The American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles, California conducted their eighth polling, 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes highlighting "America's Greatest Quotes in the Movies." AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes revealed the 100 Greatest Movie Quotes in American films, as chosen by leaders of the entertainment community, in a three-hour television event, that aired on the CBS Television Network in June 2005.

A ballot was distributed in 2004 with 400 Nominated Quotes from Films to a jury of 1,500 leaders from the film community, including filmmakers, actors, historians, scholars, journalists and industry types. Voters could submit up to five write-in choices not included among the 400 nominees.

Judging Criteria for Selection of 100 Greatest Movie Quotes (and Top 10):

• Movie Quote - A statement, phrase or brief exchange of dialogue spoken in an American film. [AFI defined an American film as an English language motion picture with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States. Additionally, only Movie Quotes from feature-length American films released before January 1, 2004 were considered. AFI defined a feature-length film as a motion picture of narrative format that was typically over 60 minutes in length.]
  
• Cultural Impact - Movie Quotes that viewers used in their own lives and situations; circulating through popular culture, and becoming part of the national lexicon.
  
• Legacy - Movie Quotes that viewers used to evoke the memory of a treasured film, thus ensuring and enlivening its historical legacy.
  

  NOT ELIGIBLE: Lyrics from songs.