Riding in Cars with Boys Quotes
A single mother, with dreams of becoming a writer, has a son at the age of 15 in 1965, and goes through a failed marriage with the drug-addicted father.
Fay: Okay, pretend that I'm your parents, say what your gonna say.
Beverly: Okay, Mom, Pop?
Fay: Yeah?
Beverly: I don't know how to say this...
Fay: But...
Beverly: I'm pregnant.
Fay: My daughter's a tramp! My daughter's a tramp! You're 15 years old, how could you do this to me? Why don't you just take my gun. Take my gun and shoot me in the head with it tramp! I wish that you were never born! How was that?
Beverly: Okay, Mom, Pop?
Fay: Yeah?
Beverly: I don't know how to say this...
Fay: But...
Beverly: I'm pregnant.
Fay: My daughter's a tramp! My daughter's a tramp! You're 15 years old, how could you do this to me? Why don't you just take my gun. Take my gun and shoot me in the head with it tramp! I wish that you were never born! How was that?
[after Jason falls into a swimming pool and she is still holding him half in it]
Beverly: I promise from now on I'm going to be more attentive. DO you know what attentive means?
Jason (Age 6): No.
Beverly: OK. Do you know what responsible means?
Jason (Age 6): No.
[drops him back into water]
Beverly: Damn! I should've read to you more.
Beverly: I promise from now on I'm going to be more attentive. DO you know what attentive means?
Jason (Age 6): No.
Beverly: OK. Do you know what responsible means?
Jason (Age 6): No.
[drops him back into water]
Beverly: Damn! I should've read to you more.
Jason: Who says I'm in one piece?
Beverly: You're the most normal person I know.
Jason: Normal? Normal? Amelia was in New York two weeks ago. She wants me to transfer. She wants me to enroll in her school. But I can't go. I can't leave you. Cause if something bad happens...
[crying]
Jason: ... it's my fault. I'm what went wrong in your life. You know, you wrote a book about it. I swore I wouldn't - Did you know that I love Amelia? Don't worry, she left already. Here's the funny thing. She thinks I can't love her because she can't make me happy... and damn it, she's the only good thing in my life. I'm just incredibly screwed up. Just so we're real clear about this, I blame you.
Beverly: When does this job ever end?
Jason: You call it a job?
Beverly: Well, what do you think it is? A calling?
Beverly: You're the most normal person I know.
Jason: Normal? Normal? Amelia was in New York two weeks ago. She wants me to transfer. She wants me to enroll in her school. But I can't go. I can't leave you. Cause if something bad happens...
[crying]
Jason: ... it's my fault. I'm what went wrong in your life. You know, you wrote a book about it. I swore I wouldn't - Did you know that I love Amelia? Don't worry, she left already. Here's the funny thing. She thinks I can't love her because she can't make me happy... and damn it, she's the only good thing in my life. I'm just incredibly screwed up. Just so we're real clear about this, I blame you.
Beverly: When does this job ever end?
Jason: You call it a job?
Beverly: Well, what do you think it is? A calling?
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: [cooing] Hello,beautiful baby.
[to the nurse]
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: Is this not the most beautiful baby you've ever seen? I'm serious, is this not the most beautiful baby you've ever seen?
Nurse: To be honest, in a while yes.
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: [to Leonard] Lets go see Bev.
Mr. Leonard Donofrio: No.
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: She wants to see you Leo!
Mr. Leonard Donofrio: No.
[to Jason]
Mr. Leonard Donofrio: Look your mother is 16, your father is a moron, and they want us to celebrate. We know better. Just for the record, I'm on your side.
[to the nurse]
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: Is this not the most beautiful baby you've ever seen? I'm serious, is this not the most beautiful baby you've ever seen?
Nurse: To be honest, in a while yes.
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: [to Leonard] Lets go see Bev.
Mr. Leonard Donofrio: No.
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: She wants to see you Leo!
Mr. Leonard Donofrio: No.
[to Jason]
Mr. Leonard Donofrio: Look your mother is 16, your father is a moron, and they want us to celebrate. We know better. Just for the record, I'm on your side.
Mr. Leonard Donofrio: I'm telling you nicely, you're too young.
Beverly (Age 11): Pop, you can't negotiate my boobs. Whether I'm too young to have 'em or not, I got 'em. I'm a woman. It's just hard to see it through all these clothes.
Mr. Leonard Donofrio: Quiet! The answer is no. Keep your mind on books, not boys.
Jason: [narrating] This is why therapists are wealthy, moments like this. Why didn't he just get her the bra? It's certainly cheaper than a bicycle. Ah, parents and the damage they can do. Sometimes it's endless. But she survived. You know what they say: that which doesn't kill you, makes you want to die. You see, if she was from the south she would have turned her life into a country song. But since she's from Connecticut, she turned it into a book.
Beverly (Age 11): Pop, you can't negotiate my boobs. Whether I'm too young to have 'em or not, I got 'em. I'm a woman. It's just hard to see it through all these clothes.
Mr. Leonard Donofrio: Quiet! The answer is no. Keep your mind on books, not boys.
Jason: [narrating] This is why therapists are wealthy, moments like this. Why didn't he just get her the bra? It's certainly cheaper than a bicycle. Ah, parents and the damage they can do. Sometimes it's endless. But she survived. You know what they say: that which doesn't kill you, makes you want to die. You see, if she was from the south she would have turned her life into a country song. But since she's from Connecticut, she turned it into a book.
Beverly: [proofing letter with her sister] Dear mom and pop, the immediate prospect of your reading this letter so shatters my spirit, it makes me a stranger to myself. Your fears over my behavior, which I thought arbitrary and unreasonably restrictive, seem now the stuff of wisdom. I have terrible news I'm withholding from you. But now, like the poison from an adder's tongue, I have to spit it out. I am pregnant.
Janet Donofrio - Age 12: Wow. That's really good writing.
Janet Donofrio - Age 12: Wow. That's really good writing.
Tina Barr: Are we invited to this party?
Beverly: They're Fay's friends.
Fay: They're not. My parents are friends with their parents.
Beverly: What's important is that Sky Barrister will be there.
Fay: Sky has had his hands in everything you've got. And he has a ton of your poems. And does he call you once? No. Bev, you are truly a great person. But someone as conceited as Sky won't see that. Because all he can see is himself. You know I'm right.
Tina Barr: It's true, Bev.
Beverly: [pause]
[she observes Fay's dress]
Beverly: Let me wear that dress.
Fay: What?
Beverly: Fay, if I even look half as beautiful as you in that dresss... Sky will have to notice me. You can wear my dress.
Tina Barr: No.
Fay: [she observes Bev's dress but is reluctant] I... No, Bev. It won't fit.
Beverly: Fay, you gotta let me wear that dress.
Fay: Why?
Beverly: Because I love you.
[Fay ponders]
Beverly: Please, please, please.
Fay: All right.
Beverly: They're Fay's friends.
Fay: They're not. My parents are friends with their parents.
Beverly: What's important is that Sky Barrister will be there.
Fay: Sky has had his hands in everything you've got. And he has a ton of your poems. And does he call you once? No. Bev, you are truly a great person. But someone as conceited as Sky won't see that. Because all he can see is himself. You know I'm right.
Tina Barr: It's true, Bev.
Beverly: [pause]
[she observes Fay's dress]
Beverly: Let me wear that dress.
Fay: What?
Beverly: Fay, if I even look half as beautiful as you in that dresss... Sky will have to notice me. You can wear my dress.
Tina Barr: No.
Fay: [she observes Bev's dress but is reluctant] I... No, Bev. It won't fit.
Beverly: Fay, you gotta let me wear that dress.
Fay: Why?
Beverly: Because I love you.
[Fay ponders]
Beverly: Please, please, please.
Fay: All right.
Beverly (Age 11): There on a wind-swept bluff, he stands waiting. The man of your dreams. The man that will love you more than anything else for the rest of your life.
Janet Donofrio - Age 8: Wow!
Beverly (Age 11): You run to each other. Your bodies, your lips, they're coming closer, and closer together, until finally, you kiss!
Janet Donofrio - Age 8: Wow!
Beverly (Age 11): You run to each other. Your bodies, your lips, they're coming closer, and closer together, until finally, you kiss!
Beverly: Mom! Jason won't leave me alone!
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: He's not supposed to, you're his mother.
Beverly: Mom, I have four weeks to study for the SATs. It's for the scholarship.
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: [sniffs] I told you to change his diaper an hour ago! He loves when you do it. I have to iron now.
Beverly: [whining] But Mom...
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: Change it!
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: He's not supposed to, you're his mother.
Beverly: Mom, I have four weeks to study for the SATs. It's for the scholarship.
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: [sniffs] I told you to change his diaper an hour ago! He loves when you do it. I have to iron now.
Beverly: [whining] But Mom...
Mrs. Teresa D'Onofrio: Change it!
