Jaws’ Most Famous Line Was Actually an Inside Joke on Set

Anytime I’m on a feature film set where everything is falling apart, I tell myself that I’m a part of something as great as Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, and I must be patient for the magic to unravel.

Not that I ever have been the recipient of such a miracle (and yet I continue to pray diligently), but thinking about Jaws and Spielberg, and daydreaming of being part of a legacy like that, definitely helps me survive the production chaos.

We know filming Jaws was a huge filmmaking challenge, and almost turned into Spielberg’s biggest professional mistake. Both the budget and shooting schedule failed miserably, and Spielberg was sure that he’d never get to direct another mainstream film. That is… until he was greeted with the biggest miracle of his life: when Jaws hit the theatres.

Now, 50 years later, we are still scanning the ocean for Great Whites and quoting the film's most famous line: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” which, fun fact, originated as a real-life on-set joke.

In this article, we’re looking back at the origins of Jaws’ most iconic line.

The Inside Joke

Filming Jaws was a real nightmare. While shooting in the ocean was already difficult (which sadly Spielberg hadn’t quite anticipated), there were lots of things that went wrong on set on a daily basis.

One constant complaint that was raised by all generations was about the support boat that carried lights, camera equipment, and craft services to the set. Screenwriter Gottlieb told The Hollywood Reporter, “It [the line] was an overlap of a real-life problem combined with the dilemma of the characters onscreen.” The real-life problem was that the boat in question was too small to do the job, so everyone kept telling them, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” I’m not sure if ultimately they got a bigger boat, but it’s fun and quite realistic to assume that they didn’t, so let’s go with that!

Nobody knew exactly when, but the catchphrase caught on like wildfire. “It became a catchphrase for anything that went wrong [on set],” Gottlieb told the Hollywood Reporter.

How Did The Phrase Make Its Way Into The Movie?

Roy Scheider, who played Brody, ad-libbed the line in many other scenes throughout filming. But only one delivery made it to the final cut. “It was so appropriate and so real, and it came at the right moment, thanks to Verna’s editing,” said Gottilieb.

The Scene

It is a beautiful sunny day. The fishing boat, Orca, sways gently against the ocean waters. Three men sit inside the boat as they quietly ponder their next moves. Police Chief Brody picks up a bucket full of shark bait and begins to scatter it into the ocean water. Brody is clearly annoyed with the messy task, and as he continues to talk to himself, the shark suddenly pops out of the water for a split second, catching him off guard. Brody is stunned to see the size of the shark. In shock at catching a real, up-close glimpse of what they are up against, Brody walks up to Quint and says grimly, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

Context is Everything

Jaws is set in the fictional beach town of Amityville, which is being terrorized by a great white shark. So, shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw), with police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), and marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfus) are out on the ocean, aboard the fishing boat, Orca, searching for the beast. Up until then, nobody had seen the creature up close other than its victims, who are now dead. The others, only in glimpses, as its fin slices through the water or its shadow shimmers below the water surface. The full view of the creature is withheld until this point.

Cultural Impact Of The Catchphrase

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat” transcended the silver screen and sneaked its way into our hearts with its sarcasm and humor, while underscoring genuine fear. Over time, the line gained more and more recognition and became a phrase that widely signifies under-preparedness in the face of a daunting, unknown challenge.

Ranked #35 on the American Film Institute’s list of top 100 movie quotes of the past century, the quote is often referenced and parodied in different scenarios, owing to its flexibility.

It’s quite fair to say that the quote “you’re gonna need a bigger boat” showed us a new way to approach problems that were greater than ourselves. It also reminds us how cinema is so very closely interlinked with real life.

Which is another iconic catchphrase from Jaws that you love?