i saw Pay It Forward…the entire theater was in tears as it ended, with all the candles glowing and everything. that ending was just so, wrong.
I’m pretty sure the name of the movie I’m thinking of is A Perfect World. It ends with the same shot it begins with, but it’s a much different feeling, to say the least.
I can’t remember the name, but the movie where Nichol Kidman was an aspiring news anchor who had her husband killed…To Die For (sorry, working on a hangover here, folks), although not a particularly great movie, had one of the most satisfying endings I’ve ever seen. You just sort of feel, I don’t know, good.
Is no one going to mention Braveheart?
I can’t believe no one has said Empire Strikes Back. What a conclusion. As Luke and the gang look out the window of that ship and the camera pulls back, your like, “That’s not how it’s going to end is it?” Vader wins, evil is still ruling strong. It’s hard to imagine that people had to wait 3 years to see the final conclusion in Return of the Jedi.
poopah, thanks for the nod.
The ending of Resevoir Dogs is definitely one of my favorites. You just gotta love a movie where practically everyone who appears on screen dies.
ARGH! Reservoir Dogs.
Another vote for Reservoir Dogs, absolute classic… Also, the final scene of The Deer Hunter and the final scene of The Truman Show.
[nitpick]
Actually, the closing scene of the Untouchables (one of my favorite movies BTW) is after Elliot Ness gives Malone’s patron saint medal to Stone and then runs into the reporter outside. The reporter asks Ness what he’ll do if Prohibition is repealed and Ness answers, “I think I’ll have a drink.” Then the camera pulls up as Ness walks into the crowd.
[/nitpick]
What ?? Am I the first to mention “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid” ?
Oops! How far off was I? I remember it as the final scene but then again I’ve smoked a lot of dope.
You’re skipping this one? They’ve rescued everyone, gotten Jack’s truck back, everyone’s happy. And then Jack gets up to leave, and someone asks him if he’s going to kiss the girl. He just turns around, and says “Nah…” And walks out.
A lot of good calls. (Thanks for remembering Butch, Spiny Norman.)
A couple more:
2001: A Space Odyssey. 'Nuff said.
Birdy. After a downbeat but definitely entertaining biographical sketch of deeply wounded people, the movie winds toward what looks like a high-energy, hugely depressing tragic climax, as the bandaged Nicolas Cage character chases the semi-catatonic Matt Modine character toward the roof of the institution. And then… I won’t say what, but it’s probably one of my top thirty movie endings of all time.
The Player. When Griffin Mill gets that call on his car phone, and you slowly realize the whole movie is about to twist in on itself and eat its own tail… chills, man, chills.
The Blues Brothers. A kick-ass cover of “Jailhouse Rock” in maximum security. One of the very few perfect endings in American film.
Chinatown. Again, 'nuff said.
Amadeus. Salieri being wheeled through the asylum, casting royal waves and gestures to his subjects… more chills.
The Road Warrior. “The precious juice was hidden in the vans… And in the fullness of time, I became the leader…” Come on, you can see the shot in your mind’s eye right now, as the camera accelerates down the long road, looking back at the Road Warrior standing alone.
Hey, how 'bout Shane?
Fellini’s 8 1/2. Who cares if it doesn’t make any rational, objective sense? It’s a pure expression of the love of making movies. And isn’t that what it’s all about, anyway?
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. It starts as a conventional boy-meets-girl musical, with conventional obstacles (the mother wants her daughter to marry a wealthy man), but by the time the sweethearts meet each other again in the gas station, it has become something far more subtle and complex.
Unforgiven. A perfect, simple ending, returning to the silhouette at the beginning, with just a few closing words. Lovely.
(What, nobody’s going to stick up for Monty Python and the Holy Grail?)
Yes that was a great scene. Unfortunately it wasn’t the ending. The ending was Jack driving down the highway in the rain, giving another of his little speaches on the CB. Cut to the back of the truck, and the monster from earlier shows up.
I kinda liked the end of Payback…“We went for breakfast… in Canada. We made a deal: if she’d stop hooking, I’d stop shooting people. I guess we were both aiming a little high.”
Yep, Badtz, that was a great closing line.
Thanks for reminding me why I wuv you, dear. I was thinking about that scene all the way through the thread. Of course, you stole my thunder already 
Some other suggestions:
The Godfather III:
Don Corleone falling out of his wheelchair in front of his mansion in Sicily. Dead. Beautiful. Also: the shooting at the steps of the opera house, but that’s not the last scene.
Blackadder goes forth, Goodbyeee:
The final scene of the final episode of this WWI Blackadder series. Stunning, and not funny at all. But man, does it grab you. Maybe because the rest was all so hilarious, making the contrast even sharper?
Se7en:
Can’t believe I’m the first one to mention this. The despair, the sudden loneliness. It’s depicted SO well.
Spoorloos (“The Vanishing”):
The original Dutch version. Man wakes up in coffin, thus realising how his girlfriend died. The End.
I’m sure I’ll think of more later.
Raiders of the Lost Ark? Anyone? Ark of the Covenant hidden among warehouse full of Government surplus? Anyone? Buehler? Buehler?
Sorry, Wrong Number? Anyone? Anyone at all?
Casablanca (which has already been metioned).
Oh, and another thing. This thread’s already been done within the past year.
Ditto - The Usual Suspects, Reservior Dogs, Blackadder Goes Forth(O_O).
Add - Throne of Blood, another Kurosawa film based on a Shakespear play, MacBeth, this time.
Kurosawa changed the ending. When the wood starts advancing on the castle, the MacBeth character turns to his men…
…Who open fire on him. He stumbles up the stairs, pin-cushioned with arrows fired by his own archers.
The Godfather - the door closing on Diane Keaton as Michael’s retainers pay court. End.
Second for the Road Warrior. “He lives only in our memories…”
The fixed version of Blade Runner. The elevator closes - who’s knows if they’ll survive.
Well several of mine have been already named but I’ll second some of them and add a few more.
Birdy great movie with a great ending.
Field of Dreams (one of my all time favorite movies)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (original ending not the ‘special’ edition)
ET
The Bridge on the River Kwai
North by North West
Titanic (I’ll admit I like the movie)
The Red Balloon
The Truman Show (it would have beed so easy to screw it up by following him out)
Witness
Gallipoli (hummm a Peter Weir theme)
Casablanca
Citizen Kane
A Christmas Story
Brazil
Time Bandits
and the best ending scene
Cinema Paradiso
Believe it or not, I finally watched this movie last night, and I’m 42 years old. I agree with you that the ending was wonderful. And telling Lazlo that Ilsa pretended she was still in love with Rick the night before. Genius. And I finally had a little respect for the corrupt official that was Louis.
A great movie! (Duh!)