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Movie Quote of the Day – Outbreak, 1995 (dir. Wolfgang Petersen)
Casey Schuler: How many brain cells did I kill?
Sam Daniels: How many? About a billion.
Casey Schuler: Oh, now I’m only as smart as you.
Sam Daniels: What can we give him to kill his sense of humor?
Oscar Vault Monday – Tootsie, 1982 (dir. Sydney Pollack)
I’m not sure when I first saw this film, but I think it was probably on television some time in the 90s. I didn’t do a good rewatch of the film until my first semester of film grad school. One of my instructors used it a lot in his teaching screenplay form (it really is a great model), so on the last day we watched the entire film. Having just rewatched it again, I can’t help but think it really is a perfect film. It’s not the most realistic film (far from it); but it is storytelling at its finest. Tootsie was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning one: Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Original Song, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress Teri Garr, Best Supporting Actress Jessica Lange (won), Best Actor Dustin Hoffman, Best Director and Best Picture. The other film nominated for Best Picture that year were: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Missing, The Verdict and winner Gandhi.
Movie Quote of the Day – Wag The Dog, 1997 (dir. Barry Levinson)
Stanley Motss: I’m in show business, yes? Why come to me?
Conrad ‘Connie’ Brean: I’ll tell you why. “54, 40, or fight.” What does that mean?
Stanley Motss: It’s a slogan.
Conrad ‘Connie’ Brean: “Remember the Maine.” “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too.” They’re war slogans. We remember the slogans, not the wars. You know why? That’s show business. That’s why we’re here. Naked girl, covered in napalm. “V” for victory. Five Marines raising the flag, Mount Surabachi. You remember the picture in 50 years, but forget the war. The Gulf War, smart bomb falling down a chimney. 2,500 missions a day, 100 days. One video of one bomb. The American people bought that war. War is show business. That’s why we’re here.
Oscar Vault Monday – The Graduate, 1967 (dir. Mike Nichols)
There is an awful lot that has been and can be written about this film. I touched briefly on 1967’s impact on American cinema a few years back, so I’m not really going to delve into that aspect of the film, though I will point out a few things that made it a game-changer. I remember when I first saw this film, I wasn’t all that impressed to be honest. But the more I watch it the more its genius reveals itself to me. I saw it on the big screen at the Castro last spring and I am so glad that I did. A few weeks ago some kind stranger anonymously bought it for me from my Amazon wishlist, so I decided it was time for another revisit. The result is going to be this rather epic look at what I now realize is one of the most exquisitely directed films of all time. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, though it only won one: Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress Katharine Ross, Best Actress Anne Bancroft, Best Actor Dustin Hoffman, Best Director Mike Nichols (won) and Best Picture. The other films up for Best Picture that year were Bonnie and Clyde, Doctor Doolittle, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and winner In The Heat of the Night.
Movie Quote of the Day – Last Chance Harvey, 2008 (dir. Joel Hopkins)
Kate: I had a lovely time and I won’t forget it, thank you. But. . .
Harvey: What?
Kate: Well, it’s not exactly real life.
Harvey: It is.
Kate: No, it isn’t, Harvey.
Harvey: It is.
Kate: No, it’s not, Harvey.
Harvey: No, it is real life. It’s real life for me.
Kate: I know, but it’s not just about you, is it? It’s about me as well. You don’t know anything about me. I mean, it’s pathetic. I expected you not to show. In fact, I think I actually almost wanted you not to show because it’s just easier that way. You – you just dive in there, you just woosh anywhere, deep end. I’m not a bloody swimming pool Harvey. And I am not going to do it, I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to do it because it will hurt. Sometime or other there’ll be a “it’s not quite working” or a “I need some space” or whatever it is and it’ll end and it’ll hurt and I won’t do it, I won’t and. . .I. . . [beat] You see, what I think it is, is I think that I am more comfortable with being disappointed. I think I’m angry at you for trying to take that away.
Movie Quote of the Day – Kramer vs. Kramer, 1979 (dir. Robert Benton)
Billy Kramer: Daddy?
Ted Kramer: Yeah?
Billy Kramer: I’m sorry.
Ted Kramer: I’m sorry too. I want you to go to sleep because it’s really late.
Billy Kramer: Daddy?
Ted Kramer: Now what is it?
Billy Kramer: Are you going away?
Ted Kramer: No. I’m staying here with you. You can’t get rid of me that easy.
Billy Kramer: That’s why Mommy left, isn’t it? Because I was bad?
Ted Kramer: Is that what you think? No. No, that’s not it, Billy. Your mom loves you very much and the reason she left doesn’t have anything to do with you. I don’t know if this will make sense, but I’ll try to explain it, okay? I think the reason why Mommy left was because for a long time I kept trying to make her be a certain kind of person, Billy. A certain kind of wife that I thought she was supposed to be. And she just wasn’t like that. She was. . .she just wasn’t like that. And now that I think about it, I think that she tried for so long to make me happy and when she couldn’t, she tried to talk to me about it, see? But I wasn’t listening because I was too busy, too wrapped up just thinking about myself. And I thought that anytime I was happy, that that meant that she was happy. But I think underneath she was very sad. Mommy stayed here longer than she wanted to, I think, because she loves you so much. And the reason why Mommy couldn’t stay anymore was because she couldn’t stand me, Billy. She didn’t leave because of you. She left because of me. [beat] Go to sleep now because it’s really late, okay?
Billy Kramer: Good night.
Ted Kramer: Sleep tight.
Billy Kramer: Don’t let the bedbugs bite.
Ted Kramer: See you in the morning light.
Billy Kramer: Daddy?
Ted Kramer: Yeah?
Billy Kramer: I love you.
Ted Kramer: I love you too.
Movie Quote of the Day – Rain Man, 1988 (dir. Barry Levinson)
Charlie: Alright, Ray, all airlines. . .all airlines have crashed at one time or another, that doesn’t mean that they are not safe.
Raymond: Qantas.
Charlie: Qantas?
Raymond: Qantas never crashed.
Charlie: Qantas?!
Raymond: Never crashed.
Charlie: Oh that’s gonna do me a lot of good, Ray. You see, Qantas doesn’t fly to L.A. out of Cincinnati, you have to get to Melbourne! Melbourne. . .
Raymond: Australia.
Charlie: . . .Australia in order to get the plane that flies to Los Angeles!
Movie Quote of the Day – Tootsie, 1982 (dir. Sydney Pollack)
Julie: I miss Dorothy.
Michael Dorsey: You don’t have to. She’s right here. And she misses you. [beat] Look, you don’t know me from Adam. But I was a better man with you, as a woman than I ever was with a woman, as a man. You know what I mean? I just gotta learn to do it without the dress. [beat] I mean, at this point in our relationship, there might be an advantage to my wearing pants. [beat] The hard part’s over, you know? We were already. . .good friends.
Movie Quote of the Day – The Graduate, 1967 (dir. Mike Nichols)
Ben Braddock: Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me.
Mrs. Robinson: [laughs]
Ben Braddock: Aren’t you?
Movie Quote of the Day – Marathon Man, 1976 (dir. John Schlesinger)
Dr. Christian Szell: Is it safe?
Thomas “Babe” Levy: Are you talking to me?
Dr. Christian Szell: Is it safe?
Thomas “Babe” Levy: Is what safe?
Dr. Christian Szell: Is it safe?
Thomas “Babe” Levy: I don’t know what you mean. I can’t tell you if something is safe or not unless I know specifically what you’re talking about.
Dr. Christian Szell: Is it safe?
Thomas “Babe” Levy: Tell me what the “it” refers to.
Dr. Christian Szell: Is it safe?
Thomas “Babe” Levy: Yes, it’s safe. It’s very safe. So safe you wouldn’t believe it.
Dr. Christian Szell: Is it safe?
Thomas “Babe” Levy: No, it’s not safe. It’s very dangerous. Be careful.
Dr. Christian Szell: Relax, relax. Come on. Open. Open. It’s OK. That hurt? I should think it would. You should take better care of your teeth. You have quite a cavity here. [beat] Is it safe?
Thomas “Babe” Levy: I told you I can’t tell you [screams in pain]
Dr. Christian Szell: Think he knows? He’s being very stubborn.
Thomas “Babe” Levy: No, please. Please don’t. No.
Dr. Christian Szell: It’s OK. [beat] Is it not remarkable? Simple oil of cloves and how amazing the results. Life can be that simple; relief – discomfort. Now, which of these I next apply, that decision is in your hands, so take your time and tell me. Is it safe?
the diary of a film history fanatic 