"If in secular Europe, the pope speaks out against the Scorsese film on Jesus' temptations, without even trying to pressure governments to ban it, the European secularist press, as if to pre-empt any suggestion of a ban, makes it quite clear that there can be no question of anyhow restricting the public's access to the film. If people don't want to see it, let them not go see it. That is their freedom, like it is other people's freedom to go see it, unimpeded by papal or governmental bans... In Europe, we have come to protect our constitutional freedoms, and hardly any bigot will even think of either seriously campaigning for a ban or using violence to punish people who show interest in the material to which he objects. All right, there was a bomb attack on a movie theater showing the Temptation film. But the culprit was simply caught and put in jail. Nobody has suggested that we should ban the film in order to avert violence. If at all there is a threat of violence, then there are no two opinions about the duty of the state to uphold the constitutional freedoms, and to prevent terror-mongers from dictating who can see what."

"In Last Temptation, I'm playing a Jesus, not the Jesus. If I'm thinking I'm playing the Jesus, I don't know where to begin."

"[to Jesus in the World without the Crucifixion] You see, you don't know how much people need God. You don't know how happy He can make them. He can make them happy to do anything. Make them happy to die, and they'll die, all for the sake of Christ. Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth. The Son of God. The Messiah. Not you. Not for your sake. You know, I'm glad I met you. Because now I can forget all about you. My Jesus is much more important and much more powerful. Thank you, it's a good thing I met you."

"[stares at the heavens] Father, will you listen to me? Are you still there? Will you listen to a selfish, unfaithful son? I fought you when you called, I resisted! I thought of no more. I didn't want to be your son! Can you forgive me? I didn't fight hard enough. Father, give me Your hand. I want to bring salvation! Father, take me back! Make a feast! Welcome me home! I want to be Your son! I want to pay the price! I want to be crucified and rise again! I want to be the Messiah!"

"[drawing a circle in the earth while he speaks to God] I'm not going to leave this circle, I'm not going to leave until you speak to me. No signs, no pain, just speak to me in human words. Whatever path you want, I'll take. Love, or the axe, or anything else. Now if you want me to stay here and die, I'll do that too, but you have to tell me."

"In the desert, the baptist warned us, God is coming. Well, I'm telling you it's too late! He's already here. I'm here! And I'm going to baptize everybody... with fire!"

"If I was a woodcutter, I'd cut. If I was a fire, I'd burn. But I'm a heart and I love. That's the only thing I can do."

"Today and tomorrow I cast out demons and work cures. On the third day, I will be perfected."

"You think God belongs only to you? He doesn't. God is an immortal spirit who belongs to everybody, to the whole world. You think you're special? God is not an Israelite."

"God loves me. I know he loves me. I want him to stop! I make crosses so he'll hate me so he'll find another! I want to crucify every one of his messiahs."

"The feeling begins. Very tender, very loving. Then the pain starts. Claws slip underneath the skin and tear their way up. Just before they reach my eyes, they dig in. And I remember. First I fasted for three months. I even whipped myself before I went to sleep. At first it worked. Then the pain came back. And the voices. They call me by name. Jesus."

"You see, Howard, we're not like everyone else. Too many acute angles. Too many... eccentricities. We have to be very careful not to let people in or they'll make us into freaks."

"Jude Law - Errol Flynn"

"Gwen Stefani - Jean Harlow"

"Adam Scott - Johnny Meyer"

"Danny Huston - Jack Frye"

"Matt Ross - Glenn Odekerk"

"Ian Holm - Professor Fitz"

"Do your worst, Mr. Hughes!"

"Alan Alda - Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster"

"Alec Baldwin - Juan Trippe"

"John C. Reilly — Noah Dietrich"

"Kate Beckinsale — Ava Gardner"

"Cate Blanchett — Katharine Hepburn"

"Leonardo DiCaprio — Howard Hughes"

"Imagine a life without limits."

"For some men, the sky was the limit. For him, it was just the beginning."

"Some men dream the future. He built it."

"You just placed the largest order for planes in the history of the damned planet, Howard!"

"Now I'm glad Jack is feeling so sunny about this, but I've seen the books. Now, I'm not just crying wolf this time; we're in serious trouble! You've gotta make a choice. You want to be bankrupted by the big plane or by the big airline?"

"Now, it's been a great ride. We've had a hell of a lot of fun. But you're losing $25,000 a day doing this. Every day."

"There's too much Howard Hughes in Howard Hughes. That's the trouble."

"Can't you eat ice cream out of a bowl like everyone else in the world?!"

"Ha! Men can't be friends with women. They must possess them or leave them be. It's a primitive urge from caveman days. It's all in Darwin: Hunt the flesh, kill the flesh, eat the flesh. That's the male sex all over."

"The XF-11! She's a spy-plane really. Designed every inch of her myself. She's got a top speed of 350 which means she can outrun anything they throw against her. Yeah, after the Japs stole my H-1 design for their goddamn Zeroes I figure I'd better do 'em one better. Yeah, she's my Buck Rogers ship."

"The way of the future. The way of the future. The way of the future. The way of the future. The way of the future."

"[to Katharine Hepburn] You come out of the blue and tell me you’re leavin' me and have you have the nerve to expect graciousness?!"

"I am supposed to be many things that are not complimentary. I am supposed to be capricious, I have been called a playboy, I have even been called an eccentric. But I do not believe I have the reputation of being a liar. Now, needless to say, the Hercules was a monumental undertaking; it is the largest plane ever built. It is over five stories tall with a wingspan longer than a football field, that is more than a city block! Now I put the sweat of my life into this thing, I got my reputation all rolled up in it, and I have stated several times that if the Hercules fails to fly, I will leave this country and never come back... and I mean it! Now, Senator Brewster, you can subpoena me, you can arrest me, you can even claim that I have folded and taken a run-out powder, but, well, I have had just about enough of this nonsense! Good day!"