Leaving Las Vegas (1995) - Quotes

Struggle Between Care and Independence

Sera: [Ben has been on another binge] I want you to see a doctor.

Ben: Sera... I'm not gonna see a doctor. Perhaps now would be a good time for me to move back to a motel.

Sera: [starts to cry; pause] And do what? Rot away in a room? We're not gonna talk about that. Fuck you, we're not gonna talk about that! You're staying here! You could do this for me. I've given you gallons of free will around here. You could do this one thing for me! I have to go to work now.

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The Complexity of Love and Addiction

Ben: Don't you think you'd get a little bored, living with a drunk?

Sera: Well... that's what I want.

Ben: You haven't seen the worst of it. I knock things over... throw up all the time. These past few days I've been very controlled. You're like some sort of antidote that mixes with the liquor and keeps me in balance. But, that won't last forever.

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

Complex Needs and Perceptions of Goodness

Ben: What are you? Some sort of angel visiting me from one of my drunk fantasies? How can you be so good?

Sera: I don't know what you're saying. I'm just using you. I need you.

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

Understanding Boundaries in Relationships

Sera: Don't you like me, Ben?

Ben: Sera... what you don't understand is - no, see, no. You can never, never ask me to stop drinking. Do you understand?

Sera: I do. I really do.

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

First Date or Last: An Uncertain Encounter

Sera: So why are you a drunk?

Ben: Why am I a drunk? Is that really what you wanna ask me?

Sera: Yes.

Ben: Well, then, this is our first date, or our last. Until now I wasn't sure it was either.

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

Desire for self-destruction in Las Vegas

Sera: So, Ben with an "N" - what brings you to Las Vegas? Business convention?

Ben: No. I came here to drink myself to death. Cashed in all my money, paid my AmEx card, gonna sell the car tomorrow.

Sera: So, how long is it gonna take for you to... drink yourself to death?

Ben: I think about four weeks.

Sera: Is drinking a way of killing yourself?

Ben: Or, is killing myself a way to drink?

Sera: So... why are you killing yourself?

Ben: Interesting choice of words. I don't remember. I just know that I want to.

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

A Desire for Connection Amidst Chaos

Sera: What's the story? Are you too drunk to cum?

Ben: I don't care about any of that. There's time left. You can have more money. You can drink all you want. Just stay. That's what I want. I want you to - talk or listen. Just stay.

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

Negotiating Boundaries in a Transactional Relationship

Sera: So, for 500 bucks, you can do pretty much whatever you want. You can fuck my ass.

Ben: Oh, my God.

Sera: You can cum on my face. Whatever you want to do. Just keep it out of my hair.

Ben: Okay.

Sera: I just washed it.

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

Acceptance in Love Amid Limited Time

Sera: I think the thing is, we both realized that we didn't have that much time. And I accepted him for who he was, and I didn't expect him to change, and I think he felt that for me, too. I liked his drama, and he needed me. And I loved him. I really loved him.

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

Embracing a Positive Outlook on Life

Sera: I think the tough times are finally behind me. There'll always be bad things, but... my life is good. It is as I want it to be. It's good. It's good being here with you.

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

Loneliness and the Struggle for Connection

Sera: You go back to your hotel and I'll go back to my glamorous life of being alone. The only thing I have to come home to is a bottle of mouthwash to get the taste of cum out of my mouth. I'm tired of being alone. That's what I'm tired of.

Sera's Observations on Ben's Drinking

Sera: That's nice talk, Ben - keep drinking. Between the 101-proof breath and the occasional bits of drool, some interesting words come out.

The Art of Performance in Intimacy

Sera: You know, I bring out the best in the men who fuck me. I mean, it's not easy, but I'm very good. I mean, it's amazing. It's like I've- I've worked for a really long time and: Boom. I just turn on a dime. I can just become who they want me to be, I walk into that room, I know right away: This is their fantasy. And I become it. I'm that service, you know. I just- I perform it and I perform it well. I mean, I'm an equation most of the time, it's like 30 minutes of my body is... cost 300 dollars. Well, that's just to get into the room. And then, it's about 500 dollars after that, you know, we negotiate. But, ehm, it's a performance. It's definitely a performance.

Unexpected Inclusions in Rental Agreements

Sera: Included with the rent round here is a complimentary blow-job.

A Conflicted Declaration of Love

Ben Sanderson: [to Sera] I'll tell you, right now... I'm in love with you. But, be that as it may, I am not here to force my twisted soul into your life.

Desire and Self-Worth Through Intimacy

Ben Sanderson: Are you desirable? Are you irresistible? Maybe if you drank bourbon with me, it would help. Maybe if you kissed me and I could taste the sting in your mouth it would help. If you drank bourbon with me naked. If you smelled of bourbon as you fucked me, it would help. It would increase my esteem for you. If you poured bourbon onto your naked body and said to me "drink this". If you spread your legs and you had bourbon dripping from your breasts and your pussy and said "drink here" then I could fall in love with you. Because then I would have a purpose. To clean you up and that, that would prove that I'm worth something. I'd lick you clean so that you could go away and fuck someone else.

Acceptance of Truth and Judgment

Ben Sanderson: [to Sera] We both know that I'm a drunk. And I know you are a hooker. I hope you understand that I am a person who is totally at ease with that. Which is not to say that I'm indifferent or I don't care, I do. It simply means that I trust and accept your judgment.