Hope Floats Quotes
Birdee Calvert must choose between her morals and her heart after her husband divorces her and a charming young man, who her daughter disapproves of, comes back into her life.
Bernice Pruitt: My dad says that childhood is the happiest time of my life. But, I think he's wrong. I think my mom's right. She says that...
[Bernice's voice fades as Birdee takes over]
Birdee Pruitt: [laughing] Childhood is what you spend the rest of your life trying to overcome. That's what momma always says. She says that beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will, too...
[Bernice's voice fades as Birdee takes over]
Birdee Pruitt: [laughing] Childhood is what you spend the rest of your life trying to overcome. That's what momma always says. She says that beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will, too...
Bernice Pruitt: Mom, are you gonna marry Justin Matisse?
Birdee Pruitt: Oh, honey, I'm not planning on getting married again for along time. What, you don't like Justin?
Bernice Pruitt: No, it's not that. It's just that...
Birdee Pruitt: What is it? You can tell me.
Bernice Pruitt: I just don't want to be known as Bernice Matisse!
Birdee Pruitt: Oh, honey, I'm not planning on getting married again for along time. What, you don't like Justin?
Bernice Pruitt: No, it's not that. It's just that...
Birdee Pruitt: What is it? You can tell me.
Bernice Pruitt: I just don't want to be known as Bernice Matisse!
Bernice Pruitt: At home we had a pet skunk. Mama used to call it Justin Matisse. Do you think that's just a coincidence? All day long she would to scream, "You stink Justin Matisse!" Then one day she just picked up a club and killed it.
Justin Matisse: Now that's a sad story.
Bernice Pruitt: If you liked the skunk, which we didn't.
Justin Matisse: Now that's a sad story.
Bernice Pruitt: If you liked the skunk, which we didn't.
Mr. Davis: Uh, anything interesting come in while I was at lunch?
Birdee Pruitt: No, sir.
Mr. Davis: [walks to the photo processer, grabs a handful of ruined pictures] Oh, oh, no! Look at these!
[hands them to her]
Mr. Davis: Birdee?
Birdee Pruitt: No, what is wrong with this stupid machine?
[going through the pictures]
Birdee Pruitt: God I'm telling you, I...
[she cuts off as she comes across the one picture that made it: one of Justin standing outside by his truck, holding flowers. Birdee looks out the window and sees Justin in the same pose. She smiles and walks outside, knowing that her mother is somehow responsible. V.O]
Birdee Pruitt: Okay, Mama. Stop pushin'.
[Justin hands Birdee the flowers. They hug, Justin scoops her up into his arms and puts her in the truck. As Birdee sits up, Justin runs to the drivers side and they leave together]
Birdee Pruitt: No, sir.
Mr. Davis: [walks to the photo processer, grabs a handful of ruined pictures] Oh, oh, no! Look at these!
[hands them to her]
Mr. Davis: Birdee?
Birdee Pruitt: No, what is wrong with this stupid machine?
[going through the pictures]
Birdee Pruitt: God I'm telling you, I...
[she cuts off as she comes across the one picture that made it: one of Justin standing outside by his truck, holding flowers. Birdee looks out the window and sees Justin in the same pose. She smiles and walks outside, knowing that her mother is somehow responsible. V.O]
Birdee Pruitt: Okay, Mama. Stop pushin'.
[Justin hands Birdee the flowers. They hug, Justin scoops her up into his arms and puts her in the truck. As Birdee sits up, Justin runs to the drivers side and they leave together]
Birdee Pruitt, Mr. Davis: [Showing Bertie around Snappy Snaps] Occasionally we get pictures of a questionable nature
Birdee Pruitt: Naked pictures?
Mr. Davis: Oh, we never comment on them, ah, we just hand them over as if we haven't seen a thing.
Birdee Pruitt: I understand, Mr. Davis...
Mr. Davis: But first we make a copy. Now, we put them in the second draw under the counter.
Birdee Pruitt: Oh...
Mr. Davis: And you can have a look anytime you want. Just don't take any of 'em home.
Birdee Pruitt: Oh, alright.
Birdee Pruitt: Naked pictures?
Mr. Davis: Oh, we never comment on them, ah, we just hand them over as if we haven't seen a thing.
Birdee Pruitt: I understand, Mr. Davis...
Mr. Davis: But first we make a copy. Now, we put them in the second draw under the counter.
Birdee Pruitt: Oh...
Mr. Davis: And you can have a look anytime you want. Just don't take any of 'em home.
Birdee Pruitt: Oh, alright.
Bill Pruitt: [Bill is leaving the Calvert house, Bernice is following him with her bag... he takes her wrist] Bernice, what do you think you're doing?
Bernice Pruitt: I'm going with you.
Bill Pruitt: Honey, that's impossible.
Bernice Pruitt: But I'm going with you.
Bill Pruitt: No, you've got to stay here with your mama. Birdee, you gonna help me out here?
[Birdee is silent]
Bernice Pruitt: You told me you wanted me with you, remember?
Bill Pruitt: Listen, honey. I've gotta go. Now don't do this to yourself, OK? Don't make a scene. Now go on back inside, go ahead.
[Bernice defiantly follows him to his car, where he opens the trunk. She throws his bag in with his, he takes hers out and puts in on the ground]
Bernice Pruitt: Stop it, daddy!
Bill Pruitt: Bernice, you know I'd take you with me if I could.
Bernice Pruitt: You can!
Bill Pruitt: Try to understand, baby. Connie and I, we need this time to ourselves, to try and make a go of it. Then I'll come back for you. I promise, I promise, I promise!
[Birdee looks on; fighting tears]
Bill Pruitt: Now go on inside, please!
Bernice Pruitt: You want me! You wrote it in your letter!
[crying]
Bernice Pruitt: Please, let me in! YOU WANT ME!
Bill Pruitt: [tearfully] I'll always want you, Bernice. You're my little princess! But your mama, she needs you... and you need her!
Bernice Pruitt: [wailing] No I don't! I need you!
[sobbing continues]
Bill Pruitt: I love you, Princess... I gotta go!
[blows horn and drives off]
Bernice Pruitt: NO! NOOOO! DADDY! PLEASE COME BACK! TAKE ME WITH YOU! NOOO! DADDY!
[Bernice is sobbing hysterically by this time, Birdee picks her up and carries her into the house]
Bernice Pruitt: I WANT MY DADDY!
Bernice Pruitt: I'm going with you.
Bill Pruitt: Honey, that's impossible.
Bernice Pruitt: But I'm going with you.
Bill Pruitt: No, you've got to stay here with your mama. Birdee, you gonna help me out here?
[Birdee is silent]
Bernice Pruitt: You told me you wanted me with you, remember?
Bill Pruitt: Listen, honey. I've gotta go. Now don't do this to yourself, OK? Don't make a scene. Now go on back inside, go ahead.
[Bernice defiantly follows him to his car, where he opens the trunk. She throws his bag in with his, he takes hers out and puts in on the ground]
Bernice Pruitt: Stop it, daddy!
Bill Pruitt: Bernice, you know I'd take you with me if I could.
Bernice Pruitt: You can!
Bill Pruitt: Try to understand, baby. Connie and I, we need this time to ourselves, to try and make a go of it. Then I'll come back for you. I promise, I promise, I promise!
[Birdee looks on; fighting tears]
Bill Pruitt: Now go on inside, please!
Bernice Pruitt: You want me! You wrote it in your letter!
[crying]
Bernice Pruitt: Please, let me in! YOU WANT ME!
Bill Pruitt: [tearfully] I'll always want you, Bernice. You're my little princess! But your mama, she needs you... and you need her!
Bernice Pruitt: [wailing] No I don't! I need you!
[sobbing continues]
Bill Pruitt: I love you, Princess... I gotta go!
[blows horn and drives off]
Bernice Pruitt: NO! NOOOO! DADDY! PLEASE COME BACK! TAKE ME WITH YOU! NOOO! DADDY!
[Bernice is sobbing hysterically by this time, Birdee picks her up and carries her into the house]
Bernice Pruitt: I WANT MY DADDY!
Birdee Pruitt: I would have stayed with you forever. I would have turned myself inside out for you.
Bill Pruitt: Birdee, I wouldn't have let you! People grow. They change. They have to!
Birdee Pruitt: You think that I don't know that? I know that I'm not what I once was. I know that! But I haven't changed so much, that I would go and lie to someone that I love. God, I would walk through fire before I'd let them feel like they were nothing! And I would never break up anybody's home. Because I am not a quitter. I care about my family! I may not be the same person, but then again, neither are you. You're sad, you're weak, and you're... shorter. If you want to know the truth.
Bill Pruitt: I'm in love with Connie. And this is my chance for a fresh start, and I'm taking it, I'm sorry!
Birdee Pruitt: Then you should take it. If that's how you feel then you should take it. You and Connie deserve each other. You were lucky to have me. But you know what? I think I already got the best part of you. And she's standing right out there, and she's waiting for me. I don't know... what's left just doesn't look so good anymore. So why'd you come back? You want my permission? You want my... condolences? Why did you come back?
Bill Pruitt: Well, I didn't want to do this to you now, Birdee, but I want a divorce.
Bill Pruitt: Birdee, I wouldn't have let you! People grow. They change. They have to!
Birdee Pruitt: You think that I don't know that? I know that I'm not what I once was. I know that! But I haven't changed so much, that I would go and lie to someone that I love. God, I would walk through fire before I'd let them feel like they were nothing! And I would never break up anybody's home. Because I am not a quitter. I care about my family! I may not be the same person, but then again, neither are you. You're sad, you're weak, and you're... shorter. If you want to know the truth.
Bill Pruitt: I'm in love with Connie. And this is my chance for a fresh start, and I'm taking it, I'm sorry!
Birdee Pruitt: Then you should take it. If that's how you feel then you should take it. You and Connie deserve each other. You were lucky to have me. But you know what? I think I already got the best part of you. And she's standing right out there, and she's waiting for me. I don't know... what's left just doesn't look so good anymore. So why'd you come back? You want my permission? You want my... condolences? Why did you come back?
Bill Pruitt: Well, I didn't want to do this to you now, Birdee, but I want a divorce.
Bernice Pruitt: [Bernice and Birdee are in Bernice's room after Bill has left... Bernice is on her bed and has finished crying] Why did you pretend that letter was from Daddy?
Birdee Pruitt: What an imagination you have.
[climbs onto Bernice's bed and lays by her side]
Birdee Pruitt: You know, I always thought I was gonna be, I don't know, special. But I'm not. I'm just... I'm just an ordinary person. And that's OK. Because... you make me special. Don't you know that? Don't you know that you're everything in this world to me? And we're gonna make it through this because we are a team. Birdee and Bernice, the coolest chicks in Smithville. So don't you ever think about leaving me again... because I need you. I love you.
Bernice Pruitt: [quietly] I love you too.
Birdee Pruitt: Good.
[they embrace]
Birdee Pruitt: What an imagination you have.
[climbs onto Bernice's bed and lays by her side]
Birdee Pruitt: You know, I always thought I was gonna be, I don't know, special. But I'm not. I'm just... I'm just an ordinary person. And that's OK. Because... you make me special. Don't you know that? Don't you know that you're everything in this world to me? And we're gonna make it through this because we are a team. Birdee and Bernice, the coolest chicks in Smithville. So don't you ever think about leaving me again... because I need you. I love you.
Bernice Pruitt: [quietly] I love you too.
Birdee Pruitt: Good.
[they embrace]
Birdee Pruitt: Who's the architect?
Justin Matisse: You're kiddin', huh?... That's half the fun.
Birdee Pruitt: You go around Smithville paintin' houses, and you can do this?
Justin Matisse: Yeah.
Birdee Pruitt: You could... you could do so much more.
Justin Matisse: I guess so, huh?
Birdee Pruitt: You know what I meant.
Justin Matisse: I know exactly what you meant. You're talkin' 'bout the American Dream. You find something that you love, and then you twist it, and you torture it, try and find a way to make money at it. You spend a lifetime doing that. At the end, you can't find a trace of what you started out lovin'. What did you start out lovin'?
Birdee Pruitt: [very softly] I don't remember.
Justin Matisse: For me it was doin' things right, that's all. That's why I came back here; so I could live the way I wanted. I don't know, I figured out of everybody, you'd understand that.
Birdee Pruitt: I do. I envy you. Everything you love is right here.
Justin Matisse: Not everything, Birdee.
Justin Matisse: You're kiddin', huh?... That's half the fun.
Birdee Pruitt: You go around Smithville paintin' houses, and you can do this?
Justin Matisse: Yeah.
Birdee Pruitt: You could... you could do so much more.
Justin Matisse: I guess so, huh?
Birdee Pruitt: You know what I meant.
Justin Matisse: I know exactly what you meant. You're talkin' 'bout the American Dream. You find something that you love, and then you twist it, and you torture it, try and find a way to make money at it. You spend a lifetime doing that. At the end, you can't find a trace of what you started out lovin'. What did you start out lovin'?
Birdee Pruitt: [very softly] I don't remember.
Justin Matisse: For me it was doin' things right, that's all. That's why I came back here; so I could live the way I wanted. I don't know, I figured out of everybody, you'd understand that.
Birdee Pruitt: I do. I envy you. Everything you love is right here.
Justin Matisse: Not everything, Birdee.
Dot: You look... beautiful. Same old Birdee.
Birdee Pruitt: [beat] Same old Dot.
Dot: [laughs incredulously] You have no idea who I am, do you?
Birdee Pruitt: [beat] No. Ha, ha, sorry.
Dot: That's all right. When I knew you I was about seven inches shorter and 70 pounds heavier. We didn't exactly eat at the same lunch table.
Birdee Pruitt: Polka Dot?
Dot: [laughs nervously] Oh, goodness!
Birdee Pruitt: Is that right?
Dot: Yeah... Nobody's called me that in a long time.
Birdee Pruitt: You look fantastic!
Dot: [uncomfortable] Thank you.
Birdee Pruitt: It's remarkable!
Dot: Was I really so awful before, Birdee?
Dot: Oh, no-no-no, I just meant...
Dot: I know what you meant. People change as they get older, we improve.
[beat]
Dot: Gosh, you look exactly the same.
Birdee Pruitt: [beat] Same old Dot.
Dot: [laughs incredulously] You have no idea who I am, do you?
Birdee Pruitt: [beat] No. Ha, ha, sorry.
Dot: That's all right. When I knew you I was about seven inches shorter and 70 pounds heavier. We didn't exactly eat at the same lunch table.
Birdee Pruitt: Polka Dot?
Dot: [laughs nervously] Oh, goodness!
Birdee Pruitt: Is that right?
Dot: Yeah... Nobody's called me that in a long time.
Birdee Pruitt: You look fantastic!
Dot: [uncomfortable] Thank you.
Birdee Pruitt: It's remarkable!
Dot: Was I really so awful before, Birdee?
Dot: Oh, no-no-no, I just meant...
Dot: I know what you meant. People change as they get older, we improve.
[beat]
Dot: Gosh, you look exactly the same.
