# Best Fourth-Wall Breaking Moments **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840 "2021-03-13T18:49:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/1 "2021-03-13T18:49:48Z")
What are your favorite moments of characters breaking the fourth wall in fiction? I liked the line Sweeney Todd sang in “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” in the eponymous musical, in which he said, “What happened then, well, that’s the play/And he wouldn’t want us to give it away.” Another example: The fourth wall is utterly shattered throughout the whole of _The Great Muppet Caper,_ but perhaps no more so than when Kermit and Miss Piggy’s characters have an in-character argument in which they talk about how Miss Piggy lied about being Lady Holiday, and it devolves into an out-of-character argument in which Kermit criticizes Miss Piggy for overacting, and Piggy threatens to walk off the movie. It truly must be seen to be believed. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/2 "2021-03-13T19:08:28Z")
First one that comes to mind is from “It’s A Wonderful Life”, the Jimmy Stewart Christmas movie from way back. There is one scene where Stewart’s character suddenly realizes that what has come before with the angel and him never having been born is actually true. He runs toward the camera, stops, and does a slow pan from right to left with a look of pure horror on his face, stopping when he is facing the camera full on. It’s at about 1:04 in the following clip. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/gDZuNJ1c0ms/maxresdefault.jpg "It's a Wonderful life - Horror Trailer #1 (2015)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDZuNJ1c0ms) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/3 "2021-03-13T19:10:44Z")
I’m thinking about (perhaps more restrictively than you) single “asides” in movies otherwise played straight (so no _Ferris Bueller_, no _Spaceballs_, etc.) The first thing that came to me was Rufus at the end of _BaTEA_. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MnALp53JVUA/hqdefault.jpg "They do get better") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnALp53JVUA) ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/4 "2021-03-13T19:29:41Z")
A good one is Eddie Murphy’s glance at the camera in _Trading Places_ when one of the Duke brothers mentions bacon, the “kind you might have on a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/5 "2021-03-13T19:35:19Z")
Groucho during Chico’s piano solo in **Horse Feathers** : “I’ve got to stay here, but there’s no reason why you folks shouldn’t go out into the lobby till this thing blows over!” ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/6 "2021-03-13T19:53:38Z")
The final act of _Blazing Saddles_ is an extended “knock down the forth wall, trample it during your escape into the studio lot”. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/7 "2021-03-13T20:00:20Z")
There were some good ones in the recent zombie spoof “The Dead Don’t Die”. Adam Driver continually mentions how “this is all going to end badly”, to the point where Bill Murray demands to know why he thinks so. Driver: “Well, I read the script.” Murray: “The script?” Driver: “Yes, the script to this movie.” Murray got upset, because Jarmusch only gave him the script for the parts that he was in. There was a bit early in the movie where Driver said he really liked the song on the radio because it was “the theme song”. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/8 "2021-03-13T20:09:43Z")
I like the scene earlier in Blazing Saddles when Harvey Korman delivers a musing monologue while facing the camera: > … if I could find a sheriff who so offends the citizens of Rock Ridge that his very _appearance_ would drive them out of town. (pause) But where would I find such a man? (pause) Why am I asking you? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/9 "2021-03-13T20:19:29Z")
I like the end scene from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lGqOXvQgh0Y/hqdefault.jpg ""Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" - Ending Scene") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGqOXvQgh0Y) ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/10 "2021-03-13T20:49:48Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > Groucho during Chico’s piano solo in **Horse Feathers** : “I’ve got to stay here, but there’s no reason why you folks shouldn’t go out into the lobby till this thing blows over!” There’s a similar gag in _Road to Bali_, where Bob Hope says “He [Bing Crosby] is gonna sing, folks. Now’s the time to go out and get the popcorn.” ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/11 "2021-03-13T20:57:27Z")
What about Deadpool? There’s a ton of them. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/12 "2021-03-13T20:59:08Z")
Val Kilmer and Lucy Gutteridge in [Top Secret!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6zUBdgrTDA) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/13 "2021-03-13T21:20:03Z")
House Of Cards springs to mind. I’m thinking of the UK original: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PuiOAKYtrmY/maxresdefault.jpg "House of cards Quotes Francis Urquhart (1990)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuiOAKYtrmY) - but I gather the US version did something similar. j ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/14 "2021-03-13T21:26:24Z")
“If life were only like this.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9wWUc8BZgWE/hqdefault.jpg "Annie Hall (1977) scene with Marshall McLuhan") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wWUc8BZgWE) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/15 "2021-03-13T21:30:28Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Driver: “Well, I read the script.” > Murray: “The script?” > Driver: “Yes, the script to this movie.” - The Muppet Movie [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dy2seWzdw0E/hqdefault.jpg "The Muppet Movie - Dr Teeth Reads The Script (Extended Scene)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy2seWzdw0E&t=115) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/16 "2021-03-13T21:33:01Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > “If life were only like this.” You beat me to that by 6 minutes. Would have been 3 if I hadn’t watched the full clip. j ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/17 "2021-03-13T21:37:14Z")
Basil Exposition (Michael York) in **Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery** : **Basil:** _I suggest you don’t worry about those things and just enjoy yourself._ (pause to look directly into camera) _That goes for you all, too._ ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/18 "2021-03-13T21:39:59Z")
One more time: The final episode of, “I Married Dora.” Here’s [the ending](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvVR99yafr8&ab_channel=Reed488): ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/19 "2021-03-13T21:48:26Z")
I just came to rain on this parade. I hate it when actors break the fourth wall. I’ll be leaving now. 👋🏽 ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840/20 "2021-03-13T22:16:17Z")
Nitpick: it’s from **Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fourth-wall-breaking-moments/937840.md?page=2)