Choose life speech

E867016

The "Choose life" speech is an iconic opening monologue from the film Trainspotting that satirically lists consumerist life choices before rejecting them in favor of heroin-fueled nihilism.

Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf film monologue
opening monologue
addresses modern consumer society
appearsInFilm Trainspotting NERFINISHED
basedOnWork Trainspotting (novel) NERFINISHED
basedOnWorkAuthor Irvine Welsh NERFINISHED
closingIdea rejection of conventional life in favor of heroin
culturalStatus cult quote
iconic film monologue
deliveredByActor Ewan McGregor NERFINISHED
deliveredByCharacter Mark Renton NERFINISHED
directorOfFilm Danny Boyle NERFINISHED
filmCountryOfOrigin Scotland NERFINISHED
United Kingdom NERFINISHED
filmReleaseYear 1996
followedBy opening chase sequence in Trainspotting
genre black comedy
drama
influenced later anti-consumerist slogans
language English
listsItemsSuchAs electrical tin openers
family
jobs
leisurewear
starter homes
television
washing machines
medium film
mode voice-over
narrativeFunction critiques mainstream lifestyle choices
frames film’s anti-heroic perspective
introduces protagonist worldview
narrator Mark Renton NERFINISHED
openingLine Choose life.
partOf Trainspotting NERFINISHED
perspective first-person narration
refrain Choose life
screenwriterOfFilm John Hodge NERFINISHED
setting Edinburgh NERFINISHED
structure list of imperative consumer choices
theme alienation
anti-consumerism
conformity
consumerism
drug addiction
materialism
nihilism
youth culture
tone satirical
usedInMarketing Trainspotting promotional materials

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Trainspotting (1996 film) famousMonologue Choose life speech