19 Most Memorable Hollywood Movie One-Liners Of All Time

3,225 Views Updated: 04 Jul 2017
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Movies have a dynamic power to change us and teach us. They present a visual lesson to a captivated audience that lingers in the very consciousness of thought and could potentially translate into action.

Often times, it is not even important for a character to utter many words. Sometimes, just one line is enough for our favorite characters to tell us the entire story. It is these one-liners that become so iconic that they are used time and again and ultimately make the movie timeless.

Here is a list of 19 such one-liners that people still have hooked onto their lips. Take a look:

#1.“I’ll have what she’s having”

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

This is perhaps the most iconic one-liner in the history of Hollywood. According to Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan was so self-conscious about faking an orgasm, director Rob Reiner faked "an orgasm that King Kong would be jealous of" to make her relax.

#2.“Why so serious?”

The Dark Knight (2008)

This perhaps will make it to the top on some other list. Heath Ledger’s twisted delivery makes this line a cult favorite.

#3."Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Gone With the Wind (1939)

Two months before the movie’s release, censors demanded that "damn" be dropped. The producers came up with 22 variations of the line, including "Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a whoop," before the censors relented and allowed the "damn" to stay.

#4."Here's looking at you, kid."

Casablanca (1942)

The Japanese version of the line — "Kimi no Hitomi ni Kansai'' — literally translates as, "Cheers to your eyes." Manako Ihaya of the American Translators Association calls it "a classic example of a good movie script translation" for its ability to capture the nuance of the English for the Japanese audience.

#5."May the Force be with you."

Star Wars (1977)

Several characters say this line in the original movie, but surprisingly not Obi-Wan Kenobi, who doesn't utter it until 2002's Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

#6. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."

The Godfather (1972)

Some variation of this line appears in all three Godfather movies.

#7. "The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club."

Fight Club (1999)

For a movie that was considered to be way ahead of its time, it comes as no surprise that it full of witty one-liners like this one.

#8. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

The Princess Bride (1987)

Mandy Patinkin has said that this line is by far the most famous he's ever uttered. It gets repeated back to him by fans at least two or three times a day.

#9. "Bond. James Bond."

Dr. No (1962)

Funnily, director Ian Fleming upon coming up with the soon to be iconic name felt, "by God, that is the dullest name I've ever heard," of his eureka moment.

#10. "I see dead people."

The Sixth Sense (1999)

As Haley Joel Osment says this line, the camera pans over Bruce Willis' face. That worried producer Frank Marshall, who thought, it might give away the movie's twist. Test audience, though, didn't have a clue.

#11. "I'll be back."

The Terminator (1984)

Schwarzenegger wanted to change the line to "I will be back" because it sounded more machine-like and he had trouble pronouncing "I'll.

#12. "To infinity and beyond!"

Toy Story (1995)

Buzz Lightyear's catchphrase is actually a variation of the line "Beyond the Infinite," which appears as a title card in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

#13. "You had me at hello."

Jerry Maguire (1996)

The original line was Shut up- you had me at hello. However, the shut up was removed by legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder and it took the form of this iconic line!

#14. "Here's Johnny!"

The Shining (1980)

This was an improvised line by iconic actor Jack Nicholson and it made the cut because it added something really great to the scene.

#15. "Say hello to my little friend!"

Scarface (1983)

Al Pacino's M203 grenade launcher — which was custom-made for the film and later appeared in Predator — sold at an auction for $54,400.

#16. "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

The Usual Suspects (1995)

The line actually comes from 19th-century French poet Charles Baudelaire’s poetry collection Paris Spleen. In French, it is, “La plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas."

#17. "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

The Godfather, Part II (1974)

Although this line is variously attributed to Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, and an Arabian proverb, this specific phrasing came straight from the pens of screenwriters Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola.