Top 10 Hardest Movie Monologues to Perform
#10: “I’m So Mad I Don’t Know What to Do!” “Steel Magnolias” (1989)
This dramedy is an adaptation of a play by Robert Harling about the tight-knit bond between a group of friends living in the South. In a startling turn of events, Julia Roberts' character, Shelby, passes away due to complications from diabetes, causing her mother, M’Lynn, played by Sally Field to have an emotional breakdown at the funeral. Field fuels all her energy into capturing the unfathomable nature of grief and the rage that it carries. Like a pendulum of emotion, she goes from weeping to yelling to finally laughing. For this moment, she takes home a gold medal for emotional gymnastics.
#9: “You Can’t Handle the Truth” “A Few Good Men” (1992)
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A couple of years after Aaron Sorkin’s play made its Broadway debut in 1989, Hollywood came knocking and adapted “A Few Good Men” for the screen. With a star-studded cast including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore, the story revolves around a military murder trial and the ethical and moral stakes of all the parties involved. In one of the most tense scenes, Cruise is cross examining Nicholson’s character and doing everything in his power to uncover the truth behind the crime. Nicholson goes into a speech about how ugly the truth can be. The text practically leaps off the screen and into the pop culture hall of fame as one of the most quotable movie lines of all time.
#8: “Your Move, Chief” “Good Will Hunting” (1997)
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As one of the most beloved and impactful performers of all time, Robin Williams’ performance in this late ‘90s hit is one of his best. The award-winning screenplay about a math genius and his therapist, is full of touching and thoughtful moments, including this one where Williams’ Sean explains to Matt Damon’s Will that he knows nothing about life. It’s not full of rage or sadness or over the top dramatics, but Robin’s focus and directness is undeniable. It’s a testament to Damon and Ben Affleck’s writing skills and Williams’ decades of experience that proves collaboration is the backbone of art.
#7: “Tethered Together” “Us” (2019)
This monologue can only be described as spine-chilling. In Jordan Peele’s second horror feature, “Us”, audiences are invited to witness a family’s beach trip go off the rails when their mysterious lookalikes suddenly appear to wreak havoc. Oscar-winner, Lupita Nyong’o pulls double duty as Adelaide and her doppelganger, Red. After Red and her family, referred to as “the Tethered”, break into the family's vacation home, she details a story about a young happy girl, whose shadow lives painfully in the dark. Nyong’o created a signature speech pattern for Red, basing it off spasmodic dysphonia, a medical condition that causes vocal spasms. There are many disturbing scenes in the film, but this one stands out and stays with you long after it’s over.
#6: “My Heart Was Broken” “Manchester by the Sea” (2016)
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Kenneth Lonergan’s mid-2010s script is an emotionally heavy story about bereavement that’s critically acclaimed for its authenticity. In one of the film’s most poignant scenes, Michelle Willams's character Randi runs into her ex-husband, Lee. It’s the first time the former spouses have seen each other since their divorce, which resulted from Lee accidentally causing a fire that claimed the lives of their children. Randi explains that her permanently broken heart caused her to say unspeakable things. Her speech, filled with unfinished sentences and scattered thoughts, ends with her confessing that she “loves” him. It's a moment that is about as real and raw as it gets.
#5: “There Is No Bathroom for Me” “Hidden Figures” (2016)
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In this Oscar-nominated film, Taraji P. Henson plays real-life mathematician Katherine Johnson, who played a vital role during the early years of the U.S. Space Program. At one point in the film, her boss, played by Kevin Costner, publicly berates her for disappearing during working hours. She reveals to him that due to segregation, the only washroom she can use is half a mile away. It’s one of the most memorable moments of the film due to Henson’s command and groundedness. Every word she speaks is heard loud and clear with such force and dedication that it’s not just a monologue, it’s a statement.
#4: “You Pretentious...” “The Social Network” (2010)
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As one of modern cinema’s most prolific screenwriters, Aaron Sorkin has become well known for his melodic and fiery fast paced dialogue. In his script for 2010’s “The Social Network,” a film that chronicles the origins of social media titan, Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, his writing is at its best. When Zuckerberg’s ex-best friend and partner, Eduardo, played by Andrew Garfield, finds out he's been screwed out of his contract, a confrontation goes down. It’s an angry, impassioned and heartbreaking snapshot of a friendship going down in flames. Garfield manages to use physicality to accompany Sorkin’s composition in such an effective way that it’s hard to shake off.
#3: “I’m So Sick of It” “Little Women” (2019)
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Greta Gerwig’s 2019 “Little Women” adaptation was a masterful retelling of the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel. Her screenplay fleshes out the exploration of feminism in the source material and features one of contemporary cinema’s most insightful monologues to date. In this scene, Saoirse Ronan as Jo March taps into conflict over the complexity of wanting to be independent and also loved. The monologue is concise, delivered with such believability that it’s hard to believe it’s all memorized. Between Gerwig’s text and Ronan’s performance, it’s become one of the most memorable moments in the film.
#2: “I’ll Show You ‘Out of Order’” “Scent of a Woman” (1992)
From “The Godfather '' trilogy to “Scarface”, Al Pacino has built himself an illustrious career by going for roles that are demanding and always pose a challenge. In his Academy Award winning turn as Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, Pacino stars alongside a young Chris O'Donnell as a prep school student who becomes an assistant to Slade, a military vet who is blind and an alcoholic. Over the course of the movie, they form a bond that leads up to this pivotal moment when Frank has to defend his new confidant. It's a show stopping monologue that is chock full of so many quotable lines that every viewing of it deserves a standing ovation. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. The Poem,“10 Things I Hate About You” (1999) Julia Stiles Performs This Relatable & Deep Monologue Through a Poem “God Didn’t Show Up”, “Marriage Story” (2019) Laura Dern Delivers This Smart Monologue About Society’s Expectations of Women “Makes Tomorrow Alright”,“Requiem for a Dream” (2000) Ellen Burstyn's Character Explains Her Addiction to Her Son in This Heart-Wrenching Speech “Let Me Tell You a Story of Right Hand, Left Hand”, “Do the Right Thing” (1989) Spoken by Radio Raheem, Inspired by Charles Laughton's "The Night of the Hunter"
#1: “18 Years of My Life” “Fences” (2016)
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One of the most prolific playwrights of all time, August Wilson, created a body of work that captured race in America and the lives of the working class. After wrapping up the Broadway revival of Wilson’s “Fences”, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis reprised their roles as married couple, Rose and Troy, for the Washington-directed screen adaptation. This gut-wrenching monologue details Rose confessing that her loyalty and dedication to her husband, Troy, caused her to miss out on pursuing her own hopes and aspirations. The scene is full of vivid imagery and metaphors that make the heartbreaking sequence absolutely soul-crushing and unmasks the hardships that married life can bring. Viola earned the Academy Award for this role and it’s no wonder, considering this performance is pure perfection.
