Some movies manage to drop a line of dialogue that can turn out to be even more famous than the movie itself.
Here are 21 of the most epic movie lines ever said.
“Every man dies, but not every man really lives.” – Mel Gibson, Braveheart
When Mel Gibson played William Wallace in Braveheart, this epically amazing film about the Scottish fight for freedom, the impassioned speeches and lines he said were so emotive that audiences found themselves almost ready to join him in Scotland’s fight for freedom.
“Win the crowd and you will win your freedom.” – Oliver Reed, Gladiator
An epic scene in a great movie saw Oliver Reed deliver this famous and emotive line as he gives advice to Russel Crowe on how he, too, can win his freedom as a Gladiator.
“The world changes, we do not, therein lies the irony that kills us.” – Antonio Banderas, Interview with the Vampire
This was an all-star cast Starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Antonio Banderas. Everything about this film was epic: the acting, the costumes, and the script, which delivered thought-provoking lines like this.
“You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland. And I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” – Morpheus, The Matrix
Even though this line was said in 1999 when The Matrix was released, it is still quoted almost daily in popular culture. People love this line because it sums up such a deep concept in only a few words: There is a surface-level understanding of life, and then there is the option to dive deeper into the existential meaning of everything: life, existence, and the Universe.
“You better wake up. The world you live in is just a sugar-coated topping! There is another world beneath it: the real world.” – Wesley Snipes, Blade
Here are some harsh words of wisdom from Wesley Snipes in the first Blade movie. This line is serious and relevant not only to the film; it refers to living in a world full of vampires, which has some double meanings for how hard real life can be, vampires or not.
“You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender, I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.” – Terry Malloy, On the Waterfront
Filmed in 1954, this movie still holds a rating of 8.1 on IMDB, which is quite impressive. This famous line was dropped by the lead actor, Marlon Brando, who was playing an ex-prize fighter who was struggling to stand up to some corrupt Union bosses. As he starts to fall for a woman in the movie, he says this line, which has become more famous than the film itself.
“May the force be with you.” – Hans Solo, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
This line from Star Wars is so famous that it now practically has its own day in the calendar year. Friends and colleagues exchange the greeting “May the 4th be with you” on the fourth day of May each year. This serves as a funny, friendly greeting for Star Wars fans and non-Star Wars fans alike.
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” – Martin Brody, Jaws
Jaws is an epic movie that made an entire generation of people afraid to swim in the sea for fear of seeing a man-eating shark. This line is infamous for the fear it conveys, as it basically says that because the shark is such a giant, you’re going to need a much bigger boat if you want to survive out there against him in the ocean.
“All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.” – Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard
A classic of the classics, Sunset Boulevard was filmed in 1950, and it’s impressive that it still holds a rating of 8.4 on IMDB. The film follows the story of a screenwriter who has a dangerous liaison with a faded film star.
“My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” – Forrest Gump
An epic movie line from Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump; this statement sums up the experience of life in a very simplistic but accurate way.
“Get to the Choppa!” Arnold Schwarzenegger, Predator
Gen-Z seems to love this movie line, but they might not necessarily know which film it comes from, as the line has become way more famous than the movie it was said in. But we have Arnold Schwarzenegger to thank for this line, which he shouted as he tried to escape a man-eating alien in the jungle.
“The stuff that dreams are made of.” – Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon
I bet you have heard this line, but you might not know that it’s from a 1941 film. This movie has stood the test of time, as this line is still widely used today over 80 years later, and the film still has an IMDB rating of 8 stars. Impressive.
“Somebody stop me!” – Jim Carrey, The Mask
Starring the legendary Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, this film is a comedy classic. We have Carrey’s narcissistic alter-ego, “The Mask,” to thank for the hilarious line, “Somebody stop me!”
“You can’t handle the truth!” – Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, A Few Good Men
A Few Good Men stars Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, and Kevin Bacon, so it’s no wonder we received some epic lines from this all-star performance.
“If you build it, he will come.” – Kevin Costner, Field of Dreams
This line is famous and speaks of the premonitions that Costner’s character has in the film. An ordinary farmer has dreams and visions that urge him to turn his corn fields into something that will allow dreams to come true.
“I’ll be back.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Terminator
How could we not include this infamous line from The Terminator? Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered it when he played one of the most iconic roles in movie history.
“Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” – Margo Channing, All About Eve
Here is another well-known movie line that we often hear repeated today, but we probably don’t realize that the origin of this line hails back to a film made in 1950.
“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” – Jennifer Cavilleri, Love Story
We have all either heard this line said to us or had to deliver it to someone we love at some point in our lives. This just goes to show how “on point” the script of this film was, as this line is the perfect description of the meaning of love.
“Go ahead, make my day.” – Harry Callahan, Sudden Impact
Clint Eastwood delivered this line in Sudden Impact, and it became more notorious than the movie itself.
“Show me the money!” – Cuba Gooding Jr., Jerry Maguire
Who can forget Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire? But Cuba Gooding Jr. made this line famous, and it’s still used today in pop culture as a way to jokingly ask for money or payment.
“Houston, we have a problem.” – Jim Lovell, Apollo 13
This is a brilliant movie that gave us this epic line. If you have never heard someone say, “Houston, we have a problem,” then maybe we really do have a problem. This line is so popular that it has become part of the American / English language as a way of denoting that something is wrong.
