Sometimes it only takes one line to be remembered.
I was watching the "Blues Brothers" for the umpteenth time, and I realized one of the main supporting characters only had one line, and it was a memorable line, too. It doesn't take a lot of lines to have an impact. Think back to Mel Gibson as Max in "Mad Max 2" aka "The Road Warrior"; he only had 16 lines of dialogue and he is the star of the movie. Hell, the movie is named after him!
I started thinking about characters that only had one line, but they had an impact. I wanted to put together a list, but not of characters who were only brought in for one scene, like Rob Reiner's mom in "When Harry Met Sally" ("I'll have what she's having"). Instead, I tried to find characters who, by and large are supporting players, who appear all throughout the movie, but strangely, they only have one line of dialogue. Here are my favorites (also, they are the only ones I could think of)
"Chicken Wire?"
'Blue Lou' Marini - "The Blues Brothers"
This was the one that started this whole list; I didn't realize it before, but this was his only line in the entire movie, and it's probably the most memorable one of all. In a movie packed with comic and musical talent, the mostly silent saxophone player delivers one of the funniest line for possibly the most memorable scene in the entire movie. It is one of those lines you can repeat, and anyone who has scene the movie knowns what film you are talking about.
"What the hell we 'spoused to do you moron?"
Stork - "Animal House"
Another great late 70s movie with a line everyone remembers. Stork, whom everyone thought was brain damaged, sits silently throughout the movie, until the moment he gets to deliver his one memorable line. Interestingly, the actor, Douglas Kenney, was one of the writers of the film. He would later be a writer for other comedy movies (like "Caddyshack") and tragedies ("Caddyshack 2"), before dying at the young age of 33. His one line lives on.
"Well, here's to us!"
Jaws - "Moonraker"
It's not as memorable as the other lines on this list, but I felt Richard Kiel aka Jaws from the James Bond series deserved a special place. This would be his only line in not one, but two, James Bond films. He is the only bad guy henchman to appear in multiple times (so far), remaining mute for 4 hours of film, until the very end when he finally gets his one line.
"Fuck it! I'm...I'm gay!"
Ed Vallencourt - "Almost Famous"
I have to admit, I didn't like this movie very much when I first saw it. Over time, thought my view has changed, doubtlessly influenced by others, like Bill Simmons, who thought it the best movie of the decade. I don't know if it is that good, but it certainly warrants consideration. One thing I didn't notice for the first few times I saw it was the lack of dialogue for the drummer, Ed Vallencourt, who nary says a word until the dramatic scene in the airplane, where all the characters thinking they are facing death, finally vent all their baggage and feelings to and about each other. Anger, resentment, possible murder (by a really impressive performance by Jimmy Fallon) all come to the forefront after years of hiding their feeling. Then, when everything that needed to be said has been said, out of nowhere, the henceforth silent drummer finally speaks. I don't know what is more shocking to the band - the nature of the revelation or the fact that he can actually talk - but it was a brilliant moment of comedy in a scene that desperately needed levity to pull them out of a tailspin.
If you have other favorites, please be sure to share them below. Enjoy!
I was watching the "Blues Brothers" for the umpteenth time, and I realized one of the main supporting characters only had one line, and it was a memorable line, too. It doesn't take a lot of lines to have an impact. Think back to Mel Gibson as Max in "Mad Max 2" aka "The Road Warrior"; he only had 16 lines of dialogue and he is the star of the movie. Hell, the movie is named after him!
I started thinking about characters that only had one line, but they had an impact. I wanted to put together a list, but not of characters who were only brought in for one scene, like Rob Reiner's mom in "When Harry Met Sally" ("I'll have what she's having"). Instead, I tried to find characters who, by and large are supporting players, who appear all throughout the movie, but strangely, they only have one line of dialogue. Here are my favorites (also, they are the only ones I could think of)
"Chicken Wire?"
'Blue Lou' Marini - "The Blues Brothers"
This was the one that started this whole list; I didn't realize it before, but this was his only line in the entire movie, and it's probably the most memorable one of all. In a movie packed with comic and musical talent, the mostly silent saxophone player delivers one of the funniest line for possibly the most memorable scene in the entire movie. It is one of those lines you can repeat, and anyone who has scene the movie knowns what film you are talking about."What the hell we 'spoused to do you moron?"
Stork - "Animal House"
Another great late 70s movie with a line everyone remembers. Stork, whom everyone thought was brain damaged, sits silently throughout the movie, until the moment he gets to deliver his one memorable line. Interestingly, the actor, Douglas Kenney, was one of the writers of the film. He would later be a writer for other comedy movies (like "Caddyshack") and tragedies ("Caddyshack 2"), before dying at the young age of 33. His one line lives on."Well, here's to us!"
Jaws - "Moonraker"
It's not as memorable as the other lines on this list, but I felt Richard Kiel aka Jaws from the James Bond series deserved a special place. This would be his only line in not one, but two, James Bond films. He is the only bad guy henchman to appear in multiple times (so far), remaining mute for 4 hours of film, until the very end when he finally gets his one line."Fuck it! I'm...I'm gay!"
Ed Vallencourt - "Almost Famous"
I have to admit, I didn't like this movie very much when I first saw it. Over time, thought my view has changed, doubtlessly influenced by others, like Bill Simmons, who thought it the best movie of the decade. I don't know if it is that good, but it certainly warrants consideration. One thing I didn't notice for the first few times I saw it was the lack of dialogue for the drummer, Ed Vallencourt, who nary says a word until the dramatic scene in the airplane, where all the characters thinking they are facing death, finally vent all their baggage and feelings to and about each other. Anger, resentment, possible murder (by a really impressive performance by Jimmy Fallon) all come to the forefront after years of hiding their feeling. Then, when everything that needed to be said has been said, out of nowhere, the henceforth silent drummer finally speaks. I don't know what is more shocking to the band - the nature of the revelation or the fact that he can actually talk - but it was a brilliant moment of comedy in a scene that desperately needed levity to pull them out of a tailspin.If you have other favorites, please be sure to share them below. Enjoy!
