AFI's 100 Years Movie Quotes, which aired on network television last week, was a delightful treat for anyone who loves movies. And I do love them!
I have seen almost all of the movies that yielded the top 100 classic quotes, and they're all good. Some of them are great. One of them, in my opinion, is the greatest.
To entice you to read the full list of quotable gems in the title link, the top ten are listed below:
1. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." - GONE WITH THE WIND, 1939
2. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." - THE GODFATHER, 1972
3. "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." - ON THE WATERFRONT, 1954
4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." - THE WIZARD OF OZ, 1939
5. "Here's looking at you, kid." - CASABLANCA, 1942
6. "Go ahead, make my day." - SUDDEN IMPACT, 1983
7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." - SUNSET BOULEVARD, 1950
8. "May the Force be with you." - STAR WARS, 1977
9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." - ALL ABOUT EVE, 1950
10. "You talking to me?" - TAXI DRIVER, 1976
Great stuff, huh? I've seen all of these ten movies, and I own a copy of half of them. They don't make them like this anymore.
There was a viewers hint on the way to a commercial break that said that the number one movie quote was "the last line of the best selling novel of all time."
But, I knew immediately that was wrong.
How did I know that? Well, as a teenager, I read every word of GWTW at least eight times. The movie was re-released in theatres during my high school years, and I saw it on the big screen at least half a dozen times. In later years, I owned it on video, and today on DVD. I also have read a few books on the making of this amazing movie.
So here's good advice: Don't challenge me in GWTW trivia. Ever.
Anyway, I know that the last line of the book is "...tomorrow is another day." But that was Quote #31 on the list, and we had already passed that point when the hint flashed on screen. So I knew instantly that some improperly disinterested editor had mixed up the two most famous lines in GWTW.
I know, it's a 66-year old movie, and probably some Gen-Xer was doing the editing. But to quote Rhett Butler, "frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." This, you need to get right, because "Gone With The Wind" is the greatest movie ever made.
You may quote me.
