Your favorite films are likely a perfect storm of great stories, well-written characters, and quotable lines that stand the test of time. Roy Scheider’s delivery of “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” in Jaws (1975), Marlon Brando’s “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” in The Godfather (1972), Robert De Niro’s “You talkin’ to me?” in Taxi Driver (1976), and Humphrey Bogart’s “Here’s looking at you, kid” from Casablanca (1942) have all become iconic moments in pop culture history and are among the top 100 movie quotes of all time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
More than 1600 actors, directors, studio executives, writers, agents, and other Hollywood players were surveyed and asked to share their favorite quotes from film history, some of which are included in the video above. The number one quote on the list is “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” from Gone With the Wind (1939). According to The Hollywood Reporter, that line was almost taken out of the film just two months before it hit theaters because the censors took issue with the profanity. “The producers came up with 22 variations of the line,” THR writes, “including ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a whoop,’ before the censors relented and allowed the ‘damn’ to stay.”
The list as it stands is well-balanced in terms of scope, with various genres and decades represented throughout. “Chewie we’re home” from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) made it into the ranking at number 89, undoubtedly because of its inclusion at the end of the trailer for the highly anticipated film. Films including The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Star Wars, Jerry Maguire, and The Godfather trilogy hold several spots in the top 100, and actors including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, and Robin Williams appear more than once for different roles.
Head over to The Hollywood Reporter to see if your favorite quote made the list.
Banner image via MovieClips on YouTube.