AFI's 100 Best Movie Quotes: "What hump?"

The Amercian Film Institute is now getting into the quote biz, and has posted 400 nominated quotes on its website, of which 100 will be chosen.

From the website:

"Today, AFI distributed a ballot with 400 nominated movie quotes to a jury of over 1,500 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers), critics and historians.

This year, the jury will be asked to choose up to 100 movie quotes from a comprehensive list, including entries such as "Here's lookin' at you, kid" (CASABLANCA), "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" (GONE WITH THE WIND), "Why don't you come up sometime and see me?" (SHE DONE HIM WRONG), "May the Force be with you" (STAR WARS), "Houston, we have a problem" (APOLLO 13), "Snap out of it!" (MOONSTRUCK), "You can't handle the truth!" (A FEW GOOD MEN), "I'll be back" (THE TERMINATOR) and "Show me the money!" (JERRY MAGUIRE).

Due to the extensive number of memorable movie lines in American film, jurors may also write in votes for up to five quotes that may not already appear on the ballot.

The jurors have been asked to consider the following criteria in making their selections:

MOVIE QUOTE
A statement, phrase or brief exchange of dialogue spoken in an American film.* (Lyrics from songs are not eligible.)


CULTURAL IMPACT
Movie Quotes that viewers use in their own lives and situations; circulating through popular culture, they become part of the national lexicon.

LEGACY
Movie Quotes that viewers use to evoke the memory of a treasured film, thus ensuring and enlivening its historical legacy.


*AFI defines an American film as an English language motion picture with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States. Additionally, only Movie Quotes from feature-length American films released before January 1, 2004, will be considered. AFI defines a feature-length film as a motion picture of narrative format that is typically over 60 minutes in length."

The quotes are in no particular order, and the first one is:

1. "All-righty, then!" Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey)from "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective." (1994)

 

Hopefully this list of quotes won't suck, like another certain list

The first one's a good quote. Its the quote everyone wants Jim Carrey to say whenever he appears anywhere. I've certainly quoted it my fair share of times, to the discontent of everyone I've ever talked to.

I need a hug

 

"Well, Alrighty-then!"

 

Shouldn't we just wait until they have a list of 100 or do you actually want to consider all 400 quotes?

 

We are going back to the nominations in the songs thread, so we might as well go back to the beginning here.

 

I recognised the quote, but for the life of me, could not remember the film it came from. Guess that shows how much of a Jim Carrey fan I am.

 

This is an iconic quote and one that gets used a lot. Not by me, but whatever.

The best usage of it: Morgan Freeman's God says it in satisfaction after he's finished mopping a floor. Great stuff.

 

That wasn't even the most memorable quote from that film for me anyway.

Side note, how many SW quotes made the list?

!snap

 

Four entries from the trilogy. Han's "May the Force be with you", Leia's "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi...", Darth Vader's "I am your father", and Yoda's "Do or do not. There is no try" all made the list.

Looking at the list in its entirety, there are plenty of truly iconic quotes, but I won't be surprised if a quarter of the final hundred are instantly recognisable without mention of the context. As Rogue 1.5 mentioned, "All-righty, then!" isn't exactly unique, and I didn't recognise it as refering to Ace Ventura immediately. There will be certainly quite a few that have people thinking "Huh?!?"

 

So it specifies that it's Han's MTFBWY? I would think Obi Wan's TFWBWY,A or "use the force luke" would be a better pick.

!snap

 

That is the quote people identify Jim Carrey with,and he's used it a lot in his comedy films.But If I had to pick a Carrey quote it`d be from Dumb & Dumber

 

#2: "Elementary, my dear Watson." Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (1939)

I have a real problem with this one. Not because it is a famous catchword, because it is. But it's a famous literary catchword, not a cinematic one.
I'd vote no.

 

I agree... Whenever I hear that I think of musty smelling old leather bound books. Not film.

-P!-

 

It's okay, but I'm not really a Holmes fan and I could think of much better quotes. This one doesn't deserve to be on a top list of quotes.

 

Uh, the problem being that quote is not used in any of the Sherlock Holmes literary works. So, if it's on any list, it's gotta be film.

 

Well, it's been awhile since I've read Sherlock Holmes...but I'm sure I remember it in the books.

 

...however, show me the money (ie. where that info comes from) and I will withdraw my objection. In fact, if it is a movie invention, top 100.

3. "Oh, it was nobody's fault but my own. I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven. You were there." Terry McKay (Deborah Kerr) in "An Affair to Remember" (1957)

I thought Warren Beatty was looney to remake this particular movie, and in fact, it didn't work out, but I have to admit, quite a good, romantic, quote.

 

Here is information on filmsite.org, one of the premiere movie info sites, commenting on the misquote.

Here is a list of misquotes from Wikiquote, a website dedicated to great quotes. Also, there's a link on that page to follow to a page of real quotes from the Holmes literary canon and Elementary, My Dear Watson is not on it.

Finally, a page from World History.

He does indeed, as I think one of the above pages mentions, say, "Elementary" in The Crooked Men and it is too Watson, but he does not say the whole line.

I think it was in the preface to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the Penguin Edition, where I originally saw that information, but don't hold me to that.

 

That website with the lists of movie misquotes was literally fascinating.

#4:
Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart): "A man takes a drop too much once in awhile; it's only human nature."

Rose Sayer (Katherine Hepburn): "'Nature,' Mr. Allnut, is what we are put into this world to rise above."

This doesn't convey the incredible starchiness that Hepburn gets into the line. This leads to the scene where she dumps his bottles of liquor into the river, while he, with the world's biggest hangover, winces some mighty winces. Great movie, like a tall tale come to life.

 

I love Hepburn's delivery of this line. I'm not as crazy about this movie as some (its a bit draggy in stretches), but you can't argue with Hepburn's fabulous performance.

This is a great line, one I've used before.

 

I've always liked "The African Queen." Bogart and Hepburn have a surprising chemistry. I rather wish Bogart had made "The Man Who Would Be King" with Huston and Gable (in the Connery role) when they tried to get it done in the 50's. Not that I think he would have been better than Michael Caine. Just different.

Has anyone seen "White Hunter, Black Heart?" That's the film Eastwood made of Peter Viertel's novel about the making of "The African Queen." (He was the scriptwriter). Eastwood plays Huston. Seems like unlikely casting, but I wouldn't know, as I've never been able to see the movie.

#5:
Ted Stryer: "Surely you're not serious."
Dr. Rumack: "I am serious; and don't call me Shirley."

("Airplane" 1980)

This joke was old in 1950. Just saying.

 

I haven't seen that movie, though it sounds interesting. Odd, but interesting.

Airplane is stuffed to the gills. I just watched it again recently and found it just as funny as the first time.

We're bombing the storage depots at Daiquiri at 1800 hours. We're coming in from the north, under their radar.
When will you be back?
I can't tell you that. It's classified.


It's Lt. Hurtwitz. Severe shell shock. Thinks he's Ethel Merman . . . War is hell.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

Nervous?
Yes.
First time?
No, I've been nervous lots of times.

A hospital? What is it?
A big building with lots of doctors, but that's not important right now.

Captain, how soon can you land?
Well, I'm just not sure.
Can't you take a guess?
Well, not for another two hours.
You can't take a guess for two hours?

What was it we had for dinner tonight?
It was a choice. Steak or fish.
Oh, yes, I remember. I had lasagna.

They bought their tickets. They knew what they were getting into. I say, let 'em crash.

I guess the foot's on the other hand now, isn't it, Kramer?

And of course, the Shirley line. Yes, some of them are corny, but, damn it, they work.

 

I`m with Rouge,Airplane! is the Mother of all Spoof films,and the way Nielson says that line,it all ways makes me laugh

 

I liked the glue- sniffing line. Goofy, like the movie, but funny.

 

It is a funny line even if it is a corny joke. I know I've used it plenty of times.

An aside: Back when it first came out, my Grandmother was going to make my brother and I to see Airplane! We were young lads and she has always been rather prim and proper, always going to church on Sunday and all that. So, we get out to her perfectly working car...and it wouldn't start. If that wasn't proof that God exists I don't know what else could be.