Play it again, Sam.
The Academy Awards are this Sunday (at a new time, 7:00pm). Millions will watch on Sunday, adding to the millions who have already watched the Golden Globes and the SAG awards.
Why are we so fascinated with the movies?
Movies are part of our shared visual experience and our common language. They often speak to us, and for us.
Think of all the times, you’ve dropped lines from movies in your conversations. These lines are the shorthand in our daily script, conveying meaning or signaling something about ourselves.
It’s hard to know which lines will become part of our lexicon. Who would have thought that “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” or “I’ll have what she’s having.” would have such staying power? Or even misremembered lines, such as “If you build it, they will come”(it was “he” not “they”) or “Play it again, Sam” which is oft quoted but wasn’t actually said in “Casablanca.”
In her article “The 10 Best Movie Quotes of 2023, Ranked: From the haunting to the motivational, 2023’s movie lines in our heads rent-free,” Daniela Gama describes the impact of these lines,
“When looking back at iconic, highly referenced quotes like “Here’s Johnny!” or “I’ll be back,” it has become evident that solid movie lines that leave a strong impression on viewers help elevate already great movies to even higher grounds. This is mainly because they often encapsulate a moment, making scenes even more memorable and adding a lot to a movie’s value.”
Below are Gama’s choices of the best movie quotes of 2023 (ranked from 10th to 1st).
- “Let go of whatever was, and walk into what is.” Said by Tony “Little Duke” Evers
- “A shoe is only just a shoe unless someone steps into it.” Rob Strasser, ‘Air’
- “Everyone keeps telling me how my story is supposed to go.” Miles Morales, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’
- “What I learned about religion is that it makes people fight.” Margaret Simon ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’
- “You make my life so much bigger, and I’m wondering if I do the same thing for you.” – Arthur, ‘Past Lives’
- “Friendship means little when it’s convenient.” Koji Shimazu, ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’
- “Just keep telling the story.” Schubert Green, ‘Asteroid City’
- “My color.” Molly Burkhart, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
- “We mothers stand still so our daughters can look back and see how far they have come.” Ruth Handler, ‘Barbie’
- “Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds.” J. Robert Oppenheimer, ‘Oppenheimer’
Would these lines make your top ten list? Are there others that spoke to you?
Consider writing a short reflection on one of your favorite movie lines, new or old, and what it says to you or about you. Share it on Building Bridges Word by Word.
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Reflect on a meaningful saying, quote, poem or song. It could be an old family saying, a quote that inspires you, or a heart-touching poem or song.