Quotes from "Best Picture" Movies, 3 Quiz

Answer: Gone with the Wind

After suffering through food shortages in the southern United States as a result of the U.S. Civil War, Scarlett O'Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) makes this vow to herself to make a success of her new life. "Gone with the Wind" won nine Oscars in the 1940 Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture. Future TV Superman George Reeves had a role as Stuart Tarleton (the two Tarleton brothers discuss an upcoming party with Scarlett at the beginning of the movie).

This was Reeves' first major film role.

Answer: The Bridge on the River Kwai

In this scene Japanese Colonel Saito (played by Sessue Hayakawa), who runs a Japanese POW camp in WWII, is talking to British medical officer Major Clipton (played by James Donald). Major Clipton is protesting the solitary confinement in an outdoor oven box of British commander Colonel Nicholson (played by Alec Guinness), who has reminded Colonel Saito that the Geneva Convention forbids using officers to do manual labor. Colonel Saito wants the British officers who are POWs to do manual labor in building a bridge the Japanese want built and is furious Colonel Nicholson forbids this. "The Bridge on the River Kwai" won seven Oscars in the 1958 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Alec Guinness won Best Actor in a Leading Role, and David Lean won for Best Director.

This movie is based on a true story.

Answer: Dances with Wolves

Kevin Costner was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role in the 1991 Academy Awards (but did not win) for his portrayal of 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. "Dances with Wolves" won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. In this scene the Indian Kicking Bird (played by Graham Greene) mistakenly thinks Lt. Dunbar's name is Dumb Bear, and Dunbar corrects him with this quote.

Answer: Chariots of Fire

This movie tells the true story of two British track athletes who competed in the 1924 summer Olympics. This quote takes place at a Lidell family gathering after a track meet in the Scottish Highlands. Eric Liddell (played by Ian Charleson) is the son of a Protestant missionary to China and is both a devout Christian missionary himself and one of the fastest men in the world.

His sister Jennie (played by Cheryl Campbell) objects to his running because she thinks he is being distracted from his duties to God.

His father says, "You can praise the Lord by peeling a spud if you peel it to perfection. Run in His name and let the world stand back in wonder." Eric then says this quote to his sister. "Chariots of Fire" won four Oscars in the 1982 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Answer: Braveheart

In this scene England's tyrannical King Edward I (sometimes called Longshanks, played by Patrick McGoohan) is talking to his son Edward (played by Peter Hanly), when Edward's homosexual lover, Phillip (played by Stephen Billington), offers the king some military advice. Longshanks says this quote, then pretends to be interested as the two walk over to an open floor-length window.

He tosses Phillip out the window as a horrified Edward watches. In the 1996 Academy Awards, "Braveheart" won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Mel Gibson.

Answer: The Godfather

This quote takes place at the wedding of Vito Corleone's daughter Connie (played by Talia Shire) to gangster Carlo Rizzi (played by Gianni Russo). In this scene Corleone henchman Luca Brasi (played by Lenny Montana) is offering his best wishes to Don Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando).

Although Luca Brasi rehearses his speech (out loud, to himself) as "Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your home on the wedding day of your daughter. And may their first child be a masculine child," he says it to Don Corleone slightly differently.

The quote in this question is the version he says to the Godfather. The wedding is supposedly modeled on the real-life wedding of mobster Bill Bonanno (son of Brooklyn Mafia don Joe Bonanno) in 1956 to Rosalie Profaci, niece of one of the heads of another of the five New York crime families (as described in the book "Bound By Honor: A Mafioso's Story" by Bill Bonanno, St. Martin's Press). "The Godfather" won three Oscars in the 1973 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Marlon Brando won Best Actor in a Leading Role, but refused to accept the award. Al Pacino, James Caan, and Robert Duvall were all nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, but none of them won the Oscar.

Answer: Rain Man

Yuppie Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise) wasn't even aware of the existence of his autistic brother Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman), until his estranged father's will was read. Charlie then picks up Raymond at his group home, Walbrook, in Cincinnati and takes him on a cross-country journey by car to Charlie's home in Los Angeles.

In this scene Raymond says he needs to buy some underwear, and wants to return home to the K-mart he is familiar with, in Cincinnati. Charlie then makes this comment.

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, who is blessed with a phenomenal memory. The scenes of the two of them counting cards while playing blackjack in Las Vegas are just wonderful.

Answer: In the Heat of the Night

Black Philadelphia, PA detective Virgil Tibbs (played by Sidney Poitier) is in the southern U.S. visiting his mother when he is suspected of a local murder by bigoted Police Chief Bill Gillespie (played wonderfully by Rod Steiger). After Gillespie is suspicious of all the money in Tibbs' wallet, he wants to know where Tibbs got it.

When Tibbs says it is from his job, Gillespie wants to know what that is. When Tibbs says he is a police detective, Gillespie is dumfounded. Then he asks "what do they call you," and an incensed Tibbs replies with this quote.

In the 1968 Academy Awards, "In the Heat of the Night" won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Rod Steiger.

Answer: On the Waterfront

In this scene Terry Malloy (played by Marlon Brando) expresses his disappointment in the way his brother Charley (played by Rod Steiger) has not watched out for him during his career as a boxer. He says "You was my brother, Charley. You shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit so I wouldn't have to take them dives for the short-end money." When Charley tries to minimize this, Terry says this quote. "On the Waterfront" won eight Oscars in the 1955 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Marlon Brando, for his portrayal of an ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman.

Answer: Titanic

"Titanic" tells the true-life story of the luxurious White Star ocean liner Titanic that sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage, told through the lives of two main fictional characters, Jack Dawson (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose Bukater (played as a young woman by Kate Winslet).

In this scene old Rose (played by Gloria Stuart) has finished telling her story to the crew of the research ship that discovered the final resting place of the Titanic and says this quote to them. "Titanic" won 11 Oscars in the 1998 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Original Song for "My Heart Will Go On." The only other movies to win 11 Oscars (as of March 2006) were "Ben-Hur" in the 1960 Academy Awards and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in the 2004 Academy Awards. Both Gloria Stuart and Kate Winslet (young Rose Bukater) were nominated for Oscars, but neither won.