Memorable Moments on Film

[bansi4]

Whether it be a blockbuster, average or mediocre movie sometimes we notice a special moment in a film that lingers with us and becomes memorable.

 

A few moments for me occured in "The Grapes of Wrath" when Pa Joad enters a diner and wants to buy ten cents worth of bread for grandma and encounters a crusty waitress.

 

And in "Cold Mountain" when the elderly mountain woman who aids Jude Law has to put down a goat for food as she tenderly talks to the animal and gives it thanks for the sacrifice it's making.

 

Which moments do you recall whether it be in a comedy, drama, romance, horror or action flick.

 

Mongo

[kenwal34]

I have mentioned this in other posts.. In THE FIGHTING SULLIVANS when the Navy officer tells the Sullivan family that all five of their sons have been killed in action and the more recent SAVING PRIVATE RYAN when Ryan visits the captains[Tom Hanks} grave. Two very moving moments!

[garsonfan]

Oh my gosh...I have sooooooo many. Here are a few:

 

Random Harvest-Oh so many great ones here but one I really like that I don't hear much about is the scene in Paula's dressing room before she does her big song and dance number. Ronald Colman is so devastating here and Garson is so cute and touching at the same time ("Smithy, you're ruining my makeup":)). I love how she keeps moving her chair closer to him. Great moment.

 

The Yearling-I love the scene when Pa and Jody come back from town and tell Ma that they're going to build her a well. Jane Wyman's reaction is so heartbreaking. She's just so overcome with emotion and then you see her keep trying to hold it in. Awesome.

 

The Sundowners-The scene where Deborah Kerr is looking at a train that's pulling out and sees a high class woman and for a moment seems to wish she could be that woman on the train. Beautiful.

 

The Best Years of Our Lives-Scene where Fredric March comes back home. The moment Myrna Loy realizes it's him is so great!

[classicsfan1119]

Great topic, Mongo! And, as always it's so hard for me to pick just one, or even a few, from all that I've found memorable through the years, but there is always one that comes up first for me, and it's the scene in "Captains Courageous" (1937) when Manuel (Spencer Tracy) has been caught in the fallen rigging, and little Harvey (Freddie Bartholomew) is pleading with him not to give up before he can be rescued. As this thread develops, I'll see if I can't come back with another later on. ML

[bhryun]

I am so happy I came to TCM's web site because I had no idea there were other people who were in love with classic film as much as my husband and I. I love these topics!

 

My husbands most memorable movie moment was sitting in an old style theater watching "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (He was 12 =)) When the allien ship finally comes over the mountain and you get an idea of how truly enormous it is.

 

My most memorable moment (right now..because I have many ) is from the movie "Glory" When Denzel Washington is being whipped. Just the look on his face of defiance.

 

That's all for now.

Jala

 

[ayresorchids]

I love the moment at the end of Bells of St. Mary's when

 

(don't read further if you haven't seen it)

 

Father O'Malley (Bing Crosby) at last tells Sister Benedict (Ingrid Bergman) that he thinks she's perfect, but he's got to let her know that she has a touch of TB.

 

All through this movie Bergman reveals such an amazing range of emotions while hardly speaking a word--she has the most expressive face. And she never looks more joyful in it than she does when he breaks down and explains his true reason for sending her away, despite the fearfulness of the reason.

 

I don't know how they do it, but in this movie these two actors behave completely above-board and innocently as a priest and a nun, and still manage to generate sexual tension! And I don't think Crosby was ever better-looking.

 

 

[Jamie]

*Hate to say it but the "No Wire Hangers!" stands out in my mind.

 

*KH and CG singing "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby" to...Baby.

 

*"Stellaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

 

*Bonnie and Clyde's death scene--made my cry.

 

*Mildred Pierce--the opening sequence with JC on the bridge.

 

*"What darling? What sweet?" KH taunts ST in Without Love

 

*The kid with the back of his head blown off in The Sixth Sense

 

*The Notebook--"Who are you?! Get away from me!!

NURSE!!"

 

 

[path40a]

Great topic! Since I've already described some others in the tearjerking thread ("It's a Wonderful Life") and another, I believe you started Mongo, about films you can't make yourself watch twice for horrific moments ("Saving Private Ryan"), I'll take a different tack in answering this one:

 

In "Lawrence of Arabia", when the train is humming along and then its tracks are blown up. That scene always sticks in my head for its sheer beauty: the white sand below, the blue, blue sky above. Visually, it has always stayed with me since I first saw this film more than 30 years ago.

 

There are so many other wonderfully memorable moments, but this one came to mind instantly when I read your post.

[loliteblue]

several moments come to mind: In Bill of Divorcement

when Kate Hepburn sees John Barrymore for the first time and says: "I Think i'm your daughter" puts tears in my eyes everytime!....

Also the movie "BornFree" the whole movie to me is memorable!.....my little elsa!.....

And last but not least "ON Golden Pond" when Henry Fonda

is telling Kate Hepburn why he came back so fast from the old post road he got scared he couldn't remember

where he was and had to hurry back to her ....

and then Kate says: After lunch were gonna go back to the old post road you've been there a dozen times and away were gonna go, go, go, a touching scene, a

memorable one and pure kate all the way!.....

[therealfuster]

O Henryish moments on film.

 

[spoilers ahead for Joseph Losey's "Monsieur Klein]

 

So I particularly remember the scene in "Monsieur Klein" with Alain Delon where he has been searching for his doppelganger all through the film, and is herded onto a concentration like train at the end, and voila...there is someone behind him in the shadows that he does not see ironically.

 

On a different front, I remember the scene in "Harold and Maude" where Ruth is showing Bud Cort her smell gadget, and he realizes he can smell snow.

 

There are so many movies which have scenes that stick out in one's memory, it is hard to stop.

 

Gee, Old Yeller dying of hydrophobia, Valentino dancing in "TFHOTA", Laughton reciting in "Ruggles of Red Gap", Lorre being surrounded by the criminals in "M", Mr. Laurence killing the same man he saved in "LOA", Jack Lemmon asking Curtis if he thinks Osgood is too old for him after getting the diamond bracelet in "Some Like It Hot"...I don't know where to end this.

 

 

[bggalaxy]

Here are some that I didn't and the the tear jerking thread:

 

In Friendly Persuasion the scene after Mcguire & Cooper spend the night in the barn

 

Remember the Night the scene where Stanwyck gets to experience a real Christmas with MacMurray and Bondi.

 

I Remember Mama where the family is sitting around the table.

 

National Velvet any scene with just Taylor and Revere

 

 

[vecchiolarry]

Hello Everyone,

 

My most memorable scene in a movie is the end of "A Tale of Two Cities" when the little seamstress (Isabel Jewel) asks Sidney Carton (Ronald Colman) if she can hold his hand, for courage, as they are about to meet the guillotine. As she mounts the steps, he tells her to look at him and not the blade......

 

If you're not bawling uncontrollably, then you have a heart of stone!!

 

Larry

[princessalt]

" Whats Eating Gilbert Grape?"- Gilbert works at a supermarket about to be crushed in competition to the newer nicer supermarket, Gilbert really respects his boss. Through out the movie you see how tension is breaking out in the Grape household from change and everyone is kind of shifting out of the day to day and not repressing there feelings. Then in a scene in the middle of chaos Gilbert's sister drop's the cake that took her all day to bake for Arnie's birthday. Where does Gilbert get a new cake? Cut to him walking out of the new supermarket with a cake and running into his boss- long silence. Johnny Depp is amazing. Just see the movie! ~Andie

[princessalt]

oh! And "The 7 Year Itch" (not the greatest movie) but MM really was a good dialogue actress, how can anyone deny that? The part where The Girl is talking to herself about "how am i going to get any sleep?" and Tom Ewell's character is going on his freudian speech not realizing that (thankfully) The Girl has more important things to worry about (sort of) and MM just breaks the fourth wall with those beautiful eyes and baby voice goes: "seems like such a nice man...?" Ok movie. Very well done scene. I know any actress could have done MM's part but she had great chemistry with Ewell and was very good in that part, i wish she had been that good in the whole movie but everyone knows how insecure she felt on a set. Oh well.

"Gigi"- Aunt Alyssa: "No...No...No...Its Leon shes commited suicide! Again!" lol and "The night they invented champagne".

"Pyscho"- Norman Bates (or mommy or...whatever!):" I wouldn't hurt a fly!" Can you say Nightmares! ~Andie

[princessalt]

" Bringing up Baby"- When KH dress rips!

" Splendor In The Grass" When Natalie Wood's character tells her mother off in the bath tub!

I have to stop this! Great Topic! ~Andie

[princessalt]

"Rebel Without A Cause"- When they pretend to be there parents doing a tour through the old house and Judy: "I always wanted to love someone and now i do and its so easy."Kissing scene. Sigh. :*

[feaito]

Bette Davis as Margo Channing saying in the classic party scene in All About Eve: "Fasten your seatbelts,it's gonna be a bumpy night".

 

(Spoilers) The Final scene when Rex Harrison takes with him Gene Tierney after she dies in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

 

(Spoilers) The awesome final farewell scene between Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard in Brief Encounter.

 

(Spoiler) The Final scene in Dodsworth when Sam Dodsworth (Walter Huston) finally leaves Fran (Ruth Chatterton) ("Love's gotta stop some place short of suicide) and runs to the arms of lovely Mary Astor.

 

(Spoiler) The scene in which Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan) end reading Lisa Berndl's (Joan Fontaine) letter in the wondrously poetic Letter from an Unknown Woman.

 

The scene at the restaurant with Cary Grant and Kate Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby, especially when she mistakes Tala Birell's purse for hers and gives it to Cary Grant to look after it for a minute.

 

The scene in which Joseph Cotten is painting Jennifer Jones' portrait in "Portrait of Jennie".

 

These are only a few!

 

 

[garsonfan]

Your mention of Splendor in the Grass princessalt, made me think of another one.

 

I absolutely looooooove the scene when Natalie Wood recites the poem in her class that includes the movie title. Wood is absolutely heart wrenching here...she is just so completely raw and almost frighteningly realistic...amazing!

 

[princessalt]

I was trying to remember that scene from "Splendor In The Grass". All i could remember was her in a classroom and being very touched when i first saw but i guess after staring at a computer screen all night my memory wasn't working well. Thanks for mentioning it! ~Andie

[bhryun]

I have been thinking of some movie moments that have inspired me or touched me somehow...sooo.. Some more of my most memorable movie moments that I will never forget are from :

 

In The Heat of the Night - When (Rod Steiger) Gillespie: "Well, you're pretty sure of yourself, ain't you, Virgil. Virgil, that's a funny name for a boy to come from Philadelphia. What do they call you up there?

(Sidney Poitier)Virgil: "They call me MISTER Tibbs."

and from the same movie a memorable scene for me is when : Mr. Endicott ( Larry Gates) slaps Virgil and Virgil slaps back Mr. Endicott.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner - John (Sidney Poitier) is talking to his father (Roy Glenn) in a very moving scene.One I always will remember and also is one of my most memorable quotes.

" You listen to me. You say you don't want to tell me how to live my life. So what do you think you've been doing? You tell me what rights I've got or haven't got, and what I owe to you for what you've done for me. Let me tell you something. I owe you nothing! If you carried that bag a million miles, you did what you're supposed to do! Because you brought me into this world. And from that day you owed me everything you could ever do for me like I will owe my son if I ever have another. But you don't own me! You can't tell me when or where I'm out of line, or try to get me to live my life according to your rules. You don't even know what I am, Dad, you don't know who I am. You don't know how I feel, what I think. And if I tried to explain it the rest of your life you will never understand. You are 30 years older than I am. You and your whole lousy generation believes the way it was for you is the way it's got to be. And not until your whole generation has lain down and died will the dead weight be off our backs! You understand, you've got to get off my back! Dad... Dad, you're my father. I'm your son. I love you. I always have and I always will. But you think of yourself as a colored man. I think of myself as a man. " (I had to look this quote up. Thanks IMDB)

...........and from the same movie when Spencer Tracy is talking at the end "The arguments are so obvious that nobody has to make them. But you're two wonderful people who happened to fall in love and happened to have a pigmentation problem, and I think that now, no matter what kind of a case some bastard could make against your getting married, there would be only one thing worse, and that would be if - knowing what you two are and knowing what you two have and knowing what you two feel- you didn't get married."

I cry every time.

Destry Rides Again -funny- When Destry (James Stewart) goes into the bar and orders a glass of milk.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington- inspiring- When Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) will not yield the floor. His voice gets very hoarse and he is so moving. He is so naive, honest and well I just love this movie.

A Dog Day Afternoon- (Al Pacino) Sonny yelling "Attica! Attica!"

Braveheart- The whole movie is awesome but the last scene is very moving. Spoiler- When William Wallace (Mel Gibson) is tortured and he screams out. This sent shivers down my spine.

 

 

I guess I better end this post here its getting too long . I could honestly just keep listing them =-)These are both my memorable movie moments and memorable quotes.

 

Jalanna

 

[princessalt]

In Miracle on 34th Street, near the end with a young Natalie Wood in the backseat is saying over and over to herself about Santa Clause: "I believe, I believe, I believe, I believe..." i don't know why. Wow. i just realized most of my memorable moments had Natalie Wood in them. Weird! :-O ~Andie

[slappy3500]

*SPOILER* In "Planes Trains and Automobiles" after a VERY funny movie as Neil is on the commuter train FINALLY going home he realizes that there is something not kosher going onwith Del Griffith. He goes back and finds Del sitting morosely in the station, resigned to spending Thanksgiving there. He's homeless. Neil takes him home for the Holiday. Makes me tear up EVERY time.

[bansi4]

Just watched "Going My Way" on TCM and was reminded of a memorable movie moment.

It's near the finale when Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald) is speaking in church and is pleasantly surprised when his elderly mother from Irelend slowly approaches him and they embrace. Get out the tissues.

 

Mongo

[alliecat1]

so many scenes from gilda are burnt into my memory...rita hayworth was so amazing in that film

-when she flips her hair back and says "who me?"

--the put the blame on mame scene

-before gilda and johnny kiss she says something like "i hate you so much....i think i'm going to die from it"

[gmabfd]

Carol Lombard leaning over Cary Grant's hospital bed. "We where both dreaming, darling." That's "In Name Only". They have such a rough road, to find each other.