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If There Was An Academy Award For "Best Movie Monologue," These Scenes Would've For Sure Taken Home The Gold

"Denzel Washington giving the 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' monologue in Macbeth (2021) somehow made 500-year-old material feel fresh."

by Allie Hayes

BuzzFeed Staff

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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 movie lovers came through with some absolutely wonderful nominations for this fake award!

Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF

KoMut Entertainment

So, with that in mind, here are just a few of the monologues who'd like to thank the Academy:

1. Jaws (1975)

Universal Pictures

"Quint's speech about the U.S.S. Indianapolis sinking and the survivors being surrounded by sharks. One of the great scenes in cinema, in my opinion."

—cggriffith12

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

2. Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Roadside Attractions

"Michelle Williams is barely in the film, and she runs away with the entire thing in a single scene. The pent-up grief is palpable and the way she conveys what she’s lost and her need to make sense of it without descending into histrionics is an acting masterclass."

—nicolnicolson

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Roadside Attractions / Via youtube.com

3. Us (2019)

Universal Pictures

"It's just so creepy and well done!"

—kelseyc7

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

4. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Sony Pictures Classics

"The speech the dad gave at the end to Elio. It's beautiful and heartbreaking, and some of the best advice about love I’ve ever heard."

—va527

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Sony Pictures Classics / Via youtube.com

5. Steel Magnolias (1989)

TriStar

"Sally Field's speech at the funeral. It makes me cry every time."

—heatherd4d685cb43

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

TriStar / Via You can watch the scene here:

6. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Buena Vista Pictures

"When Julia Stiles reads the poem. The acting just puts that scene over the top."

—noodles_be_noodling

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Buena Vista Pictures / Via youtube.com

7. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

Gramercy Pictures

"When John Hannah reads the eulogy, it's heartbreaking and beautiful."

—allisonlang75

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Gramercy Pictures / Via youtube.com

8. Little Women (2019)

Columbia Pictures

"When Florence Pugh explains to Timothée Chalamet that for women, marriage is indeed an economic matter because as a woman she has no rights to property, money, or even her own children."

—dellarock

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

9. Rambo: First Blood (1982)

Orion Pictures

"When Sylvester Stallone is talking to his handler in the police station. I don't understand how he didn't win a Golden Globe for that."

—kzich84

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Orion Pictures / Via youtube.com

10. Malcolm & Marie (2021)

Netflix

"Zendaya's ending monologue was amazing, and it hits you so hard."

—kaitlynelizabeth

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Netflix / Via youtube.com

11. Independence Day (1996)

20th Century Fox

"Definitely the president's speech. He fired everyone up to go fight the aliens so much that one of the soldier's arms looked like it was gonna fly off he saluted so hard! My 13-year-old ass was ready to hop in a plane and join them because it was so great!"

—golupe

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com

12. Gone Girl (2014)

20th Century Fox

"The 'Cool Girl' monologue has to be on this list. It's iconic and so well done, and it accomplishes a complete tone shift in the movie. Rosamund Pike absolutely killed it."

—foragoodtimenotalongtime

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com

13. Hidden Figures (2016)

20th Century Fox

"Taraji P. Henson’s monologue about the bathrooms is incredible."

—gaelicmaiden

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com

14. The Sixth Sense (1999)

Buena Vista Pictures

"Even though it's kind of cheating, I've got to go with the scene when Haley Joel Osment tells Toni Collette about what her late mother told him. It's mostly Haley's monologue, but Toni's reactions are really what sells the scene. It makes me cry every time."

—bskellenger

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Buena Vista Pictures / Via youtube.com

15. Macbeth (2021)

A24

"Denzel Washington giving the 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow' monologue somehow made 500-year-old material feel fresh."

—maggiem45481cd39

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

A24 / Via youtube.com

16. Erin Brockovich (2000)

Universal Pictures

"When she lists off the names, phone numbers, and diseases of the clients for the lawyer who said the files were incomplete. And the scene ends perfectly when the lawyer says they got off on the wrong foot, and she responds with: 'That's all you got, lady. Two wrong feet in fucking ugly shoes.'"

—jessicad472a11a93

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

17. A Marriage Story (2019)

Netflix

"Laura Dern’s monologue about mothers to Scarlett Johansson. It's short, but it packs a wallop."

—dig_if_you_will_a_picture

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Netflix / Via youtube.com

18. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

A24

"The most astonishing thing about that scene is that it is Ke Huy Quan's first role after 30 years, and he is absolutely remarkable in that movie. I hope he gets an Oscar nomination."

—e410d0d48d

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

A24 / Via youtube.com

19. Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Weinstein Company

"As a character introduction, Christoph Waltz’s monologue is incredible. The whole scene ramps up the tension amazingly with all his politeness — asking if he can have a drink of milk and a smoke — but toying with the farmer by hinting with increasing strength that he knows his secret. By the time he finally hits the guy with his 'you’re sheltering enemies of the state, are you not?' line the audience is almost relieved that he’s finally gotten to the point. It’s a great introduction for a particularly cruel villain."

—juliaw1

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Weinstein Company / Via youtube.com

20. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

New Line Cinema

"Sean Astin’s monologue at the very end, specifically the line: 'There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.'"

—rachell11

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

New Line Cinema / Via youtube.com

21. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Columbia Pictures

"Going back a ways, but Sidney Poitier's speech after his father condemns him for planning to marry a white woman this movie is so well done."

—creativecoach31

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

22. Snowpiercer (2013)

Weinstein Company

"Chris Evans has an absolutely horrifying monologue. Y'all know the one. I've only ever seen it once, and I never want to see it again because it sticks with me to this day. It made me see Chris Evans as more than just a pretty superhero. That man has serious acting chops."

—jenn4450

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Weinstein Company / Via youtube.com

23. Molly’s Game (2017)

STX Entertainment

"Idris Elba’s monologue is just brilliant. Written by the genius that is Aaron Sorkin, and then Idris just smashes the delivery — it’s so captivating, I couldn’t look away."

—critic24

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

STX Entertainment / Via youtube.com

24. A Little Princess (1995)

Warner Bros.

"That scene has lived rent free in my head for 20 years!"

—shayla91

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com

25. The Color Purple (1985)

Warner Bros.

"Celie's 'Everything you done to me is already done to you' speech where she finally stands up for herself."

—melpomeneblue

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

Warner Bros. / Via youtube.com

26. Gladiator (2000)

DreamWorks

"The scene where Russell Crowe reveals his identity is so good!"

—nataliapineirog

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

And finally:

27. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

20th Century Fox

"Definitely Meryl Streep's iconic 'Cerulean' monologue!"

—spencerrussellwilson

You can watch the scene here:

View this video on YouTube

20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com

All right, 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!

Some responses were edited for length and/or clarity.

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