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Jaws, adapted from Peter Benchley’s novel, opened in U.S. theaters on June 20, 1975. The dialogue below is presented as spoken in the film, with each line attributed to its character and a brief note on its context.
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20 memorable quotes from Jaws
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“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” — Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider)
Brody says it after the shark surfaces beside the Orca. Its understatement makes the sight—and the crew’s suddenly obvious problem—land at once. -
“Smile, you son of a—” — Quint (Robert Shaw)
Quint aims at the shark during the final struggle. The interrupted taunt is memorable for its defiance as much as for the shot that follows.Free tools Windows power users keep installed
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“You’re the mayor of Shark City, people!” — Quint
Quint rails at the island’s officials over their response to the danger. The line captures his blunt, contemptuous way of confronting authority. -
“I can do anything. I’m the chief of police.” — Brody
Brody reassures his son while they play at home. The line’s small domestic confidence contrasts with the fear he faces on the water. -
“This was no boating accident!” — Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss)
Hooper examines the remains of the first victim and makes clear that the damage points to something far more dangerous than an ordinary accident. -
“I’m not going to waste my time arguing with a man who’s lining up to be a hot lunch.” — Hooper
Hooper pushes back against the mayor’s insistence that the beach stay open. His dry phrasing makes the stakes hard to miss.Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
“The thing about a shark, he’s got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eye.” — Quint
On the Orca, Quint describes the shark he encountered in the war. The quiet, controlled delivery makes the image—and his history with sharks—chilling.Rank #2
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“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” — Brody
The line is often rendered this way, with “you’re,” rather than “we’re.” In an Associated Press account published in 2025, Scheider’s delivery is described as improvised. AP also recounts screenwriter Carl Gottlieb’s memory that the phrase had become a crew catchphrase whenever something went wrong during production. -
“Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies.” — Quint
Quint sings aboard the Orca. The old sea song helps establish the crew’s life at sea and the camaraderie that develops during the hunt. -
“I’m not saying that this shark’s the only one in the ocean.” — Hooper
Hooper explains why killing one shark would not settle every question about the threat. The line reflects his effort to distinguish evidence from assumption.Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
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“You’re going to ignore this particular problem until it swims up and bites you?” — Hooper
Hooper challenges the mayor’s reluctance to act. The pointed question distills the conflict between public safety and the pressure to keep the beaches open. -
“You’re gonna close the beaches?” — Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton)
Vaughn reacts to the prospect of closing Amity’s beaches. His alarm shows how quickly economic concerns enter the town’s decisions.Rank #3
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“I can’t do this on my own.” — Brody
Brody acknowledges the danger and the need for help as the hunt takes shape. The moment gives the police chief’s courage a human dimension. -
“You got city hands, Mr. Hooper. You been counting money all your life.” — Quint
Quint needles Hooper aboard the boat. Their antagonism is more than a clash of manners: the two men bring sharply different experience and status to the hunt.Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
“I’ll never put on a life jacket again.” — Hooper
Hooper jokes after a tense moment on the water. His humor offers a brief release without making the danger disappear. -
“You’re going to need a bigger boat.” — Brody
In the film, Brody’s famous line is delivered as “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” The expanded wording is often repeated in conversation, but the shorter version is the familiar quotation. -
“I’m not going to be a part of this.” — Hooper
Hooper resists the town’s handling of the crisis. His frustration underscores the gap between what he believes the evidence demands and what officials are willing to do.Rank #4
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“You know, the thing about a shark is, he’s got lifeless eyes.” — Quint
Quint’s description of the shark’s eyes is often remembered as part of his longer speech aboard the Orca. The image is stark and helps explain why the story he tells carries such weight.Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
“I used to be afraid of the water.” — Brody
Brody’s unease around the ocean is a recurring part of his character. The line’s simplicity makes his decision to face the shark more significant. -
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” — Brody
The line endures because it joins a clear visual punchline to a genuine crisis. Brody’s deadpan reaction turns the impossible size of the shark into a piece of everyday speech.
Why the bigger-boat line became the signature quote
Brody’s line works because it arrives at the instant the danger becomes undeniable. He does not make a speech or try to sound heroic; he states the practical consequence of what he sees. That mix of understatement, timing and visual shock makes the quotation easy to recognize and reuse.
Associated Press coverage of the film’s 50th anniversary in 2025 reports that Roy Scheider improvised the line. AP also relays screenwriter Carl Gottlieb’s recollection that crew members had used it as a catchphrase when production problems arose, such as a late lunch or rough seas rocking the camera. That is an account of the phrase’s production history, not a claim that it appeared as a documented line in the script.
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There is no definitive or measured ranking of individual Jaws quotations. These selections balance recognition, the importance of the scene, each character’s voice and the line’s usefulness outside the film. The Jaws Archive and IMDb’s quote page are useful places to identify candidate dialogue, but neither should be mistaken for an official studio ranking; the released film is the authority for exact wording.
Jaws and its theatrical release
Spielberg’s Jaws is based on Peter Benchley’s novel and opened in U.S. theaters on June 20, 1975. The Associated Press reported in 2025 that its initial release opened in 409 theaters and grossed $7.9 million in its first days. Those figures describe the film’s initial U.S. release, not its later box-office history.
