17 Famous Movie Quotes Everyone Gets Wrong

You may think you know some of the most iconic lines from classic movies, but your ears or memory may be deceiving you. If you’ve been going around quoting Darth Vader as saying, “Luke, I am your father,” you’ve been doing it all wrong. And if you think Clint Eastwood asked a robber “do you feel lucky, punk?”, that’s not the case at all.

We’ve rounded up some of the most common movie quotes everyone gets incorrect with help from AMC’s invaluable filmsite.org, which has an extensive list of film misquotes. Some of them are minor confusions of one of two tiny words. Others, like in Silence of the Lambs, are slightly more jarring and flat out incorrect.

Why do we remember some of the biggest quotes in movie history incorrectly?

Some suggest we morph quotes to make a line of dialogue more accessible by the general public. It also doesn’t help when popular movies released years later reinforce the incorrect dialogue.

Keep reading to see some of the biggest movie misquotes of all time. You can check out a more thorough list at AMC’s filmsite here.

Dracula (1931)

Misquote: ‘I want to suck your blood!’
Actual movie quote: Nothing. The line was never said.

“I want to suck your blood” was said in 1994’s ‘Ed Wood’ when Dr. Tom Mason was practicing an impersonation of Bela Lugosi.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Misquote: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
Actual movie quote: “Magic Mirror on the Wall, who is the Fairest one of all?”

Versions of the incorrect line have been said in countless movies afterward including Disney’s 101 Dalmatians which may make people remember the original movie differently.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Misquote: “I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto” or “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto.”
Actual movie quote: “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

A version of the misquote can be heard in 1989’s Honey, I Shrunk the Kids when the siblings are shrunk down in size.

Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Misquote: “Luke, I am your father.”
Actual movie quote: “No, I am your father.”

It didn’t help that two subsequent films used similar lines to the misquote. In Tommy Boy, Chris Farley jokes around saying “Luke, I am your father.”

Toy Story 2 parodies the iconic Star Wars scene and has Emperor Zurg tell Buzz Lightyear, “No, Buzz, I am your father.”

Casablanca (1942)

Misquote: “Play it again, Sam.”
Actual movie quote: It’s never said. This is what Ingrid Bergman says, “Play it once, Sam, for old time’s sake…Play it, Sam. Play As Time Goes By.”

Play It Again, Sam, which references Casablanca, was the name of Woody Allen’s 1972 comedy. The misquote was later said in 1979’s James Bond movie Moonraker.

Star Trek

Misquote: “Beam me up, Scotty”
Actual movie quote: “Scotty, beam me up!”

The phrase is never said to Montgomery Scott in the television series or movies. The only time it comes close is when Kirk says the above line in 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. The misquote can be heard in several other unrelated movies, which may account for why it became popular. Steve Buscemi’s character says it in Armageddon and it’s also said in 1984’s Night of the Comet.

The Graduate (1967)

Misquote: “Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?”
Actual movie quote: ” Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you?”

A play on the incorrect quote was used in Ryan Reynolds’ 2002 movie “Van Wilder” when his character was asked, “Mr. Wilder, are you trying to seduce me?” The misquote was also used in 2000’s “The Ladies Man.”

Frankenstein (1931)

Misquote: “He’s Alive!”
Actual movie quote: ” It’s Alive!”

Dirty Harry (1971)

Misquote: “Do you feel lucky, punk?”
Actual movie quote: “…you’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya punk?”

Johnny Five says the incorrect line in 1988’s Short Circuit 2 and it was later said in Scary Movie 2 in 2001.

Field of Dreams (1989)

Misquote: “If you build it, they will come.”
Actual movie quote: ” If you build it, he will come.”

There’s no mistaking this one. It’s clearly, “he will come.” So, how did the misquote spread around? It didn’t help that it was said in a number of movies that were all released around the same time including 2001’s “How High,” 2002’s “Eight Legged Freaks,” and 2005’s “Racing Stripes” with Jeff Foxworthy.

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Misquote: “Hello, Clarice.”
Actual movie quote: “Good evening, Clarice.”

There is a point later in the film where Hannibal is on the phone with Clarice and says hello, but it’s not in the iconic moment that may come to mind. One reason you may mix the two up is because Jim Carrey’s character in “The Cable Guy” says the incorrect line after putting chicken on his face at Medieval Times.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Misquote: “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.”
Actual movie quote: ” All right, Mr. DeMille. I’m ready for my close-up.”

If you do recall hearing the line, it’s probably because you heard it in Robin Williams’ “Mrs. Doubtfire.” When he’s getting transformed into a woman he tells his brother, “I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille.”

Forrest Gump (1994)

Misquote: “My mama always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.”
Actual movie quote: “My mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates.’”

This is a simple misquote people often swear they heard the other way around. It’s one of many examples people attribute to the Mandela Effect, an idea where a large group of people misremember something in history.

The Godfather (1972)

Misquote: “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
Actual movie quote: ” I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

The misquote is a line Don Corleone says in the actual book.

A Few Good Men (1992)

Misquote: “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth.”
Actual movie quote:
Jack Nicholson: “You want answers?”
Tom Cruise: “I want the truth.”
Nicholson: “You can’t handle the truth!”

You can listen to the original dialogue here.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Misquote: “Houston we’ve got a problem.”
Actual movie quote: ” Houston, we have a problem.”

People often combine together astronaut Jack Swigert’s (Kevin Bacon) line with that of Jim Lovell’s (Tom Hanks). Shortly before Lovell informs mission control they have a problem, Swigert says, “Hey, we’ve got a problem here.”

Jaws (1975)

Misquote: “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Actual movie quote: ” You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

Since the line flies by in a second’s time, it can be easily misinterpreted.


This article originally appeared on Business Insider.


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