"It's Cinematic Perfection": 23 Movie Monologues That People Believe Are The Best Of All Time
We recently asked members of our BuzzFeed Community, "If there was an Academy Award category for Best Monologue Delivered by an Actor in a Motion Picture, what scene(s) do you think definitely would've taken home the gold?" and film lovers came through with some absolutely wonderful nominations for this fake award, which prompted even MORE great answers!
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So, with that in mind, here are just a few MORE of the movie monologues who'd like to thank the Academy:
1.The Great Gatsby (2013)
"Tobey Maguire's monologue at the end. It's taken directly from the end of Fitzgerald’s novel, and Maguire captured all of the emotions, and the cinematography was fantastic. Narrating over scenes from both earlier in the movie and new ones filmed for this scene — it is absolutely beautiful, and ends on the green light that is one of the most recognizable motifs in literature."
You can watch the scene here:
2.Hereditary (2018)
"No list is complete without Toni Collette’s monologues."
You can watch the scene here:
3.Pulp Fiction (1994)
"The Sam Jackson one."
You can watch the scene here:
4.My Cousin Vinny (1992)
"Mona Lisa Vito's sassy 'It is a trick question!' response. I know some of it's a back and forth with Joe Pesci, but the 'No, there's more!' part counts as a monologue."
You can watch the scene here:
5.Precious (2009)
"Mo'Nique's Oscar-winning monologue."
You can watch the scene here:
6.Scent of a Woman (1992)
"When Al Pacino stood up to those private school hypocrites! Amazing."
You can watch the scene here:
7.The Social Network (2010)
"It’s a crime that Andrew Garfield’s monologue wasn't on the original list."
You can watch the scene here:
8.Forrest Gump (1994)
"'Anyway, like I was saying, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There's shrimp kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That's about it.'"
You can watch the scene here:
9.Once Upon a Time in Hollywood... (2019)
"Leonardo DiCaprio's monologue was great."
You can watch the scene here:
10.National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
"'The jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse!'"
You can watch the scene here:
11.Raisin in the Sun (1961)
"Any of his monologues in this are astounding."
You can watch the scene here:
12.A Few Good Men (1992)
"How was Jack Nicholson’s speech not on the first list?!?!"
You can watch the scene here:
13.True Romance (1993)
"Dennis Hopper’s monologue on the history of Sicilians is brilliant."
You can watch the scene here:
14.The Matrix (1999)
"Agent Smith's monologue to Morpheus about the true nature of humanity and wanting to leave the matrix. The calm, even tone that Hugo Weaving uses throughout it makes him even more of a threat."
You can watch the scene here:
15.Kill Bill: Vol. I (2003)
"Lucy Liu’s monologue to the other yakuza bosses has stuck with me since the first time I heard it. The buildup to the final lines are perfection."
You can watch the scene here:
16.Stepmom (1998)
"Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts where Roberts's character shares her fear of not being a good enough mother and not being recognized for it, and Sarandon's character comforts her and says, 'I have their past, and you can have their future.' It's the vulnerability between these feuding women coming together for a common goal. I bawl every time."
You can watch the scene here:
17.Blindspotting (2018)
"The scene toward the end where Daveed Diggs confronts the police officer that killed the man in the beginning, and he is holding a gun, debating whether or not to kill the cop. The majority of the monologue is rapped, but with no music or anything like that. Cinematic perfection in my opinion."
You can watch the scene here:
18.Blade Runner (1982)
"How can you leave out Rutger Hauer’s 'Tears in the rain' monologue?"
You can watch the scene here:
19.Good Will Hunting (1997)
"When Robin Williams is talking to Matt Damon on the bench in the park. Best monologue ever."
You can watch the scene here:
20.Field of Dreams (1989)
"'This field, this game, it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. People will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.'"
You can watch the scene here:
21.Mean Girls (2004)
"The 'We should totally just stab Caesar!' monologue."
You can watch the scene here:
22.Cruella (2021)
"Without a doubt, Emma Stone’s brilliant monologue in front of the fountain after she’s learned about her true parents. It’s a masterclass in acting. I’m surprised that scene alone didn’t earn her an Oscar nomination."
You can watch the scene here:
And finally:
23.The Crucible (1996)
"Hands down, Daniel Day Lewis’s monologue. It’s incredibly written by Arthur Miller, but the execution by Lewis is COMPLETELY untouched. I’d call it one of the best monologues in a film ever."
You can watch the scene here:
Alright, you've read their nominations, but now it's YOUR turn! Do you agree with them? What movie monologue do you believe is the best of all time? Share your pick in the comments below! OH! And be sure to check out the first list to see if your faves are on there!
Note: Some responses were edited for length and/or clarity.