Just one example: Anytime I hear someone in any industry say "to be completely honest with you" I automatically doubt that persons credibility.

Not helpful, but necessary, from Whit Stillman's Barcelona:

Fred: Maybe you can clarify something for me. Since I've been, you know, waiting for the fleet to show up, I've read a lot, and...

Ted: Really?

Fred: And one of the things that keeps popping up is about "subtext." Plays, novels, songs - they all have a "subtext," which I take to mean a hidden message or import of some kind. So subtext we know. But what do you call the message or meaning that's right there on the surface, completely open and obvious? They never talk about that. What do you call what's above the subtext?

Ted: The text.

Fred: OK, that's right, but they never talk about that.

@hey what: That goes onto the list, thanks.

@Josh K-sky: What I remember most about Barcelona, other than how beautiful the city is, is the scene where Taylor Nichols character is dancing to jazz while reading the Bible. After a long absence, Stillman is making a new movie.

This came up in our dialogue class, how some people promulgate the idea that subtext is the solution for writing weak dialogue. Subtext is merely one tool, admittedly an important one. Rather in my view, the key to writing great dialogue is digging into your characters. In fact, one of my principles is, "Dialogue work is character work." It's not just about aiming to write subtext, but rather grounding all dialogue, including subtext, within the specifics of who that character is and what situation the character finds himself in.

Scott:

May follow up with an email, but is there a chance you can pass my name on to C. Gaby Mitchell.
Saw where you interviewed him last fall.
I watched his Feature on the Get Low DVD Sat Night and have a project I want to approach him about.
If you could be so kind, sure would appreciate it.
Thanks

@foxofbama: You're referring to this interview. That wasn't me, that was through the WGA.

Here's a list from Mystery Man on Film: "wordless subtext, one-word subtext, single and double entendres, lines that have two or even three layers of meaning, subtext in seduction, poetry, evasion, and appeasement, the subtext of not saying what would normally be said, I could go on and on…" (here).

Few months ago I got it into my head to reverse engineer subtext, so as to organically arrive at subtext. Haha, naive fool. Now I'm in awe of how complex speaking and our word choices really are. Listen to yourself, everything you say, and your loved ones, and neighbors, and even strangers. I've actually come to believe that little we say is without any subtext. And sometimes speaker aware of it (erupting at toaster, goddamn toaster that doesn't do the one goddamn thing it's designed to do, after talking with health insurance company), sometimes not (my verb choices for mundane topics becomes randier as monkey bedtime approaches, meaning time with my big darling also approaches, never noticed before).

Rational thought and emotions are entwined (here). And we are each scaffolding composed of subroutine upon subroutine driven by emotions (here). Considering that subtext is what isn't said, that's a whole lot of unsaid turf.

For scripts, subtext that relates to theme seems to be most useful, so that's my primary focus now.

@Atlanta: As usual, great stuff. Here's another thought to add to the mix. We all know how important conflict is to stories, right? You know, "You can't have drama without conflict." Well, an interesting way to look at subtext in relation to dialogue is that it is built-in conflict; that is the text of the worlds, which convey one thing, versus the subtext, which conveys another. Yet another reason to view dialogue through the lens of subtext.

From "The Other Guys."

The mild-mannered Allen's alter-ego "Gator"... the ex-pimp... comes out at the most inopportune times...

Is this what you were shooting for?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgXPW9_hiLI&NR=1

For succinct clear conflict, on Community, right after Jeff Winger is pelted with a paintball:
Britta: See you at Denny's?
Jeff: Denny's is for winners.

Even shout out for movie fans (coffee is for closers). What sharp and funny writers.

The first time I understood what subtext was - although I didn't know what it was called until years later - was watching one of the TV movies about the raid on Entebbe. An Israeli commando, with his gear packed for the raid, tells his parents he's going on a fishing trip. His mother tells him to have fun. His father quietly says "Don't fall in."

This is from "Ocean's Eleven" with Goerge Clooney and Julia Roberts. They are talking about Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts husband at that time in the movie. George ist still in love with her.

Danny: Does he make you laugh?
Tess: He doesn't make me cry.

They look at each other and everything is said.

I think it's a great scene and a good example for subtext, because Tess ist not just saying that he doesn't make her laugh, but also that she doesn't care about him enough, that he even could make her cry.