Reel Life Blog

Very few movies have explored the wonderful world of wines.  The drink of choice in film will more likely be beer or whiskey than a fine merlot or cabernet franc.  The one exception is champagne, which is often featured as a drink for special celebrations.  However, some of the best quotes from movies have made reference to wine in one way or another, beginning first when Dracula told us that, "I don't drink...wine."  Here are my favorite 10 movie quotes about the beautifully intricate product of winemakers worldwide.

Our blog production has suffered since we began our tour of France a couple of weeks ago.  It will continue to suffer for the next few weeks.  We recognize that the French have not been well represented in film.  They are stereotyped as rude and inconsiderate, yet we have experienced generally friendly people.  They are typecast as heavy smokers, wine drinkers, over-the-top romantics, and a nation of butter-eating fine diners.  Well, okay, there’s that.  However, in honor of the many great French people we have met so far, here are our favorite nine film quotes about the French.

Movie quote from: Rebel Without a Cause (1955) – Judy’s Mother (Rochelle Hudson)

At the precise moment the western culture was inventing the concept of a 'teenager', Rebel Without a Cause flickered onto the big screen.  James Dean's character Jim Stark personified "the age where nothing fits" - uncomfortable at home, posturing for his peers, disconnected from his past, uncertain about his future.  Change the clothes, change the cars, and the Rebel story is an icon for the youth of today.  As the movie elegantly illustrates, only one thing ensures a young person will survive and thrive in those turbulent teen years. 

Two years ago, the American Film Institute released its Top 100 Movie Quotes of All Time.  Over 1,500 experts selected “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” as the top quote. This is a great example of the intelligence of a committee, always generating a pop culture response.  We believe film writers are disappointed by this list; it doesn't feature their best work.  In their honor, we've taken the top 10 quotes from the AFI list and linked them to better quotes that show more of the screenwriters' talents.  We give a damn about great writing.

Great screenwriting does not always convert into a great film.  Similarly, the best quotes don’t always come from the best movies.  What is true is that films with lots of meaningful quotes are generally good thought-provoking films.  The new Quotes by Movie feature on Reel Life Wisdom enables users to view great quotes one movie at a time.  Here are the top 14 most quoted movies on the Reel Life site.

1989 was the year of Exxon Valdez, Tiananmen Square, Oliver North, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the hit on Salman Rushdie.  San Francisco ruled sport, as the 49ers won the Super Bowl and the Oakland A’s defeated the SF Giants in the World Series.  Rain Man won Best Picture and Bobby McFerrin reminded us all, “Don’t worry, be happy!”  Here are the smartest 10 film quotes of 1989. 

Many movie classics have starred Paul Newman, including Exodus, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Hustler, Hud, Harper, Hombre, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Slapshot, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Sting, and The Verdict.  Lately his famous blue eyes are less visible, as he does voice work in such films as the 2006 animated film Cars.  In recognition of the new ‘Quotes by Actor’ feature in our Movie Quote Directory, break out the salad dressing and check out the five wisest quotes from Paul Newman in a film.

If you are a regular visitor to the Reel Life Wisdom website, you will notice many interesting changes! We have completely revised the site, providing a variety of new services to inspiration-seeking movie quote lovers. A new Movie Quote Directory features more than 1,200 meaningful movie quotes, hand-picked from hundreds of films across the ages.

Is there life after high school? Do people ever recover from that intense social experience? Some don’t, they spend the rest of their lives trying to justify what they were, or were not, in high school. This is why high school reunions are so emotional, especially the first one. Some won’t go because they’re no longer cool. Others can’t wait to show up because they have achieved. Many look forward to seeing old friends and foes and hearing their life stories. Whatever you feel about reunions, here are 19 great movie quotes to drop into conversations at your old alma mater.

Movie quote from Harry and Tonto (1974) – Harry Coombes (Art Carney)

70-year-old Harry Coombes (Art Carney) did not want to leave his apartment in New York, one he shared with his wife for more than 50 years. Since her death, he clung to his home and his cat Tonto as a cradle of memories from days gone by. When the police forcibly remove Harry from his condemned tenement building, he is left with a sense of homelessness and uncertainty about his future. Fortunately, in the beautiful movie Harry and Tonto, Harry remains open to the changes that life inevitably brings. This openness saves his life.