Top 5 favo(u)rite movie moments? Not quite.

June 10, 10:29 AMPop Culture ExaminerCollin Parker

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Pop Culture Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Does this look familiar to anyone?

So Turner Classic Movies (you know... the channel that doesn't air any movie made after, say...1940) has unveiled the results of their latest poll. Their British site ran the 'contest' (using the term loosely) and came up with this top 5 list of Favourite (note British spelling) Movie Moments:

5. Withnail and I - the 'finest wines in humanity' scene. The wha--? Who? Exactly.

4. The Terminator - 'I'll be back'. Not so much a 'moment' as a single line.

3. The Shining - 'Heeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!' OK-- not a terrible choice. But top 3?

2. When Harry Met Sally - the fake orgasm scene. Valid choice. The only valid choice in this list.

and #1? The most favourite all-time movie moment? Burning the sled in Citizen Kane? No. The bank scene in It's A Wonderful Life? No. Maybe any one of a dozen scenes in The Godfather? Uh-uh.

Ladies and gentlemen, the most favourite, most beloved movie moment in the history of cinema is....

1. Pretty Woman - the 'Big mistake. Big. Huge.' scene when Julia Roberts returns to the Rodeo Drive boutique that shunned her a day earlier, just to run it in their faces.

Kill me now.

Just for the record, here are a few that were just a wee bit overlooked...perhaps.

First, just because it was a British poll, perhaps a couple films with British ties:

A lesser-known feature called Star Wars (filmed mainly in England, with a predominantly British cast) - the 'Luke, we're gonna have company!' scene. (Sorry..couldn't find video. Audio only.)

The Princess Bride (again, filmed in Britain. Couple British cast members. Several British accents.) - the battle of wits. Pure comedy genius.

Or maybe something for the sports fan:

Hoosiers - Seriously. Who doesn't shed at least a few tears (or jump off the couch...either/or) when Jimmy Chitwood hits that final shot?

Or something from the classics:

Casablanca - one of the best closing lines ever (and therefore, one of the best scenes) 'Louie? I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.' Does it get any better?

Maybe you're more into sappy 'chick-flicks':

Kate and Leo standing on the bow of the Titanic. Sure, you hated the movie, but you gotta give it up-- pretty iconic scene.

How 'bout something for the 80s crowd?

The dancing-on-the-FAO-Schwartz-piano scene in Big? Duckie lip-synching 'Try a Little Tenderness' in Pretty In Pink?

And to celebrate the 83rd birthday of Marilyn Monroe (June 1), how about trying to narrow it down to just two from her:

The subway grate scene (pictured) in The Seven Year Itch....and the train station scene in Some Like It Hot.

Seriously... Pretty Woman? Somewhere Cecil B. DeMille, John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, and George Cukor are rolling over in their graves.