Richard Jenkins Quotes

The Shape of Water

Reflections on Love and Memory

Giles If I spoke about it... if I did... what would I tell you? I wonder. Would I tell you about the time? It happened a long time ago, it seems, in the last days of a fair prince's reign. Or would I tell you about the place? A small city near the coast... but far from everything else. Or, I don't know. Would I tell you about her? The princess without voice. Or perhaps I would just warn you about the truth of these facts... and the tale of love and loss... and the monster who tried to destroy it all.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Intolerable Cruelty

Invitation to Present a Proposal

Freddy Bender If you have a proposal to make, let's hear it.

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The Shape of Water

Regrets of Youth and Beauty

Giles Oh! God, to be young and beautiful. If I could go back...

Giles ...to when I was 18 - I didn't know anything about anything - I'd give myself a bit of advice.

Elisa What would you say?

[in sign language]

Giles I would say: Take better care of your teeth and fuck, a lot more.

Giles Oh no, no, that's very good advice.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

The Shape of Water

A Reflection on Timing and Belonging

Giles You know, sometimes I think I was either born too early or too late for my life.

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The Shape of Water

Acceptance and Responsibility in Connection

Giles When he looks at me, the way he looks at me, he does not know what I lack... or how... I am incomplete. He sees me for what I am, as I am. He's happy to see me, every time, every day. And now, I can either save him... or let him die.

[interpreting Elisa]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Intolerable Cruelty

Judge Allows Unusual Witness Examination

Freddy Bender Objection, Your Honor: strangling the witness!

Judge Marva Munson I'm going to allow it.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Absolute Power

Wealth and Waiting in Uncertain Times

Walter Sullivan I don't yet know who it is I'm after. Until I do, you'll have to wait in Washington for instructions.

Michael McCarty I'm afraid that's out of the question. Mine is not particularly creative work, and I do it only because I enjoy living beyond my means. I can't afford to just sit around.

Walter Sullivan My father died when I was nine years old. He was a miner. He died of lung disease. I became rich at twenty-five, and the first thing I did was to buy that mine, close it down, and give every miner fifty thousand dollars to retire on. You *will* wait in Washington, Mr. McCarty. You will choose a penthouse suite, and I will put one million dollars into a Swiss bank of your choosing. And when the time comes... two million dollars a bullet.

Michael McCarty ...You are a salesman, sir.

Walter Sullivan Selling sin is easy.

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The Shape of Water

Dinner Plans and Friend Assistance

Zelda Alright, Brewster, I'm gonna fix your dinner, and then I'm gonna run out for a little while and help a friend.

Brewster Help with what?

Zelda Help a friend.

[a knock is heard on the door]

Brewster Zelda... the door.

Zelda Well, you could help me and answer the door, Brewster. You're sitting right here just ten feet away from it!

Brewster My back's aching me, woman. Now, move!

Zelda Your back, your back? Always your back!

Zelda Mr. Strickland. What are you doing here?

Brewster Who's that man, Zelda?

Strickland Where is it? Where did you take it?

Zelda What are you talking about?

Brewster Zelda!

Strickland The thing... in the lab. Where is it?

Brewster Listen, fella--

[gets up from his chair]

Strickland SIT DOWN!

[Brewster sits back down]

Zelda I'm sorry, sir. If I knew anything, I would surely tell you.

Strickland That story about Samson. I never told you how it ends. After the Philistines torture him... and blind him... Samson asks God for the strength he needs. And at the last minute, he is spared. And the Lord gives him his strength back... one last time. And he holds... the columns of the temple... with his powerful arms. And he crushes them. And he brings the whole building down on the Philistines. He dies... but he gets every single one of those motherfuckers. That is his WILL! Now, do you know what that particular story means... for us, Delilah? It means if you know something you're not telling me, you're gonna tell me either before or after I bring this particular temple... down upon our heads.

[rips his fingers off and exclaims loudly in pain; tosses his fingers on the floor]

Brewster Gal stole that thing right out the lab, whatever it is. Mute girl took it. I heard my wife talking on the phone about it.

Strickland Thank you very much, Mr. Fuller, for your assistance.

[walks towards Brewster; leaves]

Zelda What have you done?

[to Brewster; disgusted]

Brewster Zelda.

Zelda I gotta warn her! He's going after her--

[walks to the phone]

Brewster You will do no such thing, woman. Why you worried about her? She broke the law.

Zelda Shut up, Brewster! You shut up! Years, you don't talk... and now you can't shut your mouth! Damn you, Brewster. You wouldn't understand. Couldn't understand, not if you tried your whole life.

[calls Elisa's place; Giles picks up]

Giles Hello?

Zelda Giles, is that you?

Giles Yes.

Zelda Okay. Put Elisa on the phone.

Giles It's Zelda.

[hands Elisa the phone]

Zelda It's Zelda. Elisa, honey, make a sound on the phone if you can hear. Okay, good. He's coming for you. You gotta go now, and you gotta take that thing with you.

[Elisa taps on the phone]

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The Witches of Eastwick

Paradise and Danger in Eastwick

Felicia Alden There once was a paradise, and then a serpent came into that garden.

[after being dragged out of the church]

Clyde Alden Oh, for christ sakes, Felicia, would you stop? Please, just stop, stop.

Felicia Alden Oh, Clyde, I have nothing against a good fuck, but there is danger here and somebody has to do something about it.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Intolerable Cruelty

Misunderstandings About Hired Assassins Unfold

Miles Massey I guess, something inside of me died, when I realized that you'd hired a goon to kill me.

Marylin Rexroth Wait a minute. You hired him to kill me.

Freddy Bender No. Both of you wait a minute. Nobody hired anyone to kill anyone.

Wrigley Hear, hear.

Freddy Bender Apparently, from what I can gather, a burglar broke into your house-

Wrigley Miles house.

Freddy Bender Whatever. A burglar broke in intending to loot the place, uh, repented, became despondent over his lifestyle and shot himself.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

The Shape of Water

The Importance of Connection and Need

Giles Whatever this thing is, you need it.

[to Elisa]

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The Shape of Water

Legal Concerns and Moral Dilemmas

Giles Get him out? What are you talking about? No! Absolutely not. Because it's breaking the law, that's why. We're probably breaking the law just talking about it.

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The Shape of Water

Acceptance of Individuality and Nature

Giles He's a wild creature. We can't ask him to be anything else.

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Intolerable Cruelty

Objection to Poetry in Courtroom Dialogue

Miles Massey Dismiss your vows, your feigned tears, your flattery, for where a heart is hard, they make no battery..." Mrs. Rexroth, do you know those lines?

Freddy Bender Objection, your honor.

Judge Marva Munson Grounds?

Freddy Bender Uh... poetry recitation.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

The Shape of Water

The Essence of Love and Presence

Giles If I told you about her, what would I say? That they lived happily ever after? I believe they did. That they were in love, that they remained in love? I'm sure that's true. But when I think of her, of Elisa, the only thing that comes to mind is a poem, whispered by someone in love hundreds of years ago. Unable to perceive the shape of you, I find you all around me. Your presence fills my eyes with your love. It humbles my heart, for you are everywhere.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Intolerable Cruelty

Emotional Turmoil and Legal Indifference

Marylin Rexroth I'm devastated. Completely devastated.

Freddy Bender No further questions.

Cheaper by the Dozen

Football Team Troubles for Charlie

Kate What's the deal with Charlie?

Tom Fine, thanks. How are you?

Kate I'm sorry, hi.

Tom Hi. Charlie got kicked off the football team.

Kate What?!

Tom Don't worry, I'm handling it.

Tom Shake. President Gerhard.

President Gerhard Tom.

Shake Tom, we need a minute.

Mark Please don't die, Beans.

President Gerhard The university is prepared to make a huge investment in the program, but we want some assurances.

Tom What does that mean?

Shake We wanna know that you're committed to the football program.

President Gerhard You have to decide who's making the bacon and who's cooking it.

Shake So, what's it gonna be, Tom?

Kate Tom, honey, didn't you pick up my dry-cleaning?

Tom Yes, dear, it's in the front closet.

Shake Well, I guess the wife just answered our question.

Kate The wife's name is Kate, Shake.

Nigel What a wiener.

Shake We want an answer by Monday, Tom. This meeting's over.

North Country

A Father's Disappointment in His Friends

Hank Aimes My name is Hank Aimes and I've been a miner all my life. And I've never been ashamed of it until now. You know when we take our wives and daughters to the company barbecue, I don't hear any of them calling them those names like bitches and whores and worse. I don't see anyone grab them by their privates or drawing pictures of them on the bathroom walls, it's unspeakable. Unspeakable! So what's changed? She's still my daughter! It's a heck of a thing, to watch one of your own get treated that way. You're all supposed to be my friends, my brothers. Well, right now I don't have a friend in this room. In fact the only one I'm not ashamed of is my daughter.

Me, Myself & Irene

Report on Cow Incident Involving Gunfire

Agent Boshane We just got a report that he put six bullets into a prize cow's head. Poor thing's lucky to be alive.

[''Charlie's sons look at each other; Lee Harvey raises an eyebrow'']

The Shape of Water

Existence and Identity in The Shape of Water

Giles What are we?! What are you and I?! Do you know what we are?! We're nothing! Nothing! We can do nothing! I'm sorry, but this... this is just... oh God, It's not even human. God.

[walks away]

Giles What?

Elisa If we do nothing, neither are we.

[in sign language]

The Shape of Water

Giles Reflects on His Artistic Accomplishments

Giles This is some of my best work.

[repeated line]

The Witches of Eastwick

Confronting Moral Failure in Local Reporting

Felicia Alden You know, you sit there in that pathetic excuse for an office, reporting gossip, while under your very nose, evil is doing its worst. You have no spine, Clyde. Not one ounce of morality. Versed, even common sense. Nuclear holocaust, rape, murder, apartheid. Why these words they mean nothing to you.

[while being fed oatmeal in the hospital]

Clyde Alden It's a local newspaper, Honey.

Felicia Alden It's local turpitude. You are a failure, Clyde. You know you should be strung up with that son-of-a-bitch who bought that house.

Memorable Quotes from Richard Jenkins

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