Quotes from "Best Picture" Movies, 7 Quiz

Answer: The English Patient

"The English Patient" tells the story of Hungarian-born mapmaker, Count Laszlo de Almásy (played by Ralph Fiennes), who is badly burned in an airplane crash. Through a series of flashbacks while he is recovering, he remembers his prior life and an affair he had with Katharine Clifton (played by Kristin Scott Thomas).

In this scene, as he kisses the depression at the base of her throat he says, "This - what's it called? This place, I love it!" Later, he asks his friend Maddox (played by Julian Wadham) the question in this quote. Maddox replies "Good God, man, pull yourself together," but later tells Almásy it's called the suprasternal notch.

In the 1997 Academy Awards, "The English Patient" won nine Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Juliette Binoche. Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas were nominated for awards, but did not win.

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 Irish fighter Stephen (played by David O'Hara) has just killed would-be assassin Faudron (played by Jimmy Chisholm), who had tried to kill Wallace while he was hunting in the woods.

After killing supposed-ally Faudron in the nick of time, Stephen says this quote to a surprised Wallace.

In the 1996 Academy Awards, "Braveheart" won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Mel Gibson.

Answer: The Godfather: Part II

In this scene Willie Cicci (played by Joe Spinell) is testifying before a U.S. Senate committee investigating organized crime in America. Cicci admits he has killed people that the family wanted eliminated, but claims his orders never came directly from Michael Corleone.

The questioning Senator wanted to know if a buffer was always involved. When Cicci expressed puzzlement by this term, the senator explained it was an intermediary who passed on orders. Cicci replies with this quote. This movie continues where the "The Godfather" left off, following the lives in a fictional American crime family.

However, many of the characters in this fictional story are based on people and incidents in real life

Answer: Titanic

"Titanic" tells the true-life story of the luxurious White Star ocean liner, RMS Titanic, that sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage, told through the lives of two main fictional characters. In this scene, Jack Dawson (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) has just saved the life of Rose Bukater (played by Kate Winslet) and in gratitude, her fiancé "Cal" Hockley (played by Billy Zane) has invited Jack to join them for dinner in the first-class dining room on the Titanic. Nouveau-rich passenger "Molly" Brown (played by Kathy Bates) takes a shine to Jack and offers to let him borrow her son's tuxedo for the dinner.

When she sees Jack wearing the tuxedo, she comments with this quote. In the 1998 Academy Awards, "Titanic" won 11 Oscars, 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. Molly Brown was an actual true-life passenger on the Titanic.

Her story was the inspiration for the Broadway play "The Unsinkable Molly Brown."

Answer: Midnight Cowboy

"Midnight Cowboy" tells the story of Joe Buck (played by Jon Voight), a naive Texas dishwasher who goes to New York City to make his fortune as a sexual hustler, but finds the going hard. Sickly, crippled, petty thief 'Ratso' Rizzo (played by Dustin Hoffman) befriends him and offers to be his manager, and Buck moves into Rizzo's room in an abandoned building to care for him.

In this scene 'Ratso' Rizzo says this quote to Joe. 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.

The rating was changed to R in 1971, without anything in the movie having been changed or removed. This was the only X-rated film ever to win a Best Picture Oscar. (The Harry Nilsson song "Everybody's Talkin'" is the theme song in this movie.)

Answer: Annie Hall

"Annie Hall" tells the story of a neurotic, Jewish, New York comedian named Alvy Singer (played by Woody Allen) and his relationship to his equally-neurotic, ditzy girlfriend Annie Hall (played by Diane Keaton). Some critics have noted the character Alvy Singer and the actor Woody Allen are very similar, and suggest this movie is a thinly disguised autobiography. Annie Hall's famous quote from the film (when she is at a loss for words) is "La-di-da, la-di-da." In this scene Alvy has gone into the bathroom in Annie's apartment and returns almost immediately with this quote.

After Alvy triumphantly announces he has killed two spiders, Annie starts to cry and an exasperated Alvy asks, "What did you want me to do? Capture 'em and rehabilitate 'em?" "Annie Hall" won four Oscars in the 1978 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Diane Keaton for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Woody Allen for Best Director.

Answer: Rocky

Sylvester Stallone wrote the script for "Rocky" in just three days after he saw a match between boxing great Muhammad Ali and an unknown Chuck Wepner in which Wepner went the distance. He would only sell the rights to make this film with the condition that he be cast in the lead role. "Rocky" tells the story of Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone), a Philadelphia club boxer, who gets a chance to fight for the heavyweight title of the world.

When the regularly-scheduled opponent to champion Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers) has to withdraw at the last minute, the fight promoter scrambles to find a suitable opponent.

When none of the obvious choices are available, Apollo suggests giving a local underdog a shot. In this scene, Rocky has a first date with plain and meek pet store shop girl Adrian (played by Talia Shire) and is discussing with his loan shark employer where to go on their date.

The loan shark's driver/bodyguard (played by Joe Sorbello) says this quote to provoke Rocky.

In the 1977 Academy Awards, "Rocky" won three Oscars, including Best Picture. Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Burgess Meredith, and Talia Shire were all nominated for awards but didn't win.

Answer: Driving Miss Daisy

After a near-accident, elderly southern Jewish woman Daisy Werthan (played by Jessica Tandy) has been banned from driving herself by her son Boolie (played by Dan Aykroyd). He then hires black chauffeur Hoke Colburn (played by Morgan Freeman) to drive for her.

In this scene Hoke is preparing to drive Miss Daisy on a hot day to her brother's birthday party and says this quote when she asks if he had the air-conditioning checked. The constant bickering between the two conceals a true and growing affection they have for each other.

At the end of the movie she says to Hoke, "You're my best friend." The racial and religious prejudices in the south U.S. during that period are an omnipresent backdrop. In the 1990 Academy Awards, "Driving Miss Daisy" won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Jessica Tandy.

At nearly age 81, Tandy became the oldest winner of a competitive Oscar (as of March 2006). Morgan Freeman and Dan Aykroyd were also nominated for awards but did not win.

Answer: Rain Man

"Rain Man" tells the story of self-centered yuppie Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise) and his relationship with his autistic brother, Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman). He wasn't even aware of the existence of Raymond 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 Charlie's girlfriend Susanna (played by Valeria Golino) confronts Charlie by saying "You use me, you use Raymond, you use everybody." Charlie then yells this quote to Raymond.

When Raymond says "Yeah," Charlie says, "Shut up! He's answering a question from a half hour ago!" 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 an autistic young man with a phenomenal memory.

The scenes of the two of them counting cards while playing blackjack in Las Vegas are just wonderful.

Answer: Tom Jones

This bawdy comedy (based on the classic novel by Henry Fielding) tells the story of a charming 18th century Englishman named Tom Jones. Even though he starts off life as a child of unknown parentage, he is raised as a gentleman. Jones (played as an adult by Albert Finney) seems unable to resist the advances of any attractive lady he meets.

In this scene Tom celebrates with too much wine the recovery of Squire Allworthy (Tom's benefactor) from a carriage accident. After leaving the main house, he encounters servant girl Molly (played by Diane Cilento).

This quote is spoken by the narrator (spoken by Micheál MacLiammóir) to the audience (the narrator has great lines throughout the movie). In the 1964 Academy Awards, "Tom Jones" won four Oscars, including Best Picture. Albert Finney, Hugh Griffith, Diane Cilento, and Edith Evans all were nominated for awards but did not win. "Tom Jones" is one of my all-time favorites (the version with Albert Finney, Susannah York, and Hugh Griffith).