Cold Mountain Quotes
In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart.
[Ruby has just walked in on Inman and Ada talking by the campfire]
Ruby: Number one - shut this door, it's freezing. Number two - shut that door, it's freezing. I'm laying on my back, with my fingers poked in my ears trying to shut out who's got a bag of diamonds and who's carrying a tray. If you want to get three feet up a bull's ass, listen to what sweethearts whisper to each other. Now, if you're going to wimble wimble all night, I'm going to sleep in with him.
[she stomps into her father's hut]
Ruby: Number one - shut this door, it's freezing. Number two - shut that door, it's freezing. I'm laying on my back, with my fingers poked in my ears trying to shut out who's got a bag of diamonds and who's carrying a tray. If you want to get three feet up a bull's ass, listen to what sweethearts whisper to each other. Now, if you're going to wimble wimble all night, I'm going to sleep in with him.
[she stomps into her father's hut]
Ada: I can talk about farming in Latin. I can read French. I can lace up a corset, God knows. I can name the principal rivers in Europe, just don't ask me to name one stream in this county! I can embroider but I can't darn! I can arrange cut flowers but I can't grow them! If a thing has a function, if I might *do* something with it, then it wasn't considered suitable!
Ruby: ...Why?
Ada: Ruby, you can ask 'why' about pretty much everything to do with me! This fence is about the first thing that I've ever done that might produce an actual result.
Ruby: ...Why?
Ada: Ruby, you can ask 'why' about pretty much everything to do with me! This fence is about the first thing that I've ever done that might produce an actual result.
Inman: [to Ada] If you could see my inside, or whatever you want to name it; my spirit, that's what I fear. I think I'm ruined. They kept trying to put me in the ground but I wasn't ready. But if I had... if I had goodness, I lost it. If I had anything tender in me, I shot it dead! How could I write to you after what I'd done? What I'd seen?
Inman: You are all that keeps me from sliding into some dark place.
Ada: But how did I keep you? We barely knew each other. A few moments.
Inman: A thousand moments. They're like a bag of tiny diamonds glittering in a black heart. Don't matter if they're real or things I made up. The shape of your neck, that's real. You were always carrying a tray.
Ada: You wouldn't come inside.
Inman: I wouldn't come inside.
Ada: I had to carry a tray to come out and see you.
Inman: The way you felt when I pulled you to me. That kiss- which I kissed again everyday of my walking.
Ada: Everyday of my waiting...
Ada: But how did I keep you? We barely knew each other. A few moments.
Inman: A thousand moments. They're like a bag of tiny diamonds glittering in a black heart. Don't matter if they're real or things I made up. The shape of your neck, that's real. You were always carrying a tray.
Ada: You wouldn't come inside.
Inman: I wouldn't come inside.
Ada: I had to carry a tray to come out and see you.
Inman: The way you felt when I pulled you to me. That kiss- which I kissed again everyday of my walking.
Ada: Everyday of my waiting...
Inman: Ada, I wanna marry you. If you'll have me.
Ada: Isn't there some religion where you just say I marry you, three times, and then you're man and wife?
Inman: I marry you, I marry you, I marry you.
[Ada laughs]
Inman: Why is that funny?
Ada: No, I think it's I divorce you three times and then you're not married anymore.
[Ada laughs]
Inman: I can wait for ya.
Ada: Oh, Inman, I marry you, I marry you, I marry you, I marry you, I marry you.
[Ada and Inman kiss]
Ada: I have so... I have so many buttons, is that alright? Will you turn your back?
[Inman turns his back but then he turns back around]
Inman: Nope. No, I will not.
Ada: Isn't there some religion where you just say I marry you, three times, and then you're man and wife?
Inman: I marry you, I marry you, I marry you.
[Ada laughs]
Inman: Why is that funny?
Ada: No, I think it's I divorce you three times and then you're not married anymore.
[Ada laughs]
Inman: I can wait for ya.
Ada: Oh, Inman, I marry you, I marry you, I marry you, I marry you, I marry you.
[Ada and Inman kiss]
Ada: I have so... I have so many buttons, is that alright? Will you turn your back?
[Inman turns his back but then he turns back around]
Inman: Nope. No, I will not.
Ruby: We got something for you.
Ada: For all your kindness. Coffee and pie.
Ruby: That's real coffee. It ain't chicory and dirt.
Sally: Thank you both. Ruby, I look forward to this. We all do. Esco and me.
Ruby: [grinning at Ada] She made it.
Ada: I made it.
Sally: Good God in Heaven.
Ruby: I'm still alive!
Ada: For all your kindness. Coffee and pie.
Ruby: That's real coffee. It ain't chicory and dirt.
Sally: Thank you both. Ruby, I look forward to this. We all do. Esco and me.
Ruby: [grinning at Ada] She made it.
Ada: I made it.
Sally: Good God in Heaven.
Ruby: I'm still alive!
Blind Man: Gettin' better, soldier?
Inman: Seems that way.
Blind Man: I wouldn't hurry. The war's almost done.Don't need your help to lose it.
[chuckles]
Inman: Been meanin' to ask you, where'd you take your wound?
Blind Man: Oh, before I was born. Never set eyes on a thing in this world. Not a tree, a gun, or a woman. Put my hand on all three, though.
Inman: Seems that way.
Blind Man: I wouldn't hurry. The war's almost done.Don't need your help to lose it.
[chuckles]
Inman: Been meanin' to ask you, where'd you take your wound?
Blind Man: Oh, before I was born. Never set eyes on a thing in this world. Not a tree, a gun, or a woman. Put my hand on all three, though.
[first lines]
Ada: [voiceover] Dear Mr. Inman, I began by counting the days, then the months. I don't count on anything anymore except the hope that you will return, and the silent fear that in the years since we saw each other, this war, this awful war, will have changed us both beyond all reckoning.
Ada: [voiceover] Dear Mr. Inman, I began by counting the days, then the months. I don't count on anything anymore except the hope that you will return, and the silent fear that in the years since we saw each other, this war, this awful war, will have changed us both beyond all reckoning.
Inman: Move away from the baby!
Bardolph: Don't shoot.
Inman: Take off your boots. Take off your pants and your shirt.
[Bardolph takes off his boots, pants, and shirt]
Bardolph: Don't shoot me, please. We're starving. We haven't eaten.
Inman: You'd better get running before you catch your death of cold.
Bardolph: Thanks, thank you. I will.
[Bardolph starts to run, and then Sara shoots him]
Bardolph: Don't shoot.
Inman: Take off your boots. Take off your pants and your shirt.
[Bardolph takes off his boots, pants, and shirt]
Bardolph: Don't shoot me, please. We're starving. We haven't eaten.
Inman: You'd better get running before you catch your death of cold.
Bardolph: Thanks, thank you. I will.
[Bardolph starts to run, and then Sara shoots him]
Inman: Come out of there.
Bosie: No, sir. Here's fine.
Inman: I'll just have to shoot the horse from under you.
Bosie: Shoot her. She's not mine. You riding Mr. Teague's animal?
Inman: I am.
Bosie: He dead?
Inman: I hope so. Look, how old are you? Give me your gun and ride home, I'm done fighting. I'm sick of it.
Bosie: I give you my gun and you'll shoot me dead.
Inman: I will not shoot you, but nor am I walking down that mountain looking over my shoulder for you.
Bosie: That's what you call a conundrum. I tell you what I've got on my side.
Inman: What have you got on your side?
Bosie: The confidence of youth.
Bosie: No, sir. Here's fine.
Inman: I'll just have to shoot the horse from under you.
Bosie: Shoot her. She's not mine. You riding Mr. Teague's animal?
Inman: I am.
Bosie: He dead?
Inman: I hope so. Look, how old are you? Give me your gun and ride home, I'm done fighting. I'm sick of it.
Bosie: I give you my gun and you'll shoot me dead.
Inman: I will not shoot you, but nor am I walking down that mountain looking over my shoulder for you.
Bosie: That's what you call a conundrum. I tell you what I've got on my side.
Inman: What have you got on your side?
Bosie: The confidence of youth.
