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A Dime Saved
The 15 Best Final Lines From Movies
1 days ago
The ending of a movie can make or break a film. Even if a movie is great all the way along, a botched ending that falls flat, leaves the audience confused, or leaves important questions unanswered can earn it two thumbs down from audiences and critics alike.
One of the best ways of ending a film well is closing it with a memorable line, and here are some that absolutely prove the point:
Kill Bill: Volume 1.Photo byMiramax.
“Well, Nobody’s Perfect!” -- Some Like It Hot
Osgood is in love with “Daphne,” who actually is a man (Jerry). When Jerry reveals the truth, Osgood ponders for a second and then utters what became an instant classic of a final line.
“The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of.” -- The Maltese Falcon
Lives have been lost and ruined, and all for the sake of a legendary bird statue that turns out to be a fake. World-weary Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) mutters these words when someone asks him what the statue is.
“Louie, I Think This Is the Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship.” – Casablanca
A year later, Bogart as cynical nightclub-owner Rick Blaine got to once again deliver an immortal closing line. It’s as he and Captain Renault, his sometimes-rival, walk off into the fog as the movie’s score plays, signaling hope for a better future.
“After All, Tomorrow Is Another Day.” – Gone With the Wind
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” might be the most famous line from this movie, but plenty of people have heard and repeated this one. It comes as Scarlett O’Hara stops feeling sorry for herself and vows never to be poor or hungry again.
“The Horror…the Horror.” – Apocalypse Now
These are the dying words of Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a man who has let the darkest impulses of humanity take him over. As the film closes, we hear these words repeated, reinforcing the movie’s themes.
“All Right, Mr. Demille, I’m Ready for My Close-Up.” – Sunset Boulevard
Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) is a faded film star who says this at the very end. Ironically, though, she has lost her mind and doesn’t know that her close-up will be a mug shot since the police are taking her away for committing murder.
Following one of the most shocking and tragic endings in movie history, this line hits hard as Jake Gittes watches the woman he loves die and the man responsible, her father, take away her daughter, whom he fathers. It underscores the idea that terrible things happen, and we can’t do anything about them.
“Roads? Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roads!” – Back to the Future
Sure, the line pretty flagrantly sets the stage for a sequel. But it’s still a great line and sets the stage for what’s to come.
“I’ll Be Right Here.” – E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. takes us on an emotional roller coaster over the second half of the film. E.T.’s last words as he boards his spacecraft to return home are bittersweet and make us well up yet again.
“No, It Wasn’t the Airplanes. It Was Beauty That Killed the Beast.” – King Kong
Poor King Kong was doomed the moment he set eyes on Ann (Fay Wray). It’s okay to admit you hoped he would swat down all the planes, climb down from the Empire State Building, and somehow return home to live the rest of his life in peace.
“I Do Wish We Could Chat More, but I’m Having an Old Friend for Dinner.” – The Silence of the Lambs
From just about anyone, these words to close a conversation would sound perfectly normal. But Dr. Hannibal Lecter is not just anyone, and we know this cannibal-serial killer means something else entirely as he eyes his next victim.
“The Greatest Trick the Devil Ever Pulled Was Convincing the World He Didn’t Exist. And Like That…He’s Gone.” – The Usual Suspects
As the detective finally realizes the truth about Verbal AKA Keyser Soze (Kevin Spacey), he rushes out to catch him, but it’s too late. He’s gone, leaving us with this reminder of Verbal’s earlier words.
“The Name’s Bond. James Bond.” – Casino Royale
Before this movie, you were probably already familiar with this line. The twist here, though, is that Bond (Daniel Craig) says this at the end, not the beginning, telling us that the rebooted franchise is up and running.
“You Met Me at a Very Strange Time in My Life.” – Fight Club
After the big reveal you were probably kicking yourself for not catching earlier, Tyler Durden (now Edward Norton) shares this observation with his bewildered girlfriend (Helena Bonham Carter). Meanwhile, everything starts blowing up.
“One More Thing, Sophie. Is She Aware Her Daughter Is Still Alive?” – Kill Bill: Volume 1
After triumphing in one of the bloodiest and most epic movie sword fights ever, Black Mamba (Uma Thurman) seems set on her course of revenge against Bill (David Carradine) and the Deadly Vipers. This closing line from Bill shocks the audience and foreshadows the complexities to come.
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