Words of Wisdom from the Movies

 

“As a lawyer, I’ve had to learn that people aren’t just good or bad. People are many things.”

jimmy stewartThis line is spoken by Paul Beigler, a fictional small-town lawyer brilliantly played by Jimmy Stewart in the courtroom drama Anatomy of a Murder. I don’t want to have to summarize the whole movie (if you haven’t seen it, though, please make sure to do so; it’s a great flick and also features George C. Scott in what I believe was his film debut), so I’m going to oversimplify the context of the scene.

Basically, Beigler is trying to convince a woman named Mary Pliant to help him gain testimony from another person that her old friend and benefactor, Barney Quill, raped a woman. Mary Pliant is reluctant to believe or help prove this accusation about a man who was always so kind and loving to her, which is what leads to Beigler speaking the line I just quoted.

It’s a line that has always stuck with me and comes to my mind from time to time when I learn of respected figures who are then revealed to have committed awful crimes. I thought of the line during the recent news stories involving Bill Cosby, and again this evening when talking on the phone with my sister. My sister just learned that a member of her ward (the Mormon term for a congregation), a seemingly very spiritual and kind family man who had only a few weeks earlier delivered a very moving talk in church, has just been arrested for molesting his daughter. He had been molesting her for the past five years and had threatened his family that he would kill them if any of them reported it, but (thank God) the daughter finally went to the authorities.

My sister’s understandably shaken by the news. I think most if not all adults understand that you never really know for certain whether someone you know is leading a double life, but it’s always shocking to learn that a seemingly decent person can in fact commit and hide such monstrous crimes. I mentioned the line from Anatomy of a Murder to my sister as we talked.

It’s a quote that I really do believe. While it can be easy to sort people as “good” or “bad,” the fact is that everyone is a mix of both. An individual can be sincere in doing good towards others in many aspects of their life, yet also do some despicable things to others in other aspects of their life. The good a person does does not excuse their crimes or pardon them from the justice they must face, but neither does one’s crimes invalidate the value of the good that they do either, or their sincerity in doing so.

In the simplest terms, people are complicated. This is not a new or earth-shattering observation, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard or read that little nugget of truth expressed as affectingly (to me personally) as in that scene from Anatomy of a Murder.

Which brings me to the topic of this post. As much as I love movies, generally I don’t look to them as fonts of wisdom. The primary goal of movie producers are, after all, to just make an entertaining and popular product for their audience. And when movies do attempt to impart some moral lesson, observation on life, or inspirational creed, the words they use often don’t rise above the cliche or even banal (“Follow your heart,” “All you have to do is believe in yourself,” “On our own, we can’t beat [the big bad], but together we can!”).  However, a screenwriter sometimes writes a line of dialogue that really is profound or eloquent and can change, or at least help clarify, the way we think about something.

So I wanted to ask the Ricochetti: What are lines from movies that you think are true words of wisdom to remember? I’m not talking about just favorite lines of dialogue, but specifically the ones you found to be powerful/insightful and that have stuck with you through the years.

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  1. Cat III Member
    Cat III
    @CatIII

    Manfred Arcane:

    Cat III: “And for what? For a little bit of money. There’s more to life than a little money, you know. Don’tcha know that?

    Ok, but what about ‘a lot of money’?

    I know you’re being facetious, but I’ll answer seriously anyways. When it comes to betraying our deepest morals, any amount of money is “a little money”.

    Great Ghost of Gödel:

    Is it possible to say “It was a beautiful morning at the end of November” without feeling like Snoopy?

    — Umberto Eco, The Postscript to The Name of the Rose, on the challenge of not lapsing into parody in the first sentence of a book

    Must admit, I don’t know who Umberto Eco is.

    • #121
  2. MrAmy Inactive
    MrAmy
    @MrAmy

    Some cooking quotes

    No! You waste energy and time! You think cooking is a cute job, eh? Like Mommy in the kitchen? Well, Mommy never had to face the dinner rush when the orders come flooding in, and every dish is different and none are simple, and all of the different cooking times, but must arrive at the customer’s table at exactly the same time, hot and perfect! Every second counts, you CANNOT be MOMMY!

    and

    Ugh, your sleeves look like you threw up on them. Keep your hands and arms in, close to the body, like this, see? Always return to this position. Cooks move fast, sharp utensils, hot metal, keep your arms in, you will minimize cuts and burns and keep your sleeves clean. Mark of a chef: messy apron, clean sleeves.

    and finally

    What is this? Keep – your station – clear! When the meal rush comes, what will happen? Messy stations slow things down. Food doesn’t go, orders pile up, disaster! I’ll make this easier to remember: keep your station clear, or I WILL KILL YOU!

    • #122
  3. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Here’s one that I find has a lot of utility in  life.

    “I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit.  It’s the only way to be sure”.

    • #123
  4. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    MrAmy:Some cooking quotes

    No! You waste energy and time! You think cooking is a cute job, eh? Like Mommy in the kitchen? Well, Mommy never had to face the dinner rush when the orders come flooding in, and every dish is different and none are simple, and all of the different cooking times, but must arrive at the customer’s table at exactly the same time, hot and perfect! Every second counts, you CANNOT be MOMMY!

    and

    Ugh, your sleeves look like you threw up on them. Keep your hands and arms in, close to the body, like this, see? Always return to this position. Cooks move fast, sharp utensils, hot metal, keep your arms in, you will minimize cuts and burns and keep your sleeves clean. Mark of a chef: messy apron, clean sleeves.

    and finally

    What is this? Keep – your station – clear! When the meal rush comes, what will happen? Messy stations slow things down. Food doesn’t go, orders pile up, disaster! I’ll make this easier to remember: keep your station clear, or I WILL KILL YOU!

    Is that from Ratatouille?

    • #124
  5. Amy Schley Coolidge
    Amy Schley
    @AmySchley

    Miffed White Male: Is that from Ratatouille?

    Yes. On the chef message boards Mr. Amy frequents, the montage is often posted in response to people saying “I just started my first job in a kitchen. What do I need to know?”

    • #125
  6. Fastflyer Inactive
    Fastflyer
    @Fastflyer

    From Jaws:

    “Don’t you tell me my business again.”

    Quint

    • #126
  7. Augustine Member
    Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    “Pink Bunkadoo!  Now that was a tree!  Six hundred feet tall, bright red, and smelled terrible!”

    • #127
  8. Augustine Member
    Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Sorry.  It’s a great question, and I’m just too tired I guess to think of a serious one.

    • #128
  9. Man With the Axe Inactive
    Man With the Axe
    @ManWiththeAxe

    Knotwise the Poet::

    And, moving beyond Pixar, a couple from Chariots of Fire, which is loaded with powerful lines and moments.

    Eric Liddell, Scottish athlete and devout Christian, explaining why he runs races to his sister, who feels he should just devote himself to missionary work:

    And later, after Liddell is pressured by others (including the Prince of Wales) that out of loyalty to his country and King he should compromise his rule of not running on Sunday during the Olympics, he replies:

    “God made countries, God makes kings, and the rules by which they govern. And those rules say that the Sabbath is His. And I for one intend to keep it that way.”

    I’ve always wondered about that attitude towards the sabbath. Jesus said, as I recall, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.”

    • #129
  10. Misthiocracy Member
    Misthiocracy
    @Misthiocracy

    Knotwise the Poet: Helen: I can’t believe you don’t want to go to your own son’s graduation! Bob: It’s not a graduation. He is moving from the fourth grade to the fifth grade. Helen: It’s a ceremony! Bob: It’s psychotic! People keep coming up with new ways to celebrate mediocrity…

    Bob is (at least partially) incorrect in this scene.

    The word “graduate” comes from the Latin word “gradus”, which means “step”.

    Whether one should celebrate every step is, of course, open for debate, but going from fourth to fifth grade is a graduation.

    • #130
  11. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Remember: no matter where you go, there you are.

    The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

    • #131
  12. Penfold Member
    Penfold
    @Penfold

    Can do – From my favorite movie: In Harm’s Way

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Nice work, Harding! You did a 4-0 job on that sub!

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: Thank you, sir, I’m not Commander Harding, sir.

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Well, where is he?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: Ashore, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Well, who’s in command?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: I am, sir! Lt. j.g. McConnell, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Did I hear Lieutenant junior grade?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: William McConnell; Class of ’38, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Oh. Well, can you rig for towing?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: Can do, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Can you pass some portable pumps to us?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: Can do, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Carry on, Mister!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: [Quietly, to himself, with admiration] Can do.

    • #132
  13. David Knights Member
    David Knights
    @DavidKnights

    Percival:

    Remember: no matter where you go, there you are.

    The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

    I was just going to post that one.

    • #133
  14. Man With the Axe Inactive
    Man With the Axe
    @ManWiththeAxe

    From Terminator 2:

    Sarah Connor: [voiceover]

    Watching John [her teenage son] with the machine, it was suddenly so clear. The terminator, would never stop. It would never leave him, and it would never hurt him, never shout at him, or get drunk and hit him, or say it was too busy to spend time with him. It would always be there. And it would die, to protect him. Of all the would-be fathers who came and went over the years, this thing, this machine, was the only one who measured up. In an insane world, it was the sanest choice.

    • #134
  15. Knotwise the Poet Member
    Knotwise the Poet
    @KnotwisethePoet

    Man With the Axe:

    Knotwise the Poet::

    And, moving beyond Pixar, a couple from Chariots of Fire, which is loaded with powerful lines and moments.

    Eric Liddell, Scottish athlete and devout Christian, explaining why he runs races to his sister, who feels he should just devote himself to missionary work:

    And later, after Liddell is pressured by others (including the Prince of Wales) that out of loyalty to his country and King he should compromise his rule of not running on Sunday during the Olympics, he replies:

    “God made countries, God makes kings, and the rules by which they govern. And those rules say that the Sabbath is His. And I for one intend to keep it that way.”

    I’ve always wondered about that attitude towards the sabbath. Jesus said, as I recall, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.”

    Yes, but the Sabbath should be treated as a special day, distinguished from other days of the week.  If you do all the same stuff on the Sabbath as you would any other day of the week you’re doing it wrong.  As to exactly how one distinguishes their routine for the Sabbath from other days, that’s up for individual conscience.  There is the general rule of resting from our labors and to keep the day holy.  For Eric Liddell, he believed that meant (among other things) that he shouldn’t run races on the Sabbath, and I applaud his conviction.

    • #135
  16. SParker Member
    SParker
    @SParker

    In keeping with the OP quote, Peter Lorre’s line “Who knows what it’s like to be me?” in M, although you need the whole speech (and preceding movie)  to get the effect.  

    Ironically, M has the worst last lines imaginable just a few minutes later:  “One has to keep closer watch over the children”. [screen to black]  “All of you.”  Which puts it in literary competition with Tale of Two Cities for best opening/worst closing ever.

    • #136
  17. Buckpasser Member
    Buckpasser
    @Buckpasser

    Another from Ghost busters:

    Personally, I like the University.  They gave us money and facilities.  We didn’t have to produce anything!  You’ve never been out of college.  You don’t know what it’s like out there.  I’ve worked in the private sector.  They expect results!

    • #137
  18. Hartmann von Aue Member
    Hartmann von Aue
    @HartmannvonAue

    From Seven Samurai: “What do you think of farmers? You think they’re saints? Hah! They’re foxy beasts! They say, “We’ve got no rice, we’ve no wheat. We’ve got nothing!” But they have! They have everything! Dig under the floors! Or search the barns! You’ll find plenty! Beans, salt, rice, sake! Look in the valleys, they’ve got hidden warehouses! They pose as saints but are full of lies! If they smell a battle, they hunt the defeated! They’re nothing but stingy, greedy, blubbering, foxy, and mean! God damn it all! But then . . . who made them such beasts? You did! You samurai did it! You burn their villages! Destroy their farms! Steal their food! Force them to labour! Take their women! And kill them if they resist! So what should farmers do? Damn… damn… damn… ” “I didn’t know you were a farmer’s son.” 

    • #138
  19. Hartmann von Aue Member
    Hartmann von Aue
    @HartmannvonAue

    Penfold:Can do – From my favorite movie: In Harm’s Way

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Nice work, Harding! You did a 4-0 job on that sub!

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: Thank you, sir, I’m not Commander Harding, sir.

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Well, where is he?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: Ashore, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Well, who’s in command?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: I am, sir! Lt. j.g. McConnell, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Did I hear Lieutenant junior grade?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: William McConnell; Class of ’38, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Oh. Well, can you rig for towing?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: Can do, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Can you pass some portable pumps to us?

    LTJG ‘Mac’ McConnel: Can do, sir!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: Carry on, Mister!

    Captain Rockwell Torrey: [

    Also from In Harm’s Way: “Wars are fought by scared men who’d rather be somewhere else.”

    • #139
  20. David Knights Member
    David Knights
    @DavidKnights

    From The Magnificent Seven.  IMHO, one of the greatest speeches in all of the movies. I’d put it up with Mal’s speech in Serenity and Larry the Liquidator’s speech in Other People’s Money.

    O’Reilly (Charles Bronson) ”

    Don’t you ever say that again about your fathers, because they are not cowards. You think I am brave because I carry a gun; well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility, for you, your brothers, your sisters, and your mothers. And this responsibility is like a big rock that weighs a ton. It bends and it twists them until finally it buries them under the ground. And there’s nobody says they have to do this. They do it because they love you, and because they want to. I have never had this kind of courage. Running a farm, working like a mule every day with no guarantee anything will ever come of it. This is bravery. That’s why I never even started anything like that… that’s why I never will.”

    • #140
  21. David Knights Member
    David Knights
    @DavidKnights

    In case no one knows the other references above:

    Other People’s Money

    Serenity

    • #141
  22. Pugshot Inactive
    Pugshot
    @Pugshot

    The entire opening scene dialogue should be presented, but it’s too long, so I’ll let this suffice:

    Johnny Caspar: “It’s gettin’ so a businessman can’t expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can’t trust a fix, what can you trust? For a good return, you gotta go bettin’ on chance. And then you’re back with anarchy. Right back in the jungle. That’s why ethics is important – what separates us from the animals, the beasts of burden, the beasts of prey. Ethics.

    “Whereas, uh, Bernie Berbaum is a horse of a different color, ethics-wise, as in he ain’t got any.”

    Miller’s Crossing

    • #142
  23. Amy Schley Coolidge
    Amy Schley
    @AmySchley

    David Knights:From The Magnificent Seven. IMHO, one of the greatest speeches in all of the movies. I’d put it up with Mal’s speech in Serenity and Larry the Liquidator’s speech in Other People’s Money.

    From the 2003 Peter Pan:

    Mrs. Darling: There are many different kinds of bravery. There’s the bravery of thinking of others before one’s self. Now, your father has never brandished a sword nor fired a pistol, thank heavens. But he has made many sacrifices for his family, and put away many dreams.

    Michael: Where did he put them?

    Mrs. Darling: He put them in a drawer. And sometimes, late at night, we take them out and admire them. But it gets harder and harder to close the drawer… He does. And that is why he is brave.

    • #143
  24. Misthiocracy Member
    Misthiocracy
    @Misthiocracy

    David Knights: In case no one knows the other references above: Other People’s Money

    My only problem with that speech is that his buggy whip example is a terrible choice.

    There’s a big market for horse whips these days. I’ve read it suggested that sales of horse whips are greater today than they were when the automobile was invented, because horses were expensive back then, and today way more people ride them as recreation.

    There’s also the sexytimes market for horsewhips, but that’s a side issue.

    So, yeah, today’s horsewhip manufacturers are doing just fine, thank you very much.

    Now, I suppose there’s a technical difference between a horsewhip and a buggy whip, but I’d say the difference is mere semantics.

    • #144
  25. David Knights Member
    David Knights
    @DavidKnights

    Misthiocracy:

    David Knights: In case no one knows the other references above: Other People’s Money

    My only problem with that speech is that his buggy whip example is a terrible choice.

    There’s a big market for horse whips these days. I’ve read it suggested that sales of horse whips are greater today than they were when the automobile was invented, because horses were expensive back then, and today way more people ride them as recreation.

    There’s also the sexytimes market for horsewhips, but that’s a side issue.

    So, yeah, today’s horsewhip manufacturers are doing just fine, thank you very much.

    Now, I suppose there’s a technical difference between a horsewhip and a buggy whip, but I’d say the difference is mere semantics.

    He’s making a point, and everyone understands it.  Also, I think there is a difference between a horse whip and a buggy whip.  Also, given the increase in population, I’d bet that per capita, the buggy whip business isn’t where you’d have wanted to have your money for the last 150 years.

    • #145
  26. Misthiocracy Member
    Misthiocracy
    @Misthiocracy

    David Knights:

    He’s making a point, and everyone understands it. Also, I think there is a difference between a horse whip and a buggy whip. Also, given the increase in population, I’d bet that per capita, the buggy whip business isn’t where you’d have wanted to have your money for the last 150 years.

    You may be right.

    On a completely unrelated topic, what’s the going price for copper wire right now?

    • #146
  27. Man With the Axe Inactive
    Man With the Axe
    @ManWiththeAxe

    Misthiocracy: There’s a big market for horse whips these days. I’ve read it suggested that sales of horse whips are greater today than they were when the automobile was invented, because horses were expensive back then, and today way more people ride them as recreation.

    I was curious about just how big the market for buggy whips could be, so I took out my slide rule and did a few computations. I’d have typed up the results for you but my ribbon is out of ink.

    • #147
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