The Most Iconic Movie Quote the Year You Were Born
But you probably know every single one.
Over the years, movies have given us some truly memorable lines—the ones you can't get out of your head after the credits roll, the ones you drop in conversation constantly, and the ones that, no matter how old, will always be relevant. Some you've probably heard (and said!) without ever having seen the film. Click through to find the most iconic movie quotes of the past century.
Gone with the Wind, 1939
Quote: “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
There was huge controversy over using the word “damn” in the now infamous line from Gone with the Wind. Two months before the film was set to premiere, censors requested the word to be cut due to a code that “forbade profanity,” among other things. Luckily, the now-iconic curse word stayed.
Dr. No, 1962
Quote: “Bond. James Bond.”
The iconic line—spoofed literally thousands of times (ok, we didn't count but we're pretty sure that's accurate)—was originally said by Sean Connery in Dr. No, the first of many James Bond movies. Author of the popular series, Ian Fleming, reportedly named his spy character after an American ornithologist.
The Godfather II, 1974
Quote: “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
When a famous quote becomes a life philosophy, it’s definitely iconic. Since the release of the second Godfather film, people have overanalyzed the meaning of the quote and all the ways in which a person could apply it in real life.
Taxi Driver, 1976
Quote: “Are you talking to me?”
Robert De Niro created and delivered the infamous line in Taxi Driver in 1976. Director Martin Scorsese recently revealed that De Niro completely made it up on the spot. "A key improvisation in the movie was Bob in the mirror," Scorsese told the crowd at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.
Star Wars, 1977
Quote: “May the force be with you.”
George Lucas’ beloved intergalactic series has spawned not just an iconic line, but an iconic punch line. Star Wars fans noticed the phrase sounded very similar to the date May 4, which is now known as "Star Wars Day."
The Shining, 1980
Quote: “Here’s Johnny.”
Sometimes the scary lines are the most memorable—as was the case when Jack Nicholson stuck his head through the door and creepily said "Here's Johnny," a terrifying riff on the way Johnny Carson was introduced at the start of The Tonight Show. In 2013, a study revealed that this scene from The Shining was the scariest in movie history.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982
Quote: “E.T. phone home.”
The voice of E.T. was provided by an elderly woman named Pat Welsh who smoked two packs of cigarettes a day. But to really give E.T. the alien-like persona, they combined Welsh's voice with recorded animal noises and 16 other voices, including director Stephen Spielberg's.
Ghostbusters, 1984
Quote: "Who ya gonna call?"
Ghostbusters! Ten bucks says you sang the phrase just now in your head. And now it's stuck there.
Dumb and Dumber, 1994
Quote: "So you're telling me there's a chance."
When Jim Carrey's hopelessly optimistic character confesses his love for Mary, she tells him he's got a one-in-a-million chance with her—which prompted the oft-repeated phrase. Though, like many famous lines, it's not always said correctly. There's a chance you've said, "So you're saying there's a chance."
Billy Madison, 1995
Quote: "Stop looking at me, swan."
Adam Sandler's man-child character is taking a bath when he yells the famous line at the waterfoul-shaped faucet in his childish voice—and now every time you see anything swan-like, you do too.
The Sixth Sense, 1999
Quote: “I see dead people.”
The four-word phrase was originally said by Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense, but it's made its way into other movies, TV shows, and memes. There are much scarier moments in this film, but Osment's short sentence seems to be the creepiest one, and the one that stuck with viewers the most.
Zoolander, 2001
Quote: "Did you ever think there's more to life than being really really really ridiculously good looking?"
This is only one of the few really really really ridiculously great quotes to come from the movie Zoolander. Others include, "So hot right now," and "I'm sorry that good looking people like us made you throw up and feel bad about yourself."
