Joe Quotes
An ex-con, who is the unlikeliest of role models, meets a 15-year-old boy and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin.
Connie: What are you thinking, Joe?
Joe: Nothing. There's nothing I can do and I hate it.
Connie: That's not true.
Joe: Yeah, it is. You look at me like I can make a move. What are you thinking when you look at me like that? Don't you care? I don't know who I am, but I know what keeps me alive is restraint. Keeps me out of jail. Keeps me from hurting people. A mark of some fucked-up faith that there's a reason. A reason for all of this. A reason in most moments I shouldn't do what I wanna do. I do as I'm told. These men who bust their asses work like dogs - and I believe in them - but every day they hurt. They get old, they peel back... There's no frontier anymore. And I watch that boy, and I see someone who's... nothing like me, but... he's a child folks left behind. And he's on a fence, balanced right there.
Connie: What do you want? What is it you want?
Joe: Nothing.
Connie: Just tell me what I can do. I like you.
Joe: I like you, too, but what's the point in any of it? Fuck to this day. I mean, fuck to this day. It's all just gonna boil up and wash us away. Maybe you'll still be here. Maybe you won't.
Joe: Nothing. There's nothing I can do and I hate it.
Connie: That's not true.
Joe: Yeah, it is. You look at me like I can make a move. What are you thinking when you look at me like that? Don't you care? I don't know who I am, but I know what keeps me alive is restraint. Keeps me out of jail. Keeps me from hurting people. A mark of some fucked-up faith that there's a reason. A reason for all of this. A reason in most moments I shouldn't do what I wanna do. I do as I'm told. These men who bust their asses work like dogs - and I believe in them - but every day they hurt. They get old, they peel back... There's no frontier anymore. And I watch that boy, and I see someone who's... nothing like me, but... he's a child folks left behind. And he's on a fence, balanced right there.
Connie: What do you want? What is it you want?
Joe: Nothing.
Connie: Just tell me what I can do. I like you.
Joe: I like you, too, but what's the point in any of it? Fuck to this day. I mean, fuck to this day. It's all just gonna boil up and wash us away. Maybe you'll still be here. Maybe you won't.
[last lines]
Farmer: Then, if everything goes good on that acreage, I'll have you help me supervise the Manea project next summer. Old bastards can be hard to work for sometimes, but, hell, if you worked for Joe, I think you'll do just fine. You got any questions?
Gary: No, sir. When can I start?
Farmer: Right now, if you're ready.
Gary: Yes, sir.
[extends his hand to shake]
Gary: So, you knew Joe?
Farmer: Yeah, sure did. Joe's a good man. Good man to me, anyways.
Gary: He was a good man to me, too.
Farmer: Then, if everything goes good on that acreage, I'll have you help me supervise the Manea project next summer. Old bastards can be hard to work for sometimes, but, hell, if you worked for Joe, I think you'll do just fine. You got any questions?
Gary: No, sir. When can I start?
Farmer: Right now, if you're ready.
Gary: Yes, sir.
[extends his hand to shake]
Gary: So, you knew Joe?
Farmer: Yeah, sure did. Joe's a good man. Good man to me, anyways.
Gary: He was a good man to me, too.
[first lines]
Gary: Hey, you old man, you look at me. I got som'in' to say to you. Every time we land someplace new, you say it's gonna be different, but it ain't. You mess up... a lot... then you leave a mess for me and Momma and Dorothy to clean up, and that ain't right. That's all I'm sayin'. Hell, I do what I gotta do. You do whatever the hell you want - whatever you can get away with. You're just a... selfish old drunk. Yeah, that's what you is. Yeah, this place is gonna be after us. Hell, they'll be on you, and they're gonna beat your ass. And I hate to see you go down. You know you're my daddy. You know what you are, ain't you? I'm talking at chu.
[Wade gives a long silent stare]
Gary: What'chu done this time? They'll beat your ass, shit. That's what they're gonna do. You can count on it.
[Wade suddenly slaps Gary then walks away]
Gary: Hey, you old man, you look at me. I got som'in' to say to you. Every time we land someplace new, you say it's gonna be different, but it ain't. You mess up... a lot... then you leave a mess for me and Momma and Dorothy to clean up, and that ain't right. That's all I'm sayin'. Hell, I do what I gotta do. You do whatever the hell you want - whatever you can get away with. You're just a... selfish old drunk. Yeah, that's what you is. Yeah, this place is gonna be after us. Hell, they'll be on you, and they're gonna beat your ass. And I hate to see you go down. You know you're my daddy. You know what you are, ain't you? I'm talking at chu.
[Wade gives a long silent stare]
Gary: What'chu done this time? They'll beat your ass, shit. That's what they're gonna do. You can count on it.
[Wade suddenly slaps Gary then walks away]
Earl: Let me ask you a question, Joe, 'cause I really wanna know. Why you wanna go back? Why you wanna go back to the damn penitentiary, man? 'Cause you can't keep going to folks' houses, killin' their dogs, no matter what else is goin' on. And you can't keep fist-fightin' the law. Judge won't put up with it. He don't HAVE to put up with it. That's why they built prisons.
