My Ten Favorite Movie Quotes

My parents used to drop my brothers and me at the movies every Saturday. With my 50 cent allowance clutched in my hand, I'd pay for my ticket, a box of popcorn, and a coke. Then it was time to settle in for a double feature complete with cartoons. That was the beginning of my love for movies and my collection of movie quotes.

The first movie of which I have a clear memory seeing is To Kill a Mockingbird It was not until I was an adult, working as a parole officer with murderers, sex offenders, and pedophiles that I realised Bob Ewell's true intent the night Scout and Jem were attacked on their way home. "Sheriff Tate: I may not be much Mr. Finch, but I'm still sheriff of Maycomb County. And Bob Ewell fell on his knife. Good night sir." (from IMdB). The Finch's neighbor, Arthur "Boo" Radley had actually stabbed Ewell with the knife he (Ewell) had intended to use in harming Scout. The Sheriff exercised enormous discretion in the use of his authority as Sheriff and equally enormous kindness to Boo. Given Boo's emotional handicaps, forcing him into the glare of a public investigation such as that involved in a coroner's inquest or a grand jury investigation into a suspicious death, would be akin to pulling the wings off a fly

This movie quote touches me for the power and kindness it contained in those few words. Forty years ago it was a matter of discretion, at least in a rural county. Now, that kind of kindness wouldn't even be possible. The officer/deputy on scene would be too wary of being brought up on charges of dereliction of duty or tampering with evidence. The Sheriff, in all liklihood, wouldn't even be called to the scene until all the evidence and bodies had been "bagged and tagged." There simply wouldn't be a chance for him to exercise his discretion as was done in TKaM. And that is very sad.

One of my favorite one-up movie quotes is this line from Hannibal. It was delivered byJulianne Moore in the role of Clarice Starling, "I wasn't speaking to you, Mr. Krendler. When I speak to you, you'll know it because I'll look at you." This line was delivered during an Internal Affairs type hearing, after a debacle during a multi-agency operation that went horribly wrong. As the agent in charge of the operation, Clarice is taking the responsibility for its failure. She was in the middle of answering a question asked by someone else, when Krendler interrupts with a comment. Previously in the movie, we were shown that Krendler is a misogynistic, self-centered, incompetent, dictatorial blowhard. Having worked with more than a few of these types of bosses, even some female bosses, I just LOVED how Clarice put him in his place with a few well chosen words.

My favorite angry wife movie quote came from Julia Roberts as Grace in Something to Talk About Her husband accuses her of being sexually cold. Her response is, " Oh don't you lay that on me! I have orgasms everyday. I've just gotten so used to having them when you're not in the room." I just about wet my pants I was laughin' so hard. Everyone of the women with whom I shared this line related to the basic truth underlying it; when you're angry with a man, you seek sexual gratification in other ways

Serenity, the movie that tied up the loose ends from the Sci-Fi series "FireFly", contains a quote that is a reference to classical literature. In the scene a man, never called by name, is searching for a young woman who is a fugitive from the authorities. She and her older brother have been passengers upon Captain Reynold's ship, the Serenity, for quite sometime. The Captain is very protective of "his" people. He also doesn't like being forced to do anything. So when this exchange occurs: The Operative : That girl will rain destruction down on you and your ship. She is an albatross, Captain.
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: Way I remember it, albatross was a ship's good luck, 'til some idiot killed it. I cheered. This movie quote is one of my favorites because, like Malcolm Reynolds, I don't like being told what to do, either. It is a rallying cry for the iconoclast in me.

There are so many wonderful lines in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, I had trouble deciding which I would use. I watched it again in preparation for writing this article and finally settled on just these two movie quotes. In this one, Siddalee, the daughter of Vivi and Shep, has just been told the details of her Mother's early life and nervous breakdown by Vivi's closest friends since childhood. Siddalee: I'm just adding up the thousands of dollars I've spent trying to figure out what the hell I did wrong. Caro: [to Sidda's father] Shep? Write her a check". Having had my own issues that had to be worked out in therapy, I can appreciate that line in ways financial as well as emotional.
The other movie quote I chose from Ya-Ya Sisterhood comes after Siddalee gets off the phone with Vivi, her mother. We see Vivi beat the phone on the counter again and again while screaming. Siddalee does the same thing, then: Siddalee: "I am SICK AND TIRED OF HER TANTRUMS AND DRUNKEN RAGES! I HEARD THE ICE CLINKING IN THE GLASS MOMMA! SOUNDS OF MY HAPPY CHILDHOOD! " My mother is an alcoholic. This movie quote is one of my favorites because I have felt that way so many times, I could have written that line!

My favorite movie quote from Rounders comes from Matt Damon as Mike McDermott. His girlfriend has just told him they don't have time for sex. He says:" I'll be really quick. You won't feel a thing." This quote is meaningful since I believe every woman in a marriage or live-in relationship has heard this line at least once. I have been married three times and I know I've heard it more than three times. It's just a fact of modern married life.

All About Eve is another one of those classic films full of possible movie quotes. I finally decided on this one delivered by Bette Davis as Margo Channing, the broadway star : "Lloyd, honey, be a playwright with guts. Write me one about a nice normal woman who just shoots her husband." Margo is tipsy, and talking to her friend Lloyd. Margo has long resisted marriage proposals from her slightly younger gentleman friend, Bill. This quote strikes a chord in me and in the soul of many women, I'll wager. My friend Nan* and I once bemoaned, "Men, can't live with them, can't bury them in the pasture without breakin' a nail." *name changed to protect her privacy

When I was a Sophomore in High School, I went to see Patton with my Daddy. He was a WWII veteran. He didn't serve under Patton but he admired him. I chose this movie quote out of all the great lines from this awesome film because Daddy and I agreed on how this scene was portrayed. It was rare during this period for us to agree on many things, but we were of the same mind that George was completely correct in his actions and words.

Patton was in the hospital tent, moving from bed to bed, pinning purple hearts to the pillows or pajamas of gravely wounded soldiers. He had just been kneeling and whispering in the ear of a troop whose head was swathed in bandages. He appeared to be in a coma as there was no movement during the time Patton was by his bed. Perhaps the General was praying for the wounded soldier. Upon rising from this fallen warrior's bedside, Patton's gaze falls on the crying, but physically unharmed soldier with whom the following exchange takes place:

Patton: What's the matter with you?
Soldier Who Gets Slapped: Well, I... I guess I... I can't take it anymore.
Patton: What did you say?
Soldier Who Gets Slapped: It's my nerves, sir. I... I just can't stand the shelling anymore.
Patton: Your *nerves*? Well, hell, you're nothing but a God-damned coward.
[Soldier start sniveling]
Patton: Shut up!
[Slaps him, once forehanded, then backhanded on the rebound]
Patton: I'm not going to have a man sitting here *crying*! In front of these brave men who have been wounded in battle!
[Soldier snivels some more, and Patton swings a vicious forehand slap, knocking his helmet away]
Patton: *Shut up!*
[to the doctors]
Patton: Don't admit this yellow bastard. There's nothing wrong with him. I won't have a man who's just afraid to fight *stinking up this place of honor!* You will get him back up to the front.
[to soldier]
Patton: You're going back to the front, boy. You may get shot, and you may get killed, but you're going back to the fighting. Either that, or I'll stand you up before a firing squad. Why, I ought to shoot you right now, you...
[pulls his service automatic. At that, the doctors leap forward and hustle the soldier out of the tent. Patton keeps shouting at the soldier's back]
Patton: God-damned bastard! Get him out of here! Take him back to the *front! You hear me? You God-damned coward!*
[Takes deep breath]
Patton: I won't have cowards in my army

The last movie quote I will share with you is from my favorite science fiction movie, Aliens. Ripley, the heroine of this movie is talking with the child Newt. Newt is the only survivor from a colony of over 70 families. She has lost her parents, brother, all her friends, everyone she has ever known. But she was resourceful enough to be able to hide from the aliens until the Colonial Marines, and Ripley, arrived. She and Ripley are bedding down for the night when :
Newt: My mommy always said there were no monsters - no real ones - but there are.
Ripley: Yes, there are, aren't there?
Newt: Why do they tell little kids that?
Ripley: Most of the time it's true.

This movie quote is significant for me because it's two survivors of monster attacks talking about the monsters being real. I know the monsters are real, too. Most people don't think pedophiles or serial rapists in the way I do. I know them all too well. I worked with them as a Parole Officer. I know they look just like the rest of us. They can live next door and you'd never know it until they were arrested and the news reporters came to interview you. They are the coaches of your kids soccer team, the youth pastor at your church, the new worker at day care. And they aren't all men. There are female sex offenders, too. Yeah, I know the monsters are real, too, Newt.

I hope y'all enjoyed reading about my favorite movie quotes as much as I enjoyed writing about them. Each and every movie quote brought back memories for me. Most of them were good memories. It was good mental exercise to have to winnow out the less than worthy and just choose ten movie quotes toshare. .