10 Best Speeches from Movies

In talking to people about their favorite movies, I'm surprised how many people admit, upon further questioning, that it isn't really the whole movie that they love, but a particular speech embedded within the movie that they find themselves returning to again and again for entertainment, for inspiration, for enlightenment.  Which got me thinking about movie speeches that I find myself returning to over time.  I don't pretend that this is a definitive list, but I would argue that all of these speeches know how to bring the goosebumps if you're in the right mood for them. 

1. "Greed is Good" - Wall Street (1987).  "The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind." Decades from now, scholars won't need textbooks and analysis to understand the 1980-2010.  That era's narcissistic, Darwinian flaws are all laid bare in this marvelously succinct speech by Michael Douglas in his role as Gordon Gekko, an unrepentant arbitrageur, stock trader, and corporate raider. 
2. "America Isn't Easy" - The American President (1996).  "We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections."  Seriously, they should consider making this speech part of the required curriculum in every civics classes in every high school in America.  It reminds us that democracy is hard, that our election process is dangerously superficial, and that we need serious people to address the serious problems that our nation faces.   [Michael Douglas again: the man knows how to pick a role!]
3. "People Will Come" - Field of Dreams (1989).  "For it is money they have, and peace they lack ..." intones James Earl Jones in this paean to the nostalgic (albeit impossibly sentimentalized) notion of a past time when dads bonded with their sons over playing catch, our love of baseball united us as a nation, and a part of us still embraced the possibility of magic.   
4. "St Crispin's Day" - Henry V (1989).  
   "This story shall the good man teach his son;
   And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
   From this day to the ending of the world,
   But we in it shall be remember'd;
   We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
   For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
   Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
   This day shall gentle his condition:
   And gentlemen in England now a-bed
   Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
   And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
   That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."
   Probably unfair to throw this one in, since Shakespeare was the screenwriter!  While Kenneth Branaugh does a brilliant job of delivering this powerful speech, it's the soaring rhetoric of the language that catches your breath and wrenches it out of your lungs.  Each time I replay this scene, I'm struck anew by the realization that people join the military today for basically the same reasons they did 1000 years ago: for honor, for glory, for brotherhood, and for the hope of immortality.
5. "Today We Celebrate Our Independence Day" - Independence Day (1996).  "We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!" Another speech designed to rally the troops, but with a more global message.  Because, face it, if we can't all agree that aliens intent on destroying humanity deserve to die, what hope is there that the nations of the world will ever find common ground?
6. "The Most Important Discovery of My Life" - Beautiful Mind (2002). "I've always believed in numbers; and the equations and logics that lead to reason. But after a lifetime of such pursuits, I ask,"What truly is logic? Who decides reason?" My quest has taken me through the physical, the metaphysical, the delusional -- and back. And I have made the most important discovery of my career, the most important discovery of my life: It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reasons can be found."  This speech is a powerful reminder that mankind's pursuit of science and understanding must be tempered by humanity and, yes, love. 
7. "I'll Be There". Grapes of Wrath (1940). "Wherever there's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beating up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready…And when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise, livin' in the houses they build, I'll be there too." We intuitively know that the people we love go on living even after they leave us, but this universal truth has never been stated with such simplicity and grace as in this scene from the immortal John Steinbeck classic.
8. "I'm the Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" - The Pride of the Yankees (1942).  "People all say that I've had a bad break. But today -- today I consider myself the luckiest man
   on the face of the earth" intones the great Lou Gehrig in his final speech before thousands of adoring Yankees fans as he announces his forced retirement from baseball due to the diagnosis of the genetic disease we now know as ALS.  This speech is a lovely reminder that happiness isn't about getting everything you want; it's about being wise enough to appreciate everything you have. 
9. "Closing Argument" -To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).  "And so, a quiet, humble, respectable negro, who has had the unmitigated temerity to feel sorry for a white woman, has had to put his word against two white peoples. The defendant is not guilty. But somebody in this courtroom is." The irony of this great quote is, of course, that almost everyone in the courtroom is guilty - perhaps not of the crime of beating poor Mayella Ewell, but of perpetuating the grotesque racism that has led to Tom Robinson's trial (and, in the end, his death).  There are lots of magnificent courtroom speeches in the movies (indeed, this spot almost went to the great Bible speech from Inherit the Wind), but to my mind, none that can hold a candle to this lyric plea for social justice, delivered with brilliant reserve by Gregory Peck.
10. "Was it over when the Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor?" - Animal House (1978).  I had to include this speech because it is just so uniquely American.  How like us, as a country, to charge into the breach armed only with a shaky (at best) understanding of history but an unshakable sense of moral authority.

Top 50 Routines from So You Think You Can Dance

As the daughter of a dance teacher/choreographer, always seemed unfair that I didn't inherit my mother's dancing ability.  However, I did inherit her love of dance, and So You Think You Can Dance is the first show in ages that I actually rush home to watch.  Admit my reason for posting this list is entirely selfish - looking forward to consolidating links to all my favorites in one place, so that I can watch these amazing routines as often as I like!

LATIN DANCE FAVORITES

1. Benji and Heidi, Mambo, "Black Mambo." You don't need to watch those ballroom dancing competitions on Saturday afternoon television - just watch these two nationally-ranked performers show you how the mambo is done!  (Gentlemen, take note: no matter how geeky you look, learn to dance like Benji and you'll have to shake the girls off with a stick!)
2. Danny and Lacey, Samba, "Hip Hip, Chin Chin." Steamy, sensuous, sultry, and sexy, sexy, sexy!  No wonder those Latin countries have the reputation they do!  To be fair, have to split the credit for this one three ways: the choreography is smoking, the song is tight, and the performers don't just land it - they nail it.
3. Lindsay and Cole, Paso Doble, "Unstoppable." The paso doble is hard to pull off - unless the male dancer manages to successfully channel the inner ferocity of the dance, the formulaic moves can come off as painfully awkward rather than masculine.  And then, finally, in the show's ninth seasons, two gifted dancers show how it's meant to be done.  Adrenalin-inducing!
4. Lauren and Pasha, ChaCha, "Telephone."  This isn't even close to the best cha cha ever performed on the show - in fact, most of the moves are pretty basic, but between the way Lauren hurls that fringe around and whatever that is that Pasha's doing with his hips, this performance is smoking hot!

BALLROOM DANCE FAVORITES

1. Jakob and Molle, Waltz, "Ordinary Day." Nothing ordinary about this exquisite performance.  Usually when I think of the waltz, my imagination conjures visions of stuffy people in gilded ballrooms.  But this routine made me realize what the waltz can be at its best: energy, joy, and experiencing - if only for the length of a dance - what it must feel like to fly. Add a touch of nostalgia (the costumes, the scenery, the sweetly innocent "boy meets girl" storyline) and you get one of my favorite SYTYCD routines ever.
2. Robert and Ashly, Quick Step, "The Man With the Hex." Quickstep has come to be known as the "dance of death" on the show because it's incredibly hard to bring the level of perfect precision required to make choreography that's incredibly effortful look effortless.  This is as close as any two performers have come to making it work. Just check out the long run they pull off during the bridge ...!

CONTEMPORARY DANCE FAVORITES

1. Kayla and Kupono, Contemporary, "Gravity." This dark but utterly riveting routine personifies the horror of addiction: both the intoxicating grace with which it tempts the addict, and the brutality with which it imprisons them.  The choreography stands alone but - serendipitously - it's performed here by two dancers who can act, and the result is a performance so haunting that you may have trouble shaking it off afterwards. 
2. Brandon and Janette, Jazz, "Ruby Blue." Fun, fun, fun!  Part silent film, part Raiders of the Lost Ark, this routine made me laugh aloud even as the intricate, tongue-in-cheek choreography left me dazzled - performed brilliantly, by the way, by two of the best dancers ever to appear on the show. 
3. Twitch and Katee, Contemporary, "Mercy." Not the most challenging or demanding routine, but definitely one of the most entertaining.  The choreographer seems to be channeling Amy Winehouse by way of the Alvin Alley Dance Company.  Another example of how the right story + the right choreography + the right music + the right dancers = magic.
4. Adichike and Comfort, Hip Hop, "Falling." The choreographer of this routine has perfectly captured the raw pain of breaking up with a partner who is bad for you. Alicia Keyes should consider making this the official video for her song.
5. Ensemble, Contemporary, "Wave."  Setting aside that pretty much everything Travis Wall does is outstanding, this one rises above the others for its eerie beauty and wave-like quality of movement. Who knew a bunch of men could move like this?
6. Kent and Lauren, Contemporary, "Collide." So it helps that this amazingly sweet story of young love is performed by two of SYTYCD's most lovable young dancers, Kent and Lauren, but after you see the way these two gifted dancers pull off this deceptively intricate choreography - including a section in the middle where, I swear, they sustain flawless synchrony for 12 entire bars - you'll agree that only they could have pulled this off.
7. Robert and Alison, Contemporary, "Fix You." On one level, this is a gorgeous contemporary dance performed with near Siamese-twin-like synchronicity by two gifted dancers. On a deeper level, however, it's an incredibly affecting story about supporting someone you love through their darkest hours. Go ahead and appreciate both levels equally; god knows they're both equally worthy.

JAZZ/MODERN DANCE FAVORITES

1. Nick and Melody, Jazz/Broadway, "All That Jazz." This steamy routine is liquid awesome by way of Bob Fosse, poured over a glass full of Broadway. Bartender - bring me another one!
2. Neil and Sabra, Jazz, "Sweet Dreams." Who choreographs a dance about a business negotiation?  After this you may be wondering, why hasn't anyone choreographed a dance about a business negotiation before?  Be prepared to be dazzled by storytelling, the athleticism, the precision, and this one breathtaking moment when Neil vaults over Sabra and the table.   (Forget dance - someone sign that boy up for the U.S. Olympics gymnastic team!)
3. Neil and Lauren, Jazz, "Night of the Dancing Flame."  Both dancers are excellent, but Neil's performance as the villain in this "good vs. evil" parody is over-the-top perfection: imagine Dick Dasterdly as interpreted by Bob Fosse.  

BROADWAY FAVORITES

1. Kent and Neil, Broadway, "Damn Yankees."  Don't know if this will make anyone else's "Top 15" list, but for me this energetic, acrobatic routine represents pure Broadway magic with a heaping plate of "Gee Whiz!" on the side.
2. Billy and Katee, Broadway, "McCaverty, the Mystery Cat." I'm not sure choreographers always knew what to do with Billy's style of dance, characterized by a range of movement seemingly unhindered by bones, but whoever figured out he'd make a great cat was channeling genius. Watch this and ask me afterwards if you wouldn't pay $200 a ticket to see this guy in Cats.
3. Gaby & Lex, Tap, "More." This tap-a-licious routine whisks you back to a more carefree era, a time when movies were in black & white, men were dashing, women were fresh-faced, people dressed for dinner, and romance was always just a tap dance away. 

HIP HOP FAVORITES

1. Twitch and Alex, hip hop, "Get Outta Your Mind." The routine features a hip hop-dancing therapist trying to help a classically trained ballet dancer patient get his freak on.  Which is the stuff of great drama - but when you add the fact that Twitch really is a hip hop God, and Alex really is a classically trained ballet dancer, you get magic.
2. Chelsea and Mark, Hip Hop, "Bleeding Love." This was the first time a hip hop routine made me cry. Dare you not to be moved by this simple but exquisite piece of choreography depicting a wife trying desperately to compete for the attention of her workaholic husband. 
3. Comfort, Twitch, Cyrus, Christopher Wade, Dub Step, "Holy Ghost." I'm in awe of this new generation of dancers and the control they have over their bodies, which styles like "animation" and "dub step" highlight.  The incredibly intricate moves of this dub step still make my jaw drop.

ENSEMBLE HITS

1. Ensemble, Contemporary, "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic." Seriously, if anyone ever turns Alice in Wonderland into a dance operetta, it's going to look just like this: equal parts beautiful, unsettling, frenetic, and magical. By far my favorite Mia Michaels choreography.
2. Ensemble, Jazz, "Fame." Every time I watch this number by choreographer Wade Robson I'm reminded of a great line from the musical Amadeus, in which Mozart celebrates opera for its ability to transform 20 voices speaking all at once from cacophony to beauty. In this case it's 20 dancers all going about their own business, except that Wade Robson turns all that cacophony into something gorgeous.
3. Ensemble, Jazz, "All That Jazz." So I've already listed an All That Jazz cover on this list, which makes me wonder if I just have a thing for Bob Fosse.  Maybe, but there's also Mark, the lead dancer in this, who sizzles with popping electricity from the moment the dance begins, animating the whole cast.
4. Ensemble, Broadway, "Puttin' on the Ritz." Let's call this what it is: a whopping dose of infectious energy topped by a swirl of good clean fun with a cherry on top. Probably helps that it's the first ensemble dance of the season - the dancers are visibly busting with excitement and pride at having made it on the show and their visible joy is contagious.
5. Ensemble, Contemporary, "Ramalama Bang Bang."  This show definitely explores the extremes of dance. But how can you not love this twisted, brilliant routine choreographed to a song that sounds like the music zombies would make if they could form their own band?  (FYI, the male dancer who's clearly better than all the others is the routine's choreographer, Wade Robson.)
6. Ensemble, Contemporary, "Bang Bang."  This country-themed ensemble number mixes tongue-in-cheek stereotype, energy, athleticism, and a whole lot of neon to produce a number that radiates sheer, unapologetic fun.
7. Ensemble, Contemporary/hip hop, "Velocity." If The Matrix were a musical, it would look like this!  This one's just for the men, who bring the house down with a routine that combines big choreography, raw athleticism, and a totally awesome Jason Bourne vibe. 

FREAKS & GEEKS! A category for all the one-offs and indescribables!

1. Dominic and Robert, Hip Hop, "Scars." Does it get creepier than zombies?  One word for you: clowns.  The frenetic choreography of this piece perfectly complements the disturbing score, creating a dance that you'll remember ... in your nightmares!
2. Courtney and Mark, Jazz, "The Garden." And now for something completely different ...!  This is so strange, which I'm sure is what makes it so fascinating. Sexual energy literally explodes from the dancers with each lunge, kick and pounce.  Fierce!
3. Jaimie and Hok, Jazz, "The Chairman's Waltz." For all they talk about the importance of different styles of dance, SYTYCD has a blind spot with respect to ballet.  Which is a shame, because this luminous performance shows that ballet can be about a lot more than tutus and toe shoes.
4. Brandon and Janette, Disco "Loving is Really My Game." I know ... DISCO. But you know how one tends to forget the painful memories and remember the idealized ones? Here's your chance to forever bury any painful recollections you may cling to of "bump" choreography and white leisure suits and replace them with what all of us who actually lived through the 1970s like to believe disco was really about - energy, celebration, dazzle, spectacle, and pure, unrestrained joy.
5. Tiffany and Eliana, Pole Dance, "When You're Good to Mama."  This number will make you wonder why burlesque ever died.

50 Great Things to See and Do in Washington D.C. [part 1 of 5]

[PART 1 of 5.] THE USUAL TOURISTY STUFF  

For all it's flaws, I'd still pit D.C. against any international metropolis in competition for "most stuff to do per square acre."  I've lived here all my life and haven't exactly been a slouch when it comes to getting out and about, but will never manage to see everything.  Have listed the obvious attractions, but am hoping what folks find of value are the off-the-beaten-track experiences and adventures included in the list. Do you really want your vacation pictures to look absolutely identical to everyone else's vacation pix? 


I could include more info about each of these attractions, but I'm not going to.  This isn't meant to be a travel guide, just a list of suggestions.  So if you want to know more about any of these sites, google them!

1. History Museums
2. Science Museums
3. Natur
4. Novelty Museums.  Figured I'd start with the obvious, if only to get it out of the way. The Smithsonian incorporates many of the A-list museums in D.C., to include the Air & Space Museum (also the Udvar-Hazy Annex in kind-of-nearby Chantilly VA), the Natural History Museum (which recently got a big refresh), the American History Museum, the Museum of the American Indian, the African American Museum, Smithsonian Castle, adn teh Arts & Industries Building.  Another reason to start with these: they're free! 
5. ... And a Bunch of Others.  Just don't get so hung up on the Smithsonian museums that you overlook some of the other excellent museums on offer in these city.  Some of these include the International Spy Museum, the Holocaust Museum, and National Geographic's Explorer's Hall. The one thing these museums have in common is that they are run by private (not public) organizations, so you'll probably have to pay for a ticket. 
6. Cool museums you've never heard of.  Or ... you can skip the A-list museums and have a completely satisfying time at any of the following lesser-known but entirely worthy institutions, to include the National Postal Museum, the National Textile Museum, The National Building Museum,  National Postal Museum, the National Textile Museum, the National Building Museum, The US Patent & Trademark Office Museum, the National Firearms Museum (located at NRA HQ), the National Museum of Health and Medicine, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Department of the Interior Museum, the National Museum of Crime and Punishment, the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, the Black Fashion Museum, the Anacostia Museum (administered by the Smithsonian), the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, or (not kidding) the National Bonsai Museum.  Sadly, it appears the Squished Penny Museum has closed, with no plans to reopen.  :-(
7. Natural beauty.  D.C. may be known for its imposing (albeit somewhat architecturally redundant) government buildings, but there's a startling amount of lovely scenery to be found for those willing to look.  Attractions include the National Arboreteum, the U.S. Botanical Garden, Rock Creek Park, Meridian Hill Park, the Tidal Basin (especially when the cherry blossoms are blooming), the butterfly/orchid garden at the Arts and Industries building, the George Washington Parkway (beautiful scenic overlooks of the Potomac River), Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, the Mount Vernon bike trail, and the Huntley Meadows wetland area. 
8. Visit Critters. Plenty of indiginous wildlife in D.C. - especially squirrels, pigeons, and lobbyists. But if you are interested in something a little more exotic, check out the National Zoo in Woodly Park, the National Aquarium at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, or the much more modest National Aquarium in DC.
9. Got Art?  Paris may enjoy an edge in this category, but D.C. doesn't need to hang its head in embarassment either.  The city hosts dozens of small galleries as well as major attractions to include the National Gallery of Art,  the National Museum of American Art, the National Portrait Gallery, the Renwick Gallery, the Hirshorn Museum, the Corcoran Gallery, the National Museum of African Art, the Sackler Gallery, the Freer Gallery, and the Kreeger Museum.  Learn how to create art at the Corcoran College of Art or Design; see art being made at the DC Arts Center or the  Torpedo Factory in historical Alexandria; or, if you want to see how the experts go about saving and restoring our greatest works of art, check out the Lunder Conservation Center, where staff from the Smithsonian and other institutions work their magic.
10. If You Build It, They Will Come.  Washington D.C. hasn't got the architectural splendor of many capital cities - thank the founding fathers for our obsession with the classical style - but there are still attractions worthy of note, to include streets lined with beautiful row houses (especially Massachusetts Avenue), dazzling Union Station, the Octagon House, the Heurich House (a castle in the renaissance/roccoco style), the Old Stone House (the only pre-Revolutionary War structure still standing in DC), Dulles Airport (famous for its huge unsupported concrete ceiling), and the National Building Museum. Or, for something completely different, enjoy the Old Executive Building, widely revered as an example of architecture gone horribly wrong.
11. Dead Presidents.  Go on a dead president's scavenger hunt: bet you'll find statues or monuments to most of them if you're dogged. Among the most well-known tributes are the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson memorial, the Washington monument (there's another statue of him in Washington Circle), LBJ Memorial Grove, Roosevelt Island (Teddy), the FDR Memorial (Franklin), the Taft Memorial Carillon, the Grant memorial, the George Mason memorial, the statue of Andrew Jackson at Layfayette Square, the James Garfield statue, the JFK Eternal Flame, and the James Buchanan monument.  And that's just the better-known ones ...!
12. Suddenly sculpture. One thing D.C. does with gusto is sculpture. Check out the National Sculpture Garden, the Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the lovable Einstein sculpture in front of the National Academy of Science (the head is disproportionately large to make him seem more lovable), and don't miss the "The Awakening" - aka, the big arm bursting out of the ground - at Haines Point. (Not to be confused with the Cardiff Giant - see "Weird Washington".)  Or, have some fun touring sculptural tributes to people you've never heard of:  D.C. is the home of sculptures immmoralizing Francis Asbury, Albert Pike, Jane Delano, Bernardo de Galvaz, Taras Shevchenko, Samuel Hahnemann, and Samuel Gompers, among others.  Who are these people, and why are there statues of them in our nation's capitol?
13. Your Government in Action.  Thanks to 9/11, you'll need to ask your representative for tickets, but tours of the U.S. Capitol Building are still available. You can also tour the Old Executive Building, which houses our representatives' offices.  Watching our Congress in action can be a kick, but I find watching the U.S. Supreme Court much more fascinating. As of this writing, it's still possible to que at the front door and be admitted to a small gallery from which you can hear the justices grilling visibly nervous attorneys.
14. Making Money. You can make money the hard way, through industry and hard work.  Or you can do it the way our government does it: by printing it out by the ton!  The Bureau of Printing and Engraving offers wonderful tours that allow you to watch money literally being made.  Sadly, the tours are very well supervised, so abandon now any fantasies you may be having of have of slipping a little something into your pocket while no one's looking.

Look for 10 more ideas in my next blog entry!