Well, let me tell ya, this here Wizard of Oz, it’s got some words, you know? Words that stick with ya like burrs on a wool sock. Folks keep sayin’ ‘em, even now, all these years later. Makes ya wonder, don’t it?
First off, that little gal, Dorothy, she’s always yappin’ about “There’s no place like home.” And ain’t that the truth? You can wander all over creation, see fancy things and meet all sorts of people, but in the end, your own bed and your own porch swing are gonna feel the best. This here “no place like home” thing, it’s a real heart-warmer. Everyone knows that feelin’, you know, missin’ your own place, your own people. It’s a powerful thing, that home feelin’. Makes ya wanna click your heels three times, just like Dorothy.
Then there’s that Wizard feller, always boomin’ and carryin’ on, “I am Oz, the great and powerful!” Sounds like a rooster crowin’ on a fence post, if ya ask me. Big talk, that’s what it is. Turns out he ain’t so great and powerful after all, just a regular fella hidin’ behind a curtain. Reminds me of old man Johnson down the road, always braggin’ about his prize-winning pumpkins, turned out he was buyin’ ‘em from the store all along! And then that Wizard fella, he says, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” Like we’re all fools or somethin’. But that’s how it is sometimes, ain’t it? People try to fool ya, make themselves seem bigger and better than they are.
- Good witch or bad witch? That’s what they ask right off the bat. Like there ain’t nothin’ in between. Life ain’t so black and white, you know. Most folks are a bit of both, good and bad, just like them witches.
- “You’ve no power here! Begone, before someone drops a house on you too!” Now that’s some strong talk, ain’t it? Tells ya right away that this ain’t no ordinary place. Houses fallin’ from the sky? Only in a story, I tell ya. But it makes ya think, don’t it, about who really holds the power and who don’t.
- And that sweet Glinda, she says, “You’ve always had the power my dear.” That’s the kicker, ain’t it? We go lookin’ for help everywhere else, but the whole time, the power’s been inside us. Like findin’ a lost coin in your own pocket. It’s a good thing to remember when you’re feelin’ small and helpless. You got more strength than you think you do.
And that Cowardly Lion, he’s always whinin’ about courage. But then he goes and faces down all sorts of scary things. Sometimes, I think, bein’ brave ain’t about not bein’ scared, it’s about doin’ what ya gotta do, even when yer knees are shakin’ like a leaf in a windstorm. They say somethin’ like “Courage, dear heart.” It’s like tellin’ yourself, “Go on now, you can do it.” And the Tin Man, always wantin’ a heart. But he shows more heart than most folks I know, always carin’ for Dorothy and her friends. And then he says, “I have a heart, for I am a living person.” Makes ya think, don’t it? Maybe havin’ a heart ain’t about what you’re made of, but about how you act.
And that Wizard, he says somethin’ funny too. “I’m A Very Good Man, I’m Just A Very Bad Wizard.” That’s like sayin’ you mean well but you’re just not good at what you do. Like me tryin’ to bake a cake – it’ll taste alright, but it might look like a cow patty.
Then there’s that song, “Somewhere over the rainbow.” That’s a real purdy song. Makes ya dream of a better place, a place where everything’s happy and bright. We all got a rainbow we’re chasin’, I reckon. Somethin’ we hope for, somethin’ we dream about. And that’s what keeps us goin’, ain’t it? Hopin’ and dreamin’.
So, yeah, this Wizard of Oz, it’s got words that stick with ya. Words about home and courage and power and dreams. Words that make ya think about what’s real and what ain’t, about who you are and what you’re capable of. It’s more than just a story about a girl and a dog and a bunch of funny-lookin’ creatures. It’s about life, you see. And that’s why folks keep sayin’ them words, all these years later.
Tags: [Wizard of Oz, Quotes, Dorothy, Home, Courage, Power, Dreams, Classic Movies, Film Quotes, L. Frank Baum]