Remember that scene and motivational speech from a movie that had you on your feet? It’s that kind of speech that gets one moving and inspired. I encourage you view the clips below and add to your own library and view often as we all need a dose of motivation every now and then.
Top 5 Best Motivational Speeches From Movies
Below are the best motivational speeches taken from movies listed in order. As the speech is typed out, I encourage you to both read it and watch/listen to the videos. Either way, it’s motivational.
1. Any Given Sunday – Al Pacino
I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team or we’re gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, ’til we’re finished.
We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And, we can stay here – get the shit kicked out of us – or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell one inch at a time.
Now, I can’t do it for you. I’m too old. I look around. I see these young faces, and I think – I mean – I made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I, uh, I pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me. And lately, I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror.
You know, when you get old in life things get taken from you. I mean that’s…part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches. So is football.
Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small — I mean one-half a step too late, or too early, and you don’t quite make it. One-half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second.
On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch.
We claw with our fingernails for that inch, because we know when we add up all those inches that’s gonna make the f*****’ difference between winning and losing! Between livin’ and dyin’!
I’ll tell you this: In any fight, it’s the guy who’s willing to die who’s gonna win that inch. And I know if I’m gonna have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willin’ to fight and die for that inch. Because that’s what livin’ is! The six inches in front of your face!!
Now I can’t make you do it. You got to look at the guy next to you. Look into his eyes! Now I think you’re gonna see a guy who will go that inch with you. You’re gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows, when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him!
That’s a team, gentleman!
And, either we heal, now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.
That’s football guys.
That’s all it is.
Now, what are you gonna do?”
2. Rocky Balboa
“You ain’t gonna believe this, but you used to fit right here.”
I’d hold you up to say to your mother, “This kid’s gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid’s gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew.” And you grew up good and wonderful. It was great just watching you, every day was like a privilege.
Then the time come for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did. But somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you’re no good.
And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow.
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.
You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth.
But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!
I’m always gonna love you no matter what. No matter what happens. You’re my son and you’re my blood. You’re the best thing in my life. But until you start believing in yourself, ya ain’t gonna have a life. Don’t forget to visit your mother.”
3. The Great Dictator – Charlie Chaplin
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone – if possible – Jew, Gentile – black man – white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that.
We want to live by each other’s happiness – not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone.
The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.
Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.
Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost….
The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men – cries out for universal brotherhood – for the unity of us all.
Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world – millions of despairing men, women, and little children – victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.
To those who can hear me, I say – do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed – the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. …..
Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes – men who despise you – enslave you – who regiment your lives – tell you what to do – what to think and what to feel! Who drill you – diet you – treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder.
Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men – machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate!
Only the unloved hate – the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!
In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” – not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power – the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.
Then – in the name of democracy – let us use that power – let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world – a decent world that will give men a chance to work – that will give youth a future and old age a security.
By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!
Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world – to do away with national barriers – to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance.
Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!”
4. Wolf of Wall Street – Jordan Belfort
“I’m sure many of you have been hearing rumors lately, about me, about the future of this firm, and that’s what I’d like to talk to you about today. Five years ago when I started Stratton with Donnie Azoff, I knew the day would eventually come when I’d be moving on. It’s truly with a heavy heart that I tell you that day is here.
Thank you for that and for your years of incredible loyalty and admiration. The point is though, that under Donnie’s leadership, along with Robbie Feinberg and Nicky Koskoff moving into key management positions, this place is gonna be better than ever!
And the fact that I’m gone won’t stop me from giving Donnie advice,not that he needs any…
Before I go, there’s something I want to remind you all, and that’s this – Stratton Oakmont is bigger than any one person, even me. Especially me. You guys are Stratton, each and every one of you, and that is why it’s sure to remain the best brokerage firm in the fucking world!
See, the very idea of Stratton is that when you come here and step into this bullpen for the first time, you start your life anew. You have a place here and no one can take that away from you! Stratton Oakmont is America! Give me your tired and poor!
The very moment you walk through that door and pledge your loyalty to this firm, you become part of a family, you become a Strattonite! It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter where you’re from!
Whether your family came over on the Mayflower or on a f****** inner tube from Haiti!
Everybody here knows Kimmie Belzer, right?
In case any of you weren’t aware of it, Kimmie was one of Stratton’s first brokers, one of the original twenty. Now when most of you met Kimmie, you met her the way she is today – a beautiful woman who drives a brand new Mercedes, a woman who lives in the finest condo complex on Long Island.
A woman who wears $3000 Armani suits, who spends her winters in the Bahamas and her summers in the Hamptons!
But that’s not the Kimmie I met. The Kimmie I met was broke, a single mom on the balls of her a**. Three months behind on her rent with an eight year old son! She came to me for a job and when I hired her she asked for a $5000 dollar advance so she could pay his tuition. And what did I do, Kimmie?
Kimmie: You wrote me a check for $25,000!
Because I believed in you, like I believe in each and every one of you!
Kimmie: I love you, Jordan!
You know for years I’ve been telling you guys not to take no for an answer, to keep pushing, to not hang up the phone till you get what you want. This deal I’m about to sign, barring me from the securities industry, barring me from Stratton, my home…
What the f*** is that? I’ll tell you what it is, it’s me being a hypocrite. It’s me taking no for an answer, it’s them selling me, not the other way around! F*** it, I’m not leaving!
THE SHOW GOES ON!!
5. Pursuit of Happiness
Don’t ever somebody tell you. You can’t do something, Not Even Me. Alright? Alright. You Gotta Dream? Protect It. People Cant Do Something Themselves, They Wanna Tell You You Cant Do it. You want Something, Go Get It!