Movies can be some of the most profoundly impactful experiences we’ll ever have. For many of us, there are certain film scenes that stick in our minds, even if it’s years after we first saw them, even if we haven’t seen them since. Maybe we were amazed by a performance from a certain actress, or maybe we keep thinking about how haunting the score is, or perhaps the visuals struck a chord in us, or maybe it’s a bit of dialogue that just happens to resonate at the right time.
Whatever the case, most of us have a scene that’s stuck with us. Me, I’ll likely always be haunted by the ending of The Mist. And lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the scene from the first Spider-Man where Green Goblin and Spidey are on the roof together. In particular, I’ve been thinking about the lines, “They found you amusing for a while, the people of this city. But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you’ve done for them, eventually, they will hate you.”
I asked Twitter to share theirs with me.
And I got…a lot of answers. Close to a thousand, between the direct responses and the retweets with quotes. I’m sharing a few of my favorite responses with you here, but, as always, it’s worth scrolling through all the responses.
I have to note: A number of people responded with a GIF and nothing more. I’m leaving those answers out, not because I don’t like them or disagree, but because not everyone has a deep, encyclopedic knowledge of cinema, certainly not enough to recognize a movie or its context from a single GIF. And where’s the fun in not relating to a response or having the chance to be intrigued? So I’m leaving the GIF-only answers off and choosing from the ones that gave some context for others.
I’ll try to leave spoilers out, but most of these are from movies that have been out for years, so the statute of limitations on spoilers has long since passed. You’ve been warned.
And a few movies that popped up more than a few times in the answers…
Requiem for a Dream
Jurassic Park
The Exorcist
The Matrix
An American Werewolf in London
Billy Elliot
Arrival
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Interstellar
Like I said, it’s worth taking a spin through the answers. The Twitter algorithm being what it is, some answers get buried from my view, unfortunately. You might find one that entices you to watch a new movie tonight!
What scene do you still think about?
