I recently read the last words to Stephanie Meyer's latest book (thanks for pointing these out, Sam). No, I haven't read any of those books, so I can't really judge them based on this phrase. So if you love those books, please don't take offense; I'm not attacking the books; just the last phrase of the last book. The last phrase of Breaking Dawn reads "And then we continued blissfully into this small but perfect piece of our forever." Okay, you have to admit that's pretty laughable. I'm not sure how that one slipped passed her editor.
This has me pondering the last phrases of many movies and books, and I realize that there are many horrible last words. Why is that? It's the readers/viewers last impression of the story. It ought to weigh more than the opening scene. I think of the last words in Spiderman 2: "Go get 'em, tiger." Seriously? Who wrote that? I laughed out loud in the theater when I saw the end of that movie. Another favorite was from King Kong. That was a long, laughable experience all the way through, but when Jack Black said stoically, "It wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast," I just had to shake my head. I understand it was a shout-out to the original film, but seriously, if there's a really bad last line in the original, for heaven's sakes, cut it in the remake.
What happened to fantastic endings like "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known," from A Tale of Two Cities? It's those lines which leave you thinking about the story and feeling edified. Or this last line from the timeless King Lear: "The weight of this sad time we must obey, Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say: The oldest hath borne most; we that are young Shall never see so much, nor live so long." As far as movies, what about the awesome last line of Casablanca: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." There's a line worth remembering!
So, what really bad or really good last lines have you come across?
10 comments:
I say go ahead and judge everyone's favorite teenage vampire romance by that last phrase.
I was O.K. with Spiderman 2 since that's pretty much MJ's signature line straight out of the comic. The King Kong ending, I think, demonstrates a dramatic shift in movie dialogue over time. But your point is well taken.
I like the last line of Eliot's Prufrock.
"Till human voices wake us and we drown."
I agree with Melissa about Spiderman, what else could she have said as the comic book character that she is?
But anyway my favorite? "I myself don't say I am an expert in the world of fashion though my friend say I have quite the eye; there was a shocking lack of satin."
ha, ha. That last comment was actually me, Graham was still logged in from previous use. Sorry, . . . ha ha!
Okay, I love "A Tale of Two Cities", great book. But, why must you mock, "Go get 'em tiger"??? Seriously, it was a memorable last line! Isn't that all that matters? Ha ha, actually, I got the giggles after hearing that myself. Soooo cheesey. But the movie is based on comic books, right?
I agree, I hated that last line for Spiderman 2. I don't care if she says it in the comic book--it killed the well-deserved excitement and emotion and left the movie feeling very "flat."
As for a memorable bad lines, many from Star Wars come to mind. In particular, I remember in Episode I when Anakin is flying through the middle of a pretty cool fire-fight he says, "This is tense." Just like you Mauri, I laughed out loud. (Of course it is easy for me to be critical, I couldn't begin to write a movie script.)
I loved reading "Christy" by Catherine Marshall many years ago, and was really engrossed in the last chapter--you know, learning how everything ends and how all the loose ends are tied together. Anyway, I finished reading a great paragraph and turned the page to continue reading and finish the chapter . . . but there was no more. That was the end. It just ended abruptly. There was no memorable last line; there wasn't even a terrible last line. It just ended. I was so disappointed.
Another experience was reading "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo. After reading for months the life and experiences of Jean Valjean, and being totally moved to tears time after time, I finally came to end when he died. Once again, the tears were flowing as I turned the page to read the last paragraph, which was the inscription on his gravestone . . . and it was in French!!! I think I shouted aloud in unbelief. I was desperate to know what it said! So I quickly called Uncle Norman and read it to him and he translated it. It was very beautiful. Ahhhh--now I could move on.
I won't...I can't.
Okay. So, I read this post several days ago and have been racking my brain for something good to share ever since. You'd think with all the books I've read and movies I've seen through the years I'd be able to come up with something. Apparently my brain has been turned to mush by too many late nights, too many early mornings and too much Twilight. ;) Seriously though, I count it as a rare talent that I so easily forget the ends of books. It allows me to read my favorites over and over again with some of the vestiges of excitement and anticipation I had during the original reading.
Anything by O. Henry.
Maurianne! Holy kamoley! I just linked to your blog from melissamerica's blogroll, wondering if the distinctly spelled Maurianne was in fact my visiting teachee (?) from my Moon Apartment days in, I don't know, the year 2000? And it is! Holy cow! This is a delightful moment of reconnection for me. I'm totally delighted about it.
And I wish I had something great to add to your post--which is great. I often read the last page of books, not to find out how the plot resolves, but to find out what the author has done with the hard job of finishing a work. Last lines are beastly difficult to craft. As so.
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