“Game over, man! Game over.”
The scene: After their ship crashes, Hudson, who is played by Bill Paxton, is sobbing and going off about the doom of the situation. The two-time Oscar-winning “Aliens” was a hit when it came out in 1986, and it’s all thanks to this movie that Sigourney Weaver got her reason for recognition in the industry.
Even though Bill Paxton claims he is not good at improvising on the spot, he clearly is mistaken. A good portion of his lines throughout the film were improvised and ad-libbed, and it led to incredibly iconic moments throughout the film.
The Fugitive
"I don't care."
The scene: Dr. Richard Kimble, who has escaped from prison, is cornered by US Deputy Samuel Gerard. “The Fugitive” is a cult classic from the early 90s featuring some big names in the industry.
Tommy Lee Jones gives an amazing unscripted performance that led this film to receive an Oscar. This action thriller is full of improvised lines, but this one is the most iconic. His original line was “that isn’t my problem,” but he thought “I don’t care” fit the character and situation much better. He trusted his gut, and he succeeded in doing so.
Dumb and Dumber
"Mock... Yeah! Ing... Yeah! Bird... Yeah!"
The scene: Harry and Lloyd are on a road trip to Aspen. They pick up a hitchhiker who instantly regrets getting a ride from these fools. “Dumb and Dumber” is a glorious mix of moronic gags that includes a large amount of absurdity that is deeply intelligent at its center.
These hilarious actors, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, brilliantly play two dumb guys in this iconic comedy film. They actually improvised 15% of the script for the film, including this popular scene where Lloyd is being quite annoying. The 1994 movie was such a box office hit that in 2014, the film got a sequel with “Dumb and Dumber To.”
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
"What, exactly, is the function of a rubber duck?"
The scene: Harry Potter and Arthur Weasley meet for the first time. Weasley asks Harry all about the mysteries of muggles. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” is the second film to come out of the decade-long “Harry Potter" franchise.
Mark Williams performs the role of Arthur Weasley amazingly because he completely immersed himself into the character. For this reason, he was able to come up with the best one-liners (that only a Weasley would say) on the spot. He leans over to Harry with an expressionless face, seriously asking about the rubber duck’s function.
A Clockwork Orange
"I'm siiiiinging in the rain..." The scene: Alex and the rest of the crew break into a couple’s home and attack them. During the attack, Alex is singing and performing while kicking to the beat for emphasis. Another film by Kubrick, this film is filled with improvised lines and actions.
They could not seem to get this scene right, so they just told the cast to improvise. One of the characters performed the song “Singing in the Rain” while using one of the victims as a percussion instrument, hoping to bring some comedy to the scene. Thankfully, it worked! And it made for a very unforgettable scene filled with darkness and madness at the same time.