文学化、哲理化
影视剧语言来源于生活，但是高于生活。影视剧语言，虽然要求生活化、自然化，但是仍然是“有节制”的艺术语言，并非原始的自然主义。没有观众会花钱买票到影院去观赏一部百分之一百纯粹记录生活原貌的作品，除非那是纪录片。优秀的影视剧是凝练、浓缩、升华的生活。剧本和台词的创作，也被认为是文学创作的一种。有一句很经典的英语，概况了影视文本（audiovisual text）的特点：“the language of audiovisual texts is written to be spoken as if not written”。虽然我们讲过，影视剧语言的一大特点是口语化，但更准确地说，其实是文学化、艺术化的口语体（prefabricated orality）。所以，影视剧的语言是最接近生活的艺术语言，甚至具有文学语言的种种特质，有的讲究修辞，典雅隽永，有的还深藏哲理，启迪人生。下面的台词是《春风化雨》（Dead Poets Society）中基汀老师向学生们道出诗歌真谛的部分，是文学化的课堂语言。
例6：
Keating:We don't read and write poetry because it's cute.We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race.And the human race is filled with passion.And medicine，law，business，engineering，these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life.But poetry，beauty，romance，love，these are what we stay alive for.
又如，经典名著改编的影视剧通常会大量地沿用原作对白。例如，1996年现代版《罗密欧与朱丽叶》（Romeo and Juliet）虽然把故事从16世纪意大利维罗纳搬到今天的美国佛罗里达州海滩，但影片还是在大胆创新的基础上依托原著，保留了大部分莎剧原著的台词，再经由演员充满激情的演绎，很好地体现了对白浓郁的古典气息。
例7：
Juliet:Romeo！What o'clock tomorrow shall I sent to thee？
Romeo:By the hour of nine.
Juliet:I will not fail.'Tis twenty year till then.Good night.Good night.Good night.Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it be tomorrow.
其中thee，还有thou、thy、thyself等，体现了17世纪英语的特点。而sweet sorrow这样的用法，既是修辞学上的矛盾修辞法（Oxymoron），又押了头韵（Alliteration）。妙语警句，独具匠心。全剧还有What's in a name？That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.这般对“名字”的经典解析，或者用My only love sprung from my only hate！Too early seen unknown，and known too late！来表达爱恨交加，等等。
接下来的几个例子都是大家耳熟能详的电影经典台词，它们借剧中人物之口，以生动简洁的文字，都或多或少道出了人生的真谛。
例8：选自《乱世佳人》（Gone with the Wind）
Tara！Home！I'll go home，and I'll think of some way to get him back.After all，tomorrow is another day.
例9：选自《阿甘正传》（Forrest Gump）
My Mama always said，“Life was like a box of chocolates；you never know what you're gonna get.”
例10：选自《小鸡快跑》（Chicken Run）
Grass！Exactly grass.It's always greener on the other side.And then you get there，and it's brown and prickly.You see what I'm trying to say？
例11：选自《功夫熊猫》（Kong fu Panda）
Quit，don't quit.Noodles，don't noodles.You are too concerned with what was and what will be.There's a saying:Yesterday is history，tomorrow is a mystery，but today is a gift.That is why it is called the present.
例12：选自《飞屋环游记》（Up）
Happiness is not about being immortal nor having food or rights in one's hand.It's about having each tiny wish come true，or having something to eat when you are hungry or having someone's love when you need love.
例13：选自《当哈利遇见莎莉》（When Harry Met Sally）
Love is a lamp，while friendship is the shadow.When the lamp is off，you will find the shadow everywhere.Friend is who can give you strength at last.