Which Oscar Contenders Have the Best Catchphrases?

The Hurt Locker

Pop culture pundits have noted that Summit could have sold Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq thriller as an action movie if they wanted to grab more of an audience. When you have Jeremy Renner shrugging off his heavy equipment, then heading in to defuse a bomb with the line, "If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die comfortable," even Bruce Willis would be envious.

Up in the Air

Up in the Air has a tidy catchphrase that's already the speech-making slogan of its lead character Ryan Bingham (George Clooney): "What's in your backpack?" For that tidy line, credit Jason Reitman...and, potentially, a couple of other people.

Nine

Nine hasn't caught fire with critics or the general population, but in its attempt to grab some purchase before it's out of theaters, it's begun buttoning its ad barrage with Penelope Cruz's funniest line, delivered to exiting paramour Daniel Day-Lewis: "I'll be here waiting for you. With my legs open." Prediction: That line might have more staying power than the actual movie.

500 Days of Summer

There are a lot of things working in favor of this film's catchphrase potential, including an acclaimed screenplay and a hipster je nais se quoi that should ensure a whole lot of "voice of a generation" quoting. So why can't we really pick out anything from (500) Days that feels like a real money line? Do you go with something from the "No, I'm Sid" conversation, or the opening narration that solemnly pronounces, "This is not a love story"? In lieu of a definitive pick, we'll simply have to go with "She took a giant shit on my face. Literally" for now.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

It's not so much of a catchphrase as it is a "trademark," but Mr. Fox's whistle-click-click is an instant classic. Master it and drop it into conversation at a party, and you'll have all the perfectly corduroy-clad Wes Anderson acolytes in the room eating out of your stop-motion palm.

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