Welcome to American Films and Quotes by EnglishClass101.com!
Hi Everyone!
I’m Alisha.
Want to know a FAST, FUN way to improve your English?
Learn quotes from famous English movies!
This is an easy way to learn tons of new phrases, words and grammar points.
In this lesson, we will discuss some of the best U.S. movies from the previous century.
I will also give you quotes from each film that you can memorize to practice pronunciation.
So, Let’s go to the movies!
Number one: Citizen Kane This famous American drama was released in
1941.
It is an epic tale of Charles Foster Kane’s rise from rags to riches through the abuse
of power and love.
The most famous quote from the film is definitely Kane’s deathbed utterance, which is only
one word: “Rosebud”.
Watch it yourself to learn the mystery behind this word!
Number two: E.T.
The Extra Terrestrial The Eighties brought an unforgettable U.S.
blockbuster, this time in the science fiction genre.
E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial was directed by Steven Spielberg and won many Oscars.
It tells the tender story of a cross-species friendship between a wrinkled, knee-high alien,
and Elliot, a lonely 10-year-old boy.
Just before he leaves for his home planet, E.T. taps Elliot on the chest with a glowing
forefinger, and says: "I'll be right here."
Number three: Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind is another epic tale that
depicts the southern U.S. state of Georgia during the Civil War and the Reconstruction
period.
It was adopted from Pulitzer-winner Margaret Mitchell's novel of the same name.
Its most famous quote comes from the lips of Rhett, Scarlett’s betrayed lover.
Scarlett asks Rhett what she will do without him, and Rhett famously replies,
"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."
Number four: Jaws Another Spielberg success, super-scary Jaws
topped nearly every U.S. movie list in 1975.
It was based on a novel by Peter Benchley, which relates the hunt of an enormous killer
shark with a taste for human blood.
When seeing the monster for the first time, main character Sheriff Brody famously says:
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”.
Talk about understatements!
If you have a taste for scary, this is one of the top U.S. movies to watch in the thriller
genre.
Number five: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs In 1937, Oscar winner Walt Disney animated
the famous fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The story itself needs no introduction, as most of you probably know it from childhood.
One of its most famous quotes comes from the lips of surly, pessimistic Grumpy, as he grumbles
about Snow White joining the Seven Dwarf family: “Pretty soon she'll be tying your beards
up in pink ribbons and spraying you down with that stuff called, uh, perfoom”.
An all-time classic for young and old.
Number six: Star Wars (A New Hope) Star Wars (A New Hope) is one of six films
released in the 1977 Star Wars saga, brainchild of screenwriter and director George Lucas.
This U.S. movie series is still one of the most enduring hits of all time.
Basically, the film tells the tale of rebels and freedom fighters against the oppressive
Galactic Empire.
Its most famous quote is without a doubt, “May the Force be with you”.
Number seven: The Godfather The Godfather was an epic story about the
rise of a mafia crime family, the Corleones, and specifically the rise of Michael Corleone.
It’s brutal, bloody and was a fantastic box office hit that led to another two Godfather
movies.
This Godfather is replete with quotable lines, but a lesser known, excellent one comes from
the character Calo, who states: “In Sicily, women are more dangerous than
shotguns”.
True, that.
Number eight: The Sound of Music Who doesn’t don’t know the evergreen The
Sound of Music with its wonderful score!
This American musical film, set in Austria at the start of World War II, tells the true
story of the Von Trapp Family Singers, and beautiful singer-nun-turned-nanny Maria,.
Obviously, Maria succeeds in winning the heart of her employer, Captain von Trapp.
He also gets the credit for one of the film’s most memorable quotes, addressing Maria:
“You brought music back into the house.
I had forgotten.”
Number nine: The Wizard of Oz Another film that still enchants children
and adults alike is the iconic 1939 The Wizard of Oz.
It is choc-full of colorful characters such as witches, lions, scarecrows, and, of course,
a Kansas farm girl called Dorothy.
The movie is filled with homegrown truths, and a lesser known one comes from the Cowardly
Lion, who says: “What makes a King out of a slave?
Courage!”
Number ten: Ben-Hur Ben-Hur is a multiple Academy Award winning,
epic film directed by William Wyler, which is the third film version of Lew Wallace's
1880 novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
The story is about a Jewish prince who battles the Roman empire in the time of Christ.
One of the wiser quotes from the film comes from Messala, who tells his friend Ben-Hur:
“It's an insane world, but in it there's one sanity, the loyalty of old friends”.
Number eleven: Casablanca Casablanca was released in 1942 and directed
by Michael Curtiz.
It’s a classic World War II story that centers on the life of a cynical nightclub owner,
Rick Blaine, and the self-sacrificing choices he must make for love.
It also sports one of the most famous movie quotes of all time, which was derived from
a quintessentially American toast.
The toast originated from an 1884 novel that was written by an anonymous author, and Blaine
uses it when he toasts Ilsa with: “Here’s looking at you, kid”.
Number twelve: Forrest Gump Forrest Gump is an award-winning 1994 American
comedy-drama film based on a novel of the same name by Winston Groom.
It centres around the main character’s life journey as he meets important people and experiences
historic events.
Anyone who doesn’t know Forrest Gump’s famous saying:
“My momma always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you're gonna get’”, has probably been living on a different planet
all this time.
A hugely popular, gentle, heartwarming watch.
Number thirteen: The Matrix Ah, The Matrix!
This movie managed to gain a cult following, and inspired many copycats with its novel
treatment of special effects.
Released in 1999, this science fiction film shows a future with an alternate reality controlled
by machines, and attempts by humans to escape into actual reality.
The film was the basis for a series of Matrix movies, video games, and other paraphernalia
Zen-like soundbites abound, like this one from the deep-voiced Morpheus talking to Neo,
the main character: “...you are a slave, Neo.
Like everyone else, you were born into bondage...
Into a prison that you cannot taste, or see, or touch.
A prison for your mind.”
Number fourteen: Rebel Without a Cause Rebel Without a Cause was directed by Nicholas
Ray in 1955, and tells the story of a rebellious teenager played by James Dean.
It was an attempt to portray the moral decay of American youth, and critique parental styles.
The main star, James Dean, died tragically in a car accident a month before the movie
premiered.
Prophetically, his troubled teenage character Jim Stark says about his situation with his
parents: “I don't know what to do anymore.
Except maybe die”.
Number fifteen: Singin' in the Rain The wildly famous 1952 musical comedy, starring
Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, depicted the early Hollywood industry during its transition
from silent movies to "talkies."
Says Cosmo Brown in a bleak comment about “talkies”:
“Talking pictures, that means I'm out of a job.
At last I can start suffering and write that symphony”.
Gene Kelly's performance in "Singing in the Rain", is still considered one of the best
dance scenes in movie history.
Number sixteen: The Shawshank Redemption This inspiring and moving American drama was
released in 1994 and is based on a Stephen King novella called "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank
Redemption."
It follows the story of a fictional prison and inmate Andy Dufresne, who was imprisoned
for a murder he didn’t commit.
Andy overcomes many obstacles in prison, famously deciding that:
“I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really.
Get busy living or get busy dying”.
This is the type of move you’ll want to watch more than once.
Number seventeen: Psycho Psycho is a yet another Alfred Hitchcock thriller,
this time starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins.
The film, which was released in 1960, follows the story of a female motel guest and its
manager, who turns out to be a deeply disturbed killer.
The movie's graphic shower scene is considered to be the one of the most memorable in cinematic
history.
Norman Bates, the infamous killer, chillingly says:
“We all go a little mad sometimes.”
Watch what is considered to be one of Hitchcock’s best films to see just how mad Bates got.
So, how did you like this list?
Which ones have you watched already?
Did we miss any of your favorites?
Let us know in the comments!
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See you next time.
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