Of the seventy-five Mt. Rushmores I've erected since initiating my most enduring series in July 2012, the one I've most often been tempted to demolish and re-construct enshrined four perfect one-liners from a movie. I hope you'll join in today by nominating up to four easy-to-remember lines of movie dialogue that you think measure up to those below. (To avoid duplicating any of my flawless choices, be sure to also check out the October 2013 originals on Mt. Rushmore #16.) My repurposed monument orders the four lines via release date of the film. Order yours however you wish.
1.) "I'll alert the media." From the day I heard Sir John Gielgud deadpan this line to Dudley Moore in Arthur (1981), I've used this one-liner dozens of times. Has there ever been a more perfectly sarcastic response to a banality?
2.) "Well, that would certainly explain the hostility." My Cousin Vinny (1992) has several Rushmore-worthy lines. But judge Fred Gwynne's offhand remark upon learning that Marisa Tomei is the fiancée of hapless attorney Joe Pesci is an unimprovable line from this top-notch comedy.
3.) "Show me the money!" The films of director/screenwriter Cameron Crowe are stuffed with goodies like this. The mercenary challenge hurled at Tom Cruise/Jerry Maguire (1996) by Cuba Gooding Jr. is a moment of pure movie magic.
4.) "I love you but you don't know what the hell you're talking about." From arguably the least well-known film in this group - Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - comes this unforgettable gem. How many times in your life have you had this exact thought even if you never said it aloud to someone you loved?
Reflections From The Bell Curve: #16: The Mt. Rushmore Series
Your turn.
There are so many lines that come to mind. Here are four that I nominate:
ReplyDelete"I'll be back." —Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Terminator
"Go ahead, make my day." —Clint Eastwood, Sudden Impact
"You can't handle the truth!" —Jack Nicholson, A Few Good Men
"You talking to me?" —Robert De Niro, Taxi Driver
Chris; All good choices. Not as good as mine but that is to be expected. Thanks for reading.
DeleteSomething has changed in the comments from previously in terms of posting comments. Regardless, given the horrific murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, I have always loved the line: "I want what she is having."
ReplyDeleteInes; When we next talk face-to-face maybe you can elaborate more on "what's changed" re posting comments. And, wild as it is, that line from "When Harry Met Sally" - spoken by Rob Reiner's mother, BTW - occurred to me when I began writing this post. I decided not to use the line or to make mention of those senseless murders because doing so felt exploitative and a little ghoulish.
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