Half Nelson Quotes

An inner-city junior high school teacher with a drug habit forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students after she discovers his secret.

Dan: Change moves in spirals, not circles. For example, the sun goes up and then it goes down. But everytime that happens, what do you get? You get a new day. You get a new one. When you breathe, you inhale and you exhale, but every single time that you do that you're a little bit different then the one before. We're always changing. And its important to know that there are some changes you can't control and that there are others you can.

Isabel: Are you a communist?
Dan: What?
Isabel: I was looking through your books. Che in Africa?
Dan: So?
Isabel: The Communist Manifesto?
Dan: If I had a copy of Mein Kampf, would that make me a Nazi?
Isabel: [Eating leftover dinner] You know, this is really good. Very tasty.
Dan: You should try it warm.
Isabel: Well, you don't have a copy of Mein Kampf, but if you did, then yes, I'd ask if you were a Nazi.
Dan: Maybe I'm hiding it.
Isabel: Why would you hide it?
Dan: 'Cause it's just not cool to be a Nazi anymore, baby.

Dan: The only constant is change.

Dan: Look, you don't really see other kids coming up to my car, Drey, to talk to me it's uh- I'm your teacher, not your friend. Why don't you go play with other kids your own age? I'm just trying to be alone.
Drey: Then be alone, then, asshole.
Dan: [rolls up his car window] Bitch.

[from trailer]
Dan: The sun goes up and then it comes down, but everytime that happens what do you get? You get a new day.

Dan: [after watching Mario Savio's speech about The Machine] What is this machine that he's walking about? It's keeping us down, what is it?
Jamal: Like, robots and stuff, right?
Dan: Umm... it could be robots. It could be robots, but let's say it's a metaphor. He's saying this machine is keeping you down. Now, what is that? What keeps us from being free? Ms. Drey?
Drey: Prisons.
Dan: Absolutely. Absolutely, prisons. OK? Prisons are definitely a part of it. What else?
Terrence: White!
Dan: White is definitely a part of it. The Man.
Student: The school.
Dan: The school, exactly. The whole-the whole education system is part of the machine. What else?
Student: Aren't you the machine then?
Dan: Oh, no, you didn't. What'd you say?
Student: Aren't you the machine?
Dan: You're saying I'm the machine?
Student: Yeah, you're white. You're part of the school.
Dan: Oh, yeah, I guess you've got a point. All right, so I'm part of the machine. But if I'm part of it, then so are you. You are, too. We all are. And this is the thing, remember? Everything is made with opposing force. We may be opposed to the machine, but we're still very much a part of it, right? I work for the government, the school, but I'm also very much opposed to a lot of its policies. You guys hate coming to school, right? Holler back if you heard me! You hate it, but you come anyway. Sometimes. Exactly.

Dan: Second chances are rare, man. You ought to take better advantage of them.

[last lines]
Dan: Knock, knock.
Drey: Who's there?
Dan: The Interrupting Cow.
Drey: The Interrupting Cow, who?
Dan: [realizing he's blown the joke] ... Moooooo.
Drey: [laughing] That was horrible!

Drey: How does it feel when you smoke that stuff?

Dan: [asked by Drey about the old things in his house] Yes, Miss MP3, I got records!

Dan: Who might say that Aristotle's wrong, right? But that doesn't make any sense; these things need each other. The idea that... that all God's creations are perfect, perfect - so just to suggest that - that a tree it's - it's crooked and it's straight... it's strong and it's weak... is to suggest that - that God created something imperfect. They do however acknowledge it in people; we are sinners but we can strive to be good just not in nature itself I guess.

Drey: What do you call cheese that's not yours?
Dan: What?
Drey: Nacho cheese.

Dan: I used to be so fucked. I used to be so fucked up. I was just out there. You know? But I fucking cleaned up. I cleaned up,
[snorts a line of cocaine]
Dan: For the most part. I do it now to get by, but I can handle it. You know what I mean? I tried the rehab thing. I tried it. But it didn't work, Didn't work. It works for some people. My ex girlfriend is getting married. That's how it works for some people. Right? Didn't work for me. The kids keep me focused. And I...

Dan: [after seeing one of the students cheating on the test] Unbelievable! What you're doing?

Dan: One man alone means nothing!

Dan: Man... I'm sweating like George Bush on Judgment Day.

Dan: What're you doing here?
Rachel: Came to check out some basketball. Heard this was the place.
Dan: We need a little work, but we're having fun, so... yeah.
Rachel: How are you?
Dan: Same old, same old.
Rachel: I'm happy to see you.
Dan: It's good to see you, too. You look good.
Rachel: Come on, I got fat.
Dan: Oh, I know, but it looks great. You look healthy.
Rachel: Do you wanna go get some...
Dan: I can't. I got to...
Rachel: Just like a quick coffee. I just want to...
Dan: Get some coffee?
Rachel: Yeah.
Dan: I can't tonight. Do you wanna do it another night?
Rachel: OK.
Dan: OK. Hey. How's your mom?
Rachel: Did you get my messages?
[Walks away]

Dan: One thing doesn't make a man.
Drey: [softly laughing]
Dan: What?
Drey: One thing doesn't make a man?

Jimbo: A man who was curious to know if a knife could penetrate his bullet-proof vest was killed yesterday by a stab wound to the chest. Witnesses say the man, Jeff Turner, 32, urged his brother, Scott Turner, 35, to stab him as hard as he could, believing the vest would stop the knife. It didn't.

Cindy: Knock, knock.
Dan: [rolling his eyes but gamely playing along] Who's there?
Cindy: The Interrupting Cow.
Dan: The Interru...
Cindy: Moooooo!

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Half Nelson Quotes

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