Paterson Quotes

Paterson: Morning, Donny.

Donny: Ready to roll, Paterson?

Paterson: Yeah.

[pause]

Paterson: Everything OK?

Donny: Now that you ask, no, not really. My kid needs braces on her teeth, my car needs a transmission job, my wife wants me to take her to Florida but I'm behind on the mortgage payments, my uncle called from India and he needs money for my neice's wedding, and I got this strange rash on my back. You name it, brother. How 'bout you?

Paterson: I'm OK.

Donny: OK, well, have a nice day.

Paterson: OK, you too.

Donny: Yeah, I doubt it.

[First Lines]

Laura: Mmm.

[pause]

Laura: I had a beautiful dream. We had two little children. Twins.

Paterson: Hmm.

Laura: If we had children, would you like it if they were twins?

Paterson: Mmm... Mmm-hmm. Yeah. Twins. Sure, why not?

[pause]

Paterson: One for each of us.

Laura: I was dreaming that we were in ancient Persia. And... you were riding on an elephant. A big, silver elephant.

Paterson: A silver elephant?

Laura: Yeah. You looked so beautiful.

Paterson: Do they have elephants in ancient Persia?

Laura: [laughs] I don't think so. Not silver ones, anyway.

Laura: Get any new writing done?

Paterson: I did a little, yeah. Working on a poem for you.

Laura: A love poem?

Paterson: Yeah, I guess if it's for you, it's a love poem. It's kind of inspired by our Ohio Blue Tip Matches.

Laura: Really? Does it mention the little megaphone shape the letters make?

Paterson: [taken aback] Yeah, actually it does.

Laura: How beautiful. I can't wait to read it when it's done.

Doc: Paterson, you still don't got a cell phone?

Paterson: Uh, no. No, I don't want one. It would be a leash.

Doc: What about the better half, she got one?

Paterson: She's got one, yeah. And the laptop, and an iPad...

Doc: She doesn't want you to get one?

Paterson: No. She's okay about it. She understands me really well.

Doc: [mutters] A lucky guy.

Laura: You're up late, honey. Your silent magic watch didn't wake you up.

Paterson: Yeah, it was a little late today.

Laura: Well, somedays something inside just doesn't want to get up. Ever feel like that?

Paterson: Today.

Laura: I know it's silly, but I'm so excited about the new farmers' market. Because if my cupcakes are a big sensation then I might be on my way to a very successful business.

Paterson: That would be amazing, honey.

Laura: And you know what else? My guitar should arrive today. My harlequin guitar direct from Esteban.

Paterson: Is Esteban gonna deliver it personally?

Laura: [laughs] Who knows?

Everett: You love somebody, more than anything in the whole damn world. You... worship her. You don't wanna be *alive* without her, and... she says she doesn't want you. You're just... dirt.

Doc: Damn brother! You should be an actor.

Everett: [nods] I am... an actor.

[Paterson turns his head away and tries not to laugh]

Doc: Lou Costello has got to be the most famous person from Paterson.

Paterson: Yeah, probably. Yeah, I mean, he... he's got that statue, and he's got his own park.

Doc: Hey, I mean Alexander Hamilton has a statue, others got statues, but not they own park! Hell, even Fetty Wap don't have no park!

[both laugh]

Doc: I'm getting my ass kicked today.

Paterson: Who you playing?

Doc: Myself.

Male Student: Do you think there are any other anarchists still around in Paterson?

Female Student: You mean besides us? Not likely.

Paterson: Is there anything we can do?

Doc: Nah, I always say don't try to change things or you'll make them even worse.

Paterson: I guess you really like poetry then?

Japanese Poet: I breathe poetry.

[pause]

Paterson: So you write poetry?

Japanese Poet: Yes.

[pause]

Japanese Poet: My notebooks.

Paterson: Oh, yeah.

Japanese Poet: My poetry only in Japanese. No translation.

[pause]

Japanese Poet: Poetry in translations is like taking a shower with a raincoat on.

Laura: [half asleep] I like how you smell when you come home at night.

Paterson: [whispers] What do I smell like?

Laura: You smell faintly of... of beer.

[Paterson kisses her sweetly]

Paterson: We're having pie for dinner?

Laura: Yeah, but a dinner pie.

Paterson: Oh.

Laura: What do you think's inside?

Paterson: Inside the secret pie? Uh... I don't know, fish?

Laura: No, not fish, silly! Want me to tell you?

Paterson: Yes please!

Laura: Okay.

[deep breath]

Laura: Cheddar cheese and brussels sprouts.

Paterson: Seriously?

Laura: Speaking of secret pie, I wanted to tell you something about your secret notebook.

Paterson: What?

Laura: Did you ever hear of the old Italian poet called... Petrarch? Is that it?

Paterson: Mmm, Petrarch. He perfected the sonnet.

Laura: I read online that one of his early books of poems was called 'The Secret Book', just like yours.

Paterson: I didn't know that! You read that. You just happened upon it online.

Laura: And also that he wrote all his love poems to a beautiful girl called... ta da! Laura!

Paterson: That's true!

Laura: So you have many things in common with other great and famous poets, you see?

Laura: You look a little drained. You were home a little late. Was your day okay?

Paterson: Well, it was until the bus broke down.

Laura: The bus broke down? Was it dangerous?

Paterson: No, it was just... it sputtered out. It was an electrical problem.

Laura: Electrical problem? Could it have exploded into a fireball?

Paterson: [chuckles] No, no. It's just an old bus.

Laura: Well, I think they should get their best driver who's also a great poet a brand new bus. It's the least they could do.

Paterson: City of Paterson? Not likely.

Laura: [about destroyed notebook] I wish you would have read me some of your most recent poems. Maybe I could have remembered them.

Paterson: It's okay. They were just words. Written on water.

Everett: Well it's like they always say. "Sun still rises every mornin' and sets every evenin'." Always another day. Right?

Paterson: Yeah. So far.

Everett: So far?

Japanese Poet: Excuse me?

Japanese Poet: ah-ha