The Prince of Tides (1991) - Quotes

Haunting Memories and the Freedom of Truth

Taglines: A story about the memories that haunt us, and the truth that sets us free.

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A Reflection on Cruelty and Influence

Tom: How about Luke? Do you ever think about Luke? Does he ever cross your mind?

Lila: Who taught you to be so cruel?

Tom: You did, Mama. You did.

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Frustration with Sister's Struggles and Therapy

Tom: I'm sick of my sister's attraction to razor blades - and I'm sick of shrinks who can't do a fucking thing to help her.

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The Allure of Ordinary Family Life

Tom: [''narrating''] There are families who live out their entire lives without a single thing of interest happening to them. I've always envied those families.

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Love, Forgiveness, and the Mystery of Life

Tom: [''narrating''] In New York, I learned that I needed to love my mother and father in all their flawed, outrageous humanity, and in families, there are no crimes beyond forgiveness. But it is the mystery of life that sustains me now. I look to the north, and I wish again that there were two lives apportioned to every man - and every woman.

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Reflections on Fatherhood and Violence

Tom: [''narrating''] I suppose Henry Wingo would have been a pretty good father - if he hadn't been such a violent man.

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The Impact of Parental Conflict on Children

Tom: [''narrating''] I don't know when my parents began their war against each other - but I do know the only prisoners they took were their children.

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Reflections on Home and Regret

Tom: [''narrating''] At the end of every day, I drive through the city of Charleston and I cross the bridge that will take me home. I feel the words building inside me, I can't stop them, or tell you why I say them, but as I reach the top of the bridge, these words come to me in a whisper. I say these words as a prayer, as regret, as praise, I say: Lowenstein, Lowenstein.

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Reflections on Maternal Influence and Perception

Tom: [''narrating''] From my mother, I inherited a love of language and an appreciation of nature. She could turn a walk around the island into a voyage of purest discovery. As a child, I thought she was the most extraordinary woman on earth. I wasn't the first son to be wrong about his mother.

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Valuable Instrument Sparks Tension Among Characters

Herbert: That Stradivarius is worth over a million dollars!

Tom: Well, if I drop it, it won't be worth shit.

Susan: Don't do it, Tom.

Tom: Apologize to your wife, Herbert.

Herbert: You're bluffing.

Tom: I may be, but it's a powerful bluff. Isn't it, asshole?

Herbert: [''screaming''] I'm sorry, Susan!

Tom: Sincerity becomes you, Herbie. Now apologize to me for your unforgivable breach of etiquette at the dinner table tonight, you possum-bred cocksucker.

Herbert: I'm very sorry, Tom.

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