Best Movie Endings
Best Movie Endings
A week or so ago, I did a blog about the Worst Movie Endings Ever. Someone - I think it was our own Ramona, suggested a blog on the Best Movie Endings. And here it is.
A reminder that my movie library is very small due to various rules about which movies I will even try to watch. This is why we are opening up the discussion for all of you to contribute.
To quote the late, great Jackie Gleason, away we go ---
"Hoosiers" - seriously, boys - don't get caught watchin' the paint dry!
"Star Wars: A New Hope" - the music, the snapping to attention, Harrison Ford. Fabulous.
"Thelma and Louise" - not a happy ending, but a great ending.
"The Sixth Sense" - whoa. If you were lucky enough to see it before everyone knew the ending, it was stunning.
"Dr. Strangelove" - I'm not a huge Peter Sellers fan, but this movie is just chock full of great moments, and the ending is one of them.
"Some Like it Hot" - "Nobody's perfect!"
and my all time favorite:
"Victory" with Michael Caine, Max Von Sydow, Sylvester Stallone and the amazing Pele. The only movie I've ever attended where the entire audience was on its feet at the end.
I've left plenty of room for everyone to chime in. Let's hear your favorites.
Officer and a Gentleman
Romancing the Stone
Operation Petticoat
In & Out
Posted by: Vicki | January 10, 2009 at 03:48 AM
The Usual Suspects. I have a policy of only watching it when I'm stoned (which means I haven't watched it for awhile), but I still have no idea what actually happened.
Fairy Tale: A True Story. I watch the movie just for the last couple of minutes, and I never fail to end up bawling.
Big. Mom's reaction when 13-year-old Josh comes back into the house reduces me to tears every time. Lost child come home.
Posted by: Josh | January 10, 2009 at 06:13 AM
The Bridge on the River Kwai. Boom! Madness!
Posted by: ramona | January 10, 2009 at 06:22 AM
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. All that, and it ends up in a crate in a warehouse....
Posted by: William Simon | January 10, 2009 at 06:24 AM
Ditto on Raider, Big, Star Wars, and Romancing the Stone.
Last Crusade was fabulous, I thought - the way it answered some of those nagging questions before the crew all rode off into the sunset.
Sommersby - I am still astounded that they dared go with the unhappy ending. Saw it with a friend who was bawling her eyes out, while I sat there in amazement going, "No way. Are they gonna d it? They're REALLY going to do it?"
Galaxy Quest. Too freakin' funny!!!
Love, Actually. Those montages in the airport make me choke up, every time.
Posted by: kris | January 10, 2009 at 07:19 AM
The digitalized version of Hitchcock's "the Trouble with Harry," featuring a very young Shelley Winters, glorious 1950s color and lots of twists and turns.
Posted by: Elaine Viets | January 10, 2009 at 08:21 AM
I'll add a new one, Slumdog Millionaire. You must see this movie, if for nothing but the ending. Best ever.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | January 10, 2009 at 09:04 AM
Second Slumdog Millionaire. I just saw it last night and it was the most fun I've had at the movies in years!
Posted by: michele | January 10, 2009 at 09:16 AM
If that movie doesn't at least get nominated for a slew of Oscars there is no justice in the world.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | January 10, 2009 at 09:28 AM
It just swept the People's Choice Awards!
Posted by: michele | January 10, 2009 at 09:34 AM
No, it wasn't even nominated, more's the pity:
http://www.pcavote.com/pca/show/nominees/
Are you thinking of Golden Globes?
We rarely go to the theater to see a movie, and almost didn't see Slumdog Millionaire because it's two hours long. But neither of us even noticed time passing, and I hadn't had dinner. Time flew by, we were so engrossed in the story and the visuals. Some of the premise, in retrospect, is a little thin, but when we were watching it it all made perfect, logical sense, and the suspense was unbelievable.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | January 10, 2009 at 09:43 AM
Oh, wait, it was the Critics' Choice Awards! Awesome.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | January 10, 2009 at 09:45 AM
I second Hoosiers, and Love, Actually.
I also love the ending of Shawshank Redemption. And, from before Kevin Costner got weird, I think the ending of Field of Dreams is perfect (and usually reduces men to tears).
In the guilty pleasure category, I can watch the final dance scene in Dirty Dancing over and over.
Posted by: Judy Larsen | January 10, 2009 at 10:15 AM
You guys listed some of my favorites too!
Dirty Dancing - guilty or not, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." Love that.
Field of Dreams gets me every time too.
Totally forgot Bridge Over the River Kwai - excellent!
Here is one I got via e-mail: "Rudy" - and don't start with me about whether the kid really made that tackle in real life, okay? If I want real life, I'll watch the news. Hmmm - depending on the channel, that is.
Going to see Slumdog tonight. Should we take our 13-year-old son? He doesn't really want to go, and I don't know if it's appropriate. Advice from anyone?
Posted by: Kathy Sweeney | January 10, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Well, obviously I'm not watching enough movies. I swear, I cannot come up with ONE movie ending that I loved!
I agree that The Usual Suspects was great, but it's been so long since I've seen it, I barely remember the plot.
I remember loving the ending of The Sting, mostly because they sucked me in! I figured out Sixth Sense about 15 minutes into the movie.
Posted by: ArkansasCyndi | January 10, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Elaine, that's a young Shirley McLaine. God, I love it when I know stuff like that.
Ditto Love, Actually. Forced my honey to watch it for the first time this week, then when he went to work, I watched the director's comments and cut scenes. I might have to buy this one.
Vicki - thank you for that Operation Petticoat. That was a good one.
The Man Who Sued God had a particularly just ending.
Posted by: hollygee | January 10, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Casablanca...somehow the image of Bogie and Claude Rains sloshing off into the rainy night brings all sorts of options to mind
Love Actually-for reasons already stated. I LOVE that movie :o)
I second Victory as well. Great Stallone, not to mention the rest of the cast
Serenity (forgive me, I'm a Firefy nut)-as they break out of the rain into the blue sky, a piece of the shp falls off and Malcolm Reynolds utters the immortal words "What was that???"
Posted by: Maryann Mercer | January 10, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Kathy, it depends on how well your son handles violence. There's a lot of it in the film, especially in the very beginning, really scary, brutal stuff. There is quite a bit, actually, although it's tempered a bit by the humor, suspense, and the love story. (But trust me, it's worth it.)
If he is not the type to have nightmares, take him. Otherwise, I'd leave him home and save the $10.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | January 10, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Thanks Karen. I'm the one who can't stand violence. Maybe I'll hang out in the lobby (or at the bar) for the first 15 minutes.
I had no plans to see this movie until my husband saw it last week, and he's been recruiting ever since.
I'm going to try it, and leave if I have to. No kidding - I walked out of the beginning of "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" at the beginning - that's what kind of a movie wimp I am.
Thanks for the advice and the warning.
Posted by: Kathy Sweeney | January 10, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Kathy, I'm a violence wimp too, ever since I watched "Born On The Forth Of July" and lost sleep for weeks. I haven't seen many of those mentioned here.
I agree with "Casablanca", "Sixth Sense" (I didn't guess the ending) and "Love, Actually". I'll speak up for another Hugh Grant movie, "Notting Hill". Love the (near) end, when they all race through the city to get to Julia. And what happens at the press conference. And I loved the end of "E.T.", largely due to John Williams' music.
My husband cried like a baby the first time we saw "Rudy", and probably any time since. Also "Miracle".
Posted by: Laura (in PA) | January 10, 2009 at 12:14 PM
No, no, go and see it, Kathy, even the first 15 minutes, otherwise you won't understand what's going on. Now that you know it's coming it won't be so shocking, and it's over pretty quickly. Just close your eyes through the parts with the scary music.
Speaking of which, my husband makes documentary and educational films, and he's shown me how much of an affect music can have. If you can't hear the emotionally laden music it makes an enormous difference in how you react to film action.
Two other good movie endings:
Something's Gotta Give (they're in Paris, need I say more?)
Ever After (the wicked stepmother, played by Anjelica Huston, banished to the laundry)
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | January 10, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Don't feel alone, Kathy. I walked out of Silence of the Lambs about 5 minutes into it. Left my husband there, walked into another movie in the same complex and met him after they were both over. I'm not sure but I think my imagination gets me cuz I can always imagine things getting even worse so why watch????
Posted by: jodiL | January 10, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Memorable ending in 'Cadillac Records'--but I won't talk about it, since it has just been in theaters recently. If you love the Blues, you want to see this movie.
My friend who is a director has offered to see 'Slumdog Millionaire' with me although he has already seen it at least once . . . everyone seems to LOVE this film.
Posted by: Laraine | January 10, 2009 at 01:52 PM
My favorite movie ending is The Sting. It's one of those movies you have to see more than once to catch everything that's going on.
Posted by: Joyce Tremel | January 10, 2009 at 03:16 PM
I liked THE WEDDING DATE for its corny ending and the SIXTH SENSE for its eerie twist. Unlike one smartypants above (who shall go unnamed, but her initials are ArkansasCyndi***), I didn't guess the ending. Also I second GALAXY QUEST for its humor.
I loved BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, where the girl got her guy, and thought the back and forth between the wedding dancing and the big soccer game was awesome...both for editing and the music.
Here's some more:
YOU'VE GOT MAIL (I can see just the last five minutes and bawl like a baby.)
LEGALLY BLONDE
SWEET HOME ALABAMA
ENCHANTED
THE STEPFORD WIVES (interesting twist near end with Christopher Walken)
GALAXY QUEST
RUNAWAY BRIDE
SLEEPING BEAUTY (I still love when the fairy stepmothers change the color of her dress while she dances.)
SINGING IN THE RAIN (if the big reveal of Debbie Reynolds being the real singer is at the end. I can't remember, it's been so long, but I always enjoyed that part.)
SUNSET BOULEVARD (eerie)
BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (ummm, cozying up to Colin Firth in the snow)
***Just kidding, of course! ;-0
Posted by: Becky Hutchison | January 10, 2009 at 05:37 PM
I like all of your ideas: I LOVE Serenity's ending. For one like that I'll add Miyazaki's ending for "La Puta" where the last part of the fabled floating city floats away up into the stratosphere and the stars, carrying the tomb of the original founder of the city and his last lone attendant robot...
Marianne
Posted by: Marianne Plumridge | January 10, 2009 at 05:54 PM
Ferris Beuller. I'm always smiling at the end of that movie. Not the part with the limping principal on the school bus, but when Ferris comes back after the credits and tells the audience to go home.
Posted by: nancy martin | January 10, 2009 at 05:55 PM
And Chocolat. Which makes me think that maybe, for me, it's the fun music that plays over the credits that makes an ending good or not.
Posted by: nancy martin | January 10, 2009 at 06:07 PM
Hey Nancy, did you get a lot done on your new manuscript?
Your credit ending reminds me of another fun ending in EVAN ALMIGHTY (although the movie itself was so-so), where Steve Carrell dances with the cast and crew while the credits roll. Also the ending to THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN is pretty cute, where the everyone sings in the field.
Posted by: Becky Hutchison | January 10, 2009 at 06:33 PM
You'v Got Mail
Sleepless in Seattle
Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile-I didn't like the way it ended, but how else could it be?
Posted by: Pam aka SisterZip | January 10, 2009 at 07:56 PM
How funny is it that Steve Carrell was also in Bruce Almighty? We watched it last night, and it also has a fun ending.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | January 10, 2009 at 08:08 PM
Yeah, he played the same character -- Evan Baxter. I guess they thought "spin-off opportunity" as Steve became more popular.
Posted by: Becky Hutchison | January 10, 2009 at 08:13 PM
The Graduate: what now?
Posted by: Josh | January 10, 2009 at 08:17 PM
What can top Gone with the Wind--"Tomorrow is another day."
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | January 10, 2009 at 08:38 PM
Oh, not a movie, but I just remembered the Best Ending Ever on Newhart. When he turned on that light and Suzanne Pleshette sat up in bed - I howled so hard, I woke the kids.
Posted by: kris | January 10, 2009 at 09:43 PM
Best ever for me: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.
Posted by: Harley | January 10, 2009 at 10:20 PM
Some of my favorite endings not already mentioned above:
Hope Floats
Stranger than Fiction
Soap Dish
Posted by: Avis in NH | January 10, 2009 at 11:46 PM
Oh, finally the best ending line I've ever seen is from Wanted: "What the f*** did YOU do today?"
Posted by: Brenda Bobo Bradshaw | January 11, 2009 at 03:04 PM
"True Grit,"
when John Wayne says to Kim Darby,
"Come see a one eyed old fat man someday!"
and he jumps the fence.
Also -
the ending of "Rocky Balboa" was great closure, write down to the final frame AND during the final credits.
I appreciate what Mario Puzo and Frances Ford Coppola tried to say in "The Godfather Part III," despite the many flaws of that movie.
Posted by: Cinema Dave | January 11, 2009 at 05:07 PM
OH Yea Avis,
"Hope Floats" was an under rated little gem.
That little girl being rejected by her father was/is heartbreaking.
Posted by: Cinema Dave | January 11, 2009 at 05:09 PM
Cinema Dave - I agree about Hope Floats. That scene with the daughter when her daddy drives off - heartbreaking is right. And the scene when Sandra Bullock is picking out her dress for her mother's funeral... oh man.
Posted by: Avis in NH | January 11, 2009 at 10:49 PM
"Home Alone" when mom and son reunite...gets me every time!!
Posted by: marie | January 12, 2009 at 05:40 PM
there's a Swedish art movie called "As it is in Heaven" where the ending is just moving with the best song you'll ever hear.
This is a sentimental movie about just being people/persons and one watches and recognises everyone you know and then some.
Posted by: Sharon | January 14, 2009 at 09:33 PM