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Joseph Stefano wrote an amazing piece of dialogue for Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, between Norman Bates and Marion Crane. I chose to represent only a portion of it here, but I believe this is the heart of it all. I close out my sampling with the single line that I believe is the most fascinating one in the entire film. That one line tells you everything you need to know about Norman.
MARION: Is your time so empty?
NORMAN: No, uh...well, I, I run the office, and, uh, tend the cabins and grounds, and, and do little, uh, errands for my mother...the ones she allows I might be capable of doing.
MARION: Do you go out with friends?
NORMAN: Well...a, a boy's best friend is his mother. (smiles) You've never had an empty moment in your entire life, have you?
MARION: Only my share.
NORMAN: Where are you going? ...I didn't mean to pry.
MARION: I'm looking for a private island.
NORMAN: What are you running away from?
MARION: W-Why do you ask that?
NORMAN: I don't know. People never run away from anything....The rain didn't last long, did it? ......You know what I think? I think that we're all in our private traps...clamped in them...and none of us can ever get out. We scratch and, and claw, but...only at the air. Only at each other. And for all of it, we never budge an inch.
MARION: Sometimes, we deliberately step into those traps.
NORMAN: I was born in mine. I don't mind it anymore.
MARION: Oh, but you should. You should mind it.
NORMAN: (laughing) Oh I do. But I say I don't.
MARION: You know...if anyone ever talked to me the way I heard, the way she spoke to you...
NORMAN: Sometimes, when she talks to me like that, I feel I'd like to go up there, and curse her, and, and, and leave her forever. Or at least defy her. But I know I can't...she's ill.
MARION: She sounded strong.
NORMAN: No, I mean...ill. She, she had to raise me all by herself after my father died. I was only five, and it, it must have been quite a strain for her. She didn't have to go to work or anything like that...he left her a little money...anyway...a few years ago, mother met this man, and he, he talked her into building this motel. He could'a talked her into anything. And, when he died too, it was just too great a shock for her. And, and the way he died...(laughs)...I guess that's nothing to talk about while you're eating. Anyway, it was just too great a loss for her. She had nothing left.
MARION: Except you.
NORMAN: Uh...a son is a poor substitute for a lover.
MARION: Why don't you go away?
NORMAN: To a private island, like yours?
MARION: No. Not like me.
NORMAN: I couldn't do that. Who'd look after her? She'd be alone up there. The fire would go out. It'd be cold and damp like a grave. If you love someone, you don't do that to them even if you hate them...
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Joan, I'm with you about Tony Kushner's fabulous work on Lincoln.
I've seen the film twice, and expect to see it at least once more before it's entirely gone from the theatres around here.
I hope you will return to this thread with at least one EXAMPLE of writing that you love!
YES, I know that means homework.
Well, I've been doing mine!
And, knowing you, I'm certain that you can do even better!
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Posted: |
Mar 2, 2013 - 3:23 PM
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By: |
TominAtl
(Member)
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This is bizarre! I had thought about starting a post with the same topic earlier this week! LOL.
Here is an example of some great moments of movie dialogue, from one of my favorite WWII films, The Guns of Navarone. One of my favorite scenes of dialogue occurs when David Niven's Corporal Miller character discovers there is a traitor in their midst after finding his explosives destroyed and discovers who it is and what to do about her and Gregory Pecks Major Mallory is somewhat at a loss on what to do:
Mallory(Peck): Can you do anything at all?
Corporal Miller(Niven): I don't know. There's always a way to blow up explosives. The trick is not to be around when they go off. But aren't you forgetting something? The lady. As I see it we have three choices. One we can leave her here but there's no guarantee she won't be found, and in her case they won't need a truth drug. Two, we can take her with us, but that would make things worse than they are already. And three... well, that's Andrea's choice, remember?
Mallory: You really want your pound of flesh, don't you?
Corporal Miller: Yes, I do. You see, somehow I just couldn't get to sleep.
Mallory: Well, if you're so anxious to kill her, go ahead!
Corporal Miller: I'm not anxious to kill her, I'm not anxious to kill anyone. You see, I'm not a born soldier. I was trapped. You may find me facetious from time to time, but if I didn't make some rather bad jokes I'd go out of my mind. No, I prefer to leave the killing to someone like you, an officer and a gentleman, a leader of men.
Mallory: If you think I wanted this, any of this, you're out of your mind, I was trapped like you, just like anyone who put on the uniform!
Corporal Miller: Of course you wanted it, you're an officer, aren't you? I never let them make me an officer! I don't want the responsibility!
Mallory: So you've had a free ride, all this time! Someones got*to take responsibility if the job's going to get done! You think that's easy!!?
Corporal Miller: [shouts] I don't know! I'm not even sure who really is responsible any more.
Capt. Keith Mallory: I have no time for this!
Corporal Miller: Now just a minute! If we're going to get this job done she has got to be killed! And we all know how keen you are about getting the job done! Now I can't speak for the others but I've never killed a woman, traitor or not, and I'm finicky! So why don't you do it? Let us off for once! Go on, be a pal, be a father to your men! Climb down off that cross of yours, close your eyes, think of England, and pull the trigger! What do you say, Sir?
I am surprised that they didn't have Mallory punch his lights out. But no...after they do deal with the traitor(I wont reveal how its done here), this is the final moment of this scene after everyone exits but Mallory and Miller and Mallory loses his cool and Peck plays its impeccably while holding a gun:
Mallory: You think you've been getting away with it all this time, standing by. Well, son... your by-standing days are over! You're in it now, up to your neck! They told me that you're a genius with explosives. Start proving it!!
[gesturing with his pistol]
Mallory: You got me in the mood to use this thing, and by God, if you don't think of something, I'll use it on you!!! I mean it.
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This is from my very favorite film of 2011, Martin Scorcese's HUGO.
Hugo and Isabelle are standing in the clock tower together, looking out over the lights of Paris, when Hugo speaks:
"I imagined the whole world was one big machine.
Machines never come with any extra parts, you know.
They always come with the exact amount they need.
So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn't be an extra part.
I had to be here for some reason.
And that means that you have to be here for some reason, too..."
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"This is literally unanswerable."
NO! Don't stop at an "even dozen", awall!
YOU have proven that this is literally NOT unanswerable!
PLEASE...keep 'em coming. I LOVE IT!
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Posted: |
Mar 14, 2013 - 5:37 AM
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By: |
awall
(Member)
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To Christopher Kinsinger:
I LOVE IT, TOO! I usually can't help myself, really. It took me a while, but here are 38 more to make an even 50.
01) “Would you say we have a…plethora of hats?” El Guapo to his trusty henchman Jefe
02) “Only two of the dogs are ours, Your Honor; the other four acted on their own responsibility.” D.A. Ira Parks explaining how two crooks were apprehended
03) “Is that a trick question?” Graham to Amanda when she asks if he wants to…ya know…get down to business
04) “If hate were people, I’d be CHINA!” Phil Berquist to his frigid wife Arlene
05) “This is an entirely different kind of flying.” Spoken deadpan in unison by Dr. Rumack and Randy
06) “Yo, Luce. Is everything okay? It looks like he’s…LEANING.” Joe Jr. eyeing Jack cozying up to Lucy
07) “Don’t call me ‘baby’!” Mr. Pike to Sylvester who is shooing him out of the hole being dug
08) “I swear, Scout, you’re more like a girl every day.” Jem exasperated by Jean Louise Finch's timidity to approach the Radley house
09) “One moment, please. First it was Stretch, then Stretcheroo. Where will it end? Stretch mark?” Nick to fellow psychic Sylvia Pickel
10) “Ooh! Strangers from the outside!” The alien toys’ collective response upon meeting Buzz
11) “I’m with you fellas.” Delmar’s neutral reply to Everett and Pete
12) “Do the words ‘You’re not being a good sport’ mean anything to you?” spoken to Joe Pendelton by the “Escort” explaining there are limited options for a new body
13) “Damn, baby! What’d you do to yo’ hair?” Orlando (via Oda Mae Brown) commenting on his wife’s new hair color ‘Autumn Sunrise’
14) “I don’t know. I’m not quite myself today.” David Huxley’s worried reply when asked by Susan Vance’s aunt and guest where his clothes are (AND he’s wearing a boa-trimmed ladies’ robe)
15) “I lost my…button.” Joan Wilder drenched in the South American jungle as her sleeve tears
16) “I know he can GET the job, but can he DO the job?” Snippet of Mr. Waturi’s never-ending phone conversation
17) “I can TOTALLY handle anything this baby can dish out!” Kari’s naive assurance to Mrs. Parr
18) “Peppy and cheap, peppy and cheap – these words I like.” Studio executive Edmund Edwards
19) “Existing technology cannot measure.” Keith’s reply to Watts who asks how angry his father will be
20) “We’ve heard ALL about you, Father Seamus!” Sister Inviolota (a.k.a. Charlie McManus) tsking shrilly at the priest when he holds Sister Euphemia’s hand just a little too long
21) “Well, so much for noble steed.” Donkey to Shrek after the princess stops gushing
22) “I’m gonna take ten years off you.” 'Rita' to Prof. Frank Bryant
23) “This is good. This is healthy. I think we’re bonding.” Dr. Kuni to Ben Stone in the hospital hallway
24) “You’re into justice. This argument should appeal to you.” Vinnie trying to convince FBI agent Barney Coopersmith to alter his approach to wooing women
25) “Oh, that’s just wrong!” Guy Fleegman’s utterance after seeing Fred and Laliari “together”
26) “It gets really good after that.” All-the-Way Mae on the tour bus teaching Shirley how to read via a trashy romance novel
27) “What are you? A man or a mouse? Or a woman or a wouse?” Violet’s little joke when she, Doralee, and Judy sit in the bar
28) “The LITTLE boat!” An incredulous Alan Bauer to Mr. Fat Jack
29) “I don’t…like…the panties…drying…on…the rod!” Elliot Garfield’s punctuated reply to Paula McFadden who has explained her ground rules for sharing the apartment
30) “I feel like we’ve died and gone to heaven – only we had to climb up.” Ethel Banks’ lament to Paul Bratter after climbing five flights (plus the outer stoop)
31) “I’ve never flipped in me life, and I’m not gonna start flippin’ now!” Irish maid Nora’s retort when asked to cook flapjacks for magazine owner Alexander Yardley
32) “Uh oh! Wittle Ewic looks a wittle scared!” Miss New Jersey to the pageant audience
33) “He looks like 'number two' to me, if you know what I mean.” Sam Diamond's reply to Sidney Wang’s introduction of his 'No. 1' son
34) “Punk. Quarterback Punk.” Rookie agent Utah’s introduction of himself to veteran agent Pappas
35) “Lake. Big lake.” Long Duc Dong’s explanation (with sound effects) of where his host family’s car is
36) “Lord and Lady Darcy!” Bridget getting carried away (after telling herself not to)
37) “I…am…job.” 'Anonymous' foreign job applicant speaking on the phone to Amanda Hillard
38) “He’s going to be very popular.” Igor (pronounced EYE-gore) commenting to Frederick and Inga who are discussing the expected proportions of ‘The Creature’
WHEW!
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To awall:
WOW! Your top 50! I am so impressed, awall! What I love the most, beyond the quotes themselves, is the wonderful guessing game you've given us to enjoy. I KNOW that I know a lot of these...but I have to do some more thinking.
I LOVE IT! Thanks so much. Your effort has brought me a great deal of entertainment, awall, and will continue to do so, as I ponder many of the quotes that are nagging at my brain.
In honor of your truly herculean effort, I'd like to give you my TOP FIVE favorite quotes from your top 50. Here they are:
#FIVE "He's going to be very popular."
#FOUR "I...don't...like...the panties...drying...on...the...rod!"
#THREE "Would you say we have a...plethora of hats?"
#TWO "I swear, Scout, you're more like a girl every day."
Folks...WE HAVE A TIE FOR NUMBER ONE! In the long and distinguished history of these awards, there has never before been a TIE! Here are the TWO winners:
"Is that a trick question?" (I just LOVE Graham & Amanda!) ...and...
"I know he can GET the job, but can he DO the job?" To which I must reply, "I'm not ARGUING that with you! I'm not ARGUING that with you! I'm not ARGUING that with you, Harry! Harry, Harry...YEAH, Harry, but can he DO THE JOB...I KNOW HE CAN GET THE JOB...BUT CAN HE DO THE JOB?" 
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"Who said that? I didn't say that.
If I said that I would've been wrong.
Maybe...maybe.
I'm not ARGUING that with you!
Yeah, Harry. I know he can GET the job, but can he DO the job?
I'm not ARGUING that with you!
I AM NOT ARGUING THAT WITH YOU!
I AM NOT ARGUING THAT WITH YOU!
WHO told you that?
NO!
I TOLD YOU THAT! ME! What?
Maybe...maybe, maybe.
MAYBE!"
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Following is a quite severe confrontation between Joe and his employer, Mr. Waturi:
"Listen Joe, what's this Dee tells me about the catalogues?"
"I only got twelve."
"How did you let us get down to twelve?"
"I told you."
"WHEN?"
"Uh...three weeks ago, and then two weeks ago."
"Did you tell me this week?"
"...No..."
Why not?"
"I - I - I don't know. I thought you knew."
"Not good enough, Joe. Not NEARLY good enough! I put you in charge of the
ENTIRE ADVERTISING LIBRARY!!!"
"Ehhh, you mean this room."
"I give you cart blank how to deal with the materials in here..."
"You put the orders in to the printer, Mr. Waturi, not me. That's how you wanted it."
"You are not competent to put the orders in to the printer. That's a very technical job!"
"...and, Joe...I WANT those catalogues."
"Then please order them."
"WATCH YOURSELF, JOE!"
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"No! No! You were wrong! HE WAS WRONG!
Who said that? I didn't say that.
If I said that, I would've been wrong.
I - I would've been wrong, isn't that right, Harry?
I'm not ARGUING that with you!
I'm not ARGUING that with you!
I AM NOT ARGUING THAT WITH YOU!
Look, listen, let me call you back. I got somethin' here, OK?
NO PANICKING until we finish our conversation, OK?"
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Joe meets Marshall:
"So where would you like to go?"
"I thought I might do some shoppin' today."
"Alright. Where would you like to go shoppin'?"
"I don't know."
"Alright."
"Well where would YOU go shopping?"
"What for? What do you need?"
"Clothes."
"What kinda' clothes? What's your taste?"
"Well, I - I don't exactly know."
"Why are you stopping the car?"
"They just hire me to DRIVE the car, sir. I'm not here to tell you who you are."
"I didn't ask you to tell me who I am."
"You hintin' around about clothes. That happens to be a very important topic to me, sir, clothes...Mr...?"
"Banks."
"Banks. Clothes makes da' man. I believe that. You say to me you wanna go shoppin'. You wanna buy clothes but you don't know what kind. You leave that hangin' in the air like I'm gonna fill in the blanks. Now that to me is like asking me who you are and I don't KNOW who you are. I DON'T WANT TO KNOW. It's taken me all my life to find out who I AM, and I AM TIRED now, ya' hear what I'm sayin'? What's your name?"
"Joe."
"Mine's Marshall. How d'ya do? Now. What's your situation? Explain your situation to me."
"I'm goin' away on a long trip."
"Alright."
"And I have the opportunity to buy some clothes today."
"Yeah."
"Money's no object."
"Good. Where ya' goin'?"
"Well...tonight I'm goin' out in the city."
"Nice places?"
"I hope so. And then tomorrow I'm flyin' to L.A."
"First Class?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
"Then I'm getting on a yacht and sailing to the South Pacific."
"Hawaii?"
"No. This really unknown little island."
"No tourists."
"I don't think so."
"Good."
"Then I'm staying on the island for a couple of weeks, and then that's it."
"And what kinda' clothes do you got now?"
"Well, I got the kinda' clothes I'm wearing."
"So you got no clothes."
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Posted: |
Mar 16, 2013 - 11:06 AM
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By: |
awall
(Member)
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To Christopher Kinsinger:
I'm SO glad you enjoyed that! And should you need assistance with the guessing at any point, I'll lend more hints (in lieu of giving anything away) if you like.
And I must add Joe vs. the Volcano is chock full of great quotes, and IMO, is a VERY underrated film. The "So you GOT no clothes" scene is one of my favorites - and the cut at the end to Sergio Mendes' "Mas Que Nada" suits perfectly (although naturally I have Delerue's original score and love it!).
The writing for ALL of the scenes with Mr. Waturi is totally brilliant - and imitating the inflection of his lines is uber fun! I chose Line #16 because it was more likely to be recognized, but I much more frequently (and repeatedly and louder each time) quote, "I'm not arguing that with you" in my daily life. BTW, where do you get these completely accurate script excerpts? From memory or elsewhere?
Also, I’m Angela. When choosing my login name, I didn’t ever think about how I might end up being addressed. (AWOL?)
At some point I’ll start a thread about custom-made soundtrack compilations, which I take SUPER seriously because my selection of cues/songs is similarly based on film scenes and quotes. I have many, many rules, you see….
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Joe meets Patricia:
"I'm sorry I was so rude on the dock."
"That's okay."
"Did you sleep with my - with my sister?"
"No."
"Actually, she's my half-sister."
"No I didn't."
"I love my sister. I - I know she's screwed up. I love my father, even though I never see him...and...he's not so great when I do see him. I'm just very nervous about this trip. He didn't tell me anything and you don't seem to be telling me anything. But it's more than that. I've always kept clear of my father's stuff ever since I got out on my own, and now he's pulled me back in. He knew I wanted this boat and he used it and he got me working for him which I swore I would never do. I feel ashamed. Because I had a price. He named it and now I know that about myself. And I can treat you like I did back out on the dock, but that would be me kicking myself for selling out, which isn't fair to you. Doesn't make me feel any better. I don't know what your situation is, but I wanted you to know what mine is. Not just to explain some rude behavior...but because...we're on a little boat for awhile, and...I'm soul sick. And you're gonna see that. Like my sister. She's soul sick too, and if you slept with her, then I would've known something about you. But you didn't. You didn't, and I believe you."
"I'm glad you believe me."
"Have you ever slept on a boat before?"
"No."
"It really affects your dreams. I look forward to it, even though sometimes the dreams really shake me up.. Okay. Goodnight."
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To awall:
Please call me Chris.
May I call you Angela?
Joe vs. The Volcano underrated? I think that may be the understatement of the century! The film is considered a total joke by so many movie lovers that I may be in danger of a lynching by saying what I'm about to say: I think it's a masterpiece.
I've loved it since the first time I saw it in the theatre. I adore John Patrick Shanley's script (that must be obvious by now), and I also have Delerue's great score. If you get me started on all the things I love about this film, I'll be up all night telling you, and you'll be put into a deep sleep.
Where do I get my script excepts, you ask?
The old fashioned way. I put the DVD on, and write the lines in a legal pad. I delete the incidental stuff, like Marshall moving from the front to the back of the limo, and Patricia asking Joe if he wants to go fishing. Except for those small deletions, I do my utmost to display the spoken words accurately. I love doing it, because I adore the writing so much.
This entertaining pastime provides me with the coffee breaks I need while working on my manuscript. My publishing deadline is now eleven days away, so I find myself working overtime, and this thread has been a haven for me. This place is my recess from work!
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