December 22, 2009
10 Quotes
I don’t think I can call these the 10 Best. Nor the 10 destined to become classics. I don’t even like a couple of them. But maybe it is a lost cause. I’ll see what I can do. I think I’ll need even more thoughts from everybody with this one. None the less, in my humble opinion, these were the most noteworthy quotes from the past decade.
And while none of them make the top 10 list, nor do I even want to try and think about this one…what would your Will Ferrell quote of the decade be if you could only have one?
#10 Anything from Napoleon Dynamite
You have your own favorite. Much like the Will Ferrell quotables, I won’t even try to narrow it down. But Napoleon Dynamite, love it or hate it,(and chances are you aren’t in the middle) was everywhere. Whether you liked the “Your mom goes to college” or someone bought you a “Vote for Pedro” T-shirt, Napoleon Dynamite permeated the culture. And give them props. A bunch of obscure people headlined the movie with an even more obscure plot. So to that end, I feel the need to give it its props.
#9 “I see you.” – multiple occurrences in Avatar.
To go into this…well, it is way too early. But I did see Avatar at the IMAX already…twice. And it was good. So maybe after more people have had a chance to see it, shall I come back for a more thorough look at the powerful context(s) of this simple line. And the link is spoiler free. It’s simply James Cameron’s attempt at capturing “My Heart Will Go On” in 2009.
#8 “So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.” Padme, Revenge of the Sith
This is a hugely underrated quote. The political ramifications of modern day America, combined with this line seemed to be a a potent punch. But even as a stand alone, there is something striking in the line that is a bit haunting. See? Good things happened in the “new” Star Wars trilogy.
#7 “I’ve had it with these motherf*****g snakes on this motherf*****g plane!” – Neville Flynn, Snakes on a Plane
And yes, that is the censored version in the video. Which I kinda think the TV edit version may have started to be more popular than the original. Go figure.
#6 “This is SPARTA” (which slightly edges out “…For tonight, we dine, in hell!” – 300
I’m not even bothering to explain this one. I hate that I have to put it here, yet, its legacy lives on even while the movie does not.
#5 “God is in the rain” – Evey, V for Vendetta
Natalie Portman making a second appearance on the list!
Admittedly, not one that really crosses many minds immediately, but a great quote from a great movie. While there are tons of others, from V’s introduction of his own character, to the “People should not fear their governments, governments should fear their people,” none of them posses the raw, unforced, transcendental power of this moment. Even without the context, I’m immediately drawn into this clip. It is a simple and powerful quote that I hope others found powerful as well.
The following, I earnestly believe, have a chance at actually competiting with some of AFI’s top 100. Maybe not, as only the passing of time will show if these were fads or steadfast classics.
#4 “Why so serious?” – Joker, The Dark Knight
I think we’ve already covered why the Joker is awesome. Why go into it again? Because the Joker is meant to be legendary. This simple, repeated question pops up in a variety of places. We never know the truth of the stories that lead up to the line, where it was a father or wife or who knows. I remember the haunting posters that came out before the movie was released with the Joker, blurred, writing this message with blood. And while the Joker had many quoteably tidbits that are worthy of entry, this really sums up all that was the Joker in a nice, totally untidy way that I couldn’t pass.
#3 “You! Shall! Not! Pass!!” – Gandalf, Fellowship of the Ring
Now, I’ve already lost this one. If you checked AFI’s list, you may have noted that “My precious” is technically already on the top 100 list So not only is the 21st century already represented on this list, but The Lord of the Rings trilogy is already representing. And it’s not this quote. But c’mon! It’s fabulous. Gandalf has been relatively tame until now, and only here do we finally realize the full power that Gandalf wields. Ian McKellen delivers a great speech leading up to the most quotable part, all of which I’m told is from the book, and it all makes for a lasting memory, in particular because of what happened immediately after this scene. And if I’m spoiling something for you, why have you taken so long to see the movies/read the books? C’mon already.
#2 “I wish I knew how to quit you” – Jack Twist, Brokeback Mountain
Jake with an impassioned speech that has inspired almost as many parodies as the number one quote. If you get a chance, find a better clip than the one I could find, one that encompasses the whole speech. He blows up, he lets it all out, and makes himself vulnerable to his lover. While this movie will be remembered for its “mainstream breakthrough” of a homosexual couple gracing the big screen in a love story, this is the line the love story had boiled down to. Heartfelt, tragic, well acted, and decently written, gotta give this quote its props.
#1 “I drink your milkshake! I DRINK IT UP!” – Daniel Plainview
Legendary. I think in 50 years, it’ll be the equivalent of “No wire hangers!!” from Mommy Dearest. By that, I mean to say I do honestly believe that the movie will fall into obscurity, and the quote will live on those AFI lists and force you to wonder what the hell the context of that quote was. I remember, before the hype, heading out to see this with Mike and Pat. And the entire movie, while good, felt a bit like a let down. But we were unprepared for this final scene, which quickly became the icon that is still is today.
Now, in today’s age of movie quotes, you might reflect upon this list and remember them more for their parodies, the jokes, the annoying people quoting it all the time, etc. But just bear one thing in mind. “I see dead people” is AFI #44 quote of all time. So hey, it can happen.
Also, this list was really hard and forced. Who knows what stupid T-shirts worn today will be the classic film quotes of tomorrow?
The Movie Meeting Ground 
