10 Famous Movie Lines You're Probably Misquoting

Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. / Warner Bros.
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From Star Wars to The Silence of the Lambs, there’s a very good chance that you may have been misquoting your favorite movies all along. Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Here are 10 of the most common movie misquotations.

1. "MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL—WHO IS THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?" // SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)

The jealous Queen’s queries to her magic mirror are a regular occurrence throughout Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, yet somehow many viewers managed to miss what she actually asks that piece of glass: “Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”

2. "BADGES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN’ BADGES!"// THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)

The real quote from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is, "Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!"

3. "PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM." // CASABLANCA (1942)

Probably one of the most famous movie quotes of all time never actually happened. Ingrid Bergman's actual quote is, "Play it, Sam. Play As Time Goes By." And later Humphrey Bogart says, "You played it for her, you can play it for me!"

4. "A MAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT A MAN'S GOTTA DO." // HONDO (1953)

Yeah, it sounds like something John Wayne would say. But he didn't, at least not in those words. In Hondo, The Duke says, "A man oughta do what he thinks is best."

It's also often thought to be from the Alan Ladd movie Shane, but he didn't say it either. There are two similar quotes from that movie, though:

"I couldn't do what I gotta do if I hadn't always knowed that I could trust ya"

"A man has to be what he is."

5. "DO YOU FEEL LUCKY, PUNK?" // DIRTY HARRY (1971)

Well, do ya? Probably not if you thought that quote was accurate. Clint Eastwood really says, "You've got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?"

6. "WE’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT." // JAWS (1975)

Even the most rabid Jaws fan might be guilty of mishearing this line, in part because Brody (Roy Scheider) has got a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and speaks the line—which is “You’re gonna need a bigger boat”—in a rather shocked state.

7. "LUKE, I AM YOUR FATHER." // THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)

Another insanely famous quote that is wrong: "Luke, I am your father." Darth says it, sure, but not quite like that. He leaves off the "Luke" part and simply says, "No, I am your father."

8. "IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME." // FIELD OF DREAMS (1989)

Though Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams brings all sorts of legendary ballplayers to his yard, the voice that tells him to build the field only promises a single person. The voice tells him (very clearly): “If you build it, he will come.”

9. "HELLO, CLARICE." // THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)

Dr. Lecter does greet Clarice in The Silence of the Lambs, but his actual words are, "Good evening, Clarice."

10. "LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET." // FORREST GUMP (1994)

There are two real sayings from the movie, but not quite that one. Here are the two:

"My momma always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get," said by Forrest.

"Life is like a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you're gonna get," said by Forrest's mom.