# Best Endings - Movie Division **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062 "2011-03-17T20:27:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/1 "2011-03-17T20:27:25Z")
Since there’s an interesting thread about what folks think are the worst movie endings, I’d like to know what movie endings were especially memorable for you teeming millions here (it’s probrably been done before, but what hasn’t) Shane had a perfect ending. course it followed the book very well. I liked the ending of the first Godfather movie - with the door shutting Michael’s wife out. Your thougts? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/2 "2011-03-17T20:30:40Z")
_Raiders of the Lost Ark_. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/3 "2011-03-17T20:33:16Z")
**The Terminator** The whole movie was nicely done, but the ending answered questions you didn’t even know you wanted to ask. ---
**Author:** ![sohvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sohvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sohvan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/4 "2011-03-17T20:35:02Z")
Life of Brian had a great ending. The impact has been somewhat lessened by overuse of the song later on though. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/5 "2011-03-17T20:40:20Z")
Time Bandits ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/6 "2011-03-17T20:53:06Z")
**Brazil**. It managed to be a ‘happy’ ending, or at least the best it could have been. The protagonist manages to escape a torture chamber, fight back against the dystopian bureaucracy and escape with his literal Dream Woman… and cut to reveal him still in the torture chair, catatonic. He’s just an office drone, he couldn’t have done all of that - but he didn’t give up information, and he at least gets to have his dreams. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/7 "2011-03-17T20:55:23Z")
**Monsters Inc.** I loved how everything tied together in the end so nicely. Turned out kids’ laughter was a better power source, and the nerdy assistants became the ones collecting them. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/8 "2011-03-17T21:12:38Z")
_The Usual Suspects._ The flashback voiceover as “Verbal” limps away, and then, he just _straightens up and walks normal, and get in the car with Mr. “Kobayashi.”_ Still great after all these years. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/9 "2011-03-17T21:41:31Z")
“Some Like it Hot” ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/10 "2011-03-17T21:50:19Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > _The Usual Suspects._ The flashback voiceover as “Verbal” limps away, and then, he just _straightens up and walks normal, and get in the car with Mr. “Kobayashi.”_ > > Still great after all these years. I came in to mention this. Fantastic. Also good is \* The Prestige\*. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/11 "2011-03-17T22:49:25Z")
_Casablanca_: “Round up the usual suspects”. _King Kong_ (the original). ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/12 "2011-03-17T23:01:25Z")
> [@Flander](#): > > I came in to mention this. Fantastic. Also good is \* The Prestige\*. And I came in to mention _The Prestige_. I loved almost everything about this movie, but the ending sealed the deal. I almost fell off my chair. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/13 "2011-03-17T23:08:20Z")
Shawshank Redemption: I know that the ending of the book is different than the movie, but I find the movie ending so satisfying. It makes me happy. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/14 "2011-03-17T23:50:53Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > _The Usual Suspects._ The flashback voiceover as “Verbal” limps away, and then, he just _straightens up and walks normal, and get in the car with Mr. “Kobayashi.”_ > > Still great after all these years. That’s a great one. I came in to mention Frailty, with Matthew McConnaghy and Bill Paxton. When the end reveals that McConnaghy is actually NOT a delusional psychopath but actually IS killing monsters in human form it blew my mind. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/15 "2011-03-17T23:56:04Z")
Homeward Bound, The Incredible Journey. When the animals improbably find their owners and come bounding out of the woods, I weep with joy every single time. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/16 "2011-03-18T00:00:20Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > That’s a great one. > I came in to mention Frailty, with Matthew McConnaghy and Bill Paxton. > > When the end reveals that McConnaghy is actually NOT a delusional psychopath but actually IS killing monsters in human form it blew my mind. I thought I was the only one who’d seen this movie. Good movie all around. And a perfect ending for that film. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/17 "2011-03-18T00:18:37Z")
**In Bruges** > [@](#): > > And I really, really > hoped I wouldn’t die. > > I really, really hoped I wouldn’t die. From a man who was going to kill himself earlier, that is a very positive ending. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/18 "2011-03-18T00:38:26Z")
The Third Man. 'Nuff said! ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/19 "2011-03-18T14:34:33Z")
**The Shawshank Redemption** , the brightness of the beach and the open expanse of the sea is just such a great contrast to the gray claustrophobia of the prison. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062/20 "2011-03-18T14:39:40Z")
> [@stegon66](#): > > The Third Man. 'Nuff said! It’s a great ending precisely because it DOESN’T give us what Hollywood has led us to expect. During her long approach, we’re sure Holly Martin is going to grab the girl and kiss her… or tell her he loves her… or just say SOMETHING. Instead, he just stands there and watches her go by, because he can’t think of anything to say to her. That feels right. It feels real. But would the ending work so well if we HADN’T been conditioned to expect a happy, romantic ending? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-endings-movie-division/575062.md?page=2)