Glenn Holland:
Playing music is supposed to be fun. It's about heart, it's about feelings, moving people, and something beautiful, and it's not about notes on a page. I can teach you notes on a page, I can't teach you that other stuff.
Glenn Holland:
Well, congratulations, Gene. You've been looking for a way to get rid of me for 30 years, and they finally gave you an excuse.
Vice Principal Wolters:
You know, I'm not as popular as you. I'm not anybody's favorite anything.
Glenn Holland:
That's because you're the enemy, Gene. You just don't know it.
Glenn Holland:
I'm 60 years old, Gene. What are you going to do: write me a recommendation for the morgue?
Glenn Holland:
Which instrument do you think you'd like to play?
Louis Russ:
Well, I was kinda thinkin' like... How about electric guitar?
Glenn Holland:
Well, this is a marching band. The extension cord will kill us.
Vice Principal Wolters:
Have you been to any of the football games this season, Mr. Holland?
Glenn Holland:
I can't say that I have, no.
Vice Principal Wolters:
Well, Mrs. Jacobs and I feel that there's something missing.
Glenn Holland:
Touchdowns?
Principal Jacobs:
A teacher has two jobs; fill young minds with knowledge, yes, but more important, give those minds a compass so that that knowledge doesn't go to waste.
Rowena Morgan:
You love music and you made the kids love it with you.
Vice Principal Wolters:
I care about these kids just as much as you do. And if I'm forced to choose between Mozart and reading and writing and long division, I choose long division.
Glenn Holland:
Well, I guess you can cut the arts as much as you want, Gene. Sooner or later, these kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about.
Mr. Glenn Holland:
The day they cut the football budget in this state, that will be the end of Western Civilization as we know it!
Iris Holland:
Why is everyone else's child more important than yours?
Vice Principal Gene Wolters:
Rock 'n' roll by its very nature leads to a breakdown in discipline.
Louis Russ:
Tubas are for fat guys with pimples.
Glenn Holland:
Play the sunset.
Mr. Glenn Holland:
Let me ask you a question. When you look in the mirror, what do you like best about yourself?
Gertrude Lang:
My hair.
Mr. Glenn Holland:
Why?
Gertrude Lang:
Well, my father always says that it reminds him of the sunset.
Mr. Glenn Holland:
Play the sunset. Close your eyes. One, two, three, four.
[
Glenn and Iris are discussing the possibility of sending Cole to a special school]
Glenn Holland:
The doctor said that gestures meant...
Iris Holland:
It's way more than gestures.
Glenn Holland:
That gestures meant that Cole would never learn how to lip read or to talk!
Iris Holland:
He can barely talk now, he can't say two or three words!
Glenn Holland:
The guy is a specialist, Iris!
Iris Holland:
Ohhh, he's a specialist who thinks that deaf people are retarded and he is not retarded, he is...
[
Cole is screaming, asking for something and Iris doesn't know what it is]
Iris Holland:
Cole!
Glenn Holland:
What does he...? Give him what he wants!
Iris Holland:
I don't know what he wants, I don't understand what he's trying to say. Don't you get it? You walk to school every day with all these children who are normal. I can't talk to my son! I don't know what he wants or what he thinks or what he feels. I can't tell him that I love him, I can't tell him who I am. I want to talk to my son! I don't care what it costs, I don't care what the stupid doctor says it's right or wrong. I want to talk to my son!
Adult Gertrude Lang:
Mr. Holland had a profound influence on my life and on a lot of lives I know. But I have a feeling that he considers a great part of his own life misspent. Rumor had it he was always working on this symphony of his. And this was going to make him famous, rich, probably both. But Mr. Holland isn't rich and he isn't famous, at least not outside of our little town. So it might be easy for him to think himself a failure. But he would be wrong, because I think that he's achieved a success far beyond riches and fame. Look around you. There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life.
Glenn Holland:
Stravinsky was the music of the Russian Revolution! Talk about a breakdown in discipline!
Glenn Holland:
It's almost funny. I got dragged into this gig kicking and screaming, and now it's the only thing I want to do.
Glenn Holland:
You work for 30 years because you think that what you do makes a difference, you think it matters to people, but then you wake up one morning and find out, well no, you've made a little error there, you're expendable. I should be laughing.
Glenn Holland:
Enough of us already think "time" is a magazine.
Iris Holland:
[
Iris is translating Cole's signing for Glenn] Why do you assume that John Lennon's death would mean nothing to me? Do you think I'm stupid? I know who John Lennon is.
Glenn Holland:
[
Glenn turns to Iris] I never said that he...
Iris Holland:
[
Iris continues translating] I cant read your lips if you don't look at me.
Glenn Holland:
[
Glenn looks back at Cole] I never said you were stupid
Iris Holland:
You must think so. If you think I don't know who The Beatles are or any music at all. You think I don't care about what it is you do or what you love? You're my father. I know what music is. You could help me to know it better, but - no. You care more about teaching other people than you do about me.
Glenn Holland:
[
Cole makes a final gesture, Iris doesn't translate it] Iris... What does this mean
Iris Holland:
That means "asshole".
Glenn Holland:
The only ingenue we seem to have so far is Todd Markam. I really don't think that Todd Markam, or his parents, are-
[
is interrupted by Rowena singing]
Bill Meister:
Maybe it's just me, but I think she's better than Todd Markam.
[
at the burial service for Louis Russ, who was killed during his service in the war]
Glenn Holland:
You alright?
Bill Meister:
Yeah. We know too many of these kids...
Glenn Holland:
I'm Glenn Holland. I'm the new music teacher.
Glenn Holland:
[
leaving his office hears that Gertrude is still practicing next door] Give it up miss Lang!
Gertrude Lang:
[
stops playing and begins to cry]
Glenn Holland:
I meant for today...
Iris Holland:
When you were in high school, did you ever wonder if your teachers went home and got it on at night?
Glenn Holland:
When I was in high school, my teachers were all priests and nuns.
Iris Holland:
I had such a crush on Mr. Griffith, he could've taken me home any time.
Glenn Holland:
Really?
Iris Holland:
Mhm.
Glenn Holland:
And who was this Mr. Griffith?
Iris Holland:
Oh, he was my music teacher.
Bill Meister:
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Coach Meister. Your marching buddy.
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