"You can tell when you're in a hit"
About this Quote
There is a breezy, almost throwaway confidence in Steve Guttenberg's line, and that's exactly why it lands. "You can tell when you're in a hit" sounds like insider wisdom, but the subtext is more revealing: success announces itself long before the box office numbers arrive, and it does so through vibes, behavior, and the sudden shift in how an industry treats you.
Guttenberg isn't speaking as an awards-chasing thespian. He's a pop-culture professional whose career was built in the high-gloss, audience-friendly machine of 1980s studio comedy. In that ecosystem, a "hit" isn't primarily an aesthetic judgment; it's a social weather system. The set feels different. The crew's energy changes. Executives show up. Marketing starts leaning in. Jokes get protected instead of second-guessed. People return your calls faster. A project gains momentum, and momentum is a kind of truth in Hollywood.
The line also quietly acknowledges how collective and precarious hits are. If you "can tell", it's because everyone else can, too - cast, crew, distributors, even test audiences. It's not prophecy; it's pattern recognition. That makes the quote both charming and a little cynical: art may be mysterious, but popularity often isn't. In a business that runs on uncertainty, Guttenberg is describing the one sensation that cuts through the fog - the unmistakable feeling of being carried by the current rather than fighting it.
Guttenberg isn't speaking as an awards-chasing thespian. He's a pop-culture professional whose career was built in the high-gloss, audience-friendly machine of 1980s studio comedy. In that ecosystem, a "hit" isn't primarily an aesthetic judgment; it's a social weather system. The set feels different. The crew's energy changes. Executives show up. Marketing starts leaning in. Jokes get protected instead of second-guessed. People return your calls faster. A project gains momentum, and momentum is a kind of truth in Hollywood.
The line also quietly acknowledges how collective and precarious hits are. If you "can tell", it's because everyone else can, too - cast, crew, distributors, even test audiences. It's not prophecy; it's pattern recognition. That makes the quote both charming and a little cynical: art may be mysterious, but popularity often isn't. In a business that runs on uncertainty, Guttenberg is describing the one sensation that cuts through the fog - the unmistakable feeling of being carried by the current rather than fighting it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Guttenberg, Steve. (2026, January 16). You can tell when you're in a hit. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-can-tell-when-youre-in-a-hit-95503/
Chicago Style
Guttenberg, Steve. "You can tell when you're in a hit." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-can-tell-when-youre-in-a-hit-95503/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"You can tell when you're in a hit." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-can-tell-when-youre-in-a-hit-95503/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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