The 25 most famous English movie quotes

This is a list of the most well-known movie quotes in American culture.

You should definitely learn and memorize these quotes. Not only are they useful as English sentences to practice; they're also useful because English speakers quote them all the time! It's common for someone to drop a famous movie quote in the middle of a conversation.

The list is below. Each quote has a YouTube clip to go along with it. Click the video or the link to watch it.

1. “Houston, we have a problem.” (Apollo 13)

   People quote this line when there's a big problem.

    

2. “I'll be back.” (Terminator)

   This line is spoken by the Terminator, a killer robot from the future. You can say it with Arnold Swarzenegger's accent when you leave somewhere and you're going to come back soon.

    

3. “It really tied the room together.” (The Big Lebowski)

   The characters in the movie are talking about a rug that was stolen. You can say this about a piece of furniture or decoration in a room.

    

4. “It's alive! It's alive!” (Frankenstein)

   A crazy scientist says this when he brings to life the monster he created.

    

5. “I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.” (The Wizard of Oz)

   Say this when you end up in a strange place.

    

6. “E.T. phone home.” (E.T.)

   This isn't very good English because the character who says it is an alien from outer space.

    

7. “Bond. James Bond.” (Dr. No)

   The character of James Bond is supposed to be super-cool. If you want to act cool and sexy, you can say your name like this: last name (pause), full name.

    

8. “There's no place like home.” (The Wizard of Oz)

   Here's another line from the classic film "The Wizard of Oz."

   (Watch this on YouTube)

    

9. “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” (Apocalypse Now)

   This is a quote from a military commander who's violent and crazy. "Napalm" is a chemical that's used to burn forests and towns in war. Usually, someone would say something like "I love the smell of coffee in the morning.

    

10. “Wax on, wax off.” (Karate Kid)

    A Japanese Karate master tells his student this. He's trying to teach the student to do Karate using simple movements like waxing a car. You can quote this line when you're acting as someone's teacher.

     

11. “Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.” (Gone with the Wind)

    This line was quite shocking at the time. The man says this to his wife as he's leaving her.

     

12. “I feel the need... the need for speed.” (Top Gun)

    This is a line from a jet pilot who wants adventure and excitement.

     

13. “I see dead people.” (The Sixth Sense)

    The kid who says this sounds creepy.

     

14. “I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.” (The Godfather)

    A mob boss says this line. It means that he's going to threaten someone to get what he wants. You can copy this quote jokingly when you've gotten someone to do what you wanted.

     

15. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” (Dirty Dancing)

    "Baby" is the character's name. The speaker wants to say that she should be a star, not controlled and hidden away.

     

16. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” (Casablanca)

    This is a classic line to copy when you're getting along well with someone, especially in business.

     

17. “You can't handle the truth!” (A Few Good Men)

    You can yell as a joke when someone says that they "want the truth".

     

18. “What we've got here is failure to communicate.” (Cool Hand Luke)

    Say this when someone who you're in charge of, like one of your students, isn't listening to you.

     

19. “My mama always said, life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you gonna get.” (Forrest Gump)

    This quote actually annoys a lot of people, but it's very famous. It means that unexpected things happen in life. To explain, the speaker's talking about a certain type of chocolates that come in a box with different varieties to try.

     

20. “I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take this anymore.” (Network)

    The speaker is talking about all of the problems with the government, society, and the media.

     

21. “May the force be with you.” (Star Wars)

    "The force" is a magical power that gives people strength. This phrase is kind of a way of saying "good luck".

    (Watch this on YouTube)

     

22. “I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody.” (On the Waterfront)

    This quote is from a boxer who's disappointed with how his life has turned out.

     

23. “Go ahead. Make my day.” (Sudden Impact)

    A tough police officer is daring a criminal to attack the person that he's holding. Say this when you feel tough and someone is threatening you.

    (Watch this on YouTube)

     

24. “They may take our lives, but they will never take... our FREEDOM!” (Braveheart)

    This is an extremely dramatic speech about fighting for your freedom. You probably won't have a chance to quote it in a serious way in real life, but some people like to quote it to be funny.

     

25. “Are you talkin' to me?” (Taxi Driver)

    A guy is imagining what he'll say to someone who tries to mess with him. You can say this to someone who teases or criticizes you.