Looking at it nowadays, it feels like they just don’t make films like this anymore — films cast so perfectly, with heart, passion, and a mission to give the audience an unforgettable experience above all else.
Even a masterpiece like Jaws has its imperfections — after all, nobody’s perfect — but some of these quirks have only enhanced its legendary status.
The truth behind the iconic line
There are countless unforgettable scenes in Jaws, but one that stands out is when Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) is chumming the water to lure the shark. Suddenly, Jaws makes a chilling appearance, startling Brody and prompting his now-iconic line: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
But when Jaws was first test-screened, everyone in the audience was so startled by the shark’s appearance that they were still screaming when Scheider dropped his iconic line. Because Speilberg didn’t want real audiences to miss the line, he & the editors extended the scene enough for people to settle back down and start paying attention again after seeing the shark; he also raised the volume of Scheider’s voice for good measure.
According to writer Carl Gottlieb, Roy Scheider also ad-libbed the iconic line ”You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” which only adds to the goosebumps-inducing magic of that scene.
