I want to make a movie that has enough impact that it's going to do what it needs to do. But I don't want to make a film that serial killers masturbate to.

I want people to flourish. I want them to walk away from the experience going, "That's what it should be like."

I don't know how much movies should entertain. To me I'm always interested in movies that scar. The thing I love about JAWS is that I've never gone swimming in the ocean again.

Take ownership of every decision you make because you will be hold responsible for the film, whether good or bad.

A movie is made for an audience and a film is made for both the audience and the film-makers.

You’ll find that the movie business is paid for by those mega movies. The movie business is paid for by Big Macs. By movies as product. Movie studios use that term “product” all the time. Product? You mean you have a lot of stories? No, we have a lot of product. You have stories.

I don't have the Tom Hanks fans. When you make the kind of movies I make, you get weird letters from people.