-
George: It's not my back that's killing me.
-
George: Sam, if you were a house, this is where you would want to be built. On rock, facing the sea, listening.
-
George: I put a gun to my father's head once. Ever think like that? He was passed out. Had just been yelling at my mom over nothing. Under-cooked meat. I went to my room, I held the barrel right up to his ear, and then I chickened out again. Of course it was a BB gun but still it would have hurt like hell.
-
Sam: Thank you for talking about me behind my back - that'll be useful in court.
-
George: You know the great thing, though, is that change can be so constant you don't even feel the difference until there is one. It can be so slow that you don't even notice that your life is better or worse, until it is. Or it can just blow you away, make you something different in an instant. It happened to me.
-
George: Hindsight. It's like foresight without a future.
-
Sam: I think there has to be a door between where you cook and where you crap. Even in the bush - tribal people, you know, they have a place for both. Probably it's like a law. God! It's probably in the Bible. It's at least a building code violation.
-
Robin: Oh, I dreamed about your house last night.
George: Finished or unfinished?
Robin: It was perfect George. Amazing
George: Didn't you once dream that you could lick people well?
-
Alyssa: Look, I thought I was helping you.
Sam: It would help me if I could kiss you.
Alyssa: No. Look I thought we were just friends.
Sam: Well, what you think you know doesn't necessarily have much to do with reality. I mean I hope I'm not the first one to tell you this.
-
George: Please, take that thumbtack out of your face.
[grabs hammer]
George: Let me just get it out.
Sam: Why?
George: Come on.
Sam: Why?
George: It bugs me!
Sam: You snore at night. That really bugs me. Can I take you out?
-
Sam: You knew you were dying from the start?
George: We're all dying from the start. I just got moved to the head of the line.
-
Sam: Whats wrong with your back? Do you have to have surgery on it or what? Because those pills you are taking are for a lot of pain. And you seem to be going though them pretty quick, that's all
George: Your not still taking any,are you?
Sam: No. But i count them. In a sock isn't exactly new,you know.
George: I'm having a problem with cancer.
Sam: I don't know what that means. What kind of problem?
George: The kind where there isn't any answer.
Sam: I still don't know what it means.
George: Sam I wanted us to... You know ,spend a few months together. Here. Sometimes things happen for a reason. Something bad to force something good.
Sam: So your dying. And you told mom today.
Sam: fuck you, ok fuck you.
Sam: You knew you were dying from the start?
George: We're all dying from the start. I just got pushed to the head of the line.
Sam: But you lied to me.
George: I would've lied to myself if i thought I'd believe it.
Sam: so this whole thing... this whole summer, having me here,was for your sake. You selfish fuck. Having me here trying to get me to like you.
George: No,Sam I wasn't trying to get you to like me. I was trying to get you to love me.
Sam: Well,congratulations... Because you fucking pulled it off.
-
Sam: So this whole thing, this whole Summer having me here was for your sake. You selfish fuck! Having me here trying to get me to like you?
George: No, Sam, I wasn't trying to get you to like me. I was trying to get you to love me.
Sam: Well, congratulations... 'cause you fucking pulled it off!
-
Sam: I've been using since I was 12! You're also unbelievably stupid, you know that? You didn't give a shit about anything I did up until now!
George: Well, I'll apologize for everything but today! Today I give a shit!
-
Sam: I like how it feels to not feel.
George: I know the feeling.
-
George: I'm having a problem with cancer
Sam: I don't know what that means. What kind of a problem?
George: The kind where there is no answer
Sam: I still don't know what that means
-
[Alyssa has just kissed George]
George: Why did you do that?
Alyssa: When you were dating my mom you seemed like a really good kisser. Oh god, she'd die if she found out.
George: Let's shut up and let her live.
-
Sam: Do you have any idea what its like to jack off in an armoire?
-
Sam: How do you become something you're not?
George: What do you want to become?
Sam: What I'm not.
George: What are you now?
Sam: I'm nothing.
-
George: Build this house with me.
-
George: I have hated this house from the moment my father put it in my name. Imagine, 29 years of hating what you're living in, hating what you *are*. This is the end of it, Sam. I'm finally building something of my own. Something I can be proud to give you.
Sam: Don't. I don't want it.
George: Fine. You can do what you want with it. All I want you to remember is that we built a house together.
Sam: You didn't build shit. You're just tearing your father down.
George: That's right. It feels good.
-
Robin: What kind of mother can't stand her own son?
-
George: You've worn out your welcome at this house, Sam. This may very well be the worst summer of your life but you've earned it.
-
George: I always thought of myself as a house. I was always what I lived in. It didn't need to be big. It didn't even need to be beautiful. It just needed to be mine. I became what I was meant to be. I built myself a life. I built myself a house.
-
George: [to Robin] I can tell you I love you as many times as you can stand to hear it, but all it does is remind us that love is not enough.
-
George: Do I still Love you? Absolutely. There is not a doubt in my mind. Through all my mind, my ego... I was always faithful in my Love for you. That I made you doubt it, that is the great mistake of a Life full of mistakes. The truth doesn't set us free, Robin. I can tell you I Love you as many times as you can stand to hear it and all that does, the only thing, is remind us... that Love is not enough. Not even close.
-
Sam: [whispering] I'm not even listening.
-
George: My dad used to play this game... I never really understood what it was until after he was gone...
Sam: I was holding for somebody else; it wasn't even mine!
George: THE GAME was to make me smaller than he was. Smaller. Always smaller. No matter what! He could be almost invisible as a human being, but... I still had to be smaller. So that i-if I got good grades in school, then I was a pussy for not playing football, or-or if I... cut my hair for him, it was never short enough. Or if I shaved my head then I looked like a psycho. I never won the game, never! And if he couldn't... make me smaller with words...
Sam: ...I'll have to pay him back.
George: Sam... I won't ever hit you. Ever. I don't want you smaller. I want you to be happy and you're not. Not here with me, not home with your mother, not alone, not anywhere. You're what I was most of my life, Sam. I see it in your eyes, in your sleep, in your answer to everything! You're barely alive!
Sam: [whispers] I'm not even listening.
-
Sam: Why don't you just go and beg some money off my Dad, so you can move into some place decent, with a real kitchen and a real bathroom.
George: I'd rather sell my nuts to a castrati.
-
George: You're the most beautiful woman I have ever known.
Robin: What?
George: Not just physically. Even your anger's perfect.
-
George: Tell them how you made me fall in love with you.
Robin: I smiled at him.
George: Watch out for the smile boys.
-
Sam: Why can't you all just die and leave me alone?
-
Adam Kimball: Sam! We're almost done.
-
Adam Kimball: Can I hate you too?
-
Colleen: Does it give you some sort of perverse pleasure to expose your... penis in front of my 16-year-old daughter?
George: My... exposure does not face your windows.
Colleen: George, this is the third time.
George: The plumber's due out tomorrow.
Colleen: You will just have to explain that to the police.
George: You were the one neighbor I could tolerate.
[George goes to walk away, then turns back]
George: Colleen! Just how far out that window did you have to stick your head to be able to see my dick?
-
George: I always thought of myself as a house. I was always what I lived in. It didn't need to be big; it didn't need to be beautiful; it just needed to be mine. I became what I was meant to be. I built myself a life... I built myself a house.
-
[last lines]
George: With every crash of every wave, I hear something now. I never listened before. I'm on the edge of a cliff, listening. Almost finished.
[pause]
George: If you were a house , Sam, this is where you would want to be built: on rock, facing the sea. Listening. Listening.
-
George: I've not been touched in years.
Nurse #1: Really? No, I mean... not a friend? Your, your mother, I mean... people have to be touched, everyone gets touched by somebody they love.
George: I know. It's weird, isn't it?
-
Robin: I wish you'd talk to him. He needs a man.
Peter Kimball: His father's a man.
Robin: A man he respects.
Peter Kimball: He respects nothing.
Sam: [Sam just then comes into the room] Thanks for talking about me behind my back. It's useful in court.
-
Bryan Burke: How's your wife?
George: Well, uh, when we divorced a decade ago she was very, very angry. Now she's just hostile.
-
George: You're a great architect, and a miserable human being.
[Proceeds to smash one of his architectural models to bits]
Bryan Burke: [Angrily, holding the shattered model in his hands] You're not even a fucking architect, and you're a miserable human being!
George: You're right. You win.
[Calmly walks out]
-
George: What would you do if you had three or four months to live?
Nurse #1: Um... I'd eat a lot of red meat?
George: Good for you.
Nurse #1: What would you do?
George: Build a house.
-
Nurse #1: Can you build a house in four months?
George: I can die trying.
-
Robin: You are inconsiderate and absolutely devoid of emotion.
George: You are the most beautiful woman that I have ever known.
Robin: [Taken aback] What?
George: I don't mean just physically. Even your anger is perfect.
-
George: [Sternly] Go get in the truck.
Sam: Go fuck yourself!
George: Listen to me... Listen! I want that thing out of your chin, okay? You got nipple rings, navel rings - those come out, too. And there's no makeup at my house. No glue sniffing, no huffing, no pills, no grass. You've worn out your welcome at this house, Sam. This may well be the worst summer of your entire life, but you've earned it. Now go pick up the suitcase, get in the truck, now!
Sam: I'll hate you for the rest of my life.
George: Well, you can't even begin to know how much I hate my father. Think of it as a family tradition!
-
George: I almost saw Catalina!
-
George: Your mom and the boys can come by anytime.
Sam: What? To check up on me?
George: I'll be there to check up on you.
Sam: Why would you be there?
[he lights a cigarette]
George: Well, I live there.
Sam: You live in Corey's parents cabin in Tahoe?
George: What are you talking about? Who's Corey?
Sam: Corey's my friend, I'm going to spend the summer, ok?
George: No, you're not going anywhere.
[he takes the cigarette from Sam]
George: You're spending the summer with me.
-
George: When does school let out?
Robin: Friday. Tomorrow. Oh, God. I hate the thought of him home all day.
George: I'll be by Saturday to pick him up.
Robin: He doesn't want to spend the weekends with you anymore.
George: Not for the weekend. For the summer.
Robin: One of you would end up dead.
George: Yeah, but at least we have a house to show for it.
Robin: Forget it, really. I'll survive.
-
George: [deleted scene]
[George struggles to move the couch out of the house]
George: Sam. Sam. Three minutes. Just give me three minutes.
[puts couch on the ground]
George: Never mind. I break my back, that's fine.
[Sam smokes a cigarette]
George: Don't smoke. Sam. I want you to put on some sunscreen.
[throws bottle of sunscreen]
George: You should wear that all over and I want you down here helping me. Now.
[Sam refuses to get down]
George: [George sprays water onto Sam]
Sam: It's cold! Fucking asshole.
George: Works with Guster.
[Sam climbs down the ladder]
George: [George grabs Sam's arm for attention] You know what else helped Guster? Neutering.
-
Alyssa: It's not what I was expecting.
George: What did you think it would be?
Alyssa: I don't know. More like when I kiss Sam. Yeah. More like that.
-
Alyssa: [Alyssa kisses George and lays next to him] Did you feel anything?
George: Maybe a tongue.
-
Alyssa: I'm gonna go to bed.
Colleen: Has he eaten anything at all?
Alyssa: No.
Colleen: I'd be more comfortable if he slept in the guest room.
Alyssa: Well, I'd be more comfortable if you hadn't slept with Josh. George would be more comfortable if he wasn't dying.
-
Sam: Hi. Is Alyssa home?
Colleen: It's really late. What's the matter, Sam?
Sam: Nothing. My dad's dying. I really need to talk to Alyssa.
[Colleen lets Sam into the house]
Alyssa: Sam, are you ok?
-
Sam: [George starts to apply sunscreen on Sam's chest] What are you doing? Don't touch me!
George: I warned you yesterday.
Sam: You can't touch me.
-
Alyssa: I'll get your back.
Sam: No. It's ok. Thanks.
Alyssa: Have you ever had anyone besides your mom and dad put it on for you?
[he shakes his head no]
Alyssa: It's weird how different it is.
-
Sam: [about George] He's insane.
Alyssa: You look better without makeup.
Sam: I can't even take a shower here.
Alyssa: Come over to my house whenever you want. I'll tell my mom.
Sam: I might not even stay anyway.
-
George: Sam, do you ever... get like the slightest inkling that you might wanna help me instead of doing absolutely nothing?
-
Sam: I hate turkey.
George: No, you don't.
Sam: If I say I do, I do.
-
George: [to Sam] Everything about you is my business. What you smoke, what you sniff, what you swallow. It's all my business.
Life as a House Quotes
Extended Reading
