25 best monologues from movies that will have you in tears
Who doesn't love a passionate, moving, cathartic monologue with impactful words? Monologues are the beating hearts of cinema, allowing actors to showcase their talent and deliver emotive words that often linger in viewers' minds long after the credits roll. Explore the best monologues from movies that will have you in tears.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- The best monologues from movies
- 1. Black Panther (2018)
- 2. Blade Runner (1982)
- 3. Hidden Figures (2016)
- 4. Uncut Gems (2019)
- 5. Good Will Hunting (1997)
- 6. Avengers Infinity War (2018)
- 7. Whiplash (2014)
- 8. Little Women (2019)
- 9. Call Me By Your Name (2017)
- 10. Queen & Slim (2019)
- 11. American Psycho (2000)
- 12. The Great Gatsby (2013)
- 13. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- 14. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
- 15. Schindler's List (1993)
- 16. Fences (2016)
- 17. Forrest Gump (1994)
- 18. A Few Good Men (1992)
- 19. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- 20. Barbie (2023)
- 21. Wild (2014)
- 22. Taken (2008)
- 23. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
- 24. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
- 25. Finding Nemo (2003)
Our compilation of the best monologues from movies reflects personal preferences and may not include every iconic monologue as they are selected based on emotional impact, delivery by the actor, and relevance to the film's plot.
The best monologues from movies
Whether funny, astonishing, or simply devastating, a good movie monologue is sometimes the best way a filmmaker can create a lasting impact on their audience. Here is a list of moving and thought-provoking movie monologues.
| Movie | Scene |
| Black Panther (2018) | Killmonger's death |
| Blade Runner (1982) | Tears in the rain |
| Hidden Figures (2016) | No more coloured bathroom, no more white bathroom |
| Uncut Gems (2019) | This is how I win |
| Good Will Hunting (1997) | Robin Williams' scene |
| Avengers Infinity War (2018) | Titan |
| Whiplash (2014) | Break up |
| Little Women (2019) | Marriage is an economic proposition |
| Call Me By Your Name (2017) | Don't kill it |
| Queen & Slim (2019) | What do you want |
| American Psycho (2000) | Morning routine |
| The Great Gatsby (2013) | Green Light |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) | Sam's speech |
| The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) | Basketball and dreams |
| Schindler's List (1993) | I didn't do enough |
| Fences (2016) | The same spot as you |
| Forrest Gump (1994) | Forrest talks to Jenny's grave |
| A Few Good Men (1992) | You can't handle the truth |
| The Shawshank Redemption (1994) | Parole hearing |
| Barbie (2023) | Women's speech |
| Wild (2014) | The woman my mother raised |
| Taken (2008) | Phone speech |
| Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) | In another life |
| Dumb and Dumber (1994) | A chance |
| Finding Nemo (2003) | Dory remembers Nemo |
1. Black Panther (2018)
Scene: Killmonger's death
Just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from the ships because they knew death was better than bondage.
These lines have to be one of the best male monologues from movies and some of the most challenging words ever uttered in the Marvel cinematic world. Eric Killmonger's parting statements following his historic defeat are heartbreaking and impressive. It was a suitable ending for his character and a historical Black film.
2. Blade Runner (1982)
Scene: Tears in the rain
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.
Film enthusiasts consider this one of the best monologues from movies. Rutger Hauer, who plays Roy Batty, the antagonist in the film, delivers this line in a way that gives you chills. He laments that his labour, memories, and existence would be lost like "tears in the rain."
3. Hidden Figures (2016)
Scene: No more coloured bathroom, no more white bathroom
Well, I don't own pearls. Lord knows you don't pay the coloured enough to afford pearls! And I work like a dog day and night, living on coffee from a pot none of you want to touch! So, excuse me if I have to go to the restroom a few times a day.
In this scene, Katherine (Taraji P. Henson) delivers an exuberant speech in which she criticises her coworker's racist behaviour. She is a genius who hand-calculated the spaceship trajectories that allowed astronaut John Glenn to become the first American to orbit the Earth.
Yet, despite her intellect, she is viewed as less than human simply because she is a Black woman.
4. Uncut Gems (2019)
Scene: This is how I win
This is me. Alright?
In this scene, Howard (Adam Sandler) explains to Garnett how "he wins." This monologue explains how Howard's mind operates. Though it's mostly to rationalise his addiction, it is strangely moving.
5. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Scene: Robin Williams' scene
You don’t know about real loss, 'cause that only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself.
Sean (Robin Williams) meets with Will (Matt Damon) in a Boston park, sharing his experiences to help Will understand that life is about living, not just analysing. Sean's heartfelt speech about his late wife is a real, honest reflection about love, loss, and the value of human connection.
6. Avengers Infinity War (2018)
Scene: Titan
I finally rest, and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe. The hardest choices require the strongest wills.
After Killmonger, Thanos is probably Marvel's second-best villain. He was cold, calculating, forceful, articulate, and compassionate. This made him even more terrifying and believable. In this scene, he is still a genocidal psychopath, but he knows how to deliver a moving monologue.
7. Whiplash (2014)
Scene: Break up
And really, I'm gonna start to resent you for even asking me to stop drumming. And we're just gonna start to hate each other. And it's gonna get very... It's gonna be ugly. And so for those reasons, I'd rather just, you know, break it off clean... because I wanna be great.
There are numerous intense moments in this film. Yet, nothing is more devastating than Andrew (Miles Teller) breaking up with his girlfriend, Nicole (Melissa Benoist). This is one of the best monologues from movies, as the speech really intensifies when Andrew rationalises that his aspirations are more important than their love.
8. Little Women (2019)
Scene: Marriage is an economic proposition
So don't sit there and tell me that marriage isn't an economic proposition because it is. It may not be for you, but it most certainly is for me.
Amy March, played by Florence Pugh, is often viewed as a silly, shallow sister. As she states, marriage is her only option—and in this world, it is an economic proposition. Her performance, along with the script, makes this one of the best movie monologues ever.
9. Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Scene: Don't kill it
And I'll say one more thing… it'll clear the air. I may have come close, but I never have what you two have. Something always held me back or stood in the way. How you live your life is your business. Just remember, our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once, and before you know it, your heart's worn out.
In Call Me By Your Name, the story follows Elio, played by Timothée Chalamet, and his summer relationship with Oliver, played by Armie Hammer. However, like all summer flings, the affair ends, leaving Elio devastated and disillusioned. This is one of the best monologues from movies for teens.
10. Queen & Slim (2019)
Scene: What do you want?
I just want someone that's always going to love me. No matter what. Someone that's going to hold my hand and never let it go. But she got to be special though. Because she going to be my legacy.
Queen, portrayed by Turner-Smith, and Slim, played by Kaluuya, don't feel each other early on in the plot. Yet, amid an impending threat, these two main characters fall deeply in love with one another. They deliver some of the most poetic acting monologues as they open up.
11. American Psycho (2000)
Scene: Morning routine
And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there.
American Psycho begins with a lengthy, emotionless, expositional introduction to the protagonist, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). This scene has one of the most famous movie monologues, and it ends with Patrick removing a translucent exfoliating mask while staring blankly into the mirror as though he is peeling off his face.
12. The Great Gatsby (2013)
Scene: Green light
Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . And then one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
These words by Nick Carraway reflect people's remarkable ability to remain optimistic about pursuing their own "green lights" in life. However, individuals devote all their energy to goals in these pursuits, constantly moving farther away.
13. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Scene: Sam's speech
But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why.
This scene has one of the most famous monologues that has resonated with viewers globally. This is where Sam comes in, telling Frodo and the ring bearer that there is always hope, something to fight for, no matter how bad things appear.
14. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Scene: Basketball and dreams
Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. Not even me. All right?
In this scene, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) advises his son about protecting his dreams. This is among the best monologues from movies, encapsulating the essence of parental love and optimism while emphasising the value of dreams and perseverance.
15. Schindler's List (1993)
Scene: I didn't do enough
I could have gotten more... if I'd just... I could have gotten more...
These Oskar Schindler's (Liam Neeson) words are some of the most famous monologues on Schindler's List. He regrets not being able to save more people during the Holocaust. His remorse and anguish are heartbreaking, highlighting the value of human life.
16. Fences (2016)
Scene: The same spot as you
I been standing with you! I been right here with you, Troy. I got a life too. I gave several years of my life to stand in the same spot as you. Don't you think I ever wanted other things? Don't you think I had dreams and hopes? What about my life?
Viola Davis won her first Oscar for her role as Rose in Fences. This poignant monologue is regarded as one of the best female monologues from the movies.
17. Forrest Gump (1994)
Scene: Forrest talks to Jenny's grave
You died on a Saturday morning. And I had you placed here under our tree.
Forrest (Tom Hanks) addresses Jenny's grave, expressing his love and memories. His simple, heartfelt remarks express deep affection and sadness. This is one of the easiest monologues with a deep insight to memorise.
18. A Few Good Men (1992)
Scene: You can't handle the truth
You want answers? You want answers? You can’t handle the truth!
This scene highlights the tension between military discipline and ethical accountability, prompting viewers to consider the cost of freedom and the weight of justice. It also highlights Aaron Sorkin's reasoning, making it one of the best one-minute monologues from movies.
19. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Scene: Parole Hearing
I look back on the way I was then—a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I wanna talk to him. I wanna try to talk some sense to him. Tell him the way things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone, and this old man's all that's left.
Red (Morgan Freeman) delivered a stunning performance in The Shawshank Redemption. The last time he appeared before the parole board, he was almost completely beaten. His best friend has left him, and he's been institutionalised. As a result, he can finally be honest with himself and the parole board.
20. Barbie (2023)
Scene: Women's speech
It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful and so smart, and it kills me that you don't think you're good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong.
In the film, this monologue by America Ferrera saves Margot Robbie's Barbie from giving up. In real life, it has been reposted multiple times because of how powerfully it resonates and makes women feel. It may not provide a solution, but it eloquently captures the challenges of womanhood.
21. Wild (2014)
Scene: The woman my mother raised
It took me years to be the woman my mother raised. It took me four years, seven months and three days to do it, without her. After I lost myself in the wilderness of my grief, I found my own way out of the woods.
In this biography-turned-movie, Reese Witherspoon plays Cheryl Strayed, who travels the Pacific Crest Trail to escape her troubles and uncover her true self. The narrative is deeply moving, and this speech represents her moment of redemption.
22. Taken (2008)
Scene: Phone Speech
I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.
When the scene above first appeared in theatres, it was terrifying. Most viewers were pleased by Neeson's portrayal of the character. It's undoubtedly one of the most famous monologues on this list.
23. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
Scene: In another life
So, even though you have broken my heart yet again, I wanted to say, in another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you.
In the scene that includes the monologue above, Evelyn converses with a wealthy CEO version of her husband. In her original existence, Evelyn lives a humble life with her husband, Waymond, but she resents him and blames him for how unhappy her life has become.
24. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Scene: A chance
So you’re telling me there’s a chance!
Lloyd's monologue is brimming with naive optimism and silliness, superbly captured by Jim Carrey's comedic genius. His exaggerated mannerisms and the sheer absurdity of the scenarios he imagines make it one of the funniest monologues from movies.
25. Finding Nemo (2003)
Scene: Dory remembers Nemo
I promised I’d never let anything happen to him.
Marlin's monologue in this scene is one of the best Disney monologues, which will tear you up. He desperately tries to explain to Dory why he is so protective of Nemo, recalling the tragic deaths of his wife and other children. He expresses his deep affection for his only kid, Nemo.
These monologues from movies demonstrate the tremendous ability of cinema to elicit strong emotions and connect with people on an individual level. These selections offer a range of impactful and emotional speeches that are unforgettable.
Yen.com.gh recently published an article on heartwarming movies like The Help that every empathy seeker must watch. The Help is a drama film released in 2011 based on the 2009 novel of the same name.
Green Book, I'm Not Your Negro, and Selma are some of the most heartwarming movies like The Help. Discover what they entail and many other movies in this category.
Source: YEN.com.gh
