Movies Are Part Of Life
Growing up in the English-speaking world means that you will almost certainly be bombarded with movies, some new and some old. You will also notice that when your parents lovingly sit you in front of the TV and say “you’ll like this movie, it’s a classic,” you can be sure that you will definitely not like it and it’s probably very old!
These days, it has become less and less common to see one of these “classics” on television due to the huge number of new movies being made and the rapidly increasing levels of special effects. However, many of these movies can still be heard in our day-to-day lives. Famous movie lines and quotes have strangely become part of our spoken vocabulary, even if we have never seen the movies.
I definitely knew, used and joked with the quote “show me the money” years before finally seeing the movie Jerry Maguire. This one really is a classic, I promise!
Movie Quotes Everyone Knows
Here are 5 movie quotes that every native speaker knows, whether they have seen the movie or not. How many have you heard people say? How many of the movies have you seen?
1. “There’s no place like home.” Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz (1939))
Dorothy lives with her aunt and uncle in Kansas, America. After deciding to run away from home she gets caught in a terrible storm. She hits her head and wakes up in magical land. Wanting to get home she meets a scarecrow, a tin man, a lion, and many other incredible beings that help her on her journey home. A good witch eventually suggests that she close her eyes and repeat “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.” Just look at how widely used this quote is…
2. “I’m the king of the world!” – Jack Dawson (Titanic (1997))
Jack, a penniless artist wins his ticket to America on the world-famous “unsinkable ship” – The Titanic. Very few people have not seen or at least heard of this movie so there’s no need for me to explain it in detail. But, before meeting Rose and beginning their short romance, he excitedly stood at the front of the ship with his arms out wide and shouted: “I’m the King of the World.” I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t also embarrassingly done the same.
3. “Get busy living or get busy dying.” – Andy Dufresne (The Shawshank Redemption (1994))
This is probably my favorite of all time. A banker Andy Dufresne is wrongfully sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Inside the prison walls, he finds ways to keep his sanity and meets like-minded inmates along the way.
During one of many deep conversations with his closest friend Red, he says ‘I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying.’ In these beautiful words, I think that he is showing how important it is to live and enjoy your life, whatever your situation may me. I’m sure we can all think of a time when this has applied to us.
4. “Houston, we have a problem” – Jim Lovell (Apollo 13 (1995))
One of the most remembered space missions of all time has to be that of Apollo 13. The third American spaceship planning to land on the moon, Apollo 13 suffered a terrible explosion halfway there. At this moment, the commander, Jim Lovell reported back to earth “Houston, we have a problem.” This quote became so famous that for many years after, and in many other movies it became a way of joking about something bad or annoying happening.
5. “Show me the money” – Jerry Maguire (Jerry Maguire (1996))
An absolute classic movie! Jerry Maguire, a sports agent, is fired from his job for caring about his clients and wishing to focus more on their needs. That’s a great thing to do, isn’t it? His money-hungry company didn’t think so! Very worried about his future, Jerry quickly called his clients to convince them to come with him, and join his new company. Unfortunately, he lost many of his clients but one promised to stick with him if he could prove his dedication. Jerry was forced to shout at the top of his voice “Show me the money… Show me the moooonnneeeyyy!”
A few more
There is a never-ending list of well-known movie quotes from old movies and every year new ones are being created. Here are a few more you may know.
6. “You can’t handle the truth!” – Col. Jessup (A few good men (1992))
7. “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” – Martin Brody (Jaws (1975))
8. “I’ll be back.” – The Terminator (The Terminator (1984))
9. “I feel the need—the need for speed!” – Maverick (Top Gun (1986))
10. “…Bond. James Bond.” – James Bond (All Bond movies)
11. “My Mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.” – Forest Gump (Forest Gump (1994))
Movies are a great way to learn some new vocabulary and strengthen your listening, but be smart about which ones you choose.
