The Skeleton Key Quotes
A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.
Hallie: Are you a superstitious person, Caroline?
Caroline Ellis: Not per se.
Hallie: I told my mama where I was workin, she said that house has been nothin' but blood and tears. Said the old owners were some rich brother and sister, crazy people supposedly. Died of strokes right after they sold the place... Maybe they found something they shouldn't. Maybe now Ben did too. It may be their mess up there in that room, but ain't no ghosts put a spell on that old man. She did.
Caroline Ellis: Do you believe that?
Hallie: Don't you?
Caroline Ellis: But I heard it can't hurt you. It can't hurt you if you don't believe.
Hallie: Then I suggest you leave that house, before you do.
Caroline Ellis: Not per se.
Hallie: I told my mama where I was workin, she said that house has been nothin' but blood and tears. Said the old owners were some rich brother and sister, crazy people supposedly. Died of strokes right after they sold the place... Maybe they found something they shouldn't. Maybe now Ben did too. It may be their mess up there in that room, but ain't no ghosts put a spell on that old man. She did.
Caroline Ellis: Do you believe that?
Hallie: Don't you?
Caroline Ellis: But I heard it can't hurt you. It can't hurt you if you don't believe.
Hallie: Then I suggest you leave that house, before you do.
[minutes following the "Conjure of Sacrifice", as Caroline become Cecile, Luke walks into the attic]
Luke: [as Papa Justify] Cecile? You all right?
Caroline Ellis: [as Cecile] I'm fine now, Justify.
Luke: A fair bit harder than the lawyer, wasn't it?
Caroline Ellis: It gets harder every time. They just don't believe like they used to. Gotta get 'em all riled up.
Luke: [as Papa Justify] Cecile? You all right?
Caroline Ellis: [as Cecile] I'm fine now, Justify.
Luke: A fair bit harder than the lawyer, wasn't it?
Caroline Ellis: It gets harder every time. They just don't believe like they used to. Gotta get 'em all riled up.
Caroline Ellis: [as she shows Luke pictures of the attic] That attic is full of that stuff. Old recipies, voodoo dolls, magic sticks and...
Luke: I understand your cause for concern but my family is very superstitious, too. We're called Baptists.
Caroline Ellis: Don't be a smartass.
Luke: No really, that's a local color.
Caroline Ellis: You said you were worried for him.
Luke: Well yeah now I'm worried about you. Hm? Are you a nurse or are you a detective?
Luke: I understand your cause for concern but my family is very superstitious, too. We're called Baptists.
Caroline Ellis: Don't be a smartass.
Luke: No really, that's a local color.
Caroline Ellis: You said you were worried for him.
Luke: Well yeah now I'm worried about you. Hm? Are you a nurse or are you a detective?
Caroline Ellis: So was that the storm or the ghosts?
Violet Devereaux: Well, say what you will about spirits, I always thought you could learn something from them.
Caroline Ellis: Like a spell? I have great respect for your husband. And whatever he thinks happened to him he's fighting it. What have you done?
Violet Devereaux: You haven't touched your gumbo.
Caroline Ellis: What have you done to him?
Violet Devereaux: I've made that special for you and you haven't even touched it.
Caroline Ellis: What have you done?
Violet Devereaux: He is my husband and I am his wife I will do whatever I want to him.
Caroline Ellis: What have you done to him?
Violet Devereaux: Oh, you've done something.
Caroline Ellis: He's not safe in this house; not with you.
Violet Devereaux: This is my house.
Caroline Ellis: I'm taking him, Violet.
Violet Devereaux: NO!
Violet Devereaux: Well, say what you will about spirits, I always thought you could learn something from them.
Caroline Ellis: Like a spell? I have great respect for your husband. And whatever he thinks happened to him he's fighting it. What have you done?
Violet Devereaux: You haven't touched your gumbo.
Caroline Ellis: What have you done to him?
Violet Devereaux: I've made that special for you and you haven't even touched it.
Caroline Ellis: What have you done?
Violet Devereaux: He is my husband and I am his wife I will do whatever I want to him.
Caroline Ellis: What have you done to him?
Violet Devereaux: Oh, you've done something.
Caroline Ellis: He's not safe in this house; not with you.
Violet Devereaux: This is my house.
Caroline Ellis: I'm taking him, Violet.
Violet Devereaux: NO!
Caroline Ellis: It's like, hypnotism, right? Suggestion? And when this stuff works, its because someone believes it works?... And if you thought, you know, that magic made you sick... you might believe in a magic cure?
Mama Cynthia: Somebody been workin' roots on you!
Caroline Ellis: Say I knew someone who thought that they'd been...
Mama Cynthia: Crossed?
Caroline Ellis: Crossed. Would they believe that they could be... uncrossed?
Mama Cynthia: Somebody been workin' roots on you!
Caroline Ellis: Say I knew someone who thought that they'd been...
Mama Cynthia: Crossed?
Caroline Ellis: Crossed. Would they believe that they could be... uncrossed?
Luke: So what exactly happened? I came to update her will, she was up with the doc and he said that he fell?
Caroline Ellis: He DID fall.
Luke: Like what from his wheelchair?
Caroline Ellis: [gestures her head towards the roof]
Luke: You cannot be serious? Up there? He fell from up there?
Luke: How? He can't even walk?
Caroline Ellis: He DID fall.
Luke: Like what from his wheelchair?
Caroline Ellis: [gestures her head towards the roof]
Luke: You cannot be serious? Up there? He fell from up there?
Luke: How? He can't even walk?
Luke: Violet! I want you to meet somebody. Mrs. Violet Devoreaux meet Miss Caroline Ellis. Caroline, this is Violet Devoreaux she owns the house.
Caroline Ellis: You have a lovely home.
[Violet says nothing only walks away]
Luke: I'm sorry, it's just sort of difficult having someone living here beside her.
Caroline Ellis: I understand.
Luke: Well, she's Old South she thinks women still curtsey.
[Caroline laughs and smiles, she turns her attention Ben]
Caroline Ellis: So, he can't talk at all?
Luke: No, stroke pretty much paralyzed him.
Caroline Ellis: Which side was effected? Left? Or right...
Luke: Both.
Caroline Ellis: Both...
Luke: Happened 'bout a... month ago up in the attic. That's where she found him. Ben, you have a visitor... Meet me Miss Caroline Ellis.
Caroline Ellis: Hello Ben. I'm Caroline.
Caroline Ellis: You have a lovely home.
[Violet says nothing only walks away]
Luke: I'm sorry, it's just sort of difficult having someone living here beside her.
Caroline Ellis: I understand.
Luke: Well, she's Old South she thinks women still curtsey.
[Caroline laughs and smiles, she turns her attention Ben]
Caroline Ellis: So, he can't talk at all?
Luke: No, stroke pretty much paralyzed him.
Caroline Ellis: Which side was effected? Left? Or right...
Luke: Both.
Caroline Ellis: Both...
Luke: Happened 'bout a... month ago up in the attic. That's where she found him. Ben, you have a visitor... Meet me Miss Caroline Ellis.
Caroline Ellis: Hello Ben. I'm Caroline.
[first lines]
Caroline Ellis: [reading from Treasure Island] I lost no time, of course, in telling my mother all that I knew, and we saw ourselves at once in a difficult and dangerous position. Something must speedily be resolved upon, and it occurred to us at last to go forth together and seek help in the neighboring hamlet. No sooner said than done. Bare-headed as we were, we ran out at once into the gathering evening and the frosty fog. The hamlet lay not many hundred yards away, though out of view on the other side of the next cove, and what greatly encouraged me, it was in an opposite direction from that whence the blind man had made his appearance. And I shall never forget how much I was cheered to see the yellow shine in the doors and windows; but that, as it proved, was the best of the help we were likely to get in that quarter. For you would have thought men would have been ashamed of themselves; no soul would consent to return with us to the
[stops abruptly]
Caroline Ellis: [reading from Treasure Island] I lost no time, of course, in telling my mother all that I knew, and we saw ourselves at once in a difficult and dangerous position. Something must speedily be resolved upon, and it occurred to us at last to go forth together and seek help in the neighboring hamlet. No sooner said than done. Bare-headed as we were, we ran out at once into the gathering evening and the frosty fog. The hamlet lay not many hundred yards away, though out of view on the other side of the next cove, and what greatly encouraged me, it was in an opposite direction from that whence the blind man had made his appearance. And I shall never forget how much I was cheered to see the yellow shine in the doors and windows; but that, as it proved, was the best of the help we were likely to get in that quarter. For you would have thought men would have been ashamed of themselves; no soul would consent to return with us to the
[stops abruptly]
Violet Devereaux: You're not from the south. You wouldn't understand. That room up there?
[points]
Violet Devereaux: You don't just go in there and throw things out of a room like that. You leave them just where you found them. The house is theirs just as much as ours.
Caroline Ellis: The house is whose? Whose things are in that room?
[points]
Violet Devereaux: You don't just go in there and throw things out of a room like that. You leave them just where you found them. The house is theirs just as much as ours.
Caroline Ellis: The house is whose? Whose things are in that room?
