Screenwriting : The worst line in screenwriting history? by Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique

One of my favorite stupid lines is delivered by Gloria Stuart, who played older Rose in "Titanic", who comments on the technical description of the sinking of the ill fated ocean liner. "Thank you for that fine forensic analysis, Mr. Bodine. Of course the experience of it was somewhat less clinical."

Friggen Titanic... there was plenty of room for Jack on that floating junk... look that up on the internet -- its a thing.

Not without putting both of them in the icy, deadly water. Look up Cameron responding on this topic. Cameron knows more about water than any of us. (And if it was so easy to just hitch I ride on floating junk, why did 1000+ people die in that water?)

Cameron know a lot about making money too. I remember reading articles that predicted Titanic was destined to be a huge flop. Guess they missed the boat on that one yuk, yuk!

Rose could have burned Jack to keep warm. Body fat is a good fuel source.

Hypothermia does not sound like fun.

Hey, don't knock bad writing - the writer of Street Fighter: Chun Li is now one of the biggest, highest paid writers in Hollywood.

Hey Danny: Not knocking it. Someone on youtube is responsible. I merely pointed it out to get this nifty topic started and so far, the discussion has taken a different path. But so be it. Personally, I think the dark hared woman in the video delivers her bad line quite well.

There was a line in Transformers where the bad guy robot, shoot I can't remember his name now, asked why good guys robot cared about the humans so much. God I died a little inside. It was that line that was the last straw and my childhood dream of seeing my then favourite show in live action was destroyed. I really should be able to remember names and lines now, but I'm old and drunk. Like really fuzzy headed drunk. Gaarrrghhh drools on keyboard

oh just watched the youtube, ppfffftttt hahaha. Hilarious.

Too bad Jack hadn't seen Mythbusters! Makes it all the more poignant.

The worst line? Easy... "Who do you think? The Libyans!!" classic, terrible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2c-tMZSZtY

Phillip, who are you talking to? You've posted under me, but if you're replying to me then your post makes no sense. If it was to someone else then 'carry on'.

Cherie: It was not you. I responded to some post saying late last night saying I was being negative, which apparently has been deleted. To avoid confusion I'll delete my response and I won't reveal who it was intended for.

Yep, that's bad. I'm thinking there are so many to choose from on the TV series The Following. So predictable. Only watching because I like the Joe Carroll character.

That sucks you were deleted Phillip. I don't think mods should be going down that route unless people are being really abusive. critical posts should be left alone. I won't stay if mods are going to be all powerful and silence people all the time.

Cherie: In fairness to the Mods and the rockers, twas not my post that was deleted. And since the poster also has the ability to delete, I believe he thought better of what he said and self deleted. The mods have left all posts in tact. Even the heated ones. But I do appreciate your concern and always enjoy your input.

LMAO... I was enjoying this thread until I read the worst comment IMHO i've ever read on STAGE32.... "Hypothermia. You only need to have a foot in the water for your body temp to start dropping rapidly. Being really drunk would preserve your life a little longer, as alcohol doesn't freeze, though it gets cold, the friction of the alcohol moving through the body and drawing heat, then holding that heat, would ward off hypothermia for a short time compared to not being drunk. Spirits and Liquors are better than beer :)" you. have. got. to. be. freaking. kidding me... I truly hope you were being sarcastic... being drunk doesn't do anything to slow down hypothermia... and alcohol does not create "friction" ....Alcohol is a vasodilator, meaning that it causes your blood vessels to dilate, particularly the capillaries under the surface of your skin. Thus, the volume of blood brought to the skin’s surface increases, making you feel warm. friction? Allie - you should be writing fiction! if you were, in deed being sarcastic then I applaud your sense of humor.

back to topic... the posted video does offer an amazingly bad moment... but I'd not only blame the writer, i'd blame the director and actors for that atrocious delivery.

Once I was working on a film and I was helping an actor go over his lines for the day, so I had to say this line over and over and over cuz he kept messing up his next line... it was "We're out of time" and I am now stunned at how many times that line appears in films I watch. lol

That line from Predator is on someone's "worst" list?? That person is an idiot (no offense).

@John, did you write that list? Then I apologize. "Idiot" is a strong word. I'll go with "misguided soul".

Worst line in screenwriting history, Owen.

"These pretzels are making me thirsty."

@John. I do. Explain. What did I miss?

I thought it would be fun and innocuous.

I have to agree with Kathryn and with Phillip, I clicked on this topic thinking it would be something fun and innocuous, and then I saw all the comments. Worst line in movie history: ''If you fight you will only make it harder.'' ;)

Yes, Kathryn and Phillip. I seem to have offended John by calling someone off-board an "idiot". Tried to take it back but he still seems offended. I'll try a third time to express the thought in an inoffensive way: I believe the line from Predator "I ain't got time to bleed" is a wonderful line, and I would be happy to have a reasoned debate with anyone who feels differently. Maybe John disagrees with me and that's why he's offended... I'm not certain, as he's been sort of elliptical on the topic. Anyway, to earn this comment's keep, I'll go on topic and offer up one per the OP. Not the "worst" by any measure, but some dialogue that, for this viewer, suddenly ground the emotional momentum of the movie to a stop, like a pigeon flying into an office building window. It's Liam Neeson's teary speech ("ten more people!") at the end of Schindler's List. A very blunt instrument at a very delicate moment.

oh geez this is hardly bickering. will people stop being so sensitive,. it's tedious.

But Phillip and Kathryn, on this idea that the topic would be innocuous... this is a board filled with writers, and you're actively soliciting criticism of other writers. Is it really surprising passions would get inflamed?

Kathryn: l'm encouraging people to spread the love here. This place offers such a great opportunity to help and be helpful to our peers. I've worked with five people this week on improving their loglines and scripts. And had a blast doing it. And one of those people hooked me up with an introduction to a production company.

Kathryn Rushent: Thanks and I think what you're doing is great.

The all time worst delivery of the all time worst line delivered by the all time worst actor...Nicholas Cage - The Wicker Man..."Not the bees, not the bees"

Patrick: worthy contender.

"You had me at 'tweaking'."

"A fight? And I wasn't invited?" ;-)

Ha, no Owen. (Brrrp, sorry, Hans, wrong guess. Would you like to try for Double Jeopardy, where the scores can really change?) You Brits spell it offence. John is American, like me. We actually do spell it offense. Looks like John's posts are since deleted, though. The mystery dies with him. Now I'll just look paranoid. :)

...Okay, let's move on, folks. Brits, Americans -- it's all good! Back to the fun topic. :)

Owen, it pays dividends the longer you stick around.

Oliver: James Dean "Rebel Without a Cause" 1955.

I KNOW the worst line of movie dialogue. The key is repetition. When I reveal it, everyone will agree. But just telling you would be boring. As luck would have it, I put it in my book. Here it is... Blair said, “Dad, one sec. Think. We jump out. We make it. Well sell the story. This becomes a shitty action movie. Meaning. ..You have to say the line.” I knew the line she was talking about, “No, no I don't.” “Dad, it’s in EVERY shitty action movie. You have to do the line.” “I know I have to, but I’m not going to.” “How about if we share the pain and do it together?” “I can live with that." "Okay. We'll do it on three. Ready, one… two… three…” We shouted in unison, “LET'S DO THIS!"

The worst, that I can recall: "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Love Story, 1970. Not only once, I think it is painfully uttered twice: Jenny to Oliver then, Oliver to his Father.

The whole "Glock 7" debacle in Die Hard 2.

I did not hit her. It's not true. It is bullshit. I did not hit her. I did not... oh, hi Mark

Rutger Oosterhoff , that guy made it into Hollywood big time :)))))... I'm kinda not laughing now...

... Yes, I think he is Kiril.

This is great haha. I'm going to say that first line to my mom, until one day she responds that way.

Arrival. Hands down the cheesiest, "on the nose" line ever.

Ian: "You know, I've had my head tilted up to the stars for as long as I can remember. You know what surprised me the most? It wasn't meeting them. It was meeting you." I can actually see Jeremy Renner cringing inside after delivering it. No wonder they shot it practically from behind him.

Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique - I was thinking the same thing. Titanic is littered with terrible lines/character interactions. Remember when Jack and Rose are riding the back of the ship down into the water and Jack says to Rose, "Trust me!" and Rose takes the time in this life threatening situation - hundreds of feet in the air, barreling toward the frigid water - to respond, "I TRUST YOU!"

Even as a kid I remember thinking, 'oh shut up, Rose! You would NOT say that in that moment!" I still think it's such a dumb moment in that movie.

It was a terrible line of dialogue that the writer should punch himself for writing but it doesn't help that the way the actress said it comes off as just weird and unnatural. I can't believe they shot that and the director was like yea that's perfect.

I absolutely agree that Ali MacGraw's delivery made it more memorable in a negative sense. But, she was married to one of "the" best actors of all-time, Steve. McQueen. Has anyone seen the Blue Bloods episode (no, Ali was not there) about the "Bullitt" 1968 Mustang? Catch the show if you can--On Demand maybe. The BB episode also had the 1968 Dodge Charger that was in the Bullitt car chase. I actually used to own a 1969 Mustang Mach 1, 390", the same cubes as McQueen's Stang. By the way, the car was sold at Auction for $3.4 Million--no not mine.

I received the comment above from Brett Hoover in my email, thinking that he was commenting on my choice listed earlier for "worst line ever written": Ali MacGraw's delivery of "Love means never having to say you're sorry" in Love Story, 1970. Oh man, that's bad. If I recall correctly, overall, I did enjoy the movie.

I don't know that it's a bad line. I think the acting is worse than the line.

Anything that starts with "As you know..." is a bad line, lol

HB Duran Indeed.