"[to John Williamson] What the hell are you? You're a fuckin' secretary. Fuck you. Yeah, that's my message to ya: fuck you and kiss my ass, and if you don't like it baby, I'm going across the street to Jerry Graff, period. Fuck you."

"Martha, in my mind, you are buried in cement right up to the neck. No, up to the nose — it's much quieter."

"[Honey abruptly stands, looking ill.] Martha, will you show her where we keep the, uh, euphemism?"

"Sandy Dennis — Honey"

"George Segal — Nick"

"Richard Burton — George"

"Elizabeth Taylor — Martha"

"Drop in for Drinks and Brace yourself."

"The Violet-Eyed Venus Becomes a Boozing, Tired, Greying "Virago""

"You are cordially invited to George and Martha's for an evening of fun and games."

"Good. Better. Best. Bested."

"[talking to Nick about weight and fitness] Martha is 108… years old. She weighs somewhat more than that."

"Ian Charleson - Eric Liddell"

"Nigel Havers - Lord Andrew Lindsay"

"Nicholas Farrell - Aubrey Montague"

"Ben Cross - Harold Abrahams"

"With Wings on their Heels and Hope in their Hearts."

"Two men chasing dreams of glory!"

"This is the story of two men who run... not to run... but to prove something to the world. They will sacrifice anything to achieve their goals... Except their honour."

"[about the Prince of Wales] Protocol, Monty, protocol. He is here to show us what may be done, and, more essentially, what may not be."

"Aubrey, I've known the fear of losing but now I am almost too frightened to win."

"He is a strong man but is unsure about his religion."

"That was the miscalculation of my life."

"And now in one hour's time, I will be out there again. I will raise my eyes and look down that corridor; 4 feet wide, with 10 lonely seconds to justify my existence. But will I?"

"You, Aubrey are my most complete man. You're brave, compassionate, kind: a content man. That is your secret, contentment; I am 24 and I've never known it. I'm forever in pursuit and I don't even know what I am chasing."

"I am a Cambridge man, first and last. I am an Englishman, first and last. What I have achieved – what I intend to achieve – is for my family, my university, and my country."

"[to a competitor] Good luck. Don't suppose I'll see you 'til after the race..."

"I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

"You came to see a race today. To see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape - especially if you've got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home. Maybe your dinner's burnt. Maybe you haven't got a job. So who am I to say, "Believe, have faith," in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me." If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race."

"Richard Griffiths - the Head Porter at Caius College"

"Brad Davis - Jackson Scholz"

"Dennis Christopher - Charley Paddock"

"Daniel Gerroll - Henry Stallard"

"Peter Egan - the Duke of Sutherland, president of the British Olympic Committee"

"David Yelland - the Prince of Wales"

"Patrick Magee - Lord Cadogan, chairman of the British Olympics Committee"

"Nigel Davenport - Lord Birkenhead, member of the British Olympic Committee"

"Struan Rodger - Sandy McGrath"

"Alice Krige - Sybil Gordon"

"Cheryl Campbell - Jennie Liddell"

"Lindsay Anderson - Master of Caius College at Cambridge University"

"John Gielgud - Master of Trinity College at Cambridge University"

"Ian Holm - Sam Mussabini"

"I've had a long time to make enemies, doctor. So many governments, business interests, even religious leaders that would like to see me depart this Earth. I'll grant them their wish soon enough. But before I do, I wish to make a small contribution. A final gesture of good will to the people of this little planet who have given—from whom I have taken—so much."

"Jodie Foster - Eleanor Arroway"

"So what's more likely? That an all-powerful, mysterious god created the universe, and decided not to give any proof of his existence? Or, that he simply doesn't exist at all, and that we created him, so that we wouldn't have to feel so small and alone?"

"First rule of government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price?"

"Alien: You're an interesting species, an interesting mix. You're capable of such beautiful dreams and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you're not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other."