The Most Stirring Speeches Ever Delivered on the Silver Screen

Stewart plays unlikely politician Jefferson Smith who goes to Washington and mounts a 25-hour filibuster in this Frank Capra-directed dramedy. His speech is a plea for integrity and compassion and also a last-ditch attempt to avoid his expulsion from the Senate.

A Jewish barber, masquerading as his Hitler-esque lookalike, delivers one of the most iconic monologues in cinematic history. The speech opens with the dictator’s resignation from power and builds toward these closing lines: “Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Let us unite!”

This Shakespearean drama adaptation remains faithful to the source material with the rousing “St Crispin’s Day” speech. The galvanizing words of King Henry V helped unify his troops before the Battle of Agincourt, in which the English army squared off against a much larger French opponent and day.

Lawyer Henry Drummond defends the right to teach evolution in this legal drama, in this fictionalized account based on the real-life Scopes “Monkey” Trial in Tennessee in 1925. He argues that a “wicked law, like cholera, destroys everyone it touches.” At the heart of his speech is the idea that one corrupt law can lead to others and ultimately take society past the point of no return.

This acclaimed courtroom drama. inspired by actual events, brings us ex-Nazi judge Ernest Janning who is on trial for crimes against humanity. In his revealing speech, Janning dramatically confesses to his previous knowledge of concentration camps and other heinous misdeeds.

This Oscar-winning adaptation of Harper Lee’s timeless novel tells the story of Southern Black man Tom Robinson who stands falsely accused of rape. Defense attorney Atticus Finch draws attention to the country’s moral values and its racial biases alike in his closing argument. “In the name of God, believe Tom Robinson” are his final words.

Interracial marriage was still illegal in 17 states when this blockbuster dramedy about that very subject rolled into theaters. With his white daughter engaged to a Black man (Sidney Poitier), Matt Drayton concludes that no one should be denied love due to the pigmentation of their skin.

Trying to wake viewers from their proverbial slumber, news anchor Howard Beale famously rants on air, “I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out, and yell: ‘I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!’”

The character of Norma Rae Webster is based on real-life labor union organizer Crystal Lee Sutton. Webster, played by Sally Field who won an Academy Award in the role, was jailed for union organizing in her workplace. Upon release, she tells her children her life story and prepares them for a public smear campaign in a pointed speech.

Deadbeat John Winger joins the army on a whim and accidentally kicks off an international crisis in this screwball comedy. Leading into graduation, Winger galvanizes his fellow troops with an erratic motivational speech, which according to legend, most of which was improvised.

Struggling Boston attorney Frank Galvin sues the local Catholic archdiocese for malpractice in this harrowing courtroom drama. What seems like a guaranteed victory becomes far more uncertain as the defense team pulls out all the stops. Galvin’s closing argument takes the form of an earnest speech, reminding the jury that true justice is in their hearts and hands.

Coach Dale takes a rural high school basketball team to the state championship but before the big game, he delivers a motivational speech on the importance of the fundamentals. He concludes, “If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book, we’re gonna be winners!”

This Oscar-winning drama features several iconic monologues from passionate boarding school teacher John Keating. The most famous among them is a call to action that obliges each of his students to make their lives extraordinary, he orates, “Carpe Diem. Seize The Day, Boys. Make Your Lives Extraordinary.”

Al Pacino won his only Oscar playing the role of the blind Frank Slade. His finest moment comes toward the end of the film when he defends his expelled nephew before a prep school disciplinary committee. The speech contains famous lines such as “I’m just getting warmed up” and “I’ll show you outta order!”

Morgan Freeman’s character is 40 years into a life sentence when he makes his final plea for freedom before a prison parole board. His speech examines the nature of remorse and rehabilitation and concludes on a note of self-defeat.

This saga is loosely based on Scottish rebel William Wallace. When he rallies his army against the English, Wallace exclaims “They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!” The speech makes up part of the film’s broader thematic exploration of what it means to live a full and meaningful life.

As President Thomas Whitmore, Pullman delivered an inspiring battle speech in this alien invasion blockbuster, that calls for unity across the planet and features the famous line: “We will not go quietly into the night!”

Another stellar performance by Williams, this film not only earned him an Oscar but also awarded the Oscar for best  screenplay to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Hoping to breach the guarded exterior of a young genius (Damon), therapist Sean Maguire draws upon the differences between educational and real-life experience. “Your move, chief,” he famously says at the end.

Al Pacino delivers a motivational speech playing veteran NFL coach Tony D’Amato on the cusp of his final game. It doubles as a moment of self-reflection for the character, who mentions his struggles and missed opportunities. In “life or football,” every inch counts.

This sports drama is based on a real-life story about a racially integrated high school football team. To bridge the divide, Coach Boone takes them to the site where the Battle of Gettysburg was once fought. “If we don’t come together, right now, on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed – just like they were,” he tells the team.

Leading the troops into battle during the Vietnam War is Lt. Col. Hal Moore, who promises to leave no man behind. “Dead or alive, we all come home together.”

This is the true story of the 1980 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team and their coach Herb Brooks, who delivers a motivational speech before they square off against a formidable Russian opponent. “This is your time. Now go out there and take it.”

With the help of young woman, a mysterious character named V leads a revolt against a future apocalyptic British government. He takes over a TV broadcast during a key scene and asks viewers to join him outside the gates of Parliament. “Together,” he says, “we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever, be forgot!”

There are numerous motivational moments and monologues throughout the entire Rocky franchise, including this one from the sixth installment. Speaking to his son, the aging boxer explains that we can only win in life by believing in ourselves.

After a plane crash kills 37 Marshall University football players, Coach Jack Lengyel is tasked with putting the program back together. He takes the new team to the grounds where six dead players are buried and delivers a vital speech before the big game. If the team plays “with every ounce of blood” in their body, he says, then they cannot lose, regardless of the final score.

This historical epic follows Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his outnumbered Spartans as they battle against a massive Persian army. Their story of bravery inspires the soldier Dilios, who honors them with a speech, that is also a rallying cry for the new and much larger Spartan army, which soon marches into battle.