Rousing Film Speeches

[Tom Foolery]

This was a germ of an idea I had for an inane website article. If such a website existed and I had access to the theoretical proving grounds forum of said website. But it doesn't and I dont. So its going here.

It started when I saw the trailer for Pacific Rim and the guy is giving the rousing speech about "canceling the apocalypse"(which, BTW, it took me about six viewings of that commercial before I deciphered what he was saying). And then yesterday I thought about Bill Pullman's ID4 speech. Its kinda cheesy, but if it hits you on the right day, its pretty good. Seeing that reminded me that you see a lot of variations on that kind of speech that gets your blood up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. So this thread is listing those speeches when you see them in a film and rating them.

The benchmark for me is Braveheart. That's an awesome speech he gives about Freedom. And every time I see a 'Braveheart' speech in a film, it just reminds me of Braveheart and I instinctively compare the two.
For instance, Aragorn's speech outside The Black Gates in RotK is fairly inspiring.
Sam Worthington's speech at the end of Avatar is not very inspiring. God bless him, he tries, but it just feels limp to me.
Kiera Knightly had one in the third Pirates film which was somewhere in the middle.



What are some other examples that you can think of?

[anarky]

To Kill a Mockingbird.

It's been a while, but I seem to recall a fairly good Braveheart-type speech in The Last Samurai.

The Magnificent Seven is full of lines that are more powerful than most entire speeches.

Almost everything Yoda says in The Empire Strikes Back.

[Diabolical]

Kurt Russel as Herb Brooks in Miracle.

Bill Pullman in Independence Day. Yeah, its corny as hell, but "Today, we celebrate our Independance Day!" is ACTING.

[anarky]

Oh, another good one: Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator. Made even more awesome by Chaplin basically showing off his supermassive, gravity-warping balls.

Also, just about anything Rick Blaine says in Casablanca.

[Tom Foolery]

Orlando Bloom had a good one at the end of Kingdom of Heaven where they're defending Jerusalem from Saladin's army.

[Ran]

John Belushi's speech in Animal House.

Silent Bob near the end of every Kevin Smith movie.

[Diabolical]

Silent Bob near the end of every Kevin Smith movie.

You know, there's a million fine-looking women in the world, but they don't all bring you lasagna at work. Most of them just cheat on you.

[jjreason]

I see your John Belushi in Animal House and raise you one John Goodman as the football coach in Revenge of the Nerds.

EDITED: Or how about the manager in Bull Durham throwing the bats into the shower. Jesus that was funny too!!!

[Tom Foolery]

I can't stand Bull Durham. It annoys me that Coster is supposedly playing the grizzled veteran on his way back down from the Majors and Robbins is supposedly playing the rookie, yet they're the same age in real life and Robbins looks older than Costner. And Sarandon is old enough to be their mother. Gross. I'm usually a sucker for baseball movies, and I love director Ron Shelton's other sports movie Tin Cup. But I can't fucking stand Bull Durham.

[Ran]

I'm sure there is a rousing anti-government speech by V in V is for Vendetta.

Since we started into sports movies...

James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams (at least I remember it being a great advertisement for baseball, it has been so long since I've seen it, I can't guarantee it is still good)

Paul Newman in Slapshot. Let 'em know you're there!