It is. I was debating those two scenes and the opening, with the couple who wants risotto with a side of spaghetti (and let’s not even discuss the waste of cheese). In the end, I chose the dinner party, because there was so much happiness in the group, and I loved the food.
The “you must atone” speech from Network.
The launch sequence from Apollo 13. (on review - also mentioned above)
The final shootout from The Shootist.
The gundown in the street from Road to Perdition.
The card game from The Sting (mentioned above).
Nora Desmond’s descent down the staircase at the end of Sunset Boulevard
The saloon scene in Unforgiven, when William Munny massacres all the deputies and the sheriff. I especially love the shot when his menacing rifle barrel slowly rises into view over the montage of celebrating guys in the bar. It makes me gasp every time.
“Daphne” describing his evening out with Cosmo, and his engagement, in between bars of tango music, in Some Like It Hot.
The scene in the farmhouse when the Martians explore it with an extended robotic “eye” in War of the Worlds (1950s version). It scared the holy bejesus out of me when I was a kid and it’s still chilling today.
In Godfather II, the young Don Corleone stalking the small-time boss during the festa, by following him along the rooftops, the boss’s assassination, and then Don Corleone returning serenely to the bosom of his family.
The transformation scene in An American Werewolf in London
Sally Field’s scene in the cemetery in Steel Magnolias
The “first contact” scene in Starman
The Abby McDeere/Avery Tolar rendezvous-in-the-Caymans scene in The Firm
The kitchen attack scene in A Perfect Murder
I was thinking of that scene too! It’s one of those movies where there’s not a bum scene in the lot.
A few more deserve mention:
Rounders, at the end when he decides to head to Vegas to play Jonny Chan(?).
Shakespeare in Love, about a 20 minute sequence of scenes starting when Viola first gets naked. It’s just so dreamlike and ethereal.
Dazed and Confused, just about every scene when Mitch does something cool, then seruptitiously checks the reactions of the older boys to make sure that it was, in fact, cool.
Duets, the whole first scene.
I would have said the scene where Mitch tells the mobsters about their right to confidentiality.
Soldier of Orange the nightclub tango scene with Rutger Hauer, in black tie, and the German soldier, in uniform
Local Hero Finale: Mac leaves Scotland to return to his dreary apartment in Texas, Mark Knopfler’s “Goin’ Home” soaring in the background
Dazed and Confused tossup between the opening parking lot scene (with Sweet Emotion playing) or Adam Goldberg’s fight at the kegger
Witness When Lukas Haas communicates, with his eyes, the identity of the murderer to Harrison Ford
Dumbo When he visits his mom in solitary 
Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday walking into the clearing and telling Johnny Ringo “I’m your huckleberry.”
Tony’s death in West Side Story
Forrest Gump asking Jenny: “Is he…smart?”
Mel Gibson’s run through the end of Gallipoli.
Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin over the end credits of The Big Easy.
OJ Simpson’s pratfalls through the ship in Naked Gun.
The “Superman” scene from The Iron Giant
The “Behind this mask is an idea, and ideas are bullet-proof.” scene from V for Vendetta
The escape from the apartment building (ending with “This is from Mathilda”) from Leon (aka The Professional)
The “I am a leaf on the wind,” scene from Serenity.
Vermithrax rising from the lake of fire behind Galen in Dragonslayer.
Spoilers, of course
#3 The next to last scene in Sometimes A Great Notion when Paul Newman tries to save his brother from drowning.
#2 The scene in **Breakfast at Tiffany’s ** where Audrey Hepburn’s boyfriend confronts the old man who has been stalking her and tells him “I don’t care if you are her father, you aren’t going to take her back to the farm” and the old man says “I’m not her father. I’m her husband.”
#1 The scene in Shane where Alan Ladd has ridden onto a small ranch and is talking to the husband and wife who own it and their ten-year old kid comes up behind Shane with a broken rifle and accidently makes a rifle kind of noise. Shane draws his gun and whirls around to face whoever has snuck up on him. At that point the expressions on the four faces are priceless: Shane is embarrassed because he has drawn his gun on a little boy. The mother looks like she is about to wet her pants because a gunfighter has drawn a gun on her little boy. The father looks uncertain; he knows he should do something but can not figure out what. And the little boy is excited and proud because at age ten he has already come close to a gun fight.
I’ve left out a couple that have already been mentioned. I’m glad someone brought up the last scene from The Blair Witch Project. I think it’s one of the sickest, most nauseatingly intense and jaw-droppingly frightening things I’ve ever experienced.
Luke Skywalker dueling Darth Vader for the last time in Return of the Jedi. The shot selection, the music and the pacing were damn near perfect.
The final scene of The Godfather. “This one time I’ll let you ask me about my business.” God, that still gives me chills.
Basically anything from Last of the Mohicans, one of the most gorgeous movies I’ve ever seen.
From Gladiator, the sequence in which the gladiators fight the gilded chariots. The opening battle sequence is also outstanding. If the music from that bit doesn’t raise your blood pressure, you’re already dead.
The ballroom scene from Beauty and the Beast.
- (Seconding) The superman scene from The Iron Giant
- From Titanic, Nearer My God To Thee
- From Return of the Jedi, the final confrontation between Luke and the Emperor
- From Wayne’s World, from “I think we’ll go with a little Bohemian Rhapsody, gentlemen”, up through “Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon”
- (This may be the best of all) From Amadeus, Mozart dictating the individual parts of the requiem to Salieri
Honorable mentions (since how can I restrict myself to just 5?):
- The chase through the door factory from Monsters Inc.
- Climactic fight and death of Boromir from The Fellowship of the Ring
- The left-handed sword fight from The Princess Bride
- Sparky Palastri, from Bring It On
- “God gave rock and roll to you”, from Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey
- Carrying the baby past all the soldiers, from Children of Men
- The scene in the museum, from the Joker improving the paintings through “Where does he get those wonderful toys?”, from Batman
- Listening to opera, from The Shawshank Redemption
- More opera, and ass kicking, from The Fifth Element
- “Hi… I’m a nerd”, from Revenge of the Nerds
And if we are talking about super-short scenes (ie, less than 30 seconds):
- Indy vs. the master swordsman, from Raiders of the Lost Ark
(By the way, a “movie scenes” party is a brilliant idea.)
That is one of my favorite scenes as well, in a movie that’s on my top 5 list of movies, any genre. When More finally gets to speak his mind, after being convicted. * “It is because I would not bend to the marriage!” *
That’s another one of my top five! “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passing.”
The look of resignation on Randy Quaid’s face, in Independence Day, when he realizes he has to die.
“Do me a favor. Tell my children that I love them very much.” I wonder sometimes if I could die for someone else.
Then there’s the movie I like that’s filled with favortie scenes, The African Queen. If I had to pick one I think I’d settle on the wedding/execution scene.
“I now pronounce you man and wife. Proceed with the execution.”
Finally, the scene in *E.T., * when the kids show their mother the alien. She’s terrified, and backs out of the room making them come with her. And poor E.T. is being abandoned, while dying a long way from home. That squawk he makes as he raises his arm(in appeal?) makes me tear up every time.
A stupid, boring movie that I couldn’t care less about. The final scene of which had my jaw on the floor. :eek:
Life is Beautiful, when Joshua won the tank.
The Verdict, when we find out who James Mason is giving the scotch to.
Jesus Christ Superstar 2000 – Gethsemene. This guy could be on American Idol, and Simon might not even say he was terrible.
Amadeus when Salieri throws the crucifix on the fire and swears emnity towards God.
The sirens in O God Where Art Thou.
Casablanca: Scene at the plane
5 Easy Pieces: “Hold it between your knees”
Unforgiven: Duck I says…
The Thirteenth Warrior: The “Lo, there do I see my father…” scene as hell is about to unleash.
Aliens: I say we waste this rat fuck (a lot of great lines in that scene)
Matrix: I know Kung Fu
Casablanca: Pretty much the whole movie.
I am gonna kick myself every five minutes for the other 150 scenes I couldn’t think of.
Ghostbusters - In the Mayor’s office with Peck.
MP and the Holy Grail - Holy Handgrenade/Rabbit
Matrix Reloaded - Freeway Scene
Pulp Fiction - Cafe Holdup
The Usual Suspects - The whole film
My fifth scene will be the one my wife used at the party, in Amadeus where Mozart improves Salieri’s march of welcome.
Hijack…
Years ago I was the music director for an opera. We sometimes had real trouble getting rehearsal pianists. We got Mike when we could, because he was pretty good. Couldn’t read for crap, but he could play by ear really well. Sometimes our lead tenor, Stuart, would play, though. He was good too.
We were always looking for more vocal warmups. Stuart had one called Piccolo Mini. It had a fairly complex piano accompaniment. Only Stuart could play it. He didn’t have the patience to teach it to anyone else.
One day, Mike was playing. We decided to warm up with Piccolo Mini. As Stuart approached the piano, Mike said no, he though he could do it. Not only did he play it, but he added all sorts of frills and trills and embellishments.
Stuart whispered to me. “Oh man, I feel like crap. You ever see that movie Amadeus?”