Those who know me will know that I am BIG on my movies. However, what I love more than a great blockbuster is a spine tingling inspirational dialogue at suspenseful moment within the film. Something that gets you locked in on the screen with ore that you feel the speaker is talking directly to you.
You only have to look to the right hand side of this page to see I have inspirational quotes and testimonials rotating to let the readers know how clever I am.
Now, I have wanted to do a post about the best inspirational scenes in movies for as long as I can remember but the problem being: 1) I couldn’t narrow it down as there are quite a few, 2) It takes a while finding videos that are embeddable and 3) I actually have a life.
Below I have selected 10 of the best inspirational movie scenes from some of the best films in history. This is not ‘THE DEFINITIVE TOP 10’ but only my opinion, so if one of your films isn’t here or if you do not agree, I really couldn’t care less.
I have put them in order from 10-1, this is purely based on my opinion. Enjoy!
10. People will come… [Field of Dreams]
An iconic passage by James Earl Jones explaining to Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) that people will come to his baseball field that he built after hearing voices in a cornfield from dead baseball players and his late father. o_O
Unfortunately I couldn’t find a video for this scene so this is the audio only, however audio is all you need.
9. I am not going to bury my son… [John Q]
Denzel is the man. If you have seen this film you know how emotional it is and how powerful Denzel’s performance is. His son is in need of a heart transplant and it’s their bad luck that their health insurance has expired and they cannot afford an operation. Cue Denzel Washington in this scene who will not go down without a fight.
8. Get busy living or get busy dying [Shawshank Redemption]
Arguably the best film ever made. Shawshank is epic in every sense of the word and this is just one of many inspirational speeches of hope, empowerment and courage from the film.
7. Show me the money [Jerry Maguire]
Cuba Gooding Jr and Tom Cruise are flawless in this 90s classic. No more comments needed about this scene.
6. Medley of scenes [Remember the Titans]
I decided not to pull one individual scene and embed a medley of multiple scenes from Remember the Titans. A feel good movie, one for the family to love and re-watch for ever and ever. Denzel yet again leading the way and there are plenty of motivational speeches from this awesome story using American Football as the bond to fight against 1970s racist America.
5. Our Deepest Fear… [Coach Carter]
This…
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
4. Rocky inspirational speech to his son [Rocky Balboa]
How could you create a post about inspirational movie speeches and not use a Rocky one?
Ok, your apology is accepted.
Rocky films are based around the simple methodology of never giving up. Each film tells the story of the underdog and how with belief, grit and determination you can overcome any hurdle. Complimented with potentially one of the best movie soundtracks in movie history (Rocky IV), these films are perfect in motivating and inspiring us to get moving.
This scene in particular from the Rocky Balboa is iconic as it’s Rocky passing on his wealth of wisdom to his pathetic and lame son who I believe is actually adopted as he is a complete wimp.
3. Peace by inches [Any Given Sunday]
The king of speeches to inspire a team before a game. This is all Al Pacino at his best. It’s been watched and played to death but it holds the throne as the most motivational movie speech known to man.
2. Dilios’ Battle Call at Plataea [300]
At number two we are getting mighty close to the best of the best and we have some serious spine tingling stuff right here. The end of an epic movie and this clip in particular is down in my books as one of the greatest cinematic scenes in history.
Based on the graphic novel by Frank Millar 300 is pure masculine carnage. The level of testosterone in the film hits critical levels as Leonidas guides his warrior spartans against the hordes of Persians attempting to invade Greece.
This scene gets me worked up every time I watch it. (Embedding is disabled so when you click it will take you through to YouTube to watch – Please come back though).
“Remember us: as simple an order as a king can give. Remeber why we died. For he did not wish tribute, nor song, nor monuments, nor poems of war and valor. His wish was simple: “Remember us,” he said to me.
That was his hope, should any free soul come across that place in all the countless centuries yet to be, may all our voices whisper to you from the ageless stones; “Go tell the Spartans, passerby, that here by Spartan law we lie.”
HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!
1. Group interview – [Boiler Room]
We have arrived at my favorite inspirational dialogue. Not many people I tell about this film know what I am talking about; shame.. on… them! Boiler Room is a realistic portrayal of a Small Cap stock broker firm. This is raw, edgy and dynamic, it’s got that no bullshit attitude all the way through and the casting is spot on.
This is one of the opening scenes where Jim Young (Ben Affleck) plays the head recruiter for a dodgy stock broker firm. It’s a group interview like none other, the kind of interview you wish for and the kind of boss with that over the top arrogance you laugh at yet admire because he backs it up with knowledge, conviction and results.
“So, now that you know what’s possible. Let me tell you what’s required. You are required to work your fucking ass off at this firm. We want winners here, not pikers. A piker walks at the bell. A piker asks how much vacation time you get in the first year. Vacation time? People come and work at this firm for one reason: to become filthy rich. That’s it. We’re not here to make friends. We’re not savin’ the fuckin’ manatees here, guys. You want vacation time? Go teach third grade, public school.”
BOOM!