Risky Business (1983) - Quotes

Balancing Safety and Risk in Life

Taglines: There's a time for playing it safe and a time for Risky Business.

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The Good Son Who Breaks Free

Taglines: Meet the model son who's been good too long.

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Embracing Chance and Taking Risks

Joel's Father: Haven't I been telling you. Every once in awhile you just got to say, "what the heck" and take some chances.

Joel: You are so right.

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Conflict Between Characters in Risky Business

Guido: Listen to me.

Joel: No, no. You listen to ME!

Joel: [calls back] Shit! You listen to me, buster. You, you a-hole.

Guido: A-hole?

Joel: I want my stuff back right now.

Guido: Now you listen to me, you little fuck. Not only you take my two best girls, you call me names. If I didn't have any self-respect, it wouldn't just be the furniture, it'd be your arms, your legs, your head.

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Concerns About Identity and Family Influence

Joel: Some of the girls are wearing my mother's clothing.

Lana: What's wrong with that?

Joel: I just don't want to spend the rest of my life in analysis.

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A Plea for Understanding and Compassion

Joel: [Nurse Bolen waves goodbye to Joel] You're right. You are absolutely right to respond this way. I did not have a doctor's appointment. But I will tell you exactly what happened. "Unexcused." You see, Nurse Bolan lf you write "unexcused," I fail two mid-terms. It'll wreck my whole grade point average! If you'd just stop and listen to me, I'll explain everything. The truth is, my parents are away, and I met this girl. A call girl, actually. She came to my house. Look, you're writing again! This is not "unexcused"! If you will just listen to me, then you'll understand, Nurse Bolan. Why? Why won't you listen to me?

Girl: I had a doctor's appointment.

Joel: [pushing the girl out of the way; Nurse Bolan waves goodbye again; grabs Nurse Bolan by her lapels] Excuse me. It wasn't the girl, it was my father's car. I put my father's car into Lake Michigan and I had to get it fixed. Just give me a break. Let me put it this way. I have spent the last four years of my life busting my butt in this shithole! I'm sorry. I don't think I can leave until I get just a little compassion from you.

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A Favor and a Warning

Joel: Will you do me a favor?

Lana: Anything, cookie.

Joel: Don't steal anything. If I come back here and anything's missing, I'm going straight to the police. I mean it.

Lana: Joel, go to school. Go learn something.

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Questioning Relationships and Roles

Joel: So is this Guido guy... he's your "manager"?

Lana: That's right.

Joel: Or a pimp?

Lana: Now that's quick Joel. Have you always been this quick, or is this something new?

Miles: I don't believe this! I've got a trig midterm tomorrow, and I'm being chased by Guido the killer pimp.

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Value of Property Discussion

Lana: This is a beautiful place, Ralph. Is it all yours?

Joel: It's my folks', actually.

Lana: Do you know what it's worth?

Joel: A lot, probably.

Lana: Oh, yeah! Real estate? It's fabulous!

Joel: Look, Lana... uh, my name isn't really Ralph. It's Joel.

Lana: Mmmm. I'll be needing 300 bucks...Joel.

Joel: You're kidding.

Lana: No, I don't believe that I am.

Joel: Can I send it to you?

Lana: Can you send it to me, Joel?

Joel: Well, uh, it's just that I don't have that much here in the house.

Lana: How much do you have?

Joel: I have 50 dollars.

Lana: 50 dollars? What are we going to do about this, Joel?

Joel: I don't know.

Joel: I, uh, have a bond at the bank. I could go cash that.

Lana: I'm not good at waiting for people.

Joel: I'll be quick.

Lana: Give it a try.

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Attraction and Personal Preferences in Relationships

Miles: No guts, Goodson.

Joel: Yeah, you know, when it came right down to it, I just wasn't attracted to her.

Miles: That should never stop you.

Joel: She seemed too big.

Miles: It could've worked out!

Joel: I figured I would've gotten into trouble somehow.

Miles: Sometimes you have to say, "What the fuck!" Make your move!

Joel: That's easy for you to say. I mean, you're all set, you're probably going to Harvard. Me, I don't want to make a mistake, jeopardize my future!

Miles: Joel, you wanna know something?

Joel: What?

Miles: Every now and then, say "What the fuck." "What the fuck" gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future... So your folks are going out of town.

Joel: Tomorrow.

Miles: You got the place all to yourself.

Joel: Yeah.

Miles: What the fuck." If you can't say it, you can't do it.

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Conversation About Last Night's Events

Miles: What happened?

Joel: Last night?

Miles: That's right - with Kessler.

Joel: She was babysitting down the street...

Miles: We know that!

Joel: So I went over there. It turns out that, uh, she was giving the kid a bath and accidentally hit the shower thing...

Miles: That could happen.

Joel: ...and all her clothes were drying upstairs. So she plops down right on the kitchen floor and she looks up at me and says I think I'm in the mood.

Barry: She said that? What did you say?

Joel: I didn't have to say anything.

Glenn: Whatcha do?

Joel: What do you think I did?

Glenn: I think you got the hell out of there, ran home, and wacked off.

Miles: I disagree. Did you have your bike there?

Joel: Yeah.

Miles: I think you jumped on your bike, peddled home, and wacked off!

Trust in Your Judgment

Joel's Mother: Just use your best judgment. We trust you.

Understanding Consequences in a Sluggish Economy

Guido: Joel, you look like a smart kid. I'm going to tell you something I'm sure you'll understand. You're having fun now, right? Right, Joel? The time of your life. In a sluggish economy, never ever fuck with another man's livelihood. Now, if you're smart, and I hope you are, you're not gonna make me come back here.

Friendship and Judgment in Wealthy Contexts

Lana: I'm really trying to be friends with you. But I'd appreciate it if you'd stop laying these little judgments on me while you're leaning on your daddy's $40,000 car.

Joel Goodson on Human Fulfillment and Success

Joel Goodson: [voiceover] My name is Joel Goodson. I deal in human fulfillment. I grossed over eight thousand dollars in one night. Time of your life, huh kid?

The Allure of Capitalism and Desire

Joel Goodson: [about Lana] It was great the way her mind worked: No guilt, no doubts, no fear. None of my specialties. Just this shameless pursuit of immediate material gratification. What a capitalist! She told me I could make more money in one night than I'd make all year. Enough to pay for my father's car. She told me she'd be my girlfriend. She told me a lot of things. I believed them all. So, she introduced me to her friends. I introduced her to my friends.

The Logic of Trust in Language

Joel Goodson: It seems to me that if there were any logic to our language, trust would be a four letter word.

The Recurring Dream of Missed Opportunities

Joel Goodson: [voiceover] The dream is always the same. Instead of going home, I go to the neighbors'. I ring, but nobody answers. The door is open, so I go inside. I'm looking around for the people, but nobody seems to be there. And then I hear the shower running, so I go upstairs to see what's what. Then I see her; this... girl, this incredible girl. I mean, what she's doing there I don't know, because she doesn't live there... but it's a dream, so I go with it. "Who's there?" she says. "Joel," I say. "What are you doing here?" "I don't know what I'm doing here; what are you doing here?" "I'm taking a shower," she says. Then I give her: "You want me to go?" "No," she says; "I want you to wash my back." So now, I'm gettin enthusiastic about this dream. So I go to her, but she's hard to find through all the steam and stuff; I keep losing her. Finally I get to the door... and I... find myself in a room full of kids taking their college boards. I'm over three hours late; I've got two minutes to take the whole test. I've... just made a terrible mistake. I'll never get to college. My life is ruined.