I’m trying to think of scenes in movies where the hero stands up to the villian, who’s been a bully throughout the movie (I’m not necessarily talking high school bully, but even worldwide villian bully) and says, “NO! We’re not going to take this any more!”.
Maybe even spits in his face. Usually that standing up is enough of a dramatic event in the movie to turn the tide.
Any takers? (I’m assuming this is common, but I can’t think of a good example off the top of my head).
A Clear and Present Danger–"How dare you, sir!
The Wizard of Oz–the scene where they confront the wizard
The Princess Bride–“Drop. Your. Sword.” and “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Keanu Reeves’ epiphany in The Matrix comes to mind.
Bully
The bully’s best friend literally stabs him in the back.
Little Giants
Rick Moranis finally stands up to his brother Ed O’ Neal by challenging him to a football game. He then has a nice halftime speech to his team about standing up to people like his brother.
Network
The news anchor who’s just been fired announces on the air that he’s going to kill himself on air during his last broadcast. When the producers let him go on anyway, he encourages everyone to protest by going to the window and shouting “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore”
Gary Cooper, High Noon. The movie centers around this entire concept.
And, of course, I can’t get the image of Kurt Russell wading through a creek shouting “Noooooooooooooo” in slow motion in Tombstone.
Number Two (tearfully) stood up to Dr. Evil at the end of Austin Powers. I know he wasn’t a hero, but it was the first example that popped into my (warped) head.
In “From Here to Eternity” the scene in the bar where Ernest Borgnine pulls switch blade.
Burt Lancaster jumps up, breaks a long neck beer bottle over the edge of a table, then looks Borgnine in the eye, bottle in hand, and says c’mon (or words to that effect). Borgnine backed down.
Way hot!
Spartacus. Lot’s of great scenes there.
Proof again of the importance of casting. Imagine Sylvester the Cat standing up to the Roman Centurion saying “I AM THPARTACUTH!”
Oh yeah, Air Force One.
Working 9 to 5!
Ooooh, shiver I love that one.
The scene in Fellowship of the Ring in which Frodo stands up in the midst of the argument at the Council in Rivendell and says “I will take the Ring!” always puts a little lump in my throat. It’s a loose interpretation of the OP, but if the “villain” is the Ring and the strife it causes, then I think it can be made.
“No Biff… you get your damn hands off her”
(Back To The Future)
In Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood, when the central character (Elaine ?) stands up to Cordelia and the other bullies and dismisses their power over her by simply walking away andd ignoring them. It made me want to pump my fist in the air and scream “Yes!”
From Stand By Me:
Ace: What are you gonna do shoot all of us?
Gordie: No Ace, just you.
Followed by the classic: “Suck my fat one you cheap dime store hood.”
C’mon, people…Return of the Jedi
“I’ll never turn to the Dark Side. You’ve failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”
…Luke got his tukus zapped after that, but hey, it was still a great moment.
“You take your hands off her, you bitch!” – Ripley (Sigourney Weaver, Aliens)
Damn, MaxTheVool beat me to it.
Gotta think of another one… Got it!
The Last Dragon, when Bruce Leroy finally gets the glow and stands up to Sho’ Nuff.
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
Well, Rhett was the hero. And Scarlett was a bully.
Try again?
Ok, how about:
John Bender (to Mr. Vernon): Eat. My. Shorts.—The Breakfast Club
The only film ever to make me cry - brings a tear to my eye every time i think about it:
The end of Dead Poet’s Society when they all stand up in support of Robin Williams and say:
“Oh Captain my Captain”
oh great. now i’ve gone all red eyed in the middle of the frickin office.
YOU…CANNOT…PASS!!!
All the Tolkien geeks on this board, and no one posted that one yet?