Sideways (2004), Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, based on the novel by Rex Pickett. JACK: We gotta go back. MILES: What? JACK: I left my wallet. My credit cards, cash, fucking ID, everything. We gotta go back. MILES: Big deal. We'll call right now and cancel your cards. JACK: You don't understand. The wedding bands. The wedding bands are in my wallet. MILES: Okay, so they were in your wallet, and you left your wallet somewhere. Some bar. Christine'll understand. JACK: No. She ordered them special. Took her forever to find them. They've got this design on them with dolphins and our names engraved in Sanskrit. We've got to go back. Christine'll fucking crucify me. MILES: No way. No way. JACK (a pitiful whine): Please, Miles, please. MILES: Forget it. Your wallet was stolen at a bar. Happens every day. Jack stares straight ahead, breathing through his mouth as he considers this. Then -- JACK: No, we've got to get my wallet! Those rings are irreplaceable! We've got to get them, Miles! I fucked up! I know I fucked up, okay? I fucked up. You gotta help me. You gotta help me. Pleeeease! Jack now descends to a level of wretchedness and desperation that Miles has never seen before in Jack, or in anyone else for that matter. JACK: Oh, God, please... Oh God. I know I'm bad. I know I did a bad thing. Help me, Miles. Just this one thing, this one last thing. I can't lose Christine. I can't. I'm nothing without her. Please, Miles, please... uuuuu... uuuuuu.... uuuuuuu...... No longer able to form words, Jack is reduced to emitting low, primitive sounds. Snot flows from beneath his bandaged nose. No clip for this scene, unfortunately. Here is the trailer: http://movieclips.com/bSoiK-sideways-movie-trailer-1/ Jack's reaction not only surprises Miles, we're totally surprised as well since up to this point Jack has not shown any vulnerability whatsoever - he's been the tough guy with all the answers.

Just wondering... are scenes with Al Pacino or Nic Cage disqualified from this thread ??

The Ref (1994) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyqFgpmoiFo LLOYD You know, you and my wife have a lot in common. You both think you have some right to life working out the way you want it to, and when it doesn't, you get to act the way you want. The only trouble with that is someone has to be responsible. I'd love to run around and take classes and play with my inner-self! I'd love the freedom to be some pissed-off criminal with no responsibilities, except I don't have the time! But you don't see me with a gun. And you don't see me sleeping with someone else. You think my life turned out the way I wanted because I live in this house? You think every morning I wake up, look in the mirror and say "Gee, I'm glad I'm me and not some 19-year-old billionaire rockstar with the body of an athelete and a 24-hour erection!" No I don't! So just excuse the shit out of me!

I think they would call it "acting," not overreacting. ;)

Gotcha... I guess I'm just not sufficiently attuned to the nuanced stylings of their craft. :)

Weekend at Bernie's (1989) written by Robert Klane Richard: This is the note. Listen. "Richard Parker and I stole this money from the company to pay for my sex-change operation." Larry: What? Richard: That's what it says. Larry: "Now he tells me he loves someone else. I can't live with that, and niether will he." It's got my name written on it! Richard: Oh God. Larry: Son of a bitch. I mean, it's not bad enough that he's trying to kill me. Now he's trying to turn me into a drag queen. Why couldn't he have said you were going to have the operation? Richard: It doesn't matter, Larry, it doesn't matter. Larry: Oh, yes it does matter, Richard, it does matter. I have a reputation to protect here! Richard: For Christ's sake, Larry! No one is going to have a sex-change operation, huh? Larry: Oh yeah. I've gotta call the cops! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCTgcZ6ImsQ

Goodfellas (1990) written by Nicholas Peliggi You could really put ANY Joe Pesci scene under 'overreacting' but this is the iconic one... Henry Hill: You're a pistol, you're really funny. You're really funny. Tommy DeVito: What do you mean I'm funny? Henry Hill: It's funny, you know. It's a good story, it's funny, you're a funny guy. [laughs] Tommy DeVito: What do you mean, you mean the way I talk? What? Henry Hill: It's just, you know. You're just funny, it's... funny, the way you tell the story and everything. Tommy DeVito: [it becomes quiet] Funny how? What's funny about it? Anthony Stabile: Tommy no, You got it all wrong. Tommy DeVito: Oh, oh, Anthony. He's a big boy, he knows what he said. What did ya say? Funny how? Henry Hill: Jus... Tommy DeVito: What? Henry Hill: Just... ya know... you're funny. Tommy DeVito: You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little fucked up maybe, but I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I'm here to fuckin' amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny? Henry Hill: Just... you know, how you tell the story, what? Tommy DeVito: No, no, I don't know, you said it. How do I know? You said I'm funny. How the fuck am I funny, what the fuck is so funny about me? Tell me, tell me what's funny! Henry Hill: [long pause] Get the fuck out of here, Tommy! Tommy DeVito: [everyone laughs] Ya motherfucker! I almost had him, I almost had him. Ya stuttering prick ya. Frankie, was he shaking? I wonder about you sometimes, Henry. You may fold under questioning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EJLoxdoI-Q

Goodfellas (1990) written by Nichola Peleggi One more, because you can never get enough of Joe Pesci exploding... it's just awessome. Nicky Santoro: Listen to me Anthony. I got your head in a fuckin' vise. I'll squash your head like a fuckin' grapefruit if you don't give me a name. Don't make me have to do this, please. Don't make me be a bad guy, come on. Tony Dogs: Fuck you. Nicky Santoro: This motherfucker, you believe this? Two fucking days and nights! Fuck me? *Fuck me?* You motherfucker! [turning the crank] Nicky Santoro: Fuck my mother? That's what you fucking tell me? You motherfucker you! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-O1nftQgeU

Of course, this scene from Goodfellas hits the trifecta of barfight, death of a gangster and ovvereaction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pQ6fd6iO_c JUNE 11, 1970S QUEENS, NEW YORK. THE SUITE - NIGHT A smoky, overdecorated cocktail lounge and nightclub on Queens Boulevard. Sergio Franchi is in full voice on the jukebox. It is after midnight. It has bean a long night.. Balloons and empty glasses litter the place. BILLY BATTS, a 50-year-old hood in an out-of-date suit, court at the bar. WE SEE a younger, more sharply-dressed HOOD walk in with a BEEHIVE GIRLFRIEND and hug BATTS. HOOD Billy. You look beautiful. Welcome home. BAITS (laughing and turning to the bartender) What are you having? Give 'em what they're drinking. WE SEE FOUR OTHER MEN, including HENRY HILL and JIMMY BURKE, standing near BILLY BATTS at the bar, raise their glasses in salute. TOMMY DESIMONE and ANOTHER BEEHIVE BLONDE enter. BILLY BATTS looks up and sees TOMMY. BILLY Hey, look at him. Tommy. You grew up. TOMMY (preening a little) Billy, how are you? BILLY (smiling broadly at Tommy and the girl) Son of a bitch. Get over here. TOMMY walks over and BILLY, too aggressively, grabs TOMMY around the neck. TOMMY doesn't like it. TOMMY (forcing a laugh) Hey, Billy. Watch the suit. BILLY (squeezing Tommy's cheek, a little too hard) Listen to him. "Watch the suit," he says. A little pisser I've known all my life. Hey, Tommy, don't go get too big. TOMMY Don't go busting my balls. Okay? BILLY (laughing, to the crowd at the bar) Busting his balls? (to Tommy) If I was busting your balls, I'd send you home for your shine box. TOMMY'S smile turns to a glare as he realizes BILLY is making fun of him. The Men at the bar are roaring with laughter. His GIRL is looking glumly at her shoes. BILLY (to the hoods at the bar) You remember Tommy's shines? The kid was great. He made mirrors. TOMMY (almost a threat) No more shines, Billy. BILLY Come ooonnn. Tommeeee. We're only kidding. You can't take a joke? Come ooonn. WE SEE that TOMMY is still angry, but begins to relax with BILLY'S apparent apology, but as soon as BILLY sees that TOMMY is beginning to relax, he contemptuously turns his back on TOMMY. BILLY (facing the bar) Now get the hell home and get your shine box. HENRY quickly steps in front of TOMMY who is about to explode. BATTS is facing the bar and does not see just how furious TOMMY has become. HENRY (gently wrestling Tommy away from the bar) Come on, relax. He's drunk. He's been locked up for six years. TOMMY I don't give a shit. That guy's got no right. HENRY Tommy. He. doesn't mean anything. Forget about it. TOMMY (trying to wrestle past Henry) He's insulting me. Rat bastard. He's never been any fuckin' good. HENRY Tommy. Come on. Relax. TOMMY (to Henry) Keep him here. I'm going for a bag. TOMMY roughly grabs his GIRL'S arm and storms out. HENRY (rejoining Jimmy and Billy Batts at the bar) Batts. I'm sorry. Tommy gets loaded. He doesn't mean any disrespect. BATTS He's got a hot head. WE SEE the LAST TWO GUESTS get up to leave. HENRY puts another dollar in the jukebox and moves back behind the bar and starts to total the register receipts. CUT TO: From HENRY'S POV behind the bar, WE SEE the GUESTS leave and suddenly WE SEE TOMMY in the doorway. HENRY walks around the bar and approaches TOMMY. WE SEE JIMMY and BATTS are still seated at bar with their backs to the door. BATTS They're fucking mutts. WE SEE JIMMY nod. BUTTS I seen them. They walk around like big shots and they don't know shit. JIMMY A guy gets half a load on. He mouths off. BATTS When I was a kid, I swear on my mother, you mouth off, you got your fucking legs broke. CUT TO: HENRY Approaching TOMMY who is carrying a large folded package under one arm. TOMMY, followed by HENRY, walks over to the bar where JIMMY and BILLY BATTS are talking. TOMMY drops the package on the floor. BILLY BATTS looks up. JIMMY turns around and sees that TOMMY has a gun in his hand. JIMMY immediately grabs BATTS's arms and WE SEE TOMMY smash the gun into the side of BATTS's head. WE SEE TOMMY hit BATTS again and again as JIMMY continues to hold BATTS's arms. JIMMY (to Henry, while pinning Batts's arms) Quick! Lock the door. WE SEE TOMMY club BATTS to the ground with JIMMY holding BATTS's arms. CUT TO: HENRY locking the door. CUT TO: BATTS'S INERT FORM - on the floor. WE SEE TOMMY unfold the package he had dropped near the bar. It is a plastic, flower-printed mattress cover. TOMMY and JIMMY start putting BAITS's legs into the mattress cover. HENRY is standing over them as JIMMY and TOMMY struggle to fit BAITS' s body into the mattress cover. HENRY What are we going to do with him? We can't dump him in the street. JIMMY (to Henry) Bring the car round back. I know a place Upstate they'll never find him. TOMMY is looking brightly at HENRY, as he and JIMMY finally zip BATTS in the mattress cover. TOMMY I didn't want to get blood on your floor.

Kevin Spacey as the boss from hell in "Swimming with Sharks," reaming his assistant for not getting him the right sweetener: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_drL_OsIWzQ Buddy: What I am concerned with is detail. I asked you go get me a packet of Sweet-N-Low. You bring me back Equal. That isn't what I asked for. That isn't what I wanted. That isn't what I needed and that shit isn't going to work around here. Guy: I, I just thought... Buddy: You thought. Do me a fucking favor. Shut up, listen, and learn. Look, I know that this is your first day and you don't really know how things work around here, so I will tell you. You have no brain. No judgement calls are necessary. What you think means nothing. What you feel means nothing. You are here for me. You are here to protect my interests and to serve my needs. So, while it may look like a little thing to you, when I ask for a packet of Sweet-N-Low, that's what I want. And it's your responsibility to see that I get what I want.

I almost added this over my first suggestion. When Tommy FLIPS after the shinebox comment, it's scary and hilarious all at once.