Quotes from "Best Picture" Movies, 5 Quiz

Answer: The Silence of the Lambs

In this scene imprisoned cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter (played menacingly by Anthony Hopkins) says this quote to FBI trainee Clarice Starling (played by Jodie Foster), when she is interviewing him in jail. In a scary start to this scene he asks to see her credentials and says, "Closer, please... clo-ser...." Her boss hopes she can gain some insight into the thinking of a psychopath that will help the FBI catch a killer currently on the loose. "The Silence of the Lambs" was only the third movie to win all five major Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay (as of March 2006).

The others were Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" in 1934 and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1975.

Answer: Gone with the Wind

In this scene Scarlett O'Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) has just learned that her crush on Ashley Wilkes (played by Leslie Howard) is not being reciprocated by his feelings for her. She is in a room she thinks is empty and throws a vase against a wall to express her displeasure. Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable) has been dozing on a sofa whose back is to Scarlett and sits up at the sound of the crashing vase. Scarlett is aghast at having a witness to her temper tantrum and says, "Sir, you are no gentleman." Rhett replies with this quote.

In the 1940 Academy Awards, "Gone with the Wind" won nine Oscars, including Best Picture, Vivien Leigh for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Hattie McDaniel for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Clark Gable and Olivia de Havilland were nominated for Oscars but did not win.

Answer: Rain Man

In this scene Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise) is eating breakfast at a diner with his autistic brother Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman). When Raymond says, "Maple syrup is supposed to be on the table before the pancakes," Charlie replies "We haven't ordered yet, Ray." Ray is used to the way of life at his group home Walbrook in Cincinnati and replies with this quote.

In the 1989 Academy Awards, "Rain Man" won four Oscars, including Best Picture. Dustin Hoffman won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Raymond Babbitt.

Answer: Midnight Cowboy

In this scene crippled petty thief "Ratso" Rizzo (played by Dustin Hoffman) and stud-for-hire Joe Buck (played by Jon Voight) are crossing a New York City street and a taxicab almost hits Rizzo. Rizzo pounds on the cab's hood and angrily yells this quote to the cab driver. Dustin Hoffman ad-libbed this famous line, which several subsequent movies later used. Four that I'm aware of are "Back to the Future, Part II" (1989), "Forrest Gump" (1994), "Hercules" (1997), and "Miss Congeniality" (2000). In the 1970 Academy Awards, "Midnight Cowboy" won three Oscars, including Best Picture. Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, and Sylvia Miles were all nominated for Oscars but none of them won.

The movie was rated X when it was originally released in 1969, but that was before that rating was taken over by pornographic filmmakers. Since many theaters refused to run X-rated films and many newspapers would not run ads for them, the rating was changed to R in 1971 without anything in the movie having been changed or removed.

This was the first X-rated film ever to win a Best Picture Oscar.

Answer: Forrest Gump

In this scene young Forrest Gump (played by Michael Conner Humphreys) replies with this quote to young Jenny Curran (played by Hanna Hall) when she asks him about his leg braces. "Forrest Gump" won six Oscars in the 1995 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Tom Hanks won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of the older Forrest Gump.

The movie follows the life of low I.Q. Forrest as he interacts with some of the most important people and events in America, from the late 1950s through the 1970s, and his encounters with the love of his life, Jenny (the older Jenny is played by Robin Wright).

Answer: Patton

In this scene World War II Col.-General Alfred Jodl, chief of staff of the German army (played by Richard Münch), says to German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (played by Karl Michael Vogler), "In 15 minutes, we meet with the Fuehrer. He will want to know how you will deal with Patton's forces." Rommel gets a somber look and replies with this quote. Rommel was arguably one of Germany's better generals, but he was later implicated in the plot to assassinate Hitler and was forced to commit suicide. In the 1971 Academy Awards, "Patton" won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. George C. Scott won Best Actor for his portrayal of General Patton but refused to accept the Oscar, stating that competition between actors was unfair and calling it a "meat parade." He originally did not want the part, but later accepted it when he realized it would be a considerable acting challenge.

Answer: The Sound of Music

In this scene the Mother Abbess at the convent in Salzburg, Austria (played by Peggy Wood) is giving advice to young nun Maria (played by Julie Andrews). Maria wants to stay in the convent to escape her feelings for Captain Georg von Trapp (played by Christopher Plummer).

In the 1966 Academy Awards, "The Sound of Music" won five Oscars, including Best Picture. Julie Andrews was nominated (but did not win) for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of the nun Maria, who becomes a governess in the home of Captain von Trapp and who organizes his seven children into a singing group.

The film was based on a true story. The real life Maria emigrated to the U.S. and lived in Stowe, Vermont until her death in 1987.

Answer: Dances with Wolves

"Dances with Wolves" tells the story of U.S. Civil War veteran Lt. John Dunbar (played by Kevin Costner), who is stationed at a remote western U.S. army outpost and makes friends with some local Sioux Indians. In this scene Dunbar has come to the conclusion he must leave the Indian camp.

As he explains to Chief Ten Bears (played by Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman), "when the soldiers find me, they find you." Chief Ten Bears replies to him with this quote. In the 1991 Academy Awards "Dances with Wolves" won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Graham Greene and Mary McDonnell were also nominated for awards but did not win.

Answer: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Insane asylum patient Billy Bibbit (played by Brad Dourif) has been intimidated and controlled by his overbearing mother for years, and as a result, has a bad case of stuttering. When a prostitute friend of fellow inmate Randle McMurphy (played by Jack Nicholson) sneaks into the ward for a late-night party and Billy has sex with her, his stuttering stops.

But when controlling nurse Mildred Ratched (played by Louise Fletcher) catches Billy the next morning and threatens to tell his mother, using this quote, Billy's stuttering returns. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" won five Oscars in the 1976 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

It was only the third movie to win all five major Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay (as of March 2006). Louise Fletcher won Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Nurse Ratched and Jack Nicholson won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of non-insane convicted rapist Randle McMurphy (who has gone to the asylum to avoid going to a work farm).

Answer: Braveheart

"Braveheart" tells the mostly true story of William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson), a commoner (one source says he was a Scottish lord) who unites 13th-century Scotland in its battle to overthrow English rule. In this scene Wallace is trying to convince some local clan leaders to join forces with him, and an Irish fighter named Stephen (played by David O'Hara) asks this question.

When Wallace replies "The answer is yes. Fight for me, you get to kill the English," Stephen exclaims "Excellent!" In the 1996 Academy Awards, "Braveheart" won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Mel Gibson.