Top 10 Movie Speeches

 

Good Will Hunting

Gus Vant Sant’s movie has many moments and speeches that are quotable- but none stand out more than the Park Scene where through one excellent monologue, Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) cuts Will Hunting (Matt Damon) down to size. After their previous session where Will mocked his life- Sean comes back with speech that slices through him like a laser where he points out that outside of his book smarts and swaggering attitude, Will has never been beyond his neighbourhood and knows nothing of the world or the pains that Sean has seen. But the line that hits home most is “I don’t see an intelligent, confident man… I see a cocky, scared shitless kid.” In this moment Will has found his equal and for once he is reduced to being speechless!

Any Given Sunday

Before an all important AFFA playoff game against the Dallas Knights, the Miami Sharks old time coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino) rallies the troops with a speech that is truly inspiring as he encourages them to forget about playing for themselves and “Inch by Inch” learn to play like a team. This fiery and impassioned moment also forces D’Amato to re-evaluate his own life as he confesses that he has driven away everyone who has loved him and made a lot of wrong choices! But as he tells the team to fight for the inches- the hairs stand up one our neck as D’Amato cries “Because we know when add up all those inches, that’s gonna make the fucking difference between winning and losing!”

The King’s Speech

Throughout this superb Oscar winning drama, King George VI (Colin Firth) has had a chronic fear of public speaking due to his stammer (his opening speech at Wembley Stadium is painful personified), but thanks to his unorthodox therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) he has begun to get somewhere. But now comes to the all important address to the nation of the eve of WW1, but unlike his previous attempts, his secret weapon is having Logue standing with him and this gives him the confidence he needs. The speech delivered is one that is truly fit for a King and allows him to become the voice of the war for the nation.

Network

News Anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch) has suffered a breakdown and was previous fired due to low ratings- but his reaction even the wisest person couldn’t have predicted. On live television, Beale starts a sizzling rant over his disillusionment with society today at the violence being caused and the generally apathy of the public. But rather than having them riot- he urges his viewers to “get angry” and moments later he delivers the infamous line “I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it and stick your head out, and yell, I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”- soon the audience follows suit and the stunned executives look on in amazement!

 

To Kill a Mockingbird

Fittingly in this adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) one of cinema’s great heroes delivers one its greatest speeches. Defending Tom Robinson- a black man on a trumped up rape charge, he appeals in vain to the all white jury to set aside their prejudices and instead do the right thing and focus on Tom’s unquestionable innocence, ending with the hard hitting line “In the name of GOD, do your duty. In the name of God, believe… Tom Robinson.” Though his speech ruffles a few feathers in court, Atticus secretly knows he is fighting a losing battle as Tom’s skin colour has already convicted him here!

A Few Good Men

There are plenty of fireworks to be had in Rob Reiner’s courtroom drama, but the big finale occurs when Colonel Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson) takes the stand, here whilst being hit with questions like bullets by Lt Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) he demands the senior office gives him the truth over the death of a marine- incensed by this line of question Jessup scornfully says “You can’t handle the truth” and bitterly calls out Kaffee for his cynicism against the marines as they provide the freedom he enjoys and that the action he takes saves lives! This speech is all the more memorable as Jessup cares little for his fate and presses home that all he did was given an order- so there! In a brief appearance Nicholson succeeds in giving Jessup a tiny piece of empathy from us.

The 25^th Hour

This speech by Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) will stand as the most bitter and profanity filled one of the lot as in one lengthy oration, Monty address the audience over his hates about every ethnicity, religion, culture and even his friends and family! But there is far more to this speech than just hate and malice, through this we hear all Monty insecurities, fears and his sheer terror at going to prison for the next seven years- but even he doesn’t get off easily in this speech as at the end his image in the mirror disdainfully mocks him for throwing his life away! A classic Spike Lee moment and a reminder what a god actor Norton can be!

Patton

The very beginning of Patton gives an indication of the man we are about to witness- stood before a giant American flat General George Patton (George C Scott) address his soldiers with a bold and passionate speech about how America will bring victory to the war because it is not in their nature to lose as the nation loves a winner and he quotes “That’s why Americans have never lost, and will never lose a war… because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.” First time viewers may just this as being sickeningly patriotic, but even today it makes us sit up and pay attention and through this one scene, it sets up Patton’s never say die attitude.

MoneyBall

Of the all the lengthy speeches on this list, this moment is perhaps the least talky of them all, but through limited dialogue it brings its point across. After losing yet another game, Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) visits the team locker room, only to find player Jeremy Giambi messing around and distracting the team- annoyed Billy turns off his music and casually asks him “Is losing fun?” upon hearing it is not, Billy says to him “Then why are you having fun?” cue ballplayers hanging their heads in shame as silence hangs on the air! This moment proves pivotal to the teams turnaround later in the film and through these few words spoken- Billy point is struck home like a fastball!

Glengarry Glen Ross

Alec Baldwin’s character Blake is restricted to only one scene in this movie, but his impact is unforgettable. Brought in by the big bosses due to a slump in sales, Blake unashamedly rips a room full of old estate agents to shreds and tells them to follow the ABC’s “Always Be Closing!” and informs them they must have brass balls in order succeed, and through Baldwin suave dangerous feel makes this scene compulsory viewing. Just make sure you don’t refill your coffee mug while he’s talking because “Coffee’s for closers only!” just ask Jack Lemmon!

Spy Hard: Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy Review

New Cult Classic

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Director: Tomas Alfredson

By Alex Watson

When people think of John Le Carre’s novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, we tend to think back the old BBC adaptation starring Alec Guinness as George Smiley. Overall it was an excellent adaptation and for many set the benchmark for the entire series that followed. The novel itself was considered a classic example of the spy espionage thriller. But when it was announced that Swedish director Tomas Alfredson was due to take on a cinematic re-make, many people had mixed feelings. But it appears that it was a gamble that was worth taking and in doing so we got a very different kind of spy thriller and the stand out British film of 2011.

Staying faithful to Le Carre’s story Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is set in London in the 1970’s and tells the story of George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a former agent in the Circus- a secret British Intelligence operation. Smiley and his counterpart Control (John Hurt) were sacked following an undercover operation that went wrong in Hungary. Smiley is soon recalled to active duty because it appears that there is a mole high up in the Circus personnel who is leaking information to the Soviets. Smiley is tasked with search for the mole which could be anyone of his former colleagues (Colin Firth, Toby Jones and Ciaran Hinds).

The principle strength of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is that it has an intelligence story which keeps us guessing all the way through. The film doesn’t rely on big chase sequences, gun fights or stunning women. The plot is allowed to drive itself forward as Smiley searches in vain for who the villain could be. The film is distinctly unglamorous to the eye and through Tomas Alfredson, we see a drab and grey world filled with craggy and tired old spies. With this shine taken away, the film is given a gritty edge to it and Alfredson was the perfect choice to bring this feeling across. In his previous film, Let the Right One In, we saw a real talent to cinema making his mark and in Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy he solidifies his new reputation.

The characterisation also stays in the same vein as Le Carre’s novel. Smiley in a lot of ways is a sad sack of a man; he is in a failing marriage to his wife Ann and has an obsession with his tricky soviet counterpart Karla. But his mind is one of true brilliance and in his quiet moments we see him carefully gluing the pieces of the mystery together. Karla looms heavily in the mind of Smiley, and through one brilliantly acted monologue by Oldman he recants his first meeting with his nemesis in Delhi and his fascination with the man his methods. Here we see the ghosts of Smileys past and his willingness to stop any more occurring.

Every aspect of the 1970’s is precisely presented in this Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy from a phone-box to cars and shirts of that era. Also the spirit of the cold war is ever present here it brings a frost chill to proceedings. Within the walls of The Circus everyone is a suspect and they we feel the sense that Smiley and co are working against the clock to find a spy who doesn’t to be found. The other higher ranking members of the circus are all presented with skeletons in their closets and in their own way are guilty of crimes. But whether any of them could be a traitor remains ambiguous throughout.

The film also boasts a stellar cast and is led by Gary Oldman in a spectacular performance. Through Oldman he brings Smileys quiet yet brilliant nature to life. His understanding of Smileys body simple gestures elevates his performance further and we hear the gears of Smiley mind working!  For this performance he was finally reward with an Oscar nod for Best Actor. He is joined in the acting ranks by Colin Firth as the arrogant Bill Haydon; Firth perfectly portrays his slimy nature and his willingness to get ahead by any means at all. There are also fine supporting turns by rising stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam and Tom Hardy as troubled agent Ricky Tarr. The two men even in their most troubled moments,  keep their heads and bring the task to its resolution.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is one the best thrillers to hit our screens in recent years. It might feel low key and slow boiling to the un-trained eye, but those who watch this will be reward with a nail biting story that will keep you asking questions until the film frame. Even after that more question will come to as you consider what has just been. Gary Oldman and Tomas Alfredson bring this piece to life and I hope they work together again soon.