#10 “Today we Celebrate our 4th of July” – Independence Day (1996)
Most of my favorite movie speeches come from battle movies, so you
can expect more like this on my count down. When human kind is on the brink of annihilation
from an alien invasion, it’s up to President Bill Pullman to rally the men and
raise the nations hopes. While this speech is over patriotic, over sentimental
and honestly quiet clichéd, it is still a rousing speech that delivers an
honest and heartfelt message that anyone can get behind. Whenever I think of an
epic, clichéd battle speech, this is the one that always comes to mind first.
Sport movie speeches are a dime a dozen and there
have been countless inspiring monologues in sports films like “Mirical” and “Any Given Sunday” but one very special speech that’s stuck with me
ever sense I was a little kid came from the 1993 picture “The Sandlot”. When a group of boys find themselves in a situation
involving a valuable baseball signed by Babe Broth, a big fence and a savage
dog on the other side, our team tries everything to get it back. When it seems
like all hope is lost, one of the boys has a dream in which he’s visited by
none other than Babe Broth who conveys a very humble and wise speech about the opportunities
that lay in front of him, the courage to do what no one else will and the
chance to make something of himself. It’s so simple and so genuine that his
words have stuck with me for years.
#9 “Hero’s Get Remembered, but Legends Never Die” - The Sandlot (1993)
#8 “We’re not Hero’s, We’re the Other Guys” – Mystery Men (1999)
Comedies have had their fair share of memorable movie speeches,
and one of my personal favorites that’s every bit as funny as it is moving
comes from the 1999 super hero spoof “Mystery
Men”. When a team of heroes suffer a traumatizing lose at the hands of an
evil villain, this small team of second rate hero’s find themselves in a rare
situation where their the last hope to save the city. Leading the charge is “The
Shoveler” who motivates his team by highlighting every individual, their strengths,
their accomplishments and interjects just enough subtle comedy to make it my
personal favorite speech to come from a super hero film.
#7 “This is Where they Fought ...” – Remember the Titans (2000)
One of my favorite sports movies of all time is “Remember the Titans”, it’s such an
inspirational crowd-pleasing film that boasts a healthy dose of social
commentary and is chalk full of quotable speeches. My personal favorite
actually comes early in the film, before the games even begin. When a diverse
football team of whites and blacks has to learn to work together, their coach (played
by the always fantastic Denzel Washington) leads them to the battlefield of Gettysburg,
where he teaches his team a valuable lesson in unity. It’s a very unique sports
movie speech that doesn’t feel as forced or contrived as most others as it
warns of the dangers of hatred. It’s short, simple and gets the point across
stronger then few others of its kind. 
#6 “I Won't Be Wronged” – The Shootist (1976)
It was John Wayne’s
final movie and the end of this titan’s very respected carrier. I always looked
at John Wayne as the definitive Hollywood cowboy and in this movie he plays a dying
gunfighter who spends his last days looking for a way to die with the least
pain and the most dignity. It reflected the man himself, as John Wayne too was
dying and this was like his big moment to leave his mark on cinema. One of the
films biggest highlights is when he conveys some words of wisdom to a young Ron
Howard, about his life, what he views in other people, how he’s gained their
respect and it’s here that he quotes one of his most famous lines. It’s short,
it’s simple, it gets the point across without being overly emotional and it was
a definitely a bright spot in his long and successful acting carrier.
#5 “Too Victory” – 300 (2007)
One of the most epic battle speeches of all time is delivered at the
tail end of the movie, a unique twist, but it ends this action film on one the
highest notes you could possibly close on. The 2007 sword and sandal epic
titled “300” revolves around a group
of vastly outnumbered Spartan soldiers and their war against the mighty forces
of Persia. When the dust settles on the battle field, our last survivor relays
a speech of all his fallen brothers, their sacrifice and encourages thousands more to fight for
his noble cause. It’s a riveting speech and informs the audience that victory
is on the horizon without even showing us the after math of the battle and it’s
one of my favorite endings of all time.
#4 “The Barber’s Speech” – The
Great Dictator (1940)
It’s ironic that one of Hollywood’s most epic speeches would be
conveyed by Charlie Chaplin, he was mostly a silent actor from silent films. However,
his speech in “The Great Dictator”
is more than inspiring, it truly is one of the most powerful and influential monologues
ever heard in a motion picture, and very poignant as the movie was released just at the start of World War II. Playing a Jewish Barber mistaken for a dictator,
this little tramp takes the opportunity to repeal against the emperors fascist
laws. It starts calm and subtle, and then it really picks up as Chaplin delivers
a passionate speech employing thousands of listeners to follow the ways of
love, liberty and world peace. Well staged, and relying entirely on the
performance with no distracting music, it’s one of the brightest spots in Chaplains
legacy.
#3 “He won it by being all he can be!” – Patton (1970)
If anyone in history ever gave a riveting battle speech, it was
Patton. George C. Scott delivers the biggest performance of his carrier as this
well spoken, charismatic and commanding military general. The is personally my
favorite war movie of all time and the film kicks off on a really strong note as
General Patton gives his speech to the third army in World War II. He instills
both fear and pride into his solders and it’s his brutal honesty that everyone rallies
around. With zero reaction shots from the audience, perfect staging and Scots electrifying
screen presence, this monologue stands as an authentic recreation of the general’s
real life speech.
#2 “Closing Statement” – To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
While this isn’t exactly a “motivational” speech and more like a
plea for innocence, this monologue is still very inspiring, powerful and leaves
me with chills every time I hear it. When a colored man is on trial for crimes
he didn’t commit, a racially in-sensitive town demands his head. However, a soft
spoken man by the name of Atticus Finch (played by the very talented Gregory
Peck) comes to his defense and delivers one heck of an elegant speech to the
court revolving race, prejudice and the very definition of justice. It’s well
acted, well paced and will make you stand up in his support. The movie itself
is truly fantastic and if you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and check it
out.
#1 “The Eve of Saint Crispin's Day” - Henry V (1989)
My favorite speech of all time had to be the work of Shakespeare, and
perhaps the most rousing and triumphant monologue I’ve ever heard in film comes
from King Henry in the 1989 movie adaption of Shakespeare’s “Henry V”. It’s the eave Saint Crispin’s
Day, the eave before battle and King Henry played by the very charismatic Kenneth
Branagh gives a passionate speech to his vastly outnumbered soldiers revolving
around the honor of dying on the battle field and further implies that their
story will be one worth telling throughout that ages. What can I possibly say
about this monologue that would do it justice, you really just need to hear it
for yourself. It’s a powerful story of valor, honor, courage, and this is the speech
that speaks to everyone!
The End
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