Quotes from "Best Picture" Movies, 2 Quiz

Answer: Braveheart

In this scene England's tyrannical King Edward I (sometimes called Longshanks, played by Patrick McGoohan) is talking to an advisor about the unrest in Scotland and says this quote. Then he proposes the detestable right of prima noctae (letting his local administrators have first rights on a new bride's wedding night).

In the 1996 Academy Awards, "Braveheart" won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Mel Gibson. This is the mostly true story of William Wallace, a commoner (one source says he was a Scottish lord) who unites 13th-century Scotland in its battle to overthrow English rule.

Answer: Dances with Wolves

In this scene the Indian Wind In His Hair (played by Rodney Grant) has positioned himself on a high cliff seen by Lieutenant John Dunbar (played by Kevin Costner) and his wife Stands With A Fist (played by Mary McDonnell) as they leave the Sioux Indian tribe and ride out of camp. Wind In His Hair didn't like Dunbar when they had first met, but gradually grew to consider him a good friend and shouts this to Dunbar as he leaves. "Dances with Wolves" won seven Oscars in the 1991 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Kevin Costner was nominated (but did not win) for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of U.S. Civil War veteran Lt. John Dunbar, who is stationed at a remote western U.S. army outpost and makes friends with some Sioux Indians.

They bestow on him the Indian name of Dances with Wolves for his relationship with a local wild wolf. Graham Greene and Mary McDonnell were also nominated but did not win.

Answer: The Sound of Music

In this scene stern Captain Georg von Trapp (played by Christopher Plummer) has just explained to new governess Maria (played by Julie Andrews) how he uses different short-and-long blasts on a whistle to call his children, and assigns a code to her. She protests with this quote.

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. Based on a true story.

Answer: Forrest Gump

Forrest says this quote to a lady sitting next to him on a bench as they wait for a bus (after offering her a box of assorted chocolate candy he had with him). In the 1995 Academy Awards, "Forrest Gump" won six Oscars, including Best Picture. Tom Hanks won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Forrest Gump. Gary Sinise was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Forrest's friend Lt. Dan Taylor, but didn't win the Oscar.

Answer: Ben-Hur

After Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur (played by Charlton Heston) is betrayed and sent to work as a slave rower on a Roman galley, his group of prisoners is addressed by Roman commander Quintus Arrius (played by Jack Hawkins) with this quote. "Ben-Hur" won 11 Oscars in the 1960 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Charlton Heston for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Hugh Griffith for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

The only other movies to win 11 Oscars (as of March 2006) were "Titanic" in the 1998 Academy Awards and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in the 2004 Academy Awards.

The chariot race scenes at the stadium in Jerusalem were particularly thrilling.

Answer: Gone with the Wind

This line, which seems relatively tame by today's standards, was highly provocative at the time. Producer David O. Selznick elected to pay a $5,000 fine so this line could stay in the movie. 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.

In this almost-final scene in the movie, Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable) is finally disgusted with Scarlett O'Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) and leaves.

When she pleads with him to stay with her ("Rhett, if you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?"), he replies with this famous quote. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the final line in the movie. That one is by Scarlett ("After all... tomorrow is another day").

Answer: Lawrence of Arabia

In this scene British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia), the eccentric British officer who united the desert tribes of Arabia against the Turks during World War I (played by Peter O'Toole), is attempting to convince the Arab tribes to cross the Nafud Desert and attack the port city of Aqaba from the rear.

The Turks' artillery pieces are intended to defend against a sea attack and cannot be turned inland. He insightfully sizes up an important Arab leader (played by Anthony Quinn) and says this quote.

When Auda realizes Lawrence has pushed the right button to make him agree, he replies "Thy mother mated with a scorpion." In the 1963 Academy Awards, "Lawrence of Arabia" won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. The desert vistas filmed by director David Lean are breathtaking in their beauty. Both Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif were nominated for Oscars, but neither won. Based on a true story.

Answer: The Godfather

Adopted Corleone son Tom Hagen (played by Robert Duvall) has flown to Hollywood to deliver a request from Don Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando). He would like his friend, singer Johnny Fontane, to be given a role in an upcoming movie being made by producer Jack Woltz (played by John Marley).

However, Woltz is incensed at this request, and says absolutely not. (Fontane had earlier ruined one of his proteges and Woltz says this quote.) He later gets a severed horse head in his bed because of this decision.

In the 1973 Academy Awards, "The Godfather" won three Oscars, including Best Picture. The cat held by Marlon Brando in the opening scene of "The Godfather" was a stray the actor found while on the lot at Paramount, and was not originally called for in the script.

Answer: Casablanca

Ilsa Laszlo (played by Ingrid Bergman) is in Rick's Cafe Americain nightclub in Casablanca and has asked the piano player Sam (played by Dooley Wilson) to play a song that has a special meaning for her and Rick (played by Humphrey Bogart). Rick rushes up and says "Sam, I thought I told you never to play...," but then sees Ilsa, who had failed to keep a rendezvous with him years before, and stops mid sentence. "Casablanca" won three Oscars in the 1944 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Humphrey Bogart was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role, but didn't win the Oscar.

Answer: My Fair Lady

Professor Henry Higgins (played by Rex Harrison) has accepted a bet from his colleague Colonel Hugh Pickering (played by Wilfrid Hyde-White) that he can't transform Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle (played by Audrey Hepburn) into a proper young lady in six months.

As Higgins wonderfully explains it, "Eliza, you are to stay here for the next six months learning to speak beautifully, like a lady in a florist's shop. At the end of six months you will be taken to an embassy ball in a carriage, beautifully dressed. If the king finds out you are not a lady, you will be taken to the Tower of London, where your head will be cut off as a warning to other presumptuous flower girls!" In this scene, Prof. Higgins is instructing Eliza on how to get started.

Her first attempt sounds like, "The rine in spine sties minely in the pline." In the 1965 Academy Awards, "My Fair Lady" won eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Rex Harrison .