Alan Ruttenberg, Englewood, N.J.

“Gentlemen! You can’t fight in here! This is the war room!,” from Dr. Strangelove. It’s both absurd and deadly serious. And the sardonic use of the word Gentlemen is priceless.

Graham Roumieu

Dan Fredricks, Janesville, Wis.

In Jaws, Police Chief Brody’s humorous one-liner to Quint after his experience with the great white: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

Tom Quigley, Garden City, N.Y.

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and … it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.” — Rocky Balboa

Graham Roumieu

Daniela Zini, Oviedo, Fla.

“But to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything—what a waste!” Michael Stuhlbarg’s heartbreaking speech as Elio’s father in Call Me by Your Name feels like cool rain on scorched earth. He tells his son that he accepts him as he is, that his heartbreak will pass—and that he shouldn’t regret his first love. The speech reminds us that heartbreak is a product of our ability to feel, and should not be taken for granted.

Kevin Morales, Edinburg, Texas

In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne says to Red: “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

Frank Tokarsky, Kettering, Ohio

A special honor should go to the Godfather movies for their body of memorable quotes: “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse”; “Leave the gun. Take the cannolis”; “Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes”; “Never hate your enemies—it affects your judgment.”

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