di·a·tribe: [dahy-uh-trahyb]
–noun
a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism.
—Synonyms tirade, harangue.
(From Dictionary.com)
Its probably the kiss of death to start a article with a word’s definition. Because words seem to scare people these days. And when you see the [pruh-nuhn-see-ey-shuh
n] like this it automatically makes you think of something you have to work for. Something that won’t just come easily.
But I felt the need to clarify its definition as I go about listing these 12 scenes. (And in some cases multiple scenes.) I hope I can do them justice.
They are kind of in an order. But it would really be more like 1A, 1B, 1C…. through 1L. They are all that close and some are here for different reasons than others. But I hope to comment on each individually. And I am sure they will change given my mood, new releases and a sudden brain storm from my not so reliable memory.
I am working on them in order. I will continue to update this area until construction is complete. But eventually you should be able to click on the Movie title and be linked to that movie’s information page on imdb.com. And if you click the pictures I have created, they will take you to each individual page about why I consider them to be worth spending all this time creating. It will have a brief character description, my own little synopsis and hopefully an embedded link to video so you can see at least part of the actual scenes I have chosen.
*** As I work on these it occurs to me I should warn people most of these scenes are adult. Some scenes have crude language, some have violence, some have both. And some even have crude language used to illustrate violent sexual acts they would like to perpetrate upon others in the scene. I am mereley quoting the scenes as exactly as I can.***
Completed as of Oct. 21
T0 Kill a Mockingbird
Glengarry Glen Ross
Scent of a Woman
Network
Kill Bill
The Big Lebowski
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
American Beauty
Still under construction
The Boondock Saints
A Few Good Men
Wall Street
Meatballs
Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
American Beauty
The Boondock Saints
A Few Good Men
Wall Street
Meatballs
Gordon Gekko: [at the Teldar Paper stockholder's meeting] Well, I appreciate the opportunity you’re giving me Mr. Cromwell as the single largest shareholder in Teldar Paper, to speak. Well, ladies and gentlemen we’re not here to indulge in fantasy but in political and economic reality. America, America has become a second-rate power. Its trade deficit and its fiscal deficit are at nightmare proportions. Now, in the days of the free market when our country was a top industrial power, there was accountability to the stockholder. The Carnegies, the Mellons, the men that built this great industrial empire, made sure of it because it was their money at stake. Today, management has no stake in the company! All together, these men sitting up here own less than three percent of the company. And where does Mr. Cromwell put his million-dollar salary? Not in Teldar stock; he owns less than one percent. You own the company. That’s right, you, the stockholder. And you are all being royally screwed over by these, these bureaucrats, with their luncheons, their hunting and fishing trips, their corporate jets and golden parachutes.
Cromwell: This is an outrage! You’re out of line Gekko!
Gordon Gekko: Teldar Paper, Mr. Cromwell, Teldar Paper has 33 different vice presidents each earning over 200 thousand dollars a year. Now, I have spent the last two months analyzing what all these guys do, and I still can’t figure it out. One thing I do know is that our paper company lost 110 million dollars last year, and I’ll bet that half of that was spent in all the paperwork going back and forth between all these vice presidents. The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfittest. Well, in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated. In the last seven deals that I’ve been involved with, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pretax profit of 12 billion dollars. Thank you. I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much.
Tripper (played by Bill Murray) He could be on this list a few times. In stripes he has the motivational speech, and who can forget the famous “Cinderella Story” groundskeeper scene in Caddyshack. But in this scene he is explaining why there is no pressure to win the Camp Olympics with the rival camp across the lake.
I believe the image below is about where Tripper proclaims Rudy to be “Rudy the Rabbit”.
Tripper: And even if we win, if we win, HAH! Even if we win! Even if we play so far above our heads that our noses bleed for a week to ten days; even if God in Heaven above comes down and points his hand at our side of the field; even if every man woman and child held hands together and prayed for us to win, it just wouldn’t matter because all the really good looking girls would still go out with the guys from Mohawk because they’ve got all the money! It just doesn’t matter if we win or we lose. IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER!
Rest of group: IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER! IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER…
Colonel Jessup in A Few Good Men.
Jack Nicholson as Colonel Jessup had a few great moments in A Few Good Men . These are my favorites.
The quotes are taken from imdb.com
Kaffee: [Kaffe has just asked why Santiargo hadn't packed despite being due to be transfered in a few hours after the time of his death, Jessop smirkes] Is this funny, sir?
Col. Jessep: No, it isn’t. It’s tragic.
Kaffee: Do you have an answer to the question, Colonel?
Col. Jessep: Absolutely. My answer is I don’t have the first damn clue. Maybe he was an early riser and liked to pack in the morning. And maybe he didn’t have any friends. I’m an educated man, but I’m afraid I can’t speak intelligently about the travel habits of William Santiago. What I do know is that he was set to leave the base at 0600. Now, are these the questions I was really called here to answer? Phone calls and foot lockers? Please tell me that you have something more, Lieutenant. These two Marines are on trial for their lives. Please tell me their lawyer hasn’t pinned their hopes to a phone bill.
[Kaffee hesitates, dumbfounded]
Col. Jessep: Do you have any more questions for me, Counselor?
Judge Randolph: Lt. Kaffee?
[pause]
Judge Randolph: Lieutenant, do you have anything further for this witness?
[Jessep defiantly gets up to leave the courtroom]
Col. Jessep: Thanks, Danny. I love Washington.
Kaffee: Excuse me. I didn’t dismiss you.
Col. Jessep: I beg your pardon?
Kaffee: I’m not finished with my examination. Sit down.
Col. Jessep: Colonel!
Kaffee: What’s that?
Col. Jessep: I would appreciate it if he would address me as Colonel or Sir. I believe I’ve earned it.
Judge Randolph: Defense counsel will address the witness as Colonel or Sir.
Col. Jessep: [to Judge] I don’t know what the hell kind of unit you’re running here.
Judge Randolph: And the witness will address this court as Judge or Your Honor. I’m quite certain I’ve earned it. Take your seat, Colonel.
Col. Jessep: Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
Col. Jessep: [yelling] I’m gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss in your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
Kaffee: Did you order the Code Red?
Col. Jessep: I did the job I…
Kaffee: [shouting] Did you order the Code Red?
Col. Jessep: [shouts] You’re goddamn right I did!
Col. Jessep: You see Danny, I can deal with the bullets, and the bombs, and the blood. I don’t want money, and I don’t want medals. What I do want is for you to stand there in that faggoty white uniform and with your Harvard mouth extend me some fucking courtesy. You gotta ask me nicely.
Col. Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I think I’m entitled.
Col. Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I want the truth.
Col. Jessep: You can’t handle the truth.
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