“Me So Horny”
A reflection on some of filmdom’s most memorable lines
How many times have we heard the title line used in “spirited” conversation, or, used it, ourselves? If you haven’t you need to try it on someone, pronto. And be sure to let me know what transpires.
As a movie buff and screenwriter, dialogue that strikes a chord and reverberates far beyond a movie’s shelf life is paramount for me. Time and again, I’ve been told that I write great dialogue and I consider that a tremendous compliment because that shit is hard! Those of you who write fiction know how tough it is to craft an exchange between two or more characters that’s not only realistic but makes sense within the context of your plot.
In a screenplay, there’s no room, nor time for fluff. One page of a script equates to roughly one minute of a film. Write a ninety-page script and you have a film that runs an hour and a half long. So given that this is a visual medium as opposed to one where you can go hog wild with exposition, as with a novel, every line has to count, and must propel the screenplay forward.
And the thing is, even a crappy film might surprise a viewer with one or two gems of dialogue. Not often…but it happens.
What does happen frequently: Many of these lines are so hard to forget that they make their way into our lexicon, like the title of this story.
With that, I’ll launch into what I believe are cinematic snatches of dialogue worth remembering, and, if you’re stuck for something to say at a party, worth repeating.
In no particular order.
From “Full Metal Jacket.”
“Me so horny. Me love you long time.”
Yes. That line, from the 1987 Stanley Kubrick film, Full Metal Jacket, another take on the Viet Nam War, takes place in the scene where Matthew Modine’s character, Private Davis, is approached by a Da Nang prostitute. Spoiler alert: Davis does not fork out the ten bucks in exchange for “everything.”
In 1989, the line was further “celebrated” by the rap group, 2 Live Crew and was featured on their controversial album, As Nasty As They Wanna Be, and rocketed to Number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks Chart.
From “Body Heat”
“You’re not too smart, are you? I like that in a man.”
Newcomer Kathleen Turner sets the screen on fire in the 1981 contemporary noir thriller Body Heat, directed by Lawrence Kasdan. A redo of the 1944 classic, Double Indemnity, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, Turner’s character, Maddy Walker, uses every wile in her repertoire to incite low-life lawyer, Ned Racine, played by William Hurt, into killing her husband.
Ned first sets eyes on Maddy at an outdoor concert in the steaming Florida heat and is instantly smitten. The first shot of Turner, getting up from her seat and walking towards the viewer is a heart-stopper. Dressed in a blinding-white, form-fitting dress that’s slit up the thigh, and looking like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, we can instantly understand why Hurt’s character becomes enmeshed in her web of deceit.
He comes on to her. She tells him she’s married. He keeps going, and that’s when she delivers the “You’re not too smart,” line.
Women, feel free to level some douchebag with it. I’ve always wanted to.
From “A Christmas Story”
“You’ll shoot your eye out!”
How many times have we heard that as kids? This beloved Christmas comedy, which is based on Jean Shepherd’s anecdotal memoir, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, nine-year-old Ralphie, winningly played by Peter Billingsley, wants one thing and one thing only for Christmas. A Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200 shot Range Model air rifle. As one would expect, his parents are firmly against “Santa” gifting their son with a toy that could result in his “shooting his eye out.” How do you think this is resolved? You’ll just have to watch this well-made and kid-friendly film to find out. It’s a loving look at a simpler time and worth repeated viewings.
From “To Have and to Have Not”
“You know how to whistle, don’t you Steve? You just put your lips together, and blow.”
Probably Lauren Bacall’s greatest scene and defining moment of her career was her maiden voyage in the 1944 film, To Have and to Have Not opposite the megastar who would become her husband, the incomparable Humphrey Bogart. She was just 20 and Bogie, at the height of his career, was 44. Their on-screen chemistry was undeniable. The repartee between the two was sharp and sexy, a combo that carried over in real life, until Bogart’s death in 1957. Based on a novel by Ernest Hemingway and set in Key West, Florida, Bogart plays a boat owner whose affection for his boozy sidekick and love for a mysterious woman result in his aiding gunrunners in a noble cause. Although there are many memorable lines in the movie, the “whistle” is a smokin’ standout.
From “Gone With the Wind”
“I’ll think about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.”
Has there ever been a more memorable procrastinator than Margaret Mitchell’s southern belle and unapologetic vixen, Scarlett O’Hara? In Gone With the Wind, she sets her sights on wealthy plantation owner, Ashley Wilkes but realizes far too late in the game that it’s the rapscallion Rhett Butler who she really loves, and who loved her in return. Until he got fed up AF with her antics. When he finally walks out on her, and she confesses that it’s him she really loves, he utters what is undeniably the film’s second-most memorable line, “Frankly, my dear. I don’t give a damn.” Ahh, romance!
From “Office Space”
“I’m thinking I might take that new chick from Logistics. If things go well I might be showing her my O-face. ‘Oh… Oh… Oh!’ You know what I’m talkin’ about. “Oh!”
“Mmmmmkay.”
“I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I wanted it to be.”
Probably one of the most dead-on depictions of life in a “cube farm” ever filmed, 1999’s Office Space is memorable for its off-the-wall characters like Milton, hilarious dialogue that had us shaking our heads in the agreement of everything that sucks when you spend most of your day toiling in a cubicle, the red Swingline stapler and well — damn near all of it.
As you see, I couldn’t pick just one quote from the movie as the entire script is a boilerplate for any screenwriter who wants to write comedy, and actually make viewers laugh.
Greg Pitts as the raucous character, Drew, gave us the priceless “O-face” line and the look on Peter’s (Ron Livingston) face as he says it is equally priceless.
Peter’s boss, the coffee-swilling Lumbergh, superbly played by Gary Cole, is gloriously unctuous in his delivery of “Mmmmmkay,” every time he brings up Peter’s tardy TPS reports.
Finally, after Peter decides that he’s “just not going to go” to his job, anymore, and instead, spends a day “sitting on his ass,” he declares how wonderful it is to do “absolutely nothing.”
Writing this, so many unforgettable lines of dialogue pop into my head that I could write a story on just this film alone. No doubt, you have your favorites.
From “Casablanca”
“Here’s looking at you, kid.”
Set in French Morocco and released by Warner Bros. in 1942, the premise for Casablanca is a simple one. A man and woman are in love but sacrifice that love for a higher purpose. With an A-list cast, headed up by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid, this is yet another example of a film where there’s nary a throwaway line in the whole script.
Bogie plays cynical ex-pat, Rick Blaine, who must decide if he will help his old flame, Ilsa (Bergman), and her husband Czechoslovakian underground leader Victor Laszlo (Henreid) escape the Nazis.
The chemistry between Bogart and Bergman is undeniable, and when he raises his glass, looks into her eyes and says, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” that is a declaration of his undying love, with some reviewers surmising the underlying message is that he will forever look after her, regardless of whether or not they see each other again.
Again, this is a film with so many re-quoted lines of dialogue that it’s difficult to do it justice in a couple of paragraphs. For example, who can forget:
“Round up the usual suspects.” “We’ll always have Paris.” “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here!” “If she can stand it, I can! Play it!” (When Sam plays As Time Goes By.) “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
From “All About Eve” “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night.”
I can’t believe that I originally left out this iconic line from my favorite film ever! Thanks to Denise Shelton for the reminder.
All About Eve is a masterpiece as is the script, which I’ve read many times. Bette Davis is Margo Channing, a grande dame of the theater and reluctant mentor to Eve Harrington, a star-and-stage-struck waif played by Anne Baxter. Of course, as with the theater, things are not always what they seem.
Touched by Eve’s devotion to her, Margo takes the conniving young woman under her wing and the ensuing havoc is “bracing,” indeed!
At a party thrown for her boyfriend played by Davis’s real-life husband, Gary Merrill, Margo, jealous of his innocent affection for Eve, fairly hisses the “seatbelt” line after one too many cocktails.
I won’t divulge more as you have to see the film for yourself. And keep an eye out for George Sanders, a standout as acerbic theater critic, Addison DeWitt, who steals nearly every scene he’s in.
For a closer look at one of my all-time favorite films, please check out the following.
I can’t think of a better place to end this story than right here, but I may consider writing a follow-up, a Part 2 if you will as I could go on forever and don’t want to lose you.
In the meantime, why don’t you tell me what your favorite movie lines are? The ones you can’t get out of your head? Because ‘sharing is caring,” right? And you know how much I care.
See? I can be nice. In fact, me love you long time.
Sherry McGuinn is a slightly-twisted, longtime Chicago-area writer and award-winning screenwriter. Her work has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and numerous other publications. Sherry’s soon-to-be-ex-manager is currently NOT pitching her newest screenplay, a drama with dark, comedic overtones and inspired by a true story.
Thanks for reading, guys. If you enjoyed this, I’d love for you to check out the following, as well as my newsletter, Sherry Raw.
