"The Silence of the Lambs" [last lines] Hannibal Lecter: [on telephone] I do wish we could chat longer, but... I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye. Clarice Starling: Dr. Lecter?... Dr. Lecter?... Dr. Lecter?... Dr. Lecter?... http://movieclips.com/x2VwX-the-silence-of-the-lambs-movie-having-an-old-friend-for-dinner/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggVpkTmf1Zc What a play on words and a chilling, bad-guy-gets-away ending.

"It's a Wonderful Life" (George and Mary listen together to Sam on the phone.) SAM: And here's the point, George. I may have a job for you, unless you still can't leave that old Building and Loan. This is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor, George! Oh, Mary? Mary? MARY: Well... Uh, I'm here. SAM: You tell that guy I'm giving him the chance of a lifetime, you hear? The chance of a lifetime! MARY: (to George) He says it's the chance of a lifetime. [SOUND: GEORGE DROPS THE PHONE] GEORGE: Now you listen to me! I don't want any plastics and I don't want any ground floors, and I don't want to get married -- ever -- to anyone! Do you understand that? MARY: (starts to cry) GEORGE: I want to do what I want to do! And you're... and you're ... Oh, Mary, Mary ... MARY: George, George, George! GEORGE: Mary... (Embrace and kiss) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf6e6dY1F0E Classic subtext as Mary relays to George that Sam is offering him a job, "the chance of a lifetime" ... but as they get closer and closer, George has and chooses another chance of a lifetime -- to embrace his future bride.

This is overkill, I know, but how do you pick just one scene from a movie with so many phone revelations? All the President's Men (1976) Screenplay by William Goldman, based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward. Here are some memorable scenes. I couldn't find clips for all of them, only two: WOODWARD picks up the sheet of yellow paper from his desk. Lined, legal-sized, it is crammed with names and numbers and addresses. They are in no neat order; looking at them it's almost like following a path; chicken tracks in ink. WOODWARD mutters "to hell with it" and reaches for a thick book, flips it open. NOW WE SEE THE BOOK: It's the Washington Phone Directory and we're in the W's. As WOODWARD's finger stops, we can see he's looking at the White HOuse entry number. There it is, just like your name and mine. Listed. Now WOODWARD starts to dial, visibly nervous, a fact he tries very hard to keep out of his voice tone. WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR (V.O.) White House. WOODWARD (casually) Howard Hunt, please. Throughout the following call, we stay on WOODWARD's face, hear the other voices. WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR (V.O.) Mr. Hunt does not answer. WOODWARD is delighted he's even there. WOODWARD Thanks, anyway-- And he's about to hang up, when-- WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR (V.O.) I'll bet he's in Mr. Colson's office. Let me connect you. SECRETARY (V.O.) Charles Colson's wire. WOODWARD (a little more excited) Howard Hunt, please. SECRETARY (V.O.) Mr. Hunt isn't here just now. WOODWARD Thanks, anyway. And he's about to hang up again when-- SECRETARY (V.O.) Have you tried Mullen and Company Public Relations? He works at Mullen and Company Public Relations as a writer. The number is 555-1313. I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful. WOODWARD Listen, forget it. He hangs up, sits there. His hands are a little twitchy... - WOODWARD AT HIS DESK dialing the phone. He's got the Colson file spread out now, and we see pictures of the man and articles the Post had done on him. But basically what we see is WOODWARD plugging away on the goddamn phone and you'd think his finger would fall off from all the dialing and you know his voice is tiring as this montage goes on, you can hear it grow raspy. But a lot of what a reporter does he does on the phone, and that's what we're compressing here. The dialing never stops, the voices are continuous. WOODWARD Hello, I'm Bob Woodward of the Washing Post and... (beat) Mullen and Company Public Relations? Could you tell me when you expect Mr. Hunt? (surprised) He is? HUNT (V.O.) Howard Hunt here. WOODWARD Hi, I'm Bob Woodward of the Post and-- HUNT (V.O.) (impatient) --yes, yes, what is it? WOODWARD I was just kind of wondering why your name and phone number were in the address books of two of the men arrested at Watergate? HUNT (V.O.) (blind panic) Good God! And he bangs the phone down sharply-- - http://movieclips.com/toyPz-all-the-presidents-men-movie-somebody-got-to-her/ THE NEWSROOM. BERNSTEIN is at his desk, telephoning. WOODWARD stands alongside. BERNSTEIN White House Library, please. We hear the other end of this phone call clearly. OPERATOR (V.O.) One moment. LIBRARIAN (V.O.) (elderly-sounding lady) Library. BERNSTEIN Hi. Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post. I was just wondering if you remember the names of any of the books that Howard Hunt checked out on Senator Kennedy. LIBRARIAN (V.O.) I think I do remember, he took out a whole bunch of material. Let me just go see. SOUND of the phone being laid down. BERNSTEIN --what do you think?-- WOODWARD --Hunt doesn't seem like your ordinary consultant. BERNSTEIN Maybe a political operative of some sort-- WOODWARD --a spy, you mean? BERNSTEIN It makes sense; Hunt worked for the C.I.A. and the White House was paranoid about Teddy Kennedy. LIBRARIAN (V.O.) Mr. Bernstein? BERNSTEIN Yes, ma'am. LIBRARIAN (V.O.) What I said before? I was wrong. The truth is, I don't have a card that Mr. Hunt took out any Kennedy material. (WOODWARD and BERNSTEIN listen, and now there is something in her voice that wasn't there before: fear) I remember getting that material out for somebody, but it wasn't Mr. Hunt. The truth is, I've never had any requests at all from Mr. Hunt. (beat) The truth is, I don't know Mr. Hunt. There is the SOUND of the phone being dropped into its cradle. BERNSTEIN continues to hold his. He and WOODWARD just look at each other. - WOODWARD on the phone. WOODWARD --this should take only a minute, Mr. Dahlberg, but we're doing a follow- up on the break-in-- (pause) --and I was kind of curious about your check. DAHLBERG (V.O.) ...check...? WOODWARD The twenty-five thousand dollar one. (silence) The one with your name on it. (silence) In Bernard Barker's Florida account. (still nothing) Bernard Barker, the Watergate burglar-- DAHLBERG (V.O.) (struggling) ...you're definitely doing a story...? WOODWARD Yes, sir. DAHLBERG (V.O.) I'm a proper citizen, I'm a decent man, I don't do anything that isn't decent or proper. (WOODWARD waits, pen ready; tense as hell) I know I shouldn't tell you this... WOODWARD's lips are going "tell me, tell me." DAHLBERG (V.O.) That twenty-five thousand dollars is money I collected for Nixon in this year's campaign. WOODWARD I see. And how do you think it reached Miami? DAHLBERG (V.O.) I don't know; I really don't. The last time I saw it was when I was in Washington. I gave it to the Finance department of the Committee to Re- Elect the President. How it got to that burglar, your guess is as good as mine. WOODWARD (trying to keep his voice level) That checks out with our finding, thank you, Mr. Dahlberg. - BERNSTEIN AT HIS DESK ON THE PHONE. He has some papers in front of him an a notepad and pencil in his free hand. He is tired and very, very nervous. It is dark outside. In what follows, BERNSTEIN takes notes. OPERATOR'S VOICE (V.O.) Essex House, can I help you? BERNSTEIN John Mitchell, please. There is a BUZZING SOUND. Then-- JOHN MITCHELL'S VOICE (V.O.) Yes? BERNSTEIN Sir, this is Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post, and I'm sorry to bother you but we're running a story in tomorrow's paper that we thought you should have a chance to comment on. MITCHELL (V.O.) What does it say? BERNSTEIN (starting to read) John N. Mitchell, while serving as US Attorney General, personally controlled a secret cash fund that-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --jeeeeeeesus-- BERNSTEIN --fund that was used to gather information against the Democrats-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --jeeeeeeesus-- BERNSTEIN --according to sources involved in the Watergate investigation. Beginning in the spring of 1971-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --jeeeeeeesus-- BERNSTEIN --almost a year before he left the Justice Department-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --jeeeeeeeeesus-- BERNSTEIN --to become President Nixon's campaign manager on March 1, Mitchell personally approved withdrawals from the fund-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --all that crap, you're putting it in the paper? It's all been denied. You tell your publisher--tell Katie Graham she's gonna get her tit caught in a big fat wringer if that's published. Good Christ! That's the most sickening thing I ever heard. BERNSTEIN Sir, I'd like to ask you a few-- MITCHELL (V.O.) --what time is it? BERNSTEIN 11:30. MITCHELL (V.O.) Morning or night? BERNSTEIN Night. MITCHELL (V.O.) Oh. And he hangs up. - http://movieclips.com/UxGb-all-the-presidents-men-movie-count-to-10/ BERNSTEIN talking softly from a relatively private phone in the newsroom. The voice of the lawyer is also whispered and scared to death. LAWYER'S VOICE (O.S.) (barely audible) ...You shouldn't ever call me like this, Carl... BERNSTEIN Will you confirm that Haldeman was mentioned by Sloan to the Grand Jury? LAWYER'S VOICE (O.S.) ...I won't say anything about Haldeman... not ever... BERNSTEIN (desperate) All right--listen--it's against the law if you talk about the Grand Jury, right? But you don't have to say a thing--I'll count to ten--if the story's wrong, hang up before I get there--if it's OK stay on the line till after, got it? LAWYER (O.S.) Hang up, right? BERNSTEIN Right, right--OK, counting: one, two-- (he inhales deeply) --three, four, five, six-- (now he's starting to get excited) --seven, eight-- (inhales deeply) --nine, ten, thank you. LAWYER (O.S.) You've got it straight now? Everything OK? BERNSTEIN (on a note of triumph) Yeah! And on that shout CUT TO: A HEADLINE IN THE POST--A PHOTO VISIBLE OF HALDEMAN: "TESTIMONY TIES TOP NIXON AIDE TO SECRET FUND"

Scarecrow (1973) Written by Garry Michael White http://movieclips.com/W6Zxt-scarecrow-movie-never-even-got-born/ Annie: You didn't ask about the kid, Francis. Francis: I was going to. So what is it, a boy or a girl? Annie: Dead. It's dead. Never even got born, Francis, 'cause I was left alone. Did you hear me, Francis? Eight months. You know I... I slipped on the front steps in the snow. I fell down them. There was no one there to help me. You know what I mean? I lost the kid. It would have been a boy, Francis. Never even got born. Never got baptized. You know what that means. That soul cannot go to heaven, Francis. That's what you did for your son's soul, you bastard. You sent it into limbo. That soul cannot go to heaven. - A couple of revelations going on here. It's a revelation to Francis that Annie lost the kid. Even though it's a lie, he doesn't know that, so that would count as a revelation. It's a revelation to the audience that Annie would rather lie about the boy's existence than to have Francis back in her life and in their son's life. That's how much she hates him for leaving. Also, it's the kind of scene that works great on the phone. One party is not privy to all of the facts since the two are not in the same location. Had Francis actually showed up at the house instead of calling the story would perhaps have had a different outcome.

Charade (1963) Screenplay by Peter Stone, story by Peter Stone and Marc Behm. http://movieclips.com/DnWGL-charade-movie-who-can-you-trust/ REGGIE Peter, you've got to promise me something. Promise you'll never lie the way Charles did. Why do people have to tell lies? PETER Usually it's because they want something -- and they're afraid the truth won't get it for them. REGGIE Do you tell lies? A pause. The phone rings. REGGIE answers it. REGGIE (into the phone) Hello? INT. OUTDOOR 'PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT SCOBIE holds the receiver in his metal hand. SCOBIE Mrs. Lampert? -- it's me -- the man who was in your room a few minutes ago -- INT. REGGIE'S ROOM -- NIGHT REGGIE (on the phone) What do you want? PETER (whispering) Who is it? REGGIE (covering the receiver) The man you had the fight with. INT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT SCOBIE (on the phone) Is Dyle with you? INT. REGGIE'S ROOM -- NIGHT CLOSE SHOT -- REGGIE REGGIE Who? INT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT SCOBIE (on the phone) The man who hit me, lady -- Dyle -- that's his name. What's wrong -- is he still there? INT. REGGIE'S ROOM -- NIGHT REGGIE's back is turned to PETER so he can't see her face. He watches her. REGGIE (on the phone) Yes -- that's right. PETER What is it, Reggie -- what's he saying? She shakes her head. INT. PHONE BOOTH -- NIGHT SCOBIE (on the phone) Don't trust him -- don't tell him anything. He's after the money. He hangs up. INT. REGGIE'S ROOM -- NIGHT Slowly, REGGIE lowers the 'phone from her ear and hangs it up. She hesitates a moment.

The opening scene from Scream, a number of revelations, especially once it really gets going.

There were also a few in this one, but this one was just heartbreaking. A real turning point in the protagonist's journey. From Jerry Maguire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moRXBFT1tbQ Jerry holds up a finger -- watch me. Jerry picks up the ringing phone. He offers a near-perfect imitation. JERRY "This is Cush." Suddenly, everyone is, laughing. The room lightens. INT. BOB SUGAR'S HOTEL ROOM -- DAY Bob Sugar talks on his hotel phone. SUGAR It's Sugar. He must be there, right? Just sniff or something if he's there. (Jerry sniffs, panicked) Alright, buddydude. Just remember. You're swimming with the big boys now. You let your dad do all the talking. I'm the one who got you the deal you needed. This is business not friendship. Be strong. You're global now. Sugar hangs up. JERRY "No comment. Jerry hangs up. The room is still laughing. His head is spinning.

GOODFELLAS (1990) written by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese, based on the book by Nicholas Pileggi, directed by Martin Scorsese Repetition and devastating subtext in this scene. JIMMY: Who's this? VINNIE:This is Vinnie. JIMMY: Vinnie, what happened? Did we get straightened out? VINNIE: Well, we had a problem. We tried to do everything we could. JIMMY: What do you mean? VINNIE: You know what I mean. He's gone, and we couldn't do nothing about it. That's it. JIMMY: What do you mean? What do you mean? VINNIE: He's gone. He's gone. That's it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlQCW02Tbxc

From a movie of phone calls bringing revelations, here's the first call to Stu from his mysterious stalker in Phone Booth: Then he starts to vacate the booth. The phone rings. And rings. Curious, he picks up the receiver. There's a voice on the other end of the line. A DISTINCTIVE MALE VOICE. VOICE Don't even think about leaving that booth. STU What? VOICE Stay exactly where you are and listen carefully. STU I've got a heavy day, mister. VOICE You know better than to disobey me. STU I don't know you at all. VOICE Are you absolutely sure? STU Who is this? VOICE Someone who's watching you. STU Get lost! VOICE Love the gray suit. That red and black tie makes a nice combination. Stu is taken back by the accurate description of his apparel. He looks around nervously. STU Where? Where are you? VOICE Closer than you think. STU I don't see you. VOICE There are any number of windows. Check them out. Indeed that street corner is surrounded by high rise buildings and hotels. STU Okay, you had your little joke. VOICE I'm not sufficiently amused. Not yet. We have more to talk about. Stu knows he should simply hang up but something tells him not to. Perhaps it's the strange tone of the man's voice. STU Do me a favor. Call up somebody else. VOICE But it's you I'm interested in. You know how many people use that booth every day? STU Why don't you tell me? VOICE Better than two-hundred people on average. STU Is that what you do? Count them? VOICE What else do I have to do? It's interesting watching people. Trying to guess who they are. And what they're up to. STU What are you -- a shut-in of some kind? VOICE You might say that. I can't go out. I might be seen. STU Somebody's looking for you? VOICE Desperately. STU The cops? VOICE Not yet. STU The ex-wife. What'd you do -- run out on child support? VOICE What kind of man do you think I am? STU Frankly, I could care less. You had your fun. Now goodbye. VOICE It's not in your best interests to hang up on me. That would make me angry. STU Isn't that just too bad? VOICE For you. STU There's ten million names in the phonebook. Pester somebody else. VOICE I never talk to people I can't see. I need to study their reactions. STU Alright, bullshit artist, what am I doing right now? VOICE Scratching your forehead with your left hand. Now you're brushing your hair back. STU Okay, okay, you got me in your scrutiny. So what? VOICE So let's talk. STU Only I got nothing to say. VOICE Oh, you will. You'll do a lot of talking before this conversation is over. And it'll only end when I want it to. STU Is that a fact? Well if you watch closely, you will see me hang up. VOICE I don't think you will. STU Why not? VOICE I interest you. STU Why should I be interested in some creep who gets his jollies spying on strangers in phone booths? VOICE But you're not a stranger, Stu. The sound of his own name sends a chill through him. STU Who put you up to this? VOICE You were my very own selection. STU Why me in particular? VOICE Because you're so afraid. STU Ha! What've I got to be afraid of? STU Just about everything. You have so much to hide. STU How do you figure that? VOICE Why else would a man with a perfectly good cellular bother to make calls from a pay booth? STU That's my business. VOICE I've made it mine. STU All of a sudden I'm required to give explanations to you? VOICE In explicit detail. STU What is this? Some kind of candid camera gag? Or like that thing on HBO where the cab driver is taping what goes on in the back seat? VOICE This is not showbusiness, my friend. This is reality. STU Your reality. Not mine, you lowlife fuck. VOICE Stu, you'll be made to suffer for your attitude, so let's dispense with the vulgarities. STU Now you're threatening me! Fuck you. Could that be any clearer? VOICE You're only making it easier for me to do you harm. STU Oh yeah. Right. Can you see how I'm trembling? VOICE You will be. STU Shit, this is a new one. Fucking threatening calls in a goddam phone booth. When are you going to start with the heavy breathing. VOICE I'm not the degenerate. You are, Stu. STU You don't know anything about me. VOICE Infinitely more than you know about me. STU Like what? VOICE Like the number you dialed when you first entered the booth. STU How would you know that? VOICE I'm watching through a scope and I could clearly read the buttons you pushed. I have another extension here by the window. Shall I dial that same number back for you? Would that convince you? Stu nervously cranes his neck, looking around at all the tallbuildings that surround the street corner. STU'S POV PANNING up at thousands of windows. The Voice could be coming from anywhere.

Enemy of the State by David Marconi INT - ZAVITZ apartment - AFTERNOON ZAVITZ is on his computer, watching his conservation video. He over hears a news report and finds footage of something interesting. ZAVITZ: Fuck a duck. Holy shit! ZAVITZ picks up his phone and dials a number. The camera cuts between ZAVITZ and BLOOM. BLOOM: News desk! ZAVITZ: Lenny, you are not going to believe what I have in my possession. BLOOM: Zavitz, long time. ZAVITZ: Lenny, I've go the Phil Hammersly murder on video tape. BLOOM: Phil Hammersly died of a heart attack. ZAVITZ: Negative, Hammersly was professionaly wasted under the direction of some anal retentive with what looks like a serious viatmin D defiency. HICKS is easily angered by it. FIEDLER listens in. BLOOM: How did you get the tape? ZAVITZ: My conservation study at the lake photographed the murder. BLOOM: You're kidding me! ZAVITZ: The camera was aimed straight at the peir, right where Phil Hammersly was killed. FIEDLER picks up a mobile and dials. BLOOM: How fast can you get that tape over here? ZAVITZ: I'm making a copy right now! INT. - REYNOLDS' office - DAY REYNOLDS is on the phone, talking and hears his mobile go off. REYNOLDS: Mark, I have to take this, good, thank you. Call if you need anything. REYNOLDS presses a button and then suddenly a series of beeps then followed by a long beep. REYNOLDS: Fiedler, is this line secure? FIEDLER: Yes it is sir! REYNOLDS: Go ahead. FIEDLER: Zavitz is speaking to a Lenny Bloom, a former anti-war activist. He publishes a variety of left-wing newsletters on various political subjects. He's taking the tape to Bloom's office, over. REYNOLDS: Put a tap on Bloom, and give us a dedicated satellite for this operation. FIEDLER: It's already done. FIEDLER hangs up on the mobile. http://youtu.be/GFqaufiBCv4 (end of clip)

Okay, people, you rose to the occasion. Every time we get a DDT and I think, "Ah, there's not 7 good examples of this," and I lay down the challenge, GITS readers respond. I am humbled by your knowledge of cinema!

The Matrix (1999) – Lana Wachowski & Andy Wachowski http://www.metacafe.com/watch/anWZsCbJutth447/the_matrix_1999_phone_call_from_morpheus/ INT. NEO'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Screaming, Neo bolts upright in bed. He realizes that he is home. Was it a dream? His mouth is normal. His stomach looks fine. He starts to take a deep, everything-is-okay breath when -- The PHONE RINGS. It almost stops his heart. It continues RINGING, building pressure in the room, forcing him up out of bed, sucking him in with an almost gravitational force. He answers it, saying nothing. MORPHEUS (V.O.) This line is tapped so I must be brief. NEO The Agents -- MORPHEUS (V.O.) They got to you first, but they've underestimated how important you are. If they knew what I know, you would probably be dead. NEO What are you talking about? What the hell is happening to me? MORPHEUS (V.O.) You're the One, Neo. You see, you may have spent the last few years looking for me, but I've spent most of my life looking for you. Neo feels sick. MORPHEUS (V.O.) Do you still want to meet? NEO ... Yes. MORPHEUS (V.O.) Go to the Adams Street bridge. CLICK. He closes his eyes, unsure of what he has done. The revelation? Neo discovers that he's opened pandora's box with his recreational hacking; and the person he's been searching for has searched far harder to find him, as he is the ONE!