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Recent retiree--35 year's experience teaching reading, English, adult basic education and volunteer leadership skills. Started this blog to exchange ideas and commentary with friends and others having an interest in joining the discussions. Greatest life accomplishments include: 1.organized my 3rd grade class to check out library books for me to get around librarian's weekly limit--Amazon.com, the Mullins Elementary 3rd Grade Class of 1956 is still waiting for "thank you" notes; 2. volunteered in the Peace Corps, island of St. Kitts, West Indies; 3.taught adults to read, earn their GEDs., and speak English as a second language; 4. bought a border collie puppy for $6, got evicted rather than give him up, and began a life-long love affair with all things "Dog"; 5. joined a physical fitness boot camp in my mid-50s--don't mess with someone who's been doing regulation pushups in wet grass at 5:30 a.m.; 6. walked across Northern England with best friend Sally--over 80 miles from the Irish to North Seas; and 7. travelled to many foreign countries for pleasure and work.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Remember this Line?

(This week's Fun Monday continues the movie theme. Our host, IT Guy, wants us to share some memorable lines from five different movies--the character who spoke the lines and to whom they were spoken. He also wants to know to whom we could have spoken those lines. Well-l-l, I can handle the first part of the assignment, but may not be willing to do the last part. After all, I've only known you Fun Monday participants for a couple of months!)



Here's the first five quoteworthy movies that came to mind:

1. To Kill a Mockingbird --much loved for its southern roots, performance by Gregory Peck, and universal themes of justice and coming of age. Atticus Finch gives this advice to his daughter Scout, who's complaining about people such as her teacher not doing what she wants them to: "If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. . .until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it." Good bit of advice for all of us.

2. The English Patient -- tells the story of four damaged people whose lives intersect in an Italian villa/hospital at the end of World War II. Count Almasy, aka the horribly burned English Patient, remembers this poignant exchange with his married lover, Katherine Clifton, in the Egyptian desert:
Almasy: "When were you most happy?"
Katherine: "Now."
Almasy: "When were you least happy?
Katherine: "Now."

3. The Painted Veil -- this movie was a favorite of mine in 2007 starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts. Set in England and China in the 1920s, Kitty (Watts) marries Walter Fane, a dull civil service doctor (Norton) in a fit of spite against her mother. Kitty immediately beds a local politician. Surprisingly, when he discovers them, the shy Fane retaliates by volunteering to serve as a doctor in a remote village in China that is being leveled by infectious disease. Kitty has a choice of going with him or his divorcing her for infidelity. These lines illustrate the punishing silence and bitterness between the couple:
Kitty Fane: "It's raining cats and dogs." (silence) "I said, it's raining cats and dogs."
Walter Fane: "Yes, I heard you."
KF: "You might have answered."
WF: "I suppose I'm not used to speaking unless I've something to say."
KF: "If people only spoke when they had something to say, the human race would soon lose the power to speak."

4. Odd Couple -- there's no background required for this one. However, this exchange is just a great example of the witty, biting exchange between the roommates. Oscar's girlfriend is trying to get him to lose weight:
Oscar: "Honey, that's fun fat. Everybody has that."
Felix: "I don't"
Oscar: "You don't have any fun either."

5. Pride and Prejudice -- Mr. Darcy delivers this opener of a marriage proposal to the beautiful Miss Elizabeth Bennet: "In vain I have struggled. It will not do--you must allow me to tell you how much I ardently admire and love you. . ." If only he'd stopped there, but instead he chose to go on with a litany of reasons for trying not to marry her, insulting her and her family. Miss Bennet sent him back to the drawing board and the second time around he got it right!

I can hardly wait to hear about the memorable movie lines from other Fun Monday participants. I'm headed over to IT Guy right now to check them out.

37 comments:

Molly said...

I have enjoyed reading your choices. Your Atticus Finch quote is indeed sage advice for us all, and Gregory Peck spoke those words so well.

Swampwitch said...

The first one sets me to thinking deeply. Thanks.
I've not seen "The Painted Veil."
Will try to make time to do that.
Very 'deep' thoughts here.

Kim said...

All nice quotes. I love "To Kill a Mockingbird". Wonderful movie, even better book.

SongBird said...

Oh, now I am upset because I didn't think of To Kill A Mockingbird! What a tremendous movie and an even better book. Great choices, Faye.

A much belated but very sincere thank you for the award of excellence you gave me a while back. I truly do appreciate the positive comments you made about my blog!

Sai Hijara - Ferraris said...

Beautiful lines...and I love To Kill A Mockingbird too!

Peter said...

Two of my favourites there, To kill a mocking bird and The odd couple, very diverse but both excellent.

Lane Mathias said...

Great lines. Atticus Finch utters one of the best lines in fiction - ever. (and Gregory Peck *sigh*:-)

I've not seen The Painted Veil or the Odd Couple. Think I've got some dvds to catch up on:-)

Hootin Anni said...

Numbers 2 and 4....great movies and you chose some of the best quotes! Gotta love 'em.

If you haven't stopped by my blog for the FUN MONDAY movie quotes I hope you can find time. I'd love to have you pay me a visit.

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

Odd couple....what a funny film that is!

Karen said...

Great quotes!
My favourite is still 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn,' and I could have spoken that line to any number of people over the years!!

Tiggerlane said...

I think I need to see some more movies - you've piqued my interest about "Pride and Prejudice" and "The English Patient!"

Sayre said...

I've got some of that "fun fat!"

Nikki said...

Great choices! All have made me think (which I didn't know was possible.)

nikki

-Ann said...

How embarrassing to admit I haven't seen a single one of those films. (And I've also never read "To Kill a Mockingbird.")

Still, the quotes sound good. :)

Beckie said...

You did a great job with this FM!

Thanks for stopping by my place and leaving a comment.

Irish Coffeehouse said...

Great quotes, but #4 is too awesome to not be funny! #1 is great too!

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

Ahhhh...Pride and Prejudice. My all time favorite book/movie. LOVE every line of it! I guess I couldn't quote the whole dang thing ;0)

Heather said...

The Odd Couple quote was great. And I just adore To kill A Mockingbird - still a favorite book and movie of mine.

Pam said...

I liked your choices...this was fun because everyone picked so many different ideas. Happy Fun Monday!

j said...

OK, so I was HERE today. When I got your comment I clicked over to see who it was (do you do that) and thought "I've been here and read this." Started to leave another comment and realized I didn't comment the first time. I DON'T DO DRIVE BYS! I always have a little something to say. So, HEY!

Liked your Fun Monday BOTH times that I saw it today!
Jen

Amanda said...

Hey! I liked these choices. Especially #4....and maybe #1 too for its message.

Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment on my blog.

Jeanna said...

I love To Kill A Mockingbird and have been thinking about buying it the last few times I went to Best Buy. Great quotes.

Rachel said...

I LOVE pride and prejudce!!

Sandy said...

I just watched pride and prejudice 2 nights ago. Thanks for reminding me of the incandescently happy Mr. & Mrs. Darcy.

IamwhoIam said...

To Kill a Mocking Bird, is a great movie and even a better book and you can't beat the advice. As for the Painted Veil not seen or heard of that one. My guess is she went to China.

Kaytabug said...

Wonderful quotes. I love To Kill A Mockingbird, the book and the movie!

Melanie said...

Ha! #4 is hilarious!!

Patience-please said...

I used To Kill A Mockingbird, too! These are all wonderful; I'm so glad you shared them.

Patience

Anonymous said...

I've always had a crush on Mr. Darcy!
I love all those films!

Don't pay any attention to that name at the top. I'm really min of mamadrama when I'm not on Blogger.

Attie said...

Loved the Odd couple!! there's a few here i haven't seen too!!

Sauntering Soul said...

I've never seen To Kill a Mockingbird but have read the book. It's one of my favorites of all time.

Loved all of your choices!

thefoodsnob said...

That's a great line from 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' more of us should live that way.

Lisa

Jo Beaufoix said...

Ohhh, I nearly had that Mr Darcy one, but instead I went for the Mark Darcy one. Both were played briliantly by yummy Colin though. Sighhhh.
:D

Ari_1965 said...

I've always thought that Mr. Darcy was dehydrated and constipated. His personality would have been much different if he had drunk at least 64 ounces of water per day.

Unknown said...

I love the fun fat one! I have enough of that. :)

I had forgotten that scene from the English Patient. Thanx for the refresher. :)

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Excellent choices. I especially believe the Atticus Finch quote and try to remember that people do see things from different places. I adored Colin Finch saying that line in Pride and Prejudice.

Pamela said...

I wish I'd participated. I got sidetracked last couple of weeks.
One movie line I often quote is from The Day of The Dolphin.
I cozy in to my hubby and squeak:
Ma loves Pa.

He gets so irritated. ha ha.