have to intentionally choose to be happy and work at it rather than waiting for happiness to find us.

3. "The universe is a pretty big place; it's bigger than anyone has ever dreamed of before. So it just seems like an awful waste of space." Contact (1997) is a movie with a theme and a message that absolutely riveted me the first time I saw the movie. I fully agree with the Ellie Arroway's (Jodie Foster) answer to a group of grade school students. It is absurd to think that we are the only intelligent life form in the limitlessness of the universe. It is more than probable that there are much more advanced life forms on other planets. The better question to ask is when will they contact us?

4. "You're and interesting species, an interesting mix. You're capable of such beautiful dreams and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you're not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other." Here is another quote from Contact, spoken by an alien that has taken the form of Ellie Arroway's father and is talking to her. The words very succinctly speak to the truth of the isolation and loneliness that is rampant in our society - and the solution. I also find it interesting that the alien refers to us as a "species."

5. "I'm not against technology, Doctor; I'm against the men who deify it at the expense of human truth." I was impressed by this insightful quote by Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey) to S. R. Hadden (John Hurt) in Contact. Science and technology do not have all the answers. This statement is right on target, in part, because these exact sciences fail to take into account our humanity, frailty, and search for truth - the inner spirit that causes us to feel, dream and think abstractly in ways that technology and science can not duplicate.

6. "Ironically, the thing that people are most hungry for - meaning - is the one thing that science hasn't been able to give them." The underlying theme in Contact is that scientific discipline misses the point and that there is more to searching the universe for new life forms than scientific inquiry. Ellie Arroway's observation to Palmer Joss insightfully notes that we are a culture that instinctively wants to connect with others - that it is our human nature - and it should come as no great surprise that other life forms are also seeking to connect with others.

7. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it." While this movie is not one of my favorites, this observation, made to no one in particular by Ferris Bueller, the main character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), sums up the theme of the movie. The quote also serves to remind me that we all need to find ways to slow down the frantic pace of our lives take time for ourselves and our individual needs.

8. "Dancing's just a conversation. Talk to me." Why couldn't I come up with a great line like this one by Justin Matisse (Harry Connick, Jr.) to Birdee Pruitt (Sandra Bullock) in the romantic comedy Hope Floats (1998)? I had never thought of dancing quite that way before. Dancing is an opportunity for people to meet - to talk - and when two people dance together for the first time, there is a conversation going on, even if they don't say a word, because body language is talking for them.

9. "You get what you settle for." This one line by Thelma (Susan Sarandon) in Thelma & Louise (1991) speaks loud and clear to the frustration the two main characters, Thelma and Louise, feel about the desperation in their lives. It also speaks just as loudly and clearly to the outcomes we choose to accept in our lives and when the fact is that we have the power to accept or reject the majority of those outcomes and to craft better options.

10. "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." This is a powerful statement that I think politicians and citizens both need to clearly understand. The statement is made by V (Hugo Weaving) in one of the more important movies of our time, V for Vendetta (2003). I became more aware of the power of government and it's potentially destructive affect on well meaning politicians when I sat in on a reporter's interview with a gentleman running for the U.S. Congress for the first time. He noted in the interview that one of his main concerns was to avoid the influences of Washington and to stay focused on representing his constituency rather than become a representative of special interests. He served in Congress for several terms and has since retired. I've always wondered if he was able to remain true to his intent.