# Best scene ever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258 "2002-12-12T16:09:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/1 "2002-12-12T16:09:11Z")
Not the best movie, just the scene. Mine would have to be the Denis Hopper / Christopher Walken scene from _True Romance_ Spoilers about the scene and movie ahead. The acting and music are superb. The reasoning behind the scene is excellent. Hopper knowing he’s going to be tortured into telling the whereabouts of his son decides to go out with a bang. He asks for a cigarette (he gave them up but now it doesn’t matter) and gives the famous spawned by niggers speech. I love this scene and would like to nominate it for best ever. Now I ask you. Am I lying 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/2 "2002-12-12T16:14:23Z")
I can think of a couple; 1. The “Tiny Dancer” scene in Almost Famous is wonderful 2. When Marvin gets shot in Pulp Fiction 3. The opening tracking shot in The Player 4. “Of all the bars …” from Casablanca 5. The final shot from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” I also love that scene from True Romance ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_Schmeese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Marconi\_Schmeese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_Schmeese)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/3 "2002-12-12T16:31:46Z")
The intro to American History X. It was so real that I still get goosebumps on my head just thinking about it. :eek: “Best” only because the acting was superb and it was just _so realistic._ Other than that, it was one of the most disgusting and vile segments ever recorded on film. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/4 "2002-12-12T16:46:43Z")
The scene in Immortal Beloved where they’re playing Ode to Joy and it’s flashing back to Beethoven’s childhood. Awesome. Also that one scene with those people, and they’re doing that thing. Love that one. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/5 "2002-12-12T17:00:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Also that one scene with those people, and they’re doing that thing. Love that one. That’s the one from thingymajig isn’t it? God that’s great. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/6 "2002-12-12T17:00:39Z")
When Bruce Willis holds up his hand at the end of “The Sixth Sense” and his wedding ring is gone. ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/7 "2002-12-12T17:16:01Z")
I thought I was the only one who liked that Tiny Dancer scene. One of my favorites: Goodfellas: when they start to play “Sunshine of your love” while De Niro is at the bar contemplating killing someone. His facial expressions and the way he drags his cigarette is great. It’s the basis for De Niro impressions all captured in one moment. ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/8 "2002-12-12T17:19:45Z")
The True Romance scene is amazing, definitely a movie-stealing scene by two great actors. I would also nominate Christopher Walken for his turn as the former p.o.w. returning a friend’s watch to his young son in Pulp Fiction. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/9 "2002-12-12T17:29:30Z")
Another one just came to me. The montage at the end of _One Day in September_ with Deep Purple’s _Child in Time_ in the background is a truly stunning piece of cinema. Oh and DeNiro dragging on that smoke is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![krazy\_kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@krazy\_kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krazy_kat)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/10 "2002-12-12T17:36:54Z")
I like the part in “Showgirls” when Liz Berkley barfs mid-argument in the parking lot. ---
**Author:** ![Stccrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Stccrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stccrd)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/11 "2002-12-12T18:02:50Z")
Ever seen **The Count of Monte Cristo**? It is quite good, with many awesome scenes. My favorite part is a spoiler, so here goes: My favorite is when the Count of MC is in that bath area talking to the Chief Prosecutor of Paris, and gets him to confess all this stuff, and the guards take him away. Ah, vengeance. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/12 "2002-12-12T18:05:58Z")
The scene from the end of Cinderella, when the glass slipper’s broken and everybody’s all pissed except for the evil stepmother, and Cinderella says, “But your excellency, I have the other glass slipper!” ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/13 "2002-12-12T19:09:33Z")
The scene in the air traffic control tower, in _Close Encounters of the Third Kind_, as the pilot of a cargo flight describes a UFO encounter over the radio. Brings chills just thinking about it, and it’s all done with spoken words. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/14 "2002-12-12T19:26:40Z")
_The Godfather_, the scene where Michael kills Sollazzo and McClusky in the diner. Also the opening scene in _Star Trek II_ ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/15 "2002-12-12T19:51:26Z")
If you haven’t seen **The Third Man** , major spoiler here: When Anna’s cat jumps through the flowers on her windowsill, then the camera tracks the cat’s path through the flowers, down into the street below, to reveal the cat snuggling up to Harry Lime’s leg. Brilliant!! Also the opening scene in **Citizen Kane** , showing Xanadu from different angles and locations, but the light from Kane’s bedroom window is always in the same place on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/16 "2002-12-12T19:54:54Z")
Marion Crane’s murder in the shower in Psycho. All music and visuals, no dialogue at all. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/17 "2002-12-12T20:09:27Z")
The one that immediately came to mind was the scene in **Tombstone** where Doc Holliday has the shootout with Johnny Ringo. If there was a thread for best character in a movie, Doc Holliday would get that one too (the Val Kilmer version of course). ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/18 "2002-12-12T21:09:02Z")
In the original B&W _Miracle on 34th Street_ when Kris Kringle communicated to the little Dutch war orphan girl. The look on the little girl’s face makes my eyes water each time I see it. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/19 "2002-12-12T22:01:56Z")
The scene after the prologue in _Fellowship of the Ring_. Gandalf and Frodo ride down the hill revealing Hobbition, and I gasped: “OMG! Peter Jackson pulled it off! He created Middle Earth!” ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258/20 "2002-12-12T22:16:38Z")
The death prayer spoken near the end of the 13th Warrior, as hordes of barbarous warriors swarm towards the Northmen and Antonio never fails to stir some deeply buried, noble, warrior sentiment inside me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-scene-ever/142258.md?page=2)