Great Movie Speeches

[AndyC]

I rented Jaws recently. It's been many years since I last saw it. My favourite part of this movie has to be Captain Quint's speech about the USS Indianapolis. Really outstanding.

Got to thinking that it takes some good acting, writing and filmmaking to make a gripping scene out of one character telling a story for a few minutes. But there are many great examples. So, what are your favourites? And please, no lists. Pick one or two, and explain your choice. Makes for better discussion.



Post Edited (04-12-05 20:04)

[Fearless Freep]

Bill Murrey in "Stripes" speaking to the recruits the night before their graduation was really good

[Eirik]

Emilio Estevez telling why he had detention in the Breakfast Club.

Rocky's random babble trying to sweet talk Adrienne at the beginning of the first Rocky.

[Fearless Freep]

I think I rmember there are more than a few in either of Peter O'Tooles "Beckett" or "Lion In Winter"...probably also "My Favorite Year"

[saintmort]

The Breakfast Club one mentioned is a good one.

But my favorites

The final speech in American Beauty

The Final Speech in Big Fish

The Ben Affleck Love Confession speech in Chasing Amy

And there's a bunch of good ones in Stand by Me

[dean]

Speaking of Chasing Amy, I also really liked the speech at the start at the comic convention with the rant about how racist Star Wars was.  Funny as hell!

Um, other good speeches I can think of off the top of my head is pretty much every drug-fueled rant in Apocalypse Now.

And for all it's patriotic nonsense, the speech Bill Pullman gives to all the pilots in Independence Day.

[Scott]

That Bill Murray speech in STRIPES is to funny. Really love that film.

I also like the Saint Crispins Day speech in HENRY V (1989).



Post Edited (04-13-05 00:10)

[saintmort]

Add Cinderella's Story Speech from bill Murray in Caddyshack on there

[dean]

Oh and the 'like a virgin' speech in Resevoir Dogs.  Just the way that whole scene was structured really engaged me.

[Bmeansgood]

Chevy Chase's speech in Christmas Vacation.....

"I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane, with all the other rich people, and I want him brought right here with a big ribbon on his head. And, I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no good, rotten, floor-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed, sack of monkey sh** he is! Hallelujah! Holly Sh**! Where's the Tylenol?"

[Mr Hockstatter]

The speech Eastwood made to that Indian chief towards the end of The Outlaw Josey Wales.

[George]

Bull Durham - Crash Davis to Annie Savoy
"Well, I believe in the soul, the cock, the p***y, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days. "

Freaking Awsome!!!!

[AndyC]

These are great. Another that can't be overlooked is the famous "mad as hell" speech from Network. Really rousing stuff.

And another favourite of mine is the monologue at the beginning of Sling Blade, in which Carl tells the story of how he came to be in a mental institution. Just the calm, matter-of-fact way he talks about murdering his mother and her lover in a fit of rage. Really chilling, but with a certain innocence. He's someone to be feared, but you feel sorry for him at the same time. And the atmosphere of the scene was just right - dark, tense, intimate, almost claustrophobic. It's like he's talking to you. You're right there in that room with him.



Post Edited (04-13-05 11:31)

[odinn7]

Mr Hockstatter wrote:

> The speech Eastwood made to that Indian chief towards the end
> of The Outlaw Josey Wales.

I love that speech but that also brings to mind Clint Eastwood himself...

In Dirty Harry he makes the speech to Scorpio as he points the .44 Mag at him. The one  where he tells Scorpio that he needs to ask himself a question and then goes on about the .44 Magnum and ends with: "Do you feel lucky, punk?"

I like the speech he gives to the guy in the elevator in Sudden Impact about being "careful where the dog sh*ts ya".

He also gives a speech to the guys robbing the diner in Sudden Impact. The one about him coming there for 20 years and getting a coffee with no sugar. This time he comes in and gets a coffee "and there's sugar, lots of sugar" and he just came back to complain.

I could go on but I will say that Clint usually has some good speeches thrown into his movies. It's they way he delivers them that I like so much and probably why he was my hero while I was growing up.



Post Edited (04-13-05 11:44)

[trekgeezer]

Yul Brynner's "No one won but the farmers" speech at the end ot The Magnificent Seven. It is almost verbatim from the Seven Samurai.

I, like Scott like the "St. Crispians Day" speech from Henry V, only I like the one done by Lillo Brancato in Renaissance Man. When mean Sgt. Gregory Hines tries to say that DeVito hasn't taught the loser squad anything, it's pouring rain and Brancato launches into the speech in his Brooklyn accent.

"He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
Make him a member of the gentry, even if he is a commoner.
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.."