The greatest movie speeches are vitally important, and difficult to achieve. They are important because – when used at just the right moment – they draw the audience in, galvanise their emotional connection to the plot, and thrust the narrative forward. They are difficult to achieve because it is not just about the writing – though that is crucial. The greatest movie speeches are the result of many elements combining in the perfect way to create an iconic moment. They are about the writing, the performance, the direction, the score, and the editing. When you watch a great movie speech, you are glimpsing each and every production department working in concert to deliver a powerful moment within the story.
There have been hundreds of these thrilling scenes throughout the history of cinema, with many features written about them over the years. Many are legendary – and rightfully so. Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. Kevin Costner in Bull Durham. Bill Pullman in Independence Day. Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver. We all know the lines – they continue to be quoted, parodied and analyzed, decades after they were first conceived and committed to the page. But, here at We Got This Covered, we like to dig a little deeper, and look at things a little differently.
The thing about most features discussing movie speeches is that they almost always focus exclusively on those monologues performed by men. It’s to be expected – the most famous movie speeches are often delivered by male characters, after all. But, if you just look beyond the most obvious scenes, there is a wealth of outstanding material equally worthy of highlighting in a Best Movie Speeches list. With that in mind, here we have a collection of the most compelling, eloquent and impressive cinematic speeches – with as many delivered by women, as by men.