Best Movie Endings
by Rich
As the year's end draws near, I can't help but think of the greatest movie endings of all time. As the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end," and that's certainly true for good movies as well. Here are some films that end humorously, shockingly, creatively, or just plain beautifully: Casablanca, 400 Blows, Se7en, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Sixth Sense, The Graduate, The Godfather, and this one for all you maniacs!
What are some of your favorite movie endings? Or better yet, what are some absolutely horrible endings?
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I tend to prefer happy
I tend to prefer happy endings, like the Princess Bride, or the Bourne Identity, Romancing the Stone, or Star Wars: a New Hope. I can't remember any bad endings.. its probably because I stopped watching those movies far before the ending.
After I read the 1973 book
After I read the [b:1028477|1973 book] on which the [k:Princess Bride] movie was based, I was never able to view the ending as happy again.
It's hard to top the ending
It's hard to top the ending of "Pink Flamingos." How much IS that doggy in the window?
My favorite is still 2001: A
My favorite is still 2001: A Space Odyssey
I just read the Wikipedia
I just read the [w:The_Princess_Bride|Wikipedia article on The Princess Bride] and it says there that both [w:Kareem_Abdul_Jabbar|Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] and [w:Arnold Schwarzenegger|Governor Arnold] were considered for the role of Fezzik! Can you imagine how horrible either would have been?
Btw, I can't believe I forgot to mention my all-time favorite [b:b1220789|movie ending].
I tend to like the "twist in
I tend to like the "twist in the tale" ending, both in [t:best of roald dahl|literature] and in [t:twilight zone|film/video]. [t:silence of the lambs|Silence of the Lambs] "got" me more than once (you know the part -- where they're staking out the house) ... though perhaps that's more the endgame than the end.
[k:sixth sense osment|The Sixth Sense] may only have been a shock once, but oh what a shock it was! And me just moved into a big old empty house. *brr*
About the 40 Year Old
About the 40 Year Old Virgin...I can't even hear the band name "Coldplay" without sniggering.
As for best ending, nobody's mentioned yet mentioned that other Welles classic, Citizen Kane. Or Memento. Two endings that force you to reevaluate the entire film.
"Forget it, Jake. It's
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."
The ending of SAW was
The ending of [b:1243243|SAW] was appropriately twisted. I liked how it wasn't a typical "Hollywood ending."
But you've got to be able to stomach the rest of the movie to get there.
/*== [:/ejk|ejk] ==*/
My favorite movie ending is
My favorite movie ending is from "Gone with the Wind". Ret Butler's comment "Frankly, my dear I don't give a damn." I like the ending showing Scarlett's will to go on.
janetfm
Does anyone remember the
Does anyone remember the line said by Joey Lewis at the end of Some Like It Hot? Something like, "Nobodys perfect." You have to know the story to appreciate it. Just imagine Jack Lemon as a cross dresser.
No one has mentioned the
No one has mentioned the ending of the "Third Man". No dialogue--just one long, stationary shot and Anton Karas' zither music. There is an entire movie in that one shot.
I have felt the same about
I have felt the same about that ending shot in The Third Man.
For me the ending of GATTACA
For me the ending of GATTACA was wonderful. The images juxtaposed and the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. Visually and emotionally stunning.
I have always felt that the
I have always felt that the best movie ending was in John Boorman's Hope and Glory. This movie is based on his childhood experiences during the WWII London blitz. The ending is the dream of every school-aged child.
"Hope and Glory" is a great
"Hope and Glory" is a great movie ending. The elation and comraderie with his grandfather are great.
The last shot in Local Hero.
The last shot in Local Hero. Never have I seen an ending so true to the story. Bittersweet and perfect.
Also, Lost in Translation. How could it have ended any other way?
Wow, there have been some
Wow, there have been some great movie endings mentioned here! Whenever I think of the ending to [b:b1183091|Citizen Kane], I'm reminded of the ending to [b:b1211864|Raiders of the Lost Ark], in which [a:Spielberg, Steven|Spielberg] paid tribute to Welles' great ending.
For me it has to Rosemary's
For me it has to [t:Rosemary's Baby]... [a:Sidney Blackmer] raising his glass proclaiming "THE YEAR 1!" and the nasty Laura-Louise having to clear out because Rosemary just can't resist the urge to mother the darling little demon - classic!
What about the ending of
What about the ending of Notorious with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. He finally rescues her from the house where she was being poisioned by her Nazi husband.
I love the ending to
I love the ending to Notorious. The descent down the staircase right up until the final line, "Alex, will you come in, please? I wish to talk to you."