--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nobody makes a movie thinking it's still…" description: "\"Nobody makes a movie thinking it's still going to be watched and talked about and quoted 20 years later.\" — Harry Shearer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/harry-shearer-7595_inspirational_nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still_1978021.jpg" --- # Nobody makes a movie thinking it's still going to be… ![“Nobody makes a movie thinking it's still going to be watched and talked about and quoted 20 years later.” quote by Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/harry-shearer-7595_inspirational_nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still_1978021.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/harry-shearer-7595_inspirational_nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still_1978021.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/harry-shearer-7595_inspirational_nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still_1978021.jpg) > “Nobody makes a movie thinking it's still going to be watched and talked about and quoted 20 years later.” [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative works are rarely intended for long‑term cultural impact; longevity is unexpected. **In simple terms:** Movies aren't made for future fame. Key Takeaway Accept that lasting influence is rare. Themes creativity legacy unexpected impact Mood reflective analytical Type observational commentary When to use this quote - film production - marketing strategy - archival planning Key Concepts cultural persistence media longevity Questions to Reflect On - What factors make a work endure? - How can creators plan for longevity? A Different Perspective Predicting cultural relevance is speculative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [There's nothing I hate more than going to see a movie and thinking, 'That could have been an hour shorter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-russo/there-s-nothing-i-hate-more-than-going-to-see-a-movie-and-thinking/) [Joe Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-russo/) > [The director makes the movie. The director has to have the story in their head, has to know the style of the piece, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovitz/the-director-makes-the-movie-the-director-has-to-have-the-story-in/) [Jon Lovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovitz/) > [“A director makes only one movie in his life. Then he breaks it up and makes it again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-renoir/a-director-makes-only-one-movie-in-his-life-then-he-breaks-it-up-and/) [Jean Renoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-renoir/) > [I have so many people come up to me, 20-some years later, and saying, "I loved you in Jawbreaker!".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-benz/i-have-so-many-people-come-up-to-me-20-some-years-later-and-saying-i/) [Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-benz/) > [When I first got into graffiti I thought it was going to change the world. 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It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-sukowa/to-make-a-movie-about-someone-who-is-thinking-and-writing-is-scary/) [Barbara Sukowa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-sukowa/) > [But I just felt at one point that I was on a hamster wheel, you know? Just doing movie after movie and thinking so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/but-i-just-felt-at-one-point-that-i-was-on-a-hamster-wheel-you-know/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [Comedies don't get nominated for Oscars. It doesn't happen. So when we set out to do a movie, it's not what we're thinking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-guest/comedies-don-t-get-nominated-for-oscars-it-doesn-t-happen-so-when-we/) [Christopher Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-guest/) > [You never write a theme for a movie thinking, 'This will live forever.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/you-never-write-a-theme-for-a-movie-thinking-this-will-live-forever/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) ## More by Harry Shearer > [Music often happens even faster than comedy in terms of the creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/music-often-happens-even-faster-than-comedy-in-terms-of-the-creation/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [ There were really funny characteristics about this guy \[Richard Nixon\], chief of which would be that he seemed to devote about 85 percent of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/there-were-really-funny-characteristics-about-this-guy-richard-nixon/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [We're very pleased to be on a show which is known and loved around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/we-re-very-pleased-to-be-on-a-show-which-is-known-and-loved-around/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [The theater business is very much about "Hey, if you want our big blockbuster at Christmas time, you'll play our piece of crap in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/the-theater-business-is-very-much-about-hey-if-you-want-our-big/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [Sometimes, songs spill out of you very fast, and sometimes you have to wrangle them to the floor. But the same thing is true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/sometimes-songs-spill-out-of-you-very-fast-and-sometimes-you-have-to/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I would come back to public school for usually about half the year. It was actually better for me to be out of school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-would-come-back-to-public-school-for-usually-about-half-the-year-it/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I always thought, as a kid, if you - and the reason that I sort of stayed away from doing one character on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-always-thought-as-a-kid-if-you-and-the-reason-that-i-sort-of-stayed/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I am one of those people who thrive on deadlines. Nothing brings on inspiration more readily than desperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-am-one-of-those-people-who-thrive-on-deadlines-nothing-brings-on/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I couldn't help but be struck that this guy I had thought was the embodiment of everything wrong with American politics, a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-couldn-t-help-but-be-struck-that-this-guy-i-had-thought-was-the/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [You have to do real acting, not just do a voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/you-have-to-do-real-acting-not-just-do-a-voice/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I never wanted to do a regular sitcom, because I'd be incredibly bored doing the same character week in, week out. But the beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-never-wanted-to-do-a-regular-sitcom-because-i-d-be-incredibly-bored/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I was never into candy and games and clowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-was-never-into-candy-and-games-and-clowns/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I went to graduate school at Harvard for one year I worked in the state legislature in Sacramento for one year. I taught school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-went-to-graduate-school-at-harvard-for-one-year-i-worked-in-the/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I'm at a little loss in terms of my Leave It To Beaver expertise, since I never watched an episode of the show -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-m-at-a-little-loss-in-terms-of-my-leave-it-to-beaver-expertise/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [My job is to take what I think is funny and to make other people think it's funny, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/my-job-is-to-take-what-i-think-is-funny-and-to-make-other-people/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) [Explore all 89 Harry Shearer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) ## More Film quotes > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/) [David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/) > [My only close-to-game-plan is to follow good writing. If the writing is in TV or if it's in theater or in film, that's it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/my-only-close-to-game-plan-is-to-follow-good-writing-if-the-writing/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [Pakistan now is like a horror film franchise. You know, it's 'Friday the 13th, Episode 63: The Terrorist from Pakistan.' And each time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/pakistan-now-is-like-a-horror-film-franchise-you-know-it-s-friday-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) [Browse all 32,254 Film quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nobody makes a movie thinking it's still going to be watched and talked about and quoted 20 years later.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harry Shearer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still-going-to-be-watched-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Film" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still-going-to-be-watched-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/harry-shearer-7595_inspirational_nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still_1978021.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/harry-shearer-7595_inspirational_nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still_1978021.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/harry-shearer-7595_inspirational_nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still_1978021.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nobody makes a movie thinking it's still going to be watched and talked about and quoted 20 years later.” — Harry Shearer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Harry Shearer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nobody makes a movie thinking it's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still-going-to-be-watched-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/nobody-makes-a-movie-thinking-it-s-still-going-to-be-watched-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```