Here’s the scene where…
I’ve just finished watching the scene from
The Best Years of Our Lives where soda jerk Dana Andrews encounters a customer that questioned his friend Harold Russell's wisdom in participating in a war that cost him his hands. Dana punches the customer, who falls through a glass case and Dana is fired. "The customer is always right, but this customer wasn't.”
This made me think about some movies that I've seen over the years where you might be flipping channels and you come to a part in the movie where you say,
Here’s the scene where…(Example:
Here’s the scene where Dana Andrews punches out the guy that insulted Harold Russell!)
So I made a list of 20
Here’s the scene where… moments.
Not necessarily a TOP 20, just 20 that come to my head
There is a clear number one, however.
1)
The Godfather
In my book,
The Godfather is the king of here’s the scene where moments.
Here’s the scene where …Michael protects Vito Corleone at the hospital from a hit."Stand him up." The crooked cop says before he hits Michael in the face. I was going to list more, but
The Godfather has so many
here’s the scene where moments, they are just too numerous for me to get into right now. This may explain why its so hard to watch one scene when this comes on television because it leads to yet another
here's the scene where moment! and you probably just ought to watch the whole damn thing at that point.
The sequel ain’t bad either.
2)
The Godfather II
Here’s the scene where …Freddo whines to his brother how he's smart and was
passed over in the chain of command. Michael Corleone admonishes him.
"Your not a brother, you're not a friend. If you come to visit our mother, I want to know a day in advance so I know not to be there.”
Reveal scenes are good too.
3)
Tootsie
Here’s the scene where …Dustin Hoffman takes off his wig on live TV and shows that he’s not a woman. Reveal scenes don’t have to be quite that dramatic to be a here’s the scene where …moment, but it helps.
When you see a movie dozens of time in your youth and practically have it memorized,it’s going to have its share of
here’s the scene where moments.
4)
Animal House
Here’s the scene where …they have a cafeteria food fight or the Delta House invades the parade or they go to the grocery store in Flounder’s brother’s car or they steal Niedermeyer’s horse or they go see Otis Day and the Nights…You get the idea.
Most movies with Clint Eastwood have built in here’s the scene where …moments.
5)
Dirty Harry
Here’s the scene where …he doesn’t’ know whether he has any bullets left in
his gun and…well, you know the rest. Or you should know the rest.
Great transcendental moment scenes from important movies of their era
6)
Easy Rider
Here’s the scene where …Jack Nicholson smokes pot for the first time
and discusses the aliens living among us. The scene in the cafeteria with
the rednecks is a pretty good here’s the scene where …moment as well.
Famous coming of age moments
7)
The Graduate
Here’s the scene where …Anne Bancroft tries to seduce Dustin Hoffman.
“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me.”
If it’s the most famous scene in movie history, it should be on the list.
8)
Casablanca
Here’s the scene where …a drunk Humphrey Bogart asks Sam to play As Time Goes By.“Play it, you played it for her.”
Just one more Bogart scene
9)
The Caine Mutiny
Here’s the scene where …Captain Queeg goes nuts on the witness stand and rails on about his missing strawberries. Though I think I’ve seen Rich Little’s impression of Bogart doingthis scene enough times to satisfy myself for one lifetime.
You could fill this list with movie courtroom scenes.
10)
Inherit the Wind
Here’s the scene where …Spencer Tracy/Clarence Darrow puts Frederic March/Williams Jennings Bryant on the stand and questions him about evolution. I pretty much have to watch this scene in its entirety every time it comes on.
There can be an overlap between here’s the scene where …and great movie quotes,
though I doubt this particular one ended up in Bartlett’s.
11)
Ghostbusters
Here’s the scene where …Billy Murray says, "Yes, this man has no dick."
Bill Murray: take two.
12)
Caddyshack
Here’s the scene where …we see groundskeeper Carl pretending to be at the Masters.(BKA: the Cinderella story scene) “It’s in the hole!”
I think even pro golfers actually playing at the Masters probably pretend they are Bill Murray pretending to be a pro golfer playing at the Masters, though I have no anecdotal evidence to prove my point.
Great endings, of course
13)
The Passenger
Here’s the scene where …well, it’s the ending, can't really describe it, you just have to see it.
Scenes that have been shown so much over time that they have to be on
this list whether you like it or not.(Note: Didn’t mean to imply I didn’t like Five Easy Pieces because I do.)
14)
Five Easy Pieces
Here’s the scene where …Jack Nicholson orders lunch, but doesn’t want what is on the menu!
Great transcendental moment scenes from movies from your childhood that made you
not be able to sleep the night after you first saw it.
15)
The Exorcist
Here’s the scene where …her head spins around and she’s spitting up some kind of green…I can’t watch anymore!
Some scenes you don’t remember that you remember but if the movie comes on it triggers something in your brain that makes you remember that theres a Here’s the scene where moment coming up.
16)
National Lampoon's Vacation
Here’s the scene where … the Chevy Chase family parks at the end of the parking lot at Wally World and jog to the
Chariots of Fire theme only to reach the park entrance and find that it’s closed.
Just because you like a movie doesn’t mean it has to have a here’s the scene where …moment.
17)
My Dinner With Andre
When they order quail...or the dessert...No? I admit My Dinner With Andre doesn’t really have a
here’s the scene where …moment.
Famous speeches can certainly make the list.
18)
The Grapes of Wrath
Tom Joad's “I’ll be there” speech. Note: sometimes the person you are watching a movie with might not want to share your Here’s the scene where …moment. And that rates as pretty bad form in my book. So, please try not to ruin anyone’s Here’s the scene where …moment!
If someone you are with hasn’t seen the movie in question, a here’s the scene where …moment may answer certain pressing questions.
19)
Singin' in the Rain
Wife: Why is this movie called
Singin’ in the Rain?
Husband: Because there is a scene where he sings in the rain!
Wife: I don’t believe you!
Husband: Wait for it. Wait for it. Here’s the scene where …he sings in the rain!
Wife: Wow, you were right. I thought
Singin’ in the Rain was a metaphor like in the movie
The Boy Who Was Ten Feet Tall. He wasn’t really ten feet tall, you know.
Husband: And you were wrong.
Wife: I bow to your superior knowledge
Husband: As you should.
20) And one more from
The Best Years of Our Lives
Here’s the scene where …Frederic March comes home from the war and sees his family for the first time. This scene is early in the movie, but try to stick around for the whole movie if you haven’t seen it.
