AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes
As part of their 100 Years… series, the American Film Institute put together a list of iconic quotes from films, judging them by their cultural impact and their legacy in the history of cinema. The list came out in 2005, meaning that a lot more recent movie quotes didn’t make it—but there are a whole lot of familiar gems on this list. Did your favorite make the cut?
50. “Houston, We Have A Problem”.
This unforgettable line, spoken by Tom Hanks’ character in Apollo 13, is definitely one of the most iconic movie quotes of the 1990s—but it was also one of just four quotes on the list from real-life sources, though what the astronaut said was, “Houston, we’ve had a problem”.
It’s also frequently misquoted as "Houston, we've got a problem.”
49. “It’s Alive! It’s Alive!”
Perhaps one of the most iconic lines in horror history—sorry, “Here’s Johnny,” which came in at #69—this one is spoken by Henry Frankenstein, played by Colin Clive, in 1931’s Frankenstein. Despite being based on the Mary Shelley novel of the same name, this line does not appear in the book. Instead, the character Victor hides the moment the monster opens his eyes.
Much of the film hinges on this moment, and the screenwriters took a huge dice roll with this line—one that paid off.
Universal, Frankenstein (1931)
48. “Well, Nobody’s Perfect”.
If you’ve never seen Some Like It Hot, it’s worth watching just to hear this line in context for the very first time. Though the film would’ve been a rip-roaring, knee-slapping, hilarious success without it, it’s truly the cherry on top of the comedy sundae. It’s one of 12 quotes on the list that are the closing lines in the film in question.
United Artists, Some Like It Hot (1959)
47. “Shane. Shane. Come Back!”
This heartbreaking line, from the 1953 Western Shane, is yet another closing line, one of three in a row on the AFI list. It’s spoken by the character of Joey Starrett, played by child star Brandon de Wilde. De Wilde was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for that role, going up against co-star Jack Palance. They lost to Frank Sinatra for From Here to Eternity.
46. "Oh, Jerry, Don't Let's Ask For The Moon. We Have The Stars".
This grammatically-questionable comes to us via the character of Charlotte Vale, played by the legendary Bette Davis, in 1942’s Now, Voyager. It’s spoken in response to Paul Henreid’s character, Jeremiah "Jerry" Duvaux Durrance. Though each character’s life is measurably improved at the end of the film, they are star-crossed and can’t be together.
Thus, it’s Charlotte’s response after Jerry asks her if she’s happy.
Warner Bros., Now, Voyager (1942)
45. "Stella! Hey, Stella!”
Out of context, the line doesn’t seem that impactful, but anyone who has seen 1951’s A Streetcar Named Desire will tell you otherwise. Surprisingly, it outranked “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers,” from the same film, which ended up down at #75.
It’s also one of three entries spoken by Marlon Brando on the list.
Warner Bros., A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
44. “I See Dead People”.
One of the few more recent entries on the list, this line from The Sixth Sense made big waves from the very first moment it appeared in the film’s original trailer. It was Haley Joel Osment’s breakout role, and he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his performance.
Buena Vista, The Sixth Sense (1999)
43. “We’ll Always Have Paris”.
It should come as no surprise to any movie fan that Casablanca is the most represented film on the list, with six entries, and that Humphrey Bogart is the most represented actor, with five quotes. But, surprisingly, the line "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine,” didn’t crack the top 50, landing at #67.
Warner Bros., Casablanca (1942)
42. “Plastics”.
Unlike many other quotes on this list, which are spoken by main or supporting characters, this line from 1967’s The Graduate is spoken by a character who only appears briefly in the film. In our opinion, it’s not quite as impactful as the line, "Mrs Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?”, which appears at #63.
United Artists, The Graduate (1967)
41. “We Rob Banks”.
Talk about impact. This single line, spoken by Clyde Barrow in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde, may be Warren Beatty’s only entry on the list, but it’s certainly unforgettable.
Warner Bros., Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
40. "My Mama Always Said Life Was Like A Box Of Chocolates. You Never Know What You're Gonna Get”.
Like it or not, this line was immediately inescapable from the moment that Forrest Gump came out in 1994. Repeated often and without context, it’s a wonder anyone on the list of artists, critics, and film historians polled by the AFI to make this list had enough critical distance to vote it in, but alas, it made it to #40.
Rounding out Tom Hanks’ three entries on the list was A League of Their Own’s “There’s no crying in baseball,” which came in at #54.
Paramount, Forrest Gump (1994)
39. “If You Build It, He Will Come”.
Another iconic 90s entry, this line, spoken by Ray Liotta playing Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1989’s Field of Dreams, was spoken in voiceover—the only entry on the list in this format.
Universal, Field of Dreams (1989)
38. “Today, I Consider Myself The Luckiest Man On The Face Of The Earth”.
Rounding out the unintentional inspirational baseball quote section of the list, this one was spoken by Gary Cooper playing real-life legend Lou Gehrig in 1942’s The Pride of the Yankees. It was an actual quote from Gehrig’s retirement speech.
RKO, The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
37. “I’ll Be Back”.
Speaking of quotes that have been repeated interminably, this one from 1984’s The Terminator wasn’t just said back by fans, but also by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself in multiple films in different variations, including in Terminator 2, but also in Twins, Last Action Hero, Commando, The Running Man, Total Recall, The Expendables 2…we could go on.
Schwarzenegger’s follow up, “Hasta la vista, baby” from T2 also made the list at #76.
36. “Badges? We Ain't Got No badges! We Don't Need No Badges! I Don't Have To Show You Any Stinking Badges!”
A movie quote earning an entire Wikipedia page to itself? This quote, from 1948’s The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, is one of the few to hold that honor. It was a paraphrase of a line from the novel that the movie was based on, and was later included in 1974’s Blazing Saddles.
Warner Bros., The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
35. “You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat”.
Uttered in the most unforgettable deadpan by Roy Scheider’s character in 1975’s Jaws, this line nearly got lost to bad timing. During a test screening, audiences were screaming so loud at the shark’s jump that they drowned out Scheider, so the film was re-edited to create a longer pause, giving them the chance to calm down and let the line shine.
34. "You Know How To Whistle, Don't You, Steve? You Just Put Your Lips Together And Blow”.
It may have only made it to #34 on the list, but this line, unforgettably uttered every so alluringly by Lauren Bacall in 1944’s To Have and Have Not, gets our vote for the sultriest line delivery ever.
Warner Bros., To Have and Have Not (1944)
33. “I’ll Have What She’s Having”.
Like Some Like It Hot’s “Nobody’s perfect,” before it, this has to be one of the greatest punchlines after a lengthy set-up ever. It’s the only line spoken by the unnamed customer in the film, but director Rob Reiner’s mother Estelle absolutely nailed it.
Columbia, When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
32. “Round Up The Usual Suspects”.
Another Casablanca chestnut, this one made us question if the phrase “usual suspects” was common before it was used in the classic film. And though it was used in law enforcement circles—and those on the other side of the law—to refer to baseless arrests in the early 20th century, it really came to prominence after this moment in Casablanca.
Warner Bros., Casablanca (1942)
31. "After All, Tomorrow Is Another Day!”
After Casablanca, Gone With the Wind is tied for second with The Wizard of Oz for most-represented films on the list. This line, spoken by Scarlett O’Hara, is the closing line of the famous epic, and the second line spoken by Vivien Leigh on the list, beating out "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again,” which came in at #59.
MGM, Gone with the Wind (1939)
30. “I Want To Be Alone”.
Uttered by the character Grusinskaya, played by Greta Garbo in 1932’s Grand Hotel, this line was a continuing theme for the character. Immediately after, she continues, “I just want to be alone”. Later, she says again: “And I want to be alone”. Often used to reflect and reference Garbo’s notoriously private nature, she insisted she actually said, “I want to be let alone”.
29. "You Can't Handle The Truth!"
If you don’t hear that line in Jack Nicholson’s voice when you read those five words, well, perhaps it’s time to watch 1992’s A Few Good Men again.
Columbia, A Few Good Men (1992)
28. "Play It, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'"
Though this Casablanca line appears at #28, it might be the number one most misquoted movie line of all time. People often quote it as, "Play it again, Sam”, but that’s incorrect.
Warner Bros., Casablanca (1942)
27. “I’m Walkin’ Here! I’m Walkin’ Here!”
This line, shouted by Dustin Hoffman’s character “Ratso” Rizzo in 1969’s Midnight Cowboy, is often said to be an ad lib by the legendary actor, though that may be apocryphal. Hoffman claimed that they were trying to start the take in a way where they wouldn’t have to stop at a crosswalk. They finally got their timing right—only for a cab to try and blow the red right as they crossed.
United Artists, Midnight Cowboy (1969)
26. “Why Don’t You Come Up Sometime And See Me?”
This characteristically seductive line from Mae West in She Done Him Wrong from 1933 is often misquoted as “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?”, likely because audiences interpolated it with the line “Come up and see me sometime” from West’s follow-up film, I’m No Angel.
Paramount, She Done Him Wrong (1933)
25. “Show Me The Money!”
Like “Life is like a box of chocolates” before it, this quote from 1996’s Jerry Maguire was absolutely inescapable in the 1990s. It beat out “You had me at ‘hello’”, which appears at #52 on the list.
24. “I Am Big! It’s The Pictures That Got Small”.
For our money, 1950’s Sunset Boulevard is one of the greatest films represented on this list. Gloria Swanson’s performance as Norma Desmond was a tour de force, and it’s no wonder that two of her lines made it on.
Paramount, Sunset Boulevard (1950)
23. “There’s No Place Like Home”.
Considering The Wizard of Oz’s place in film history and in other AFI lists—not to mention the hearts of thousands of movies fans—it’s hard to believe that this line is all the way down at #24. It’s another closing line, though it also appears earlier in the film as well.
22. “Bond. James Bond”.
Has any other movie character introduced themselves in such an iconic way? This line first appeared in 1962’s Dr No, which makes Sean Connery the first—albeit not the last—to use it.
21. "A Census Taker Once Tried To Test Me. I Ate His Liver With Some Fava Beans And A Nice Chianti”.
While “Bond. James Bond” makes an unforgettable introduction, this line from 1992’s Silence of the Lambs perfectly sums up the character of Hannibal Lecter, and the juxtaposition between his high-brow side and, erm, “distasteful” dietary preferences.
Orion, The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
20. "Louis, I Think This Is The Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship".
Yet another Casablanca entry, this closing line is spoken by Humphrey Bogart’s character to Claude Rains’ character. Rains was no Hollywood slouch himself, appearing in classics like The Invisible Man and Mr Smith Goes to Washington.
Warner Bros., Casablanca (1942)
19. "I'm As Mad As Hell, And I'm Not Going To Take This Anymore!"
In 1976’s Network, Peter Finch’s character Howard Beale compels his viewers to lean out their windows and scream "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore”—and they follow suit.
18. “Made It, Ma! Top Of The World!”
Though not the final line of the film White Heat, James Cagney’s shouting of this unforgettable line are the last words spoken by his character before the tank he’s standing on explodes. It was later referenced and repeated by Denzel Washington’s character in 1991’s Ricochet.
Warner Bros., White Heat (1949)
17. “Rosebud”.
Not only is this the only entry on the list from Citizen Kane, it holds another distinction: it’s just one of two opening lines from a film to appear on the list. The other is “Hello, gorgeous” from Funny Girl, coming in at #81.
16. "They Call Me Mister Tibbs!"
In the official list, the word “Mister” is italicized—and it’s no wonder. It jumps off the page just as it jumped from Sidney Poitier’s mouth in In the Heat of the Night. It also has another, perhaps dubious distinction: it became the name of the film’s 1970 sequel.
United Artists, In the Heat of the Night (1967)
15. "E.T. Phone Home”.
What “Show me the money” and similar lines were to the 90s, “E.T. phone home” was to the 1980s. From 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the unforgettable line was later featured on vinyl records filled with sound clips from the film that were offered to fans.
Universal, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
14. "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of”.
This closing line from list-topper Humphrey Bogart came from The Maltese Falcon—but it originated in Shakespeare’s The Tempest and its line “We are such stuff as dreams are made on”.
Warner Bros., The Maltese Falcon (1941)
13. “Love Means Never Having To Say You're Sorry”.
I’m not crying, you’re crying. This line from 1970’s Love Story was repeated twice in the film—first by Ali McGraw’s character, and later, by Ryan O’Neal’s. It was parodied endlessly—in 1972’s What’s Up, Doc?, it’s uttered by Barbra Streisand’s character, only for O’Neal to reply: "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard".
12. "I Love The Smell Of Napalm In The Morning".
This sinister line from Robert Duvall’s character in Apocalypse Now was the only one from that film to make it onto the list, though “The horror, the horror,” was also nominated. While developing the film, director Francis Ford Coppola told screenwriter John Milius, "Write every scene you ever wanted to go into that movie”—a directive that worked, producing many unforgettable moments and lines.
United Artists, Apocalypse Now (1979)
11. “What We've Got Here Is Failure To Communicate”.
This line from Cool Hand Luke is uttered by one of the great character actors, Strother Martin. It’s later repeated by Paul Newman’s character, though said as “a failure”. This resulted in the line being frequently misquoted.
Warner Bros., Cool Hand Luke (1967)
10. “You Talkin’ To Me?”
In terms of great New York City lines on film, there’s “I’m walkin’ here,” and then there’s “You talkin’ to me?” Repeated in front of a mirror by Robert de Niro’s Travis Bickle in 1976’s Taxi Driver, it’s been a cultural mainstay ever since.
9. "Fasten Your Seatbelts. It's Going To Be A Bumpy Night”.
If we couldn’t have Samuel L Jackson’s “Hold on to your butts” from Jurassic Park included, we’ll settle for this missive from Bette Davis’s Margo Channing in All About Eve.
Twentieth Century, All About Eve (1950)
8. "May The Force Be With You".
…and also with you. Harrison Ford’s Han Solo was the first to utter this iconic line in the original Star Wars, forever tempting a generation of Catholics to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Twentieth Century, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
7. "All Right, Mr DeMille, I'm Ready For My Close-Up".
The highest-ranking closing line on the list, this chestnut from Sunset Boulevard was so often quoted, misquoted, and otherwise referenced in pop culture that for many, it’s become completely divorced from its source. And to those, we urge: Watch Sunset Boulevard.
Paramount, Sunset Boulevard (1950)
6. “Go Ahead, Make My Day”.
The quintessential Clint Eastwood line, it actually took the Dirty Harry character four films to utter this unforgettable one. He says it in 1983’s Sudden Impact—and in 1984, when Eastwood added his prints to the many outside the iconic Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, he scraped the words “You made my day” into the concrete.
Eastwood later said it again when he talked to a chair at the 2012 RNC.
Warner Bros., Sudden Impact (1983)
5. "Here's Looking At You, Kid”.
Yes, it’s yet another Casablanca line, yet another Humphrey Bogart performance—but this time, it’s the highest-ranked on the list for both.
Warner Bros., Casablanca (1942)
4. "Toto, I've A Feeling We're Not In Kansas Anymore”.
Well, that’s putting it lightly, Dorothy. This is the highest-ranking line from The Wizard of Oz on the list, and is often misquoted as “I’ve got a feeling”.
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”.
Frequently quoted and often misquoted, this line from Marlon Brando’s Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront was later repeated by De Niro’s Jake La Motta in Raging Bull.
Columbia, On the Waterfront (1954)
2. "I'm Gonna Make Him An Offer He Can't Refuse".
Nobody but Brando could've delivered this line with the gravitas and attitude that the legendary actor did as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. Though iconic, it wasn’t totally original—a variation was said by an Honore de Balzac character in 1835, and a close alternative appeared in a John Wayne Western from 1933.
Paramount, The Godfather (1972)
1. “Frankly, My Dear, I Don't Give A Damn”.
The number one spot on the list goes to this unforgettable quote said by Clark Gable’s Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind. In the wildly popular novel, the line was actually, “My dear, I don’t give a damn”. It acts as a coda to the roller-coaster relationship between Butler and Scarlett O’Hara—but it nearly never made it to the screen.
Censors had a problem with the use of the word “damn”. Though many believed that producer David O Selznick paid a fine to see it included, they MPAA actually amended their rules to allow the word if it was a quotation from a literary work.
