Summary

• Great movie quotes capture the essence of a film and can be recognized even out of context.
• The circumstances and delivery of a quote can enhance its impact and popularity.
• Movie quotes have the power to express complex emotions and themes in a concise and memorable way.

Some movie quotes are so famous that even people who haven't seen the movies they come from will be able to recognize them instantly. The best quotes can summarize the entire thrust of a movie, revealing the themes and the tone with just a few words. Great delivery helps a quote catch on, but the circumstances are often more important. Any great movie can have outstanding quotes, as long as the script does all the work required to set up a poignant moment.

The best movie quotes can be stripped from their context and still hold meaning. This is how quotes work their way into the cultural lexicon. A single unforgettable line has the power to make a movie even better, but it often works the other way around. A well-written and well-acted story will make some of its best quotes even more powerful due to the weight of context. Taking these quotes out of the context of the movie doesn't fully describe what makes them so popular, but they are just as recognizable.

15 "There's No Place Like Home."

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Although Dorothy forms some wonderful friendships in Oz, she knows she has to return to Kansas eventually. Her family are still there waiting for her. She wakes up in her bed with her aunt and uncle watching over her, as if her adventure in Oz was all a dream. There's a certain ambiguity to the phrase Glinda teaches her which will magically send her home. It doesn't state that home is superior in any way, but simply that it's unlike anywhere else. Dorothy can still miss her friends in Oz, but it isn't where she belongs, and she knows it. Even if her home isn't perfect, it's where she needs to be.

14 "You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat."

Jaws (1975)

Steven Jaws, which gave it a particularly menacing presence. Without being able to see the beast they are trying to capture, the three men are left to imagine how the shark might appear based on how many victims it claimed. When it finally breaks above the surface of the ocean, it's even more terrifying than Brody was prepared for. He bolts up and tells Quint that they are unprepared. Spielberg isn't known as a comedy director, but there is something undoubtedly funny about the obviousness of Brody's statement. It betrays how scared he is.

13 "You're Killing Me, Smalls."

The Sandlot (1993)

Said multiple times throughout the movie, this phrase has been adopted by fans of The Sandlot as a useful shorthand for a number of situations. The delivery helps sell the sheer exasperation, but the hyperbolic language also helps. Smalls is a complete outsider. He doesn't mean to cause anyone any trouble, but he's ignorant about the ways the neighborhood kids like to do things. He is especially ignorant when it comes to baseball, which is a vital part of making new friends in his new environment.

12 "I'll Be Back."

The Terminator (1984)

1980s action movies didn't just need a high body count and a gun-toting renegade, they also needed some quips thrown in for good measure. Nobody mastered this peculiar art quite like Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose emotionless delivery emphasized his character's careful word choice in The Terminator. Spoken to a police officer who denies the Terminator access to see Sarah Connor, the famous phrase sets up a brutal slaughter in the police station. The Terminator smashes a car through the front door before mercilessly and methodically shooting every police officer brave enough not to flee immediately.

11 "Stop Trying To Make Fetch Happen!"

Mean Girls (2004)

Mean Girls is an extremely quotable comedy, and it combines a killer script with some brilliant performances. Mean Girls manages to tap into the dialect of high school girls, but some of its most famous phrases push things even further. "Fetch" is one example of the kind of ridiculous thing that these characters might say under different circumstances, but it is absolutely denied entry into the group's lexicon. The Mean Girls musical movie has a tough act to follow, and it will have to stand out in its own way.

10 "Here's Looking At You, Kid."

Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca is packed full of unforgettable quotes, most of which come out of Humphrey Bogart's mouth. Bogart oozes style as Rick, but Ilsa shakes up his relatively comfortable life when she reappears like a ghost from his past. He says "here's looking at you, kid" twice. The first time he says it to Ilsa in Paris when the two are at the height of their romance. The second time is a gut-wrenching goodbye, as he decides to stay behind in Casablanca while she travels to Lisbon. It's his own way of telling her that he still loves her, and that he still thinks about their past even though he decides to let it go.

9 "To Infinity And Beyond."

Toy Story (1995)

He isn't aspiring to a place or a time. He's stating that he is going to sur a concept.

Buzz Lightyear's catchphrase in Toy Story is completely nonsensical. It's not possible to go beyond infinity, but this reflects Buzz's limitless ambition. In his mind, he is a noble space ranger on a hostile alien planet, even though he is a plastic toy in a child's bedroom in reality. The nebulous nature of "infinity" also underlines Buzz's blustering bravado. He isn't aspiring to a place or a time. He's stating that he is going to sur a concept. The phrase eventually gains more nuance as a call to action despite the possible consequences. Sometimes reckless, idiotic bravery is what's called for.

8 "You're Trying To Seduce Me, Mrs. Robinson... Aren't You?"

The Graduate (1967)

Benjamin does eventually enter into an affair with Mrs. Robinson, but he is very hesitant and unsure of himself to begin with. Mrs. Robinson wears animal print clothing as she toys with her young neighbor. He frantically paces around the room while she sits completely still. She has all the control until he boldly states her intentions outright, but he can't back himself up without her confirmation. Benjamin is caught at a crossroads after graduating from college. He doesn't know what he wants out of his life, and he isn't sure where to begin. Even his strongest moments are immediately undercut with doubt.

7 "I'll Have What She's Having."

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

The famous diner scene in When Harry Met Sally works as an icebreaker while the two main characters share a long car ride together. During their journey, they share their opinions on love and friendship, but Sally's fake orgasm in the diner is the first time she indulges Harry's constant talk about sex. It's a good way to shut him up, as well as everyone else in the small roadside diner. But one other customer knows what to say, and she delivers the perfect button to Sally's extravagant display. The woman who says the famous line is director Rob Reiner's mother, Estelle.

6 "E.T. Phone Home."

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Elliott and his siblings have a lot of fun with the extra-terrestrial they find in their tool shed, but they can't communicate with one another. Gertie manages to teach E.T. some rudimentary English phrases, and his strange habits start to make sense. E.T. is from a highly intelligent space-faring species, but there are times when he seems to be on a similar level of intelligence to the children, merely because he has no understanding of the language or his surroundings. When he communicates his desire to go home, it humanizes him in a strange way. He is no longer a novelty. He is lost, scared, and alone.