First, some arbitrary ground rules: only films or tv shows that were released during my lifetime, and for this list I get to fudge the definition of “monologue” if I wish to.
Last year, the show Andor contained several incredible monologues. Two of them appear on this list. These monologues were a frequent topic in conversations at the recent Star Wars Celebration event in London.
This is list is in no particular order, but since Andor inspired the list, let’s start with those two.
“One Way Out”
A seemingly broken man finds his voice - which had been stifled for so long by the mountain of totalitarian and Orwelllian forces weighing on his shoulders - in the middle of this monologue. His transformation is palpable in the text and performance.
“And What do you Sacrifice?”
I’m not sure whether Tony Gilroy or Beau Willimon is to credit for this specific speech (they’re credited as co-writers on the episode). This one is somewhat reminiscent of Willimon’s work in the early seasons of House of Cards. Regardless of its author, this is a brilliant consideration of the cost of being an anonymous hero behind enemy lines.
“I want some feeling”
Part of the greatness of North Dallas Forty is the fact that many of its themes remain relevant today - and this confrontation between athlete and coach encapsulates the tension between the business and the passion of professional sports.
“Two Cathedrals”
Aaron Sorkin’s first two seasons of The West Wing culminate in a rhetorical confrontation between POTUS and God. The majestic columns of the National Cathedral surrounding President Bartlet gives the scene a feeling of Greek theater. Bonus points for referring to the deity (which he actually believes in) as a “feckless thug.”
A Eulogy for Chris
Here’s a monologue that works not just because of the written content - but the juxtaposition of the key visual elements. A group of “unacceptable” kids are disallowed from the “proper” burial of a friend. The rigid and hollow ceremony below is lifeless, whereas the authentic grief of people who actually knew and cared for the deceased bursts with life-affirming energy. This scene achieves what the writer David Milch (more on him later) stresses about the language of paradox (see his lecture series for a more in-depth explanation).
“We Came 3,000 Miles to Attend a March, and it Didn’t Happen”
In another eulogy of sorts, Charles S. Dutton’s speech at the end of Get on the Bus is a powerful and poetic speech delivered from a character who up until this point had been a composed and rock-like figure. To see him break under tragic circumstances, while pivoting to a hopeful messages, is one of the best moments of performance I’ve seen on film.
“Inch by Inch”
In previous generations, the gold standard for inspirational halftime speeches would be Knute Rockne’s “Win One for the Gipper” speech. But how inspirational is that? It’s more of a debt to a ghost imposing one last demand from the grave. Whereas this speech is relatable and timeless - about finding how to heal what’s broken - about how to achieve a team victory in a game of individuals. How to transform loss into victory. As far as motivational speeches go, this one is hard to beat:
But if it can be beaten, it might be from the Bard himself:
“From This Day to the Ending of the World”
Okay, this is cheating. I’ve limited myself to only one Shakespearean monologue. It was custom in the 90s and aughts for my favorite baseball team’s fans to post this on message boards anytime a crucial postseason game was upon us.
Three Monologues from Deadwood
And speaking of the Bard, perhaps our contemporary equivalent is David Milch. There’s perhaps a dozen monologues from Deadwood (and maybe even one from John From Cincinnati) that would deserve inclusion on this list. But here are three favorites:
E.B.’s monologue about Al while cleaning
This is clearly the most Shakespearean of Milch’s monologues - a fool-like character, in an aside, not only expressing his thoughts but a sublime analysis of the many dimensions of Deadwood’s most compelling character and the human condition itselfAl Cochran delivers reverend smith
Perhaps the most articulate meditation on the problem of evil and God - while concerning a holy man - that I’ve ever seen on film or tv.Introduction to Ellsworth
A brief monologue, but it encapsulates the spirit of a man, the spirit of an age, in Milch’s profane poetry
“Was it Over When the Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor?”
Forget it, he’s rolling…
“We’re Mutts”
Did Harold Ramis write every line of this? Or did Murray extemporize the whole thing? Either way, Murray’s gift as a performer makes it feel like it’s entirely improvised.
“You Have Meddled With the Primal Forces of Nature… and You. Will. Atone.”
Ned Beatty delivers the truth of globalization and mass media as understood by Paddy Chayefsky. No film has ever had such explanatory and predictive power as Network - it foresaw reality television, Glenn Beck, the effects of turning news divisions into profit-seeking entities, and so much more.
“Tears in Rain”
This moment demonstrates why Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner has stood the test of time - the aesthetic choices are impeccable, the sci-fi ideas are considered seriously, and the grounded performance style lends a truth and gravitas to the genre that has paid dividends ever since. Andor’s many stellar monologues and moments wouldn’t have been possible if not for Blade Runner going there first.
“There Stood the Citadel of the Time Lords”
Most of the best monologues in the modern Who era have been penned by Steven Moffat - but my favorite of the era comes from Russel T. Davies. He wisely kept the Time Lords a distant/background element to the series for the start of his run, but by the time he reached his third season, he was confident enough to add some meat to the bones of that mythology. David Tennant conveys such delicious language here - often when there’s a big speech from The Doctor there is pomp and circumstance - perhaps a looming threat of global extinction - but here is The Doctor, hiding with a couple of his friends, laid back and revelatory. Every beat of this is earned. And underneath it all, a beautiful score by Murray Gold.
“The Carousel”
There are sales pitches, and there are sales pitches, and then there is The Carousel.
“Coffee is for Closers”
Another fine bit of salesmanship - on the topic of salesmen - in a movie-stealing scene from Alec Baldwin. So many memorable turns of phrase. Fuck or Walk. Third Prize is you’re fired. My watch costs more than your car. Coffee is for closers.
“The Only True Currency in This Bankrupt World”
Okay, I’m cheating. This is more of a dialogue than a monologue. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s finest hour.
“Luminous Beings Are We”
I may have not ranked these in any order, but this is my favorite among favorites. There is pure cinema magic. It may be a two-foot-tall rubber puppet on a stage in England, but the moment is transcendent.