Name: A Bronx Tale
Genre: Drama, Crime
Released: 1993-10-01
Duration: 121 min
Rating: 7.9
Cast: Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Lillo Brancato, Francis Capra, Taral Hicks

A Bronx Tale

The Balance of Love and Fear

Sonny That's what it comes down to- availability. The people in this neighborhood that see me that're on my side, they feel safe, because they know I'm close. And that gives them more reason to love me. But the people that wanna do otherwise? They think twice, because they know I'm close, and that gives them more reason to fear me.

Calogero Is it better to be loved or feared?

Sonny That's a good question. It's nice to be both, but that's very difficult. If I had my choice, I would rather be feared. Fear lasts longer than love. Friendships that're bought with money mean nothing. You see how it is around here; I make a joke, everybody laughs. I know I'm funny, but I'm not that funny. It's fear that keeps them loyal to me. But the trick is not to be hated. That's why I treat my men good, but not too good; I give them too much, then they don't need me. I give them just enough where they still need me, but they don't hate me. Don't forget what I'm telling you.

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

A Bronx Tale

Power Dynamics in Faith and Belief

Priest Don't be afraid, my son. No one is more powerful than God.

Calogero I don't know about that, Father. Your guy may be bigger than my guy up there, but my guy is bigger than your guy down here.

Priest You got a point.

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

A Bronx Tale

The Cost of Letting Go

Calogero He owes me 20 dollars. It's been two weeks now, and every time he sees me he keeps dodging me. He's becoming a real pain in the ass. Should I crack him one, or what?

Sonny What's the matter with you? What have I been telling you? Sometimes hurting somebody ain't the answer. First of all, is he a good friend of yours?

Calogero No, I don't even like him.

Sonny You don't even like him. There's your answer right there. Look at it this way: It costs you 20 dollars to get rid of him. Right? He's never gonna bother you again, he's never gonna ask you for money again. He's out of your life for 20 dollars. You got off cheap. Forget him.

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

A Bronx Tale

Conflicting Values Between Father and Mentor

Sonny First of all, I respect you, Lorenzo, you're a stand-up guy and we're from the same neighborhood, but don't ever talk to me like that again. I tell your kid to go to school, to go to college...

Lorenzo You don't understand: it's not what you say, it's what he sees, the clothes, the cars, the money, it's everything. He tried to throw away his baseball cards because he said Mickey Mantle will never pay the rent.

Sonny He said that to you? I don't believe this kid.

[laughs]

Lorenzo That's not funny. Not when your kid has a bigger bank account than you.

Sonny I offered you a job, you said "No" to me.

Lorenzo That's right, and I say "No" now. Just leave my son alone, please.

Sonny Hey! Don't you see how I treat that kid? I treat him like he's my son.

[Stands up]

Lorenzo He ain't your son, he's MY son.

Sonny He's what?

Lorenzo He's MY son!

Sonny Hey, get the fuck outta here!

Lorenzo I'm not afraid of you.

[Shoved by the gangsters towards the door]

Sonny You should be.

Lorenzo I know who you are, Sonny, I know what you're capable of, and I would never step out of line, you can ask anyone in the neighborhood who knows me. But this time, you're wrong. You don't fool with a man's family. This is my son, not yours.

Sonny What are you gonna do, fight me?

Lorenzo You stay away from my son!

Sonny Get outta here before I give you a fucking slap!

Lorenzo You just stay away from my son!

Sonny Go ahead!

Lorenzo I don't care who you are! You stay away from my son!

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

A Bronx Tale

A Conversation About Life and Gratitude

Calogero How ya doing, Sonny? Not so good, huh? I was so pissed at Tess, that's what I wanted to tell you. She might be my first great one, and I'm going to go out with her. Thanks for helping me. I want to thank you for saving my life; I never got a chance to tell you. They all died: Slick, Alto, Mario, Ralphie, all of them. Sorry, I thought I was alone. I'm just thinking out loud.

[hears footsteps and turns to see someone else walking in]

Carmine That's okay, it's understandable.

[steps to Sonny's coffin and crosses himself]

Calogero See this man there's a great man. He saved my life.

Carmine Yeah? You're Lorenzo the bus driver's kid?

[takes a long look at Calogero]

Calogero Yeah.

Carmine C", right?

Calogero Yeah.

Carmine Sonny told me all about you.

Calogero Sorry, but I don't even know who you are.

Carmine My name's Carmine. We go back a long way together, Sonny and me. He saved my life, too, once...You don't remember me, do you? Many years ago, the fire house? You don't remember this?

[Calogero shakes his head; points to the scar on his forehead]

Calogero Yeah, the baseball bat. You were the guy that got hit with a baseball bat, right? Yeah, I remember. I was there, I saw the whole thing.

[remembers; Carmine smiles and nods]

Carmine I know, kid. Sonny told me what you did. Listen, I've been away, but I'm gonna be in the neighborhood now, taking care of things for a while. If you need anything, I want you to come and see me at the bar, okay?

Calogero I think I'm gonna give the bar a rest for a while, but thanks anyway.

Carmine That's okay, I understand.

Calogero Was that fight really over a parking space?

Carmine ...No. Don't forget, you need anything, you come to the bar, and you see me. ANYTHING.

[crosses himself once more, puts his hand reverently on Sonny, then looks back to Calogero; Calogero nods]

Calogero Alright.

Carmine So long, kid.

[leaves]

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

A Bronx Tale

A Simple Request for Beers

Biker We just wanted a couple beers then we'll be on our way.

Sonny Couple beers? That's all?

Biker That's all.

Sonny Spoken like a gentleman. Get em the beers.

[to Tony]

Satan's Messengers You got some brews down here. Nice cold ones. Get us some nice cold brews, come on. Two over here, huh? One more here, one more. Alright, brothers. If I may. A toast to our host. In the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost!

[They all salute, then shake their drinks and spray them all over the bar]

Tony Toupee Look at all the shit all over me!

Sonny Hey!

Biker Oh, you again.

Sonny That wasn't very nice. Now youse gotta leave.

Biker I'll tell you when the fuck we leave, alright. Get the fuck away from me. Go watch the bikes eh!

[the bikers laugh at Sonny as he walks to the door]

Sonny Now youse can't leave.

Calogero I will never forget the look on their faces. All eight of them. Their faces dropped. All their courage and strength was drained right from their bodies. They had reputation for breaking up bars, but they knew that instant, they'd made a fatal mistake. This time they walked into the wrong bar.

[narrating]

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

A Bronx Tale

Two Educations: Street and School

Calogero Anello I was getting two educations: One from the street and one from school. That way I'd be twice as smart as everybody.

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

A Bronx Tale

Lessons Learned from Life in the Bronx

Calogero Anello Sonny and my father always said that when I get older I would understand. Well, I finally did. I learned something from these two men. I learned to give love and get love unconditionally. You just have to accept people for what they are, and I learned the greatest gift of all. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, and the choices that you make will shape your life forever. But you can ask anybody from my neighborhood, and they'll just tell you this is just another Bronx tale.

[as he walks out of Sonny's funeral]

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

A Bronx Tale

Advice on Dating Etiquette from Sonny

Sonny Alright, listen to me. You pull up right where she lives, right? Before you get outta the car, you lock both doors. Then, get outta the car, you walk over to her. You bring her over to the car. Dig out the key, put it in the lock and open the door for her. Then you let her get in. Then you close the door. Then you walk around the back of the car and look through the rear window. If she doesn't reach over and lift up that button so that you can get in: dump her.

Calogero Just like that?

Sonny Listen to me, kid. If she doesn't reach over and lift up that button so that you can get in, that means she's a selfish broad and all you're seeing is the tip of the iceberg. You dump her and you dump her fast.

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

A Bronx Tale

The Relief of Weekly Confession

Calogero Anello It was great to be Catholic and go to confession. You could start over every week.

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

A Bronx Tale

A Child's Surprise Discovery of Peaches

Calogero Mommy, Mommy! Look what I got! Some peaches for… free.

[excited]

Lorenzo What’s this?

[shows C the dollar bill]

Calogero What’s what, Dad?

Lorenzo Where did you get this?! Your mother found this behind your drawer.

Calogero It’s my savings, Dad.

Lorenzo Six hundred dollars you’ve been saving? What? Did you become a brain surgeon overnight, son?!

Rosina Tell your father where you got the money.

Calogero Dad, I worked for it.

Lorenzo Doing what?

Calogero Things.

Lorenzo Things? Whaddya mean things? What things?

Calogero Old things. Ya know, things.

Lorenzo Hey. Don’t lie to me. Just tell me the truth. I won’t get upset.

Calogero I worked the crap games and the guys gave me tips.

Rosina The crap games?

Lorenzo What crap games? What crap games? What tips? WHAT CRAP GAMES?!

[Calogero doesn’t answer; yells angrily]

Calogero I told ya you weren’t gonna get upset, dad.

Lorenzo I LIED! Now tell me everything!

Calogero I told you, I worked for Sonny and he gave me tips.

Lorenzo I knew it.

Rosina Weren’t you told a thousand times not to go NEAR that bar?

Calogero But Ma, I work for it.

Rosina Well, whaddya mean you work for it? You’re not supposed to be in that bar!

A Bronx Tale

Choosing Love Over Peer Pressure

Sonny You like her?

Calogero I do, but I don't want to hear the guys.

Sonny Fuck them. Half of them are gonna end up dead or in jail. Nobody cares. The only thing that matters is what's good for you and how you feel about each other. Let me tell you something, when you're alone late at night in bed just you and her under the covers, that's all that matters. You gotta do what your heart tells you to do. Let me tell you something right now. You're only allowed three great women in your lifetime. They come along like the great fighters, every ten years. ], ], ]. Sometimes you get'em all at once. Me? I had my three when I was 16. That happens. What are you gonna do? That's the way it goes, you know? Tell you right now. See this girl? Maybe this girl, she put wind in your sails. Maybe she's your first great one.

[[Rocky Marciano; [Sugar Ray Robinson; [Joe Louis]

A Bronx Tale

A Father's Concern About His Son's Choices

Lorenzo You don't see me going to the bar, do you?

Calogero Mommy won't let you go there either?

Lorenzo What am I going to do with this kid?

A Bronx Tale

Fear vs. Love in Relationships

Lorenzo Anello People don't love him, they fear him. There's a difference.

[about Sonny]

A Bronx Tale

The Indifference of Fame and Wealth

Sonny LoSpecchio ]? Is that what you're upset about? Mickey Mantle makes $100,000 a year. How much does your father make? You don't know? Well, see, if your father can't pay the rent, go ask Mickey Mantle and see what he tells you. Mickey Mantle don't care about you, so why should you care about him? Nobody cares.

[[Mickey Mantle]

A Bronx Tale

Summoning Attention in A Bronx Tale

Sonny LoSpecchio Come here!

[last words before he died]

A Bronx Tale

The Value of Hard Work Over Violence

Calogero Sonny was right. The working man IS a sucker, dad. He's a sucker.

Lorenzo He's wrong! It don't take much strength to pull a trigger, but try and get up every morning, day after day and work for a livin'! Let's see him try that! Then we'll see who's the REAL tough guy! The working man's the tough guy! Your father's the tough guy!

Calogero Oh, I don't wanna hear this.

Lorenzo You don't wanna hear it, but you're gonna hear it. I might not have any money, I might not have a Cadillac, but I'm proud of what I do and I don't answer to anybody. My mother and father came to this country with nothin'-

Calogero And they died with nothin'!

Lorenzo Hey! Don't you dare disrespect your grandparents, do you hear me? They tried to give me a better life, and that's what I'm trying to give you!

Calogero What better life?! You don't even own a car! We ain't got money, we ain't got nothin'! Don't take it out on me because you're a bus driver! The workin man is a sucker.

A Bronx Tale

Passion's Influence on Decision-Making

Lorenzo Anello Sometimes in the heat of passion, the little head tells the big head what to do, and the big head should think twice about what you are doing.

A Bronx Tale Quotes