Ordinary People Quotes

Beth Calvin? Why are you crying? Can I, uh … can I get you something?

Cal I don't...

Beth What did you say? Calvin, what did you say? Tell me!

Cal You are beautiful. And you are unpredictable. But you're so cautious. You're determined, Beth; but you know something? You're not strong. And I don't know if you're really giving. Tell me something. Do you love me? You really love me?

Beth I feel the way I've always felt about you.

Cal We would have been alright, if there hadn't been any mess. But you can't handle mess. You need everything neat and easy. I don't know, maybe you can't love anybody. It was so much Buck. When Buck died, it was as if you buried all your love with him, and I don't understand that, I just don't know, I don't... maybe it wasn't even Buck; maybe it was just you. Maybe, finally, it was the best of you that you buried. But, whatever it was... I don't know who you are. And I don't know what we've been playing at. So I was crying. Because I don't know if I love you anymore. And I don't know what I'm going to do without that.

Conrad It's impossible after all the shit I've pulled.

Dr. Berger What shit have you pulled? Hey, remember, I'm talking proportion here, now what shit? C'mon, you must be able to come up with at least one example. And don't give me, "I tried to kill myself." That's old turkey.

Conrad Can I help?

Beth Help with what?

Conrad With … this?

Beth No. I'll tell you what you can do is go upstairs to that room of yours and clean out the closet.

Conrad Mom?

Beth Okay? Because it really is a mess.

Conrad I feel bad about this! I feel really, really bad about this! Just let me feel bad about this!

Dr. Berger Okay. I feel bad about it, too.

Conrad You woulda visited Buck if he was in the hospital.

Beth Buck would have never been in the hospital!

Taglines Some films you watch, others you feel.

Cal Well, don't admire people too much. They"ll disappoint you sometimes.

Beth * To her mother about the platter she just broke.

Jeannine Can you ever break the ball?

Conrad You can't break the ball. Can't break the floor. Can't break anything in a bowling alley. And that's what I like about bowling alleys. Can't even break the record.

Conrad Bucky, I didn't mean it! Bucky, I didn't meant it!

Dr. Berger What?

Conrad I said put the sail down, but you said keep it starboard, and then we go over! And you say "Hang on, Hang on!", but then you let go! Why'd you let go?

Dr. Berger Because I was tired!

Conrad Oh yeah? Well screw you, you jerk!

Dr. Berger It hurts to be mad at him, doesn't it?

Conrad God, I loved him. It's not fair. You just do one wrong thing.

Dr. Berger And what was the one wrong thing you did? You know. You know.

Conrad I hung on. I stayed with the boat.

Dr. Berger Exactly.

Jeannine Did it hurt?

Conrad I don't remember, really.

Jeannine You don't want to talk about it?

Conrad I've never really talked about it. To doctors. But, not to anyone else. You're the first who's asked.

Jeannine Why did you do it?

Conrad Uh … I don't know. It was like … falling into a hole. It's like falling into a hole and it keeps getting bigger and bigger and you can't get out. And then all of a sudden, it's inside … and you're the hole. And you're trapped. And it's all over. Something like that. And it's not really scary … except it is when you think back on it. Cause you know what you were feeling, the strange and new. …

Karen Conrad. Let's have a great Christmas. Let's have … a great year. Let's have the best year of our whole lives. We can, you know … this could be the best one ever..

Cal He just wants to know that you don't hate him.

Beth Hate him! How could I hate him? Mothers don't hate their sons! Is that what he told you? You see how you believe everything he tells you? And you can't do the same for me, you can't! GOD I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANYONE WANTS FROM ME ANYMORE!

Ward Beth, we don't want anything from you; Audrey, Cal, Connie and Me, we just want you to be happy.

Beth Happy! Ward, you tell me the definition of happy. But first you better make sure you happy!

Dr. Berger A little advice about feelings, kiddo; don't expect it always to tickle.

Beth You know, I think this can be saved. It's a nice clean break.

Cal What I'm … gonna say … will sound strange.

Beth What happened? Come inside.

Cal Could we talk about Buck's funeral?

Beth Whaaaat?

Cal It'll seem trivial. But, it's on my mind and I'd like to talk about it. When I was getting dressed for Buck's funeral …

Beth Calvin, what's the matter with you?

Cal Just let me get it off my chest,OK?

Beth What could getting dressed for Buck's funeral … have to do with anything, right now?

Cal I was wearing a blue shirt. You said, "wear a white shirt and the other shoes." It was nothing at the time, but, it seemed to stay with me. And I, for some reason, had been thinking about it and it suddenly occurred to me, what difference did it make what I wore to Buck's funeral?

Beth Uh, huh.

Cal Just hear me out, Beth, it won't hurt you to listen!

Beth I won't listen to that. No one in their right mind would listen to that!

Cal I just want to talk about something I always remembered.

Beth Why do you want to remind me?

Cal Because I've always wondered, in some needling way, what it mattered what I wore. I was crazy that day. We were going to our son's funeral and you were worried about what I wore on my feet. I'm sure it sounds like nothing to you, but it stuck with me and I just wanted … to tell you about it.

Dr. Berger Now. You can live with that. Can't you?

Conrad I'm so scared! I'm scared.

Dr. Berger Feelings are scary. And sometimes they're painful. And if you can't feel pain, then you're not going to feel anything else, either. You know what I'm saying?

Conrad I think so.

Dr. Berger You're here, and you're alive. And don't tell me you don't feel that.

Conrad It doesn't feel good.

Dr. Berger It is good. Believe me.

Conrad How do you know?

Dr. Berger Because I'm your friend.

Dr. Berger So you felt great. You brought home a Christmas tree and everything was hunky dory. Okay?

Conrad You're the doctor.

Dr. Berger Listen, don't take refuge in one-liners like "you're the doctor". Okay? Because that pisses me off.

Conrad Okay.

Taglines Everything is in its proper place... Except the past.