# Repeated lines in movies... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789 "2003-12-03T21:24:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/1 "2003-12-03T21:24:49Z")
So I was watching Two Towers:EE last weekend and with the new scenes they added one of my least favorite movie script phenomena. I don’t know if it has a name, but it’s where one character says a line early in the film, and then later another repeats the same line as if to say, “\, this is important.” Or, “hey, you were right all along.” Or, “my, how the tables have turned.” Or sometimes, “look, it’s me, despite the disguise.” In TTT, it’s (minor spoiler, I guess): Denethor: “A chance for Faramir, Captain of Gondor to show his quality?” Faramir: “A chance for Faramir, Captain of Gondor to show his quality” Sam: “You have shown your quality, sir. The very highest.” blargh… Other examples: Lion King: “Run away Simba, and never return.” Signs: “Swing away” Aladdin: “Do you trust me?” I’m having trouble coming up with more recent examples, but it seems nearly every movie nowadays has a moment like this. What are your faves/least faves. Anyone care to name the phenomena? ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/2 "2003-12-03T21:51:40Z")
Related to the repeated lines, but on a slightly different tact. Can’t name a specific example, but it _really_ annoys me when they say the same line twice in the same sentence, trying to sound dramatic. This is normally ecountered at the end of the film with an extreme close up shot. Note to scriptwriters, this is cheesy, cliched and boarding on self-parody. Stop it now. Example: Heroic character mourning the loss of his friend: “We saved them - we saved them all”. ---
**Author:** ![CaptEgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@CaptEgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptEgo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/3 "2003-12-03T22:06:33Z")
I’m actually a bit curious that you find this particular script matter so offensive. It is in fact lifted directly from the book (the repetition of said line) if not used in exactly the same fashion. In the chapter “The Window on the West” Sam slips up whilst speaking with Faramir and reveals that it is in fact the Ring that Frodo is carrying. Angry at his mistake he immediately confronts Faramir and makes it clear that he should not take advantage of his (Sam’s) error, “But _handsome is as handsome does_ we say. Now’s a chance to show your quality.” Faramir tunes into the totality of what is going on infront of him and delivers the lines inserted directly into the movie. “A chance for Faramir, Captain of Gondor, to show his quality!” Faramir then goes on to prove how much he is not his brother and unlike the Far-fromthebook-amir of the film, reveals the nobility of his Numenorian heritage. Only two pages later Sam compliments him on his character, " ‘You took the chance, sir.’ ‘Did I so?’ said Faramir. ‘Yes sir, and showed your quality: the very highest.’ " After Sam bids him goodnight Faramir has one of my favourite lines relating to him in the whole tale (and one of the reasons I really almost hated what was done with the character in the name of ‘character development’). " ‘Maybe,’ said Faramir. ‘Maybe you discern from far away the air of Numenor. Good Night!’ " Three repetitions of the same line in the book. Three uses in the movie (granted mangled in execution and intent) to match three times in the book. Not really a ‘script’ matter at all as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/4 "2003-12-03T22:33:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rabid\_Squirrel \* > \*\*Can’t name a specific example, but it _really_ annoys me when they say the same line twice in the same sentence, trying to sound dramatic. This is normally ecountered at the end of the film with an extreme close up shot. > > Example: Heroic character mourning the loss of his friend: “We saved them - we saved them all”. \*\* Hmm… thinking of movies that would be somehow different with repetition… “Rosebud… rosebud…” “Tomorrow is another day. It’s another day tomorow…” “Do or do not. There is no try. No try is there. Do not or do. Hmmm?” ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/5 "2003-12-03T22:49:05Z")
“TWO DOLLARS!” ---
**Author:** ![Magnolia\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Magnolia\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magnolia_B)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/6 "2003-12-03T23:02:47Z")
What movie is that from, Beadalin? That sounds so familiar. I just watched The Crow on cable the other night, so I can add this line - “It can’t rain all the time.” ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/7 "2003-12-03T23:04:56Z")
Oh, sorry. It’s from _Better Off Dead_, that 80s movie that has a repeated gag of the newspaper kid trying to collect his money. ---
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/8 "2003-12-03T23:09:33Z")
Clerks: “I’m not even supposed to _be_ here today!” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/9 "2003-12-03T23:12:43Z")
When have you EVER in real life repeated the end of a Meaningful Line the way that they inevitably do in (bad) movies and TV shows? Sometimes I do this just to crack my kids up: “More Frosted Flakes in the pantry? I don’t know…(pause, start to leave, turn with hand on doorknob, fix inquirer with intense stare) … I just don’t know…” ---
**Author:** ![jweb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@jweb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jweb)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/10 "2003-12-04T00:03:33Z")
A line repeated often in Kevin Smith’s movie _Mallrats_: “What, like the back of a Volkeswagon?” But in this case, it’s a running joke throughout the movie. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/11 "2003-12-04T02:04:48Z")
Well… “Round up the usual suspects” comes to mind. I think the question of repetition is a literary device, sometimes used well, sometimes not. Shakespeare, for instance, used it fairly powerfully in (say) MACBETH with the witches’ prophecy, or with Mrs MacBeth’s sleepwalking scene. Edgar Poe used it fairly often, with the raven repeating “Nevermore!” Other examples abound. Why do you begrudge the use in film? ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/12 "2003-12-04T03:04:33Z")
“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!” Also: “Inconceivable!” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/13 "2003-12-04T03:27:05Z")
“I have a bad feeling about this.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/14 "2003-12-04T03:36:01Z")
I’m getting to old for this shit ---
**Author:** ![Tarrsk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@Tarrsk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarrsk)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/15 "2003-12-04T03:48:25Z")
Kat’s and Guinastasia’s examples are IMO some of the **best** uses of line repetition around. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/16 "2003-12-04T04:11:10Z")
“Here’s looking at you, kid.” “The pellet with the poison’s in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace holds the brew that is true.” (Of course, the line varies in the movie, but all the variations are repeated) "Niagara Falls! Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch . . . " “I’ll be back.” “And two hard boiled eggs. \ Make that three hard boiled eggs.” “Who’s on first, What’s on second, I Don’t Know’s on third.” As for people repeating phrases in movies (e.g., “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”) it’s what’s know as “dramatic license.” A piece of fiction does not have to be accurate; it has to be dramatic. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/17 "2003-12-04T04:36:35Z")
“We’re on a mission from God.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/18 "2003-12-04T05:50:26Z")
“There are two kinds of people in this world: those with guns and those who dig. You dig.” ---
**Author:** ![DaPearl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@DaPearl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaPearl)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/19 "2003-12-04T06:18:31Z")
The best repeated line ever and use of a repeated line (though technically it could be argued its only said once): “He’d kill us if he got the chance” from _The Conversation_ ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789/20 "2003-12-04T07:22:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kat \* > \*\* “Inconceivable!” \*\* That word, I do not think it means what you think it means. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repeated-lines-in-movies/216789.md?page=2)