The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with fava beans and a nice glass of Chianti."; "Senator, one more thing. Love your suit."; "Hey, are you about a size 14?"; "You don't know what pain is!"; "Oh, is she a big fat person?"
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:28Read transcript
- With the Gumm lines already covered, the census-taker line is called iconic, along with Hopkins's pronunciation of Chianti, and 'Senator, one more thing. Love your suit' is praised for its delivery, which Gene Hackman might not have matched; it was an era, with Terminator 2, of lines built to be repeated.
- Lecter's remark in the breastfeeding exchange with the senator made theater audiences squirm; Gumm's size 14 question and 'you don't know what pain is' are also cited.
- One host's personal favorite is Gumm answering Clarice's knock about Mrs. Lippman by asking whether she was a big fat person and then fetching the index cards; the other has no additions, and Charles Napier's scream when he is hit is added.