Underrated Movie Quotes
A quick search on IMDB, AFI, or Buzzfeed would yield a list of the Hundred Best Movie Quotes. Most lists would probably overlap. Inspirational, funny, or unpredictably memorable—certain phrases stand the test of time. Then there are personal favorites. The funny lines you can quote verbatim with friends or philosophical phrases that spoke to you or the lines that defined a favorite character. These are my five favorite movie lines that I think should be quoted more often.
Number 5. “All those moments will be lost, like tears in the rain.” – Roy, Bladerunner.
Despite the numerous cuts and revisions, one constant that made Ridley Scott’s sci-fi noir film a classic was Rutger Hauer’s performance as the replica fighting for his freedom and humanity. Battling the Bladerunner who wants to eliminate him, Roy powers down and surrenders; but first, he muses about everything he has seen and done in his life. He is not considered human but feels the melancholy end.
Number 4. “Call it!” – Chigurh, No Country For Old Men.
Under the brilliant direction of the Coen brothers, Javier Bardem delivered one of the best villain roles of all time. Silent, psychopathic, and relentless, Chigurh hunts the money of a botched drug deal. He is willing to kill anyone who has it or gets in his way. A man of warped principles, he often allows his victims the chance to live or die by the flip of a coin.
Number 3. “Just want to stay…in it.” - Sean, The Secret of Walter Mitty.
Ben Stiller stars and directs this wanderlust adventure. A mild-mannered, shy daydreamer Walter Mitty is set on a world-trekking adventure to track down an elusive photographer, and he discovers himself on the road. Sean is the photographer who passes words of wisdom about how he chooses his missions, photographs, and motives in life.
Number 2. “It ain’t about how hard you’re hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” – Rocky, Rocky Balboa.
Sylvester Stallone pulled off quite the feat with this sixth installment. He redeemed the franchise from the campy and ridiculous mess it had become in the fourth and fifth episodes. He proved that there was still an audience for the beloved character, paving the way for the reboot/sequel series Creed. He not only made the story relevant again but aged the character with pride and strength. Most of the Rocky movies are forgettable, you don’t watch or remember what happens up until the fights. But Rocky Balboa was reminiscent of the original, the one that won an Oscar and inspired audiences, by concentrating on the plot and characters. Rocky proved that he still had some fight in him and the motivation to share. The speech he gives his disgruntled son is one of the best monologues ever.
Number 1. “Hey Rookie, you were good.” – Shoeless Joe, Field of Dreams.
A famous movie with other favorable lines—“If you build it, he will come” / “It’s not heaven; it’s Iowa.”—but Field of Dreams has so much sweetness and philosophy that some great parts are often forgotten. The Moonlight Graham subplot is not nearly appreciated enough. The field is heaven on earth, a place dreams come true and not just for Ray or Terrance. Moonlight Graham is an aged doctor who dreamed of one chance to stand at the plate as a young man again. When he gives up his youth to return to his calling as a healer, Graham returns to the cornfield/heaven/afterlife as an old man, but not before his hero Shoeless Joe offers one final encouragement. This short confirmation is so meaningful; Graham knows that he could have made it as a ballplayer but he is content with his choice to pursue another dream.
