You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat: 20 Best Quotes From Jaws

Summary Spielberg's Jaws marked the birth of the summer blockbuster genre and showcased memorable characters and iconic quotes.

The dynamic between Chief Brody, Hooper, and Quint adds depth to the simple shark attack plot and highlights human relationships.

Quint's eerie monologue about sharks and Brody's famous line "You're gonna need a bigger boat" became cinematic legends.

Jaws features some of the most iconic movie images of all time, but its script should not be overlooked as there are many Jaws quotes that fans still remember decades later. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jaws became known as the first summer blockbuster and changed movies forever. The simple story of a killer shark terrorizing a quiet beach community is elevated thanks largely to Spielberg's innovative direction, but also a strong cast and a script that knew how to find humanity and heart in the story.

It might be the killer shark who steals the show, but the human characters are just as important to making Jaws the classic it is today. Chief Brody makes for a grounded, heroic, and vulnerable hero while he is backed up by the intellectual Hooper and the gruff Captain Quint. The battle these men wage against the deadly shark is filled with some memorable lines that speak to the excitement and heart of the movie and some that have become etched in the history of cinema.

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"That's Some Bad Hat, Harry."

Martin Brody (Roy Scheider)

Martin Brody gets a bit scared when he sees a dark figure in the ocean among the patrons. It turns out to simply be an older gentleman named Harry wearing a black swimming cap. Martin is relieved, but when Harry speaks with him, Martin coldly responds with this quote as a jab.

A fun fact about this line is that it would end up being the inspiration for Bryan Singer's production company, Bad Hat Harry. It's also one of many fakeouts in one of the most iconic scenes in Jaws, teasing that the shark is lurking and waiting to strike.

It is a funny line that shows the sense of humor the movie allows even amid the tense moments. It also shows that Brody is still out of place in this community. While the beachgoers of Jaws' Amity Island wouldn't think twice about donning a swimming cap like this, Brody is quick to point out how ridiculous it looks, cementing him as a big-city person who is out of his element.

Robert Duvall was offered the role of Brody.

"I Don't Have To Take This Abuse Much Longer."

Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton)

Richard Dreyfuss' Matt Hooper and Robert Shaw's Quint hate each other from the moment they first meet and that continues on their voyage upon the Orca. After Quint belittles him over whether their lost catch was the shark or not, Hooper takes the helm and comically mocks his situation. Not only does he respond with an "argh" like a pirate, but when Quint continues to order him around, he sarcastically says this quote, making for one of the funniest parts of Jaws.

Despite the fact that these characters only come together in the third act of the movie, the interactions between Hooper and Quint add a lot to the movie. Quint has no respect for Hooper's "academic" approach to seafaring, while Hooper sees Quint as a crass brute. It adds a fun dynamic that makes these scenes more than just waiting for a shark to show up.

"No, She's Not."

Martin Brody (Roy Scheider)

Just as everyone celebrates the catching of the tiger shark, Martin is confronted by Mrs. Kitner, resulting in getting slapped and blamed by the woman. She views Alex's brutal and tragic death as Martin's fault, since he knew about the shark and didn't close the beaches.

Mayor Vaughn attempts to soothe the situation by saying, "I'm sorry, Martin. She's wrong." This is simply followed by a sorrowful response from Brody, confirming that he takes responsibility. Despite the situation being the mayor's fault, Brody still blames himself for what happened.

It is one of the moments that cemented Brody as a truly great hero. Instead of simply being the kind of flawless character who risks his life and makes all the right choices, Brody is human and has to live with the mistakes he has made, which motivates him for the rest of the movie.

"This Shark...Swallow You Whole!"

Quint (Robert Shaw)

Of all of the characters that appear in the movie, Quint has the most poignant sense of humor and the bluntest and most direct way of speaking, as this quote amply demonstrates. He knows exactly what the town is up against, and it's far worse than they can imagine.

More than anyone else in the film, Quint recognizes that it isn’t going to be easy to take down this monstrous shark, and while his words have his signature folksy tone, they are a foreshadowing of what is to come.

The moment is a great one to introduce Quint. He has a healthy respect for the ocean and its creatures as well as a wariness about sharks in particular. Though he is not seen much in the movie until the climax, it is this moment that ensures the audience will remember him when he is reintroduced.

"There’s Too Many Captains On This Island. Ten Thousand Dollars For Me, By Myself."

Quint (Robert Shaw)

Quint realizes that the fishermen on Amity Island have never gone up against the kind of game he has, nor have they experienced the horrors he would share later on in the film. Those who attempted to take on the shark would either fail or die a horrific death.

With this quote, Quint demonstrates some of his less desirable characteristics. He doesn’t seem like the type of person to do anything simply out of altruism. Instead, he is motivated largely by money, and nothing is going to get in the way of the bottom line.

While Brody is someone who doesn't fit in with this ocean community, Quint feels like someone who grew up on the water and doesn't much like people who pretend to be sailors but can't really handle themselves out there. He sees himself as the only one who can take down this shark. It is a confidence that makes it all the more impactful when Quint is added to Jaws' body count.

"This Is Not A Boat Accident, And It Wasn't Any Propeller, And It Wasn't Any Coral Reef, And It Wasn't Any Jack The Ripper! It Was A Shark."

Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss)

Hooper's autopsy on one of the victims came up with a very different conclusion than the official story that had been floating around. The lacerations and tissue damage were not the result of any natural phenomenon or a simple accident. Annoyed, Hooper quickly became incredibly agitated when he realized that the bite marks were the signs of a great white shark. This changed everything for the small community of Amity Island, and it would involve a lot more than simply sending out fishermen to be served up as lunch.

Hooper comes into the movie at a time when Brody desperately needs help. While the mayor and others in the community want to downplay the possibility of there being a shark in their waters, Hooper's confirmation of what the audience already knows is like a relief that the situation can finally be taken seriously. Of course, that is not quite what happens.

"Now, Fellas. This Is Not The Time Or The Place To Perform Some Kind Of A Half-Assed Autopsy On A Fish!"

Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton)

There’s not really a lot to admire about Mayor Vaughn. Of all the characters in the movie, he seems the least interested in the actual welfare of the people that he is supposedly supposed to govern. Instead, he masks his own agenda with one self-deceiving justification after another.

As he protests Hooper cutting open the captured tiger shark because of the possibility of seeing a boy’s body sprawl out on the dock, it's hard not to wonder whether he actually cares about the boy at all, or whether he’s just trying to make sure that his re-election strategy remains intact.

Vaughn comes off as the quintessential politician who is willing to deny the facts and ignore the experts if it is going to make things difficult for him. While the shark is the monster of the movie, Vaughn makes for an easy human character to hate as well.

"My Kids Were On That Beach Too..."

Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton)

For most of Jaws, Vaughn is simply intolerable since he's a money-grubbing politician who caused more problems than he fixed. However, after the Fourth of July incident results in more deaths for the community, Brody has had enough and scolds the mayor, forcing him to hire Quint to hunt the shark Before he does though, Mayor Vaughn reminds Brody that his children were at the same beach where those people died.

Where most movies would have made the mayor a one-note character, this quote shows that he's not just some evil villain but someone who was simply misguided. He is clearly shaken at this moment and perhaps thinking about what would have happened if it was his kids who were attacked. In the end, it cements the fact that he would never have kept the beaches open if he really believed there was a threat.

"I Can Do Anything. I'm The Chief Of Police."

Martin Brody (Roy Scheider)

Brody gave the audience a bit of comic relief with this scene involving him getting thoroughly drunk to drown the stresses he was under due to the shark attack. However, a visit with Hooper seemed to bolster his spirits long enough to get him back to work again. After one more drink, Brody suggests they head down to the dock and cut the shark open, which may or may not contain the body of a victim. Ellen asks him if he can do that, prompting Brody to drunkenly reply with this hilarious quote.

While it is a funny line, it is also a moment of Brody truly stepping into his heroic role in the movie. This comes in the aftermath of his confrontation with Mrs. Kitner, which has left Brody filled with guilt. He is not going to sit by and allow someone else to be killed, so he is going to break any rules to ensure this is indeed the shark they were after.

Hooper has an affair with Ellen Brody in the original novel.

"I'm Familiar With The Fact That You Are Going To Ignore This Particular Problem Until It Swims Up And Bites You In The Ass!"

Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss)

Even though he’s a scientist and thus much more likely to rely on things like logic, there are a number of times when Hooper lets his emotions get the better of him. It's understandable given the knowledge Hooper has about sharks and their killing potential as a species. Here, Hooper goes off on Mayor Vaughn, who seems far more interested in bringing a load of tourists to Amity Island than keeping them out of harm's way.

Richard Dreyfuss' performance as Hooper really allows the character to shine. He is an intelligent man who likes to examine the facts of the case and is frustrated when others do not. With his harsh reaction to Vaughn's ignorance, there is a sense that Hooper has dealt with people like him his entire life and he is not going to sit on his hands and let their bad decisions go unchecked.

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"All This Machine Does Is Swim, And Eat, And Make Little Sharks."

Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss)

When Hooper and Brody finally figured out what they were truly dealing with, it came down to convincing Mayor Vaughn to close the beaches and prevent a catastrophe. Unwilling to sacrifice the prime tourist season, Vaughn downplayed the problem to the sheer irritation of Hooper. In an attempt to try and get him to understand the situation, Hooper described the great white shark's instinctual habits in terrifying fashion. When unleashed on a beach full of swimmers, it was like ringing the dinner bell.

This is a good way of addressing the effectiveness of the shark as a truly iconic movie villain. There is no reasoning with the animal and its motivations are simple, which means trouble for anything in its feeding area. While the other Jaws movies never lived up to the original, it is a surprise that none of the sequels attempted to make good on the tease about making little sharks.

"Here's To Swimmin' With Bowlegged Women!"

Quint (Robert Shaw)

Before heading out to locate and kill the shark that was terrorizing the local populace, Quint decided to share some homemade alcohol with Brody along with a toast. He uttered this quote, which was a reference to a certain risqué song that sailor types would undoubtedly have picked up over the years. It was an example of Quint's rugged, salt-of-the-Earth demeanor, even if he was characteristically rough around the edges.

It is interesting to see the grizzled sea captain come alive in these scenes. He was a grim and serious man when introduced earlier in the movie, but once he has the chance to get out of the water, he comes alive and is a lot more colorful. Quint was a man who embraces his life on the ocean, even if he underestimates this particular opponent.

"Tell 'Em I'm Going Fishing."

Martin Brody (Roy Scheider)

One of the most enduring and moving relationships in the Jaws movies is between Brody and his wife Ellen. This quote is a reminder that for Brody, there is more at stake than just defeating a man-eating monster that’s destroying the lives of Amity Island's townsfolk. Moments like these are what makes Jaws so great and the sequels lacked anything like that. His pursuit of the shark is in many ways his attempt to protect his family, and his laconic remark to his wife is his attempt to convince her that everything is going to be okay.

Moments like this in the movie show the magic Steven Spielberg weaves into his movies. He has always been able to add heart and something grounded even in the most genre-based stories. Without Spielberg's special touch, Jaws would have just been another killer shark movie.

Ellen Brody is the hero of the fourth and final movie, Jaws: The Revenge.

"Hey, Hooper! Maybe You're A Big Yahoo In The Lab, But Out Here You're Just Supercargo!"

Quint (Robert Shaw)

Quint resented the highly educated young Hooper for living a life he assumed was easy and cushioned. Their tensions especially clashed when Hooper had the audacity to tell Quint how to do his job. Their educational differences nullified one another out on the water, however. Quint was a seasoned fisherman with decades of hands-on experience, while Hooper understood the biology and behavior patterns of sharks.

What is interesting is that the movie doesn't make a suggestion about which man's approach was the right one. While they both make for a better team than they are willing to admit, both men also make the mistake of underestimating the shark. In the end, Quint's hard-earned experience and Hooper's vast knowledge prove not to be a match for the sheer force of nature that is the great white shark.

"Okay, So We Drink To Our Legs!"

Quint (Robert Shaw)

After a long day of shark hunting that gives Hooper, Brody, and Quint some much-needed intel on their enemy, the trio retires for the night with some renewed confidence. They retreat into the ship to get drunk and share some funny stories about particular injuries suffered throughout the years on the water.

Hooper and Quint might have been heavily antagonistic towards one another, but a little alcohol allowed both to let their guards down. After sharing their leg injuries, the two decided to pour a drink in honor of their wounds.

Once again, the scene shines as an example of the sharpness of the script that is able to accomplish so much in subtle ways. Quint and Hooper don't have a lot of time together in the movie. However, the entire third act of Jaws allows them to go through an arc together, coming to a mutual understanding at this moment, showing that they have more in common than they thought.

"Show Me The Way To Go Home. I'm Tired And I Wanna Go To Bed."

Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss)

The third act of Jaws becomes an adventure movie focusing on three men from very different backgrounds who find themselves on a mission together. Despite their differences and despite the danger they are facing out on the water, the experience allows them to connect and even share a song together.

Hooper starts the sea shanty, triggering both Quint and Brody to join in as the three, who barely got along, start to feel like friends and crewmates on a voyage. It's a nice character moment that shows the humanity of the three men.

The moment is another great way of the movie breaking tension as the audience can forget for a moment what lurks in the water around them and they can get caught up in the fun these men are having. This is brilliantly flipped when the scene cuts to a shot of the boat sitting on the open ocean with the sound of their singing heard as the shark begins to approach.

"You Know, A Thing About A Shark, He's Got...Lifeless Eyes. Black Eyes, Like A Doll's Eyes!"

Quint (Robert Shaw)

When the banter and laughter had stopped, Quint shared a story with Hooper and Brody that changed the entire mood of the night. Quint was on the U.S.S. Indianapolis, a military vessel responsible for delivering parts of the Little Boy atomic bomb that would later be dropped on Hiroshima near the end of World War II.

He recounted how the ship was struck by torpedoes from a Japanese I-58 sub, causing it to sink in 12 minutes. While in the water, 890 crew members became potential targets for shark attacks on top of dehydration and exposure. Quint's description of a shark attack is enough to send chills down the spine.

"You know, thing about a shark, he's got...lifeless eyes. Black eyes, like a doll's eyes! When he comes at ya, don't seem to be livin'...Until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white, and then...Ohhh, then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'..."

This is one of the most iconic moments in Jaws and one of the best-written scenes in the movie. Robert Shaw's haunting performance sells the horror of the story while speaking a lot about why Quint is the way he is. It is also a moment that further raises the stakes of the climax with the suggestion that they are facing something truly terrifying in the water, even if Jaws gives sharks a bad rap.

Robert Shaw initially wanted to deliver the monologue while intoxicated.

"You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat."

Martin Brody (Roy Scheider)

This line has gone down as one of the most iconic in the history of movies, and it hasn't yielded its status throughout the decades. The funny part of it is that it was never in the script: Roy Scheider improvised the line on the day.

After slugging chum in an attempt to lure the great white out to sea, Brody becomes irritated at the job, which he no doubt finds disgusting. After slinging a sly remark back at Hooper and Quint, Brody turns around and comes face-to-face with the killer shark for the first time.

He instantly realizes that the trio has bitten off more than they can chew, prompting this quote from a clearly agitated and intimidated Brody. It is a brilliant line that sets up the heroes to be in some real trouble in this finale. Scheider sells the moment wonderfully with Brody shocked into silence before delivering the line as if he is in a daze and simply expressing his own terrified thoughts out loud.

"Smile, You Son Of A...!"

Martin Brody (Roy Scheider)

Jaws simply wouldn't be Jaws without this explosive quote that had audiences cheering in theaters when it debuted. With little hope left in sight except a compressed air tank lodged in the shark's teeth, Chief Brody takes a shot that kills the shark and saves the day.

As the shark makes its final charge at Brody, the lawman takes aim one more time, cracking this one-liner in the face of those monstrous teeth coming for him. Pulling the trigger, the shark is blown to bits.

It's a testament to the strength of actor Roy Scheider’s tough-guy performance as Sheriff Brody in a role that has become synonymous with summer movie blockbusters. The formula would later pave the way for similar climatic feel-good movies like Star Wars, which would be released just two years later. It makes for a literally explosive finale in which the audience can share in the elated relief along with Brody.

"I Can't Imagine Why!"

Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss)

Most people watch Jaws for the sense of horror and tension it creates, but director Steven Spielberg also made sure to load it with tons of quippy dialogue. The friendship that forms between Brody and his fellow shark hunters - especially Hooper - is one built on mutual respect and good old-fashioned male bonding. With the shark defeated, the two heroes begin paddling their way back to civilization on a plank of wreckage. Brody remarks that he used to hate the water, with Hooper making this sarcastic comment to end the story.

The pitch-perfect final line is a great way of showing how wonderfully the movie balances its various tones. In the final moments, the audience experiences terror in seeing Quint being brutally eaten, they cheer when Brody defeats the shark, and they laugh at this humorous final line. It is the kind of blending of tones that sets a formula for summer blockbusters going forward.