Simon:
This neighborhood is gone to shit.
Mack:
This country is gone to shit.
[
Davis describing the plot of "Sullivan's Travels"]
Davis:
It's a story about a guy, he's a filmmaker like me, who loses his way, and forgets what it was he set on earth to do. Fortunately, he finds his way back. It can happen, Mack. Check it out.
Davis:
You think anyone can do what I do? You think anyone can make the crap I make?
Dee:
You've denied me in every way you can. Everything I've wanted, you've denied me.
Mack:
I've been honest all along. Even that night.
Dee:
Who gives a shit? Don't you see what you do? Even now, you wanna deny me what's rightfully mine.
Mack:
Which is?
Dee:
To resent the hell outta you. To feel totally rejected and hated. To hate you for doing it to me. There are good men out there who are gonna treat me like I'm the very thing they want. And then you do that thing with Jane.
Mack:
What?
Dee:
You know, with that guy, that tow-truck guy.
Mack:
What about it? What's that got to do with anything?
Dee:
You don't even know, do you? You don't even know why that hurts me so much. Jane's in love. She thinks this could be the one.
Mack:
Is that bad? I thought she was your friend.
Dee:
She is my friend. I'm very happy for her, but it makes me feel like shit... that you're out there finding her the love of her life and I'm here like what? I'm here like shit. How do you think that's gonna make me feel?
Mack:
Dee, I understand you're angry with me, but why would...?
Dee:
Forget it. It doesn't have to make sense.
Simon:
I've gotta ask you for a favor. Let me go my way here. This truck's my responsibility, and now that the car's hooked up to it, it's my responsibility too.
Rocstar:
Do you think I'm stupid? Just answer that question first.
Simon:
Look, I don't know nothing about you; you don't know nothing about me. I don't know if you're stupid, or some kind of genius. All I know is that I need to get out of here, and you got the gun. So I'm asking you, for the second time, let me go my way here.
Rocstar:
I'm gonna grant you that favor, and I'm gonna expect you to remember it if we ever meet again. But tell me this, are you asking me as a sign of respect, or are you asking because I've got the gun?
Simon:
Man, the world ain't supposed to work like this. I mean, maybe you don't know that yet. I'm supposed to be able to do my job without having to ask you if I can. That dude is supposed to be able to wait with his car without you ripping him off. Everything is supposed to be different than it is.
Rocstar:
So what's your answer?
Simon:
You ain't got the gun, we ain't having this conversation.
Rocstar:
That's what I thought: no gun, no respect. That's why I always got the gun.
Otis:
They smoked me. See a nigga running around here, they smoke ya, ask questions later. Well I ain't staying here, I'll tell you that, I ain't FUCKING STAYING HERE!
Dee:
You know what your problem is? You never want to be the bad guy. You want everything you do to be right, but it isn't. If you really didn't want me to go, you shouldn't have fucked me.
Mack:
This is difficult stuff. Making a left turn in L.A. is one of the harder things you'll learn in life.
Davis:
There's so much rage going around we're damn lucky we have the movies to help us vent it.
Davis:
The point is there's a gulf in this country; an ever-widening abyss between the people who have stuff, and the people who don't have shit. It's like this big hole in the ground, as big as the fucking Grand Canyon, and what's come pouring out is an eruption of rage, and the rage creates violence, and the violence is real, Mack. Nothing's gonna make it go away, until someone changes something, which is not going to happen. And you may not like it, even I may not like it, but I can't pretend it isn't there because that it is a lie, and when art lies, it becomes worthless. So I gotta keep telling the truth, even if it scares the shit out of me, like it scares the shit out of you. Even if it means some motherfucker can blow a big hole in my leg for a watch, and I'm gonna walk with a fucking limp for the rest of my life and call myself lucky.
Davis:
We're talking about a religious experience here. I might say "doth" or "thou" or a lot of things.
[
last lines]
[
as Mack and Simon and their wives and families look at the Grand Canyon]
Simon:
So what do you think?
Mack:
I think it's not all bad.
Simon:
You ever been to the Grand Canyon? Its pretty, but thats not the thing of it. You can sit on the edge of that big ol' thing and those rocks... the cliffs and rocks are so old... it took so long for that thing to get like that... and it ain't done either! It happens right there while your watching it. Its happening right now as we are sitting here in this ugly town. When you sit on the edge of that thing, you realize what a joke we people really are... what big heads we have thinking that what we do is gonna matter all that much... thinking that our time here means didly to those rocks. Just a split second we have been here, the whole lot of us. That's a piece of time so small to even get a name. Those rocks are laughing at me right now, me and my worries... Yeah, its real humorous, that Grand Canyon. Its laughing at me right now. You know what I felt like? I felt like a gnat that lands on the ass of a cow chewing his cud on the side of the road that you drive by doing 70 mph.
Claire:
It's just an inappropriate response to get a headache in the presence of a miracle. It's... tasteless!
Davis:
While we got a moment here, maybe you can explain something to me I never understood. What is the theory on this handkerchief thing? I mean, after you blow your nose in it, you put it back in your pocket and then you see someone in distress and you like give them this gift from your pocket and they are suppose to be grateful as they wipe it all over their face.
Davis:
That's part of your problem: you haven't seen enough movies. All of life's riddles are answered in the movies.
Mack:
Vanessa, why is it that when someone's successful in one field, they think they know about everything?
Mack:
He's kinda lonely, but he seems peaceful about it.
Jane:
That would be nice.
Dee:
Ya know, it would be great if you could sort of be down about things, but still be alright with it. Like, finally accept that fact that you're gonna feel bad most of the time and not fight it.
Mack:
Of course, it would also be nice not to feel bad most of the time.
Dee:
Yeah, but that's how you get yourself in trouble. By thinking how nice it'd be to be happy more.
Dee:
Jane, do you ever feel like you are just this far from being completely hysterical twenty four hours a day?
Jane:
Half the people I know feel that way. The lucky ones feel that way. The rest of the people ARE hysterical twenty four hours a day.
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