Quotes from "Best Picture" Movies, 4 Quiz

Answer: The French Connection

This movie was loosely based on an actual investigation that led to what was at that time the biggest heroin seizure in U.S. history. Middle Eastern heroin was being smuggled into the United States through the French port of Marseilles. In this scene, Detectives Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (played by Gene Hackman) and his partner Buddy "Cloudy" Russo (played by Roy Scheider) have just raided a New York City bar where narcotics are sold and used. Popeye Doyle shouts this quote to all the people in the bar.

The real-life detectives on whom the characters Doyle and Russo are based appear in the movie as Doyle's and Russo's supervisors. In the 1972 Academy Awards, "The French Connection" won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Gene Hackman.

Answer: Forrest Gump

In this scene Mrs. Gump (played by Sally Field) is explaining to young Forrest Gump (played by Michael Conner Humphreys) why his father is absent from his life. She explains that he went on "vacation," and then explains what that means with this quote. "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 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 (played by Robin Wright).

Answer: Braveheart

In this scene Princess Isabelle (played by Sophie Marceau), the daughter-in-law of England's King Edward I (sometimes called Longshanks, played by Patrick McGoohan), has delivered a peace proposal from Longshanks to William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson). Wallace reacts to it with this quote. 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 The Godfather's daughter Connie (played by Talia Shire). In this scene Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) is talking to his girlfriend, Kay Adams (played by Diane Keaton), and tells her this story about his family. "The Godfather" won three Oscars in the 1973 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Marlon Brando won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Godfather Vito Corleone, 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: Amadeus

Austrian Emperor Joseph II (played by Jeffrey Jones) makes this comment to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (played by Tom Hulce) after hearing a new Mozart composition. Mozart asks "Which few did you have in mind, Majesty?" In the 1985 Academy Awards, "Amadeus" won eight Oscars, including Best Picture. F. Murray Abraham won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of official royal composer Antonio Salieri, who secretly loathes Mozart's crude personality, but is astounded by the beauty of his music.

Answer: Patton

When World War II General George Patton (played by George C. Scott) points out the site of an ancient battlefield where the Romans and Carthaginians had fought, his aide comments that he was really more attuned to an older time. Patton then made this quote. German Captain Oskar Steiger (played by Siegfried Rauch), assigned to research Patton, describes him as "The pure warrior... a magnificent anachronism." "Patton" won seven Oscars in the 1971 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. George C. Scott was chosen the winner for 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."

Answer: Rain Man

This line is spoken several times in the movie by Raymond Babbitt (played by Dustin Hoffman). The first is when yuppie Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise) learns he has an autistic brother who is living in the group home Walbrook in Cincinnati and goes to visit him.

When Raymond sees the car Charlie is driving, he recognizes it and claims "I drove slow on the driveway when my dad came to Walbrook." Charlie says, "I'll have to let you drive sometime" but quickly learns Raymond is *not* an excellent driver.

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.

Answer: The Sting

Set in 1936, "The Sting" is about a pair of Chicago con artists (played by Paul Newman and Robert Redford) who want to avenge the death of their mutual friend Luther (played by Robert Earl Jones). The hit had been ordered by mob boss Doyle Lonnegan (played by Robert Shaw) because Luther had taken part in a con of a numbers runner who was carrying Lonnegan's money.

The young con artist, Johnny Hooker (Redford), sizes up Lonnegan in a train station and says, "He's not as tough as he thinks." The older Henry Gondorff (Newman) quickly replies, "Neither are we." Hooker suggests they shoot him, but Gondorff says he might fire back and then says this quote.

They decide instead to run an elaborate con on Lonnegan, and the result is an extremely entertaining movie.

In the 1974 Academy Awards, "The Sting" won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Much of the music in "The Sting" (known as ragtime) was written by African-American composer Scott Joplin around the beginning of the 20th century (with musical adaptations for the movie by Marvin Hamlisch).

Answer: Dances with Wolves

"Dances with Wolves" tells the story 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 local Sioux Indians. He gradually gets to know them and they accept him, but then realizes he must leave.

As he explains to Chief Ten Bears (played by Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman), "when the soldiers find me, they find you." As he prepares to leave camp, he says goodbye to his good friend Kicking Bird (played by Graham Greene), who says this quote to him.

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: Gladiator

In this scene gladiator Tigris (played by Sven-Ole Thorsen) says this to Roman Emperor Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix) before a fight to possible death in the coliseum in Rome. In the 2001 Academy Awards "Gladiator" won five Oscars, including Best Picture. Russell Crowe won Best Actor in a Leading Role for playing a betrayed Roman general who comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge. Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role but did not win.

Historical note: The Roman Emperor Commodus actually did fight as a gladiator.