Terms of Endearment Quotes

[Lying in the surf after being thrown from the car]

Garrett Breedlove: If you wanted to get me on my back, all you had to do was ask me.

Garrett Breedlove: I like the lights on.

Aurora Greenway: Then go home and turn them on.

[Arriving back from their first date]

Aurora Greenway: Would you like to come in?

Garrett Breedlove: I'd rather stick needles in my eyes.

Aurora Greenway: Everything would have been just fine, you know, if you hadn't gotten drunk. I was... I... I just didn't want you to think I was like one of your other girls.

Garrett Breedlove: Not much danger in that unless you curtsy on my face real soon.

Aurora Greenway: Garrett! What is it that makes you so insistent on shocking and insulting me? I mean, I really hate that way of talking. You must know this. Why do you do it?

Garrett Breedlove: I'll tell you, Aurora. I don't know what it is about you, but you do bring out the devil in me.

[upon hearing of her daughter's pregnancy]

Aurora Greenway: Why should I be happy about being a GRANDMOTHER?

Flap Horton: Does this mean you won't be knitting the baby any booties?

Aurora Greenway: Do you have any reaction at all to my telling you I love you?

Garrett Breedlove: I was just inches from a clean getaway.

Garrett Breedlove: You're just going to have to trust me about this one thing. You need a lot of drinks.

Aurora Greenway: To break the ice?

Garrett Breedlove: To kill the bug that you have up your ass.

Aurora Greenway: Excuse me. It is after ten. Give my daughter the pain shot, please.

Nurse: Mrs. Greenway, I was going to.

Aurora Greenway: Oh, good, go ahead.

Nurse: In just a few minutes.

Aurora Greenway: Well, please - it's, it's after ten. It's after ten. I don't see why she has to have this pain.

Nurse: Ma'am, it's not my patient.

Aurora Greenway: [increasingly hysterically] It's time for her shot! Do you understand? Do something! All she had to do is hold out until ten! And it's past ten! She's - in pain, my daughter's in pain! Give her the shot, do you understand me?

Nurse: You're going to behave...

Aurora Greenway: [at the top of her lungs] Give my daughter the shot!

Nurse: [walks away to give Emma the shot]

Aurora Greenway: Thank you very much. Thank you.

Aurora Greenway: I just don't want to fight anymore.

Emma Horton: What do you mean? When do we fight?

Aurora Greenway: WHEN do we FIGHT? I always think of us as fighting!

Emma Horton: That's because you're never satisfied with me.

Emma Horton: You both of you have beautiful eyes and your hair is too long. I mean, I don't care how long it gets in the back, but keep your bangs cut, OK, it's too long.

Tommy Horton: That's a matter of opinion.

Emma Horton: Just keep it short, alright?

Tommy Horton: Are you getting well?

Emma Horton: Look, I'm sorry about this but I can't help it, and I can't talk to you for too long or I'll get real upset. I want you to make a lot of friends. And I want you to be real nice to the girls 'cause they're gonna be real important to you, I swear.

Tommy Horton: I'm not afraid of girls. What makes you think that?

Emma Horton: Well, you may be later on.

Tommy Horton: I doubt it.

Teddy Horton: Why don't you shut up? Shut up!

Tommy Horton: You shut up!

Emma Horton: Ted, give me a kiss, come on. Tommy, you be sweet. Be sweet. And stop tryin' to pretend like you hate me. I mean, it's silly.

Tommy Horton: I like you.

Emma Horton: OK then, will you listen especially close?

Tommy Horton: What?

Emma Horton: Listen real hard?

Tommy Horton: I said 'what'?

Emma Horton: I know you like me. I know it. For the last year or two, you've been pretending like you hate me. I love you very much. I love you as much as I love anybody, as much as I love myself. And in a few years when I haven't been around to be on your tail about something or irritating you, you could... remember that time that I bought you the baseball glove when you thought we were too broke. You know? Or when I read you those stories? Or when I let you goof off instead of mowing the lawn? Lots of things like that. And you're gonna realize that you love me. And maybe you're gonna feel badly, because you never told me. But don't - I know that you love me. So don't ever do that to yourself, all right?

Sam Burns: You're a very rude young woman. I know Douglas from the Rotary and I can't believe he'd want you treating customers so badly.

Checkout Girl: I don't think I was treating her badly.

Sam Burns: Then you must be from New York.

Emma Horton: No, forget it, I'm not gonna make you feel better, I'm too mad.

[slamming on the kitchen table and yelling to the kids]

Emma Horton: DINNER!

Dr. Maise: We do more and more on an outpatient basis. We shouldn't need to take her back, unless the illness escalates.

Aurora Greenway: But you're not telling me anything.

Dr. Maise: What are you confused about?

Aurora Greenway: How is she?

Dr. Maise: I tell people to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Aurora Greenway: And they let you get away with that?

Garrett Breedlove: [on their first date] Aurora...

Aurora Greenway: Yes?

Garrett Breedlove: You're not *fun*, by any chance, are you?

Aurora Greenway: I don't really think we should think about that right now.

[pause]

Aurora Greenway: Impatient boys sometimes miss dessert!

Aurora Greenway: [to workmen hanging her paintings] Careful there. Those are worth more than you'll ever make in your lifetime.

[everyone stares at her]

Emma Horton: [sighs] I grew up with it my whole life. You can take it for a couple of minutes.

Garrett Breedlove: Breedlove at the helm! Just keep pumping that throttle! Keep giving it that gas! I see the Gulf of Mexico below me!

Aurora Greenway: I'm not enjoying this!

Operator: I have an emergency phone call from Mrs. Aurora Greenway in Houston, Texas for Mrs. Emma Horton.

Sam Burns: Oh no!

Emma Horton: No, she always does this when the lines busy. It's fine.

Operator: Will you release?

Sam Burns: Oh, uh, of course, operator... uh... it's alright... we were just talking.

Aurora Greenway: If I don't answer the bell, that means the back door's open.

Garrett Breedlove: The back door's open?

Aurora Greenway: I'm inviting you to come over and look at my Renoir.

Garrett Breedlove: You're inviting me to bed.

Aurora Greenway: It happens to be in my bedroom.

Garrett Breedlove: Is the Renoir under the covers?

Aurora Greenway: Don't cackle, Garrett. Do you want to see it?