The final word

I’ve spent many hours contemplating what makes a perfect closing line. It must be resolute yet ambiguous, thematically satisfying without ever spelling anything out for the reader. The last line must trust the reader’s intelligence and must sound final but offer promise, somewhere between a period and ellipses in tone.  

Today I’ll focus on films, and next time I’ll discuss classic novels.  For this blog post so as not to spoil anything, please speak up with the title of the film and your choice of more current picks in the comments section. 

This film, won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Can you name it? It concludes with:
“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” said Rick.


The next is my Holiday favorite–a tear jerking story about true friendship and the importance of community: 
"Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."
"That's right, that's right. Atta boy, Clarence."

A man walks out on his wife with the parting shot: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”. The words she utters are optimistic:

"I’ll go home and I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day!”

In a risqué line for 1959, this is a comedy that ends with a joke from a millionaire as he is steering a boat away from the pier in Miami. With his new love Daphne—who is a man in drag, played brilliantly by one of the best most versatile actors of the century (my opinion).  Daphne takes off her wig and says “I’m a man!” to which the millionaire  replies:
"Well, nobody’s perfect!”

This great film noir ends with a suitably bleak and cynical last line when an associate of a Los Angeles private detective says of the corruption in 1930s Los Angeles:
"Forget it, Jake, its Chinatown.”

In her ruby red shoes in the 1939 fantasy film based on the 1900 novel, the main character says after clicking her heels and returning back to the farm:
"And oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home."

The final line of the 1950 movie was delivered by the incomparable Norma Desmond:
"You see, this is my life. It always will be! There's nothing else - just us - and the cameras - and those wonderful people out there in the dark. All right, Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my close-up."

This 1960 film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won five, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. It ends with the lines:

"Did you hear what I said, Miss Kubelik? I absolutely adore you."
"Shut up and deal."