One Hour Photo Quotes
An employee of a one-hour photo lab becomes obsessed with a young suburban family.
Sy Parrish: [voice-over following opening interrogation room scene] Family photos depict smiling faces... births, weddings, holidays, children's birthday parties. People take pictures of the happy moments in their lives. Someone looking through our photo album would conclude that we had led a joyous, leisurely existence free of tragedy. No one ever takes a photograph of something they want to forget.
Bill Owens: Look, Sy, I got a family. I'm not losing my job over this. I'm letting you go.
Sy Parrish: No. Ohhh...
Bill Owens: These log discrepancies would be enough, but you've been spacing out on the job, taking 90-minute lunch breaks, creating scenes in front of the customers... giving away free merchandise.
Sy Parrish: What?
Bill Owens: Free disposable cameras to customers on their birthday? That must have been your bright idea. Sure as shit isn't company policy.
Sy Parrish: You can't do this.
Bill Owens: It's done, Sy. I talked to Sims at district. Now you finish out the week and clear out your locker. And if you do something like fuck up today's prints...
Sy Parrish: I haven't fucked up a customer's prints in 11 years!
Sy Parrish: No. Ohhh...
Bill Owens: These log discrepancies would be enough, but you've been spacing out on the job, taking 90-minute lunch breaks, creating scenes in front of the customers... giving away free merchandise.
Sy Parrish: What?
Bill Owens: Free disposable cameras to customers on their birthday? That must have been your bright idea. Sure as shit isn't company policy.
Sy Parrish: You can't do this.
Bill Owens: It's done, Sy. I talked to Sims at district. Now you finish out the week and clear out your locker. And if you do something like fuck up today's prints...
Sy Parrish: I haven't fucked up a customer's prints in 11 years!
Sy Parrish: Are you a family man, Detective?
Detective James Van Der Zee: That's none of your business, Sy.
Sy Parrish: You're right, it's not. But I can see by your response and the ring on your finger that you are. That makes you a fortunate man. I can also tell be the way you've treated me so far that you're a good man, and that you appreciate your good fortune. You're not the kind of man who would cheat on his wife, hurt his family, abuse their trust.
[pause]
Sy Parrish: You would never neglect or abuse your children.
[chokes up]
Sy Parrish: Make horrible demands of them. You would never ask... You would never ask your children to do things... things that children shouldn't do.
[crying]
Sy Parrish: You would never take disgusting, sick, degrading pictures of your children doing these things!
[implying that Sy was molested by his parents as a child and it was photographed]
Sy Parrish: You would never treat your children like animals.
[calms down a little]
Sy Parrish: Will Yorkin had it all and he threw it away. He is not a good father.
Detective James Van Der Zee: I... well, I think I understand now, Sy.
Sy Parrish: Could I have my pictures now?
Detective James Van Der Zee: That's none of your business, Sy.
Sy Parrish: You're right, it's not. But I can see by your response and the ring on your finger that you are. That makes you a fortunate man. I can also tell be the way you've treated me so far that you're a good man, and that you appreciate your good fortune. You're not the kind of man who would cheat on his wife, hurt his family, abuse their trust.
[pause]
Sy Parrish: You would never neglect or abuse your children.
[chokes up]
Sy Parrish: Make horrible demands of them. You would never ask... You would never ask your children to do things... things that children shouldn't do.
[crying]
Sy Parrish: You would never take disgusting, sick, degrading pictures of your children doing these things!
[implying that Sy was molested by his parents as a child and it was photographed]
Sy Parrish: You would never treat your children like animals.
[calms down a little]
Sy Parrish: Will Yorkin had it all and he threw it away. He is not a good father.
Detective James Van Der Zee: I... well, I think I understand now, Sy.
Sy Parrish: Could I have my pictures now?
Sy Parrish: [voiceover] I've been doing P.O.S. mini-lab work for more than 20 years now. I consider it an important job. When people's houses are on fire, what's the first thing they save after their pets and loved ones are safe? The family photos. Some people think that this is a job for a clerk. They actually believe that any idiot that attends a two-day seminar can master the art of making beautiful prints in less than an hour. But of course, like most things, there's far more to it than meets the eye. I've seen prints they fob off on people at the Rexall or Fotek... milky, washed-out prints... too dark prints. There's no sense of reverence for the service they're providing for people. I process these photos as if they were my own.
Jake Yorkin: When someone seems sad and don't have any friends, it makes me feel bad for them.
Nina Yorkin: Who is sad and doesn't have any friends?
Jake Yorkin: Sy!
Nina Yorkin: The Photo Guy at the one hour place? Well, we really don't know that much about him, do we? He might even have a lot of friends. He probably has a girlfriend and a mommy and daddy, who love him.
Jake Yorkin: I don't think he does.
Nina Yorkin: Who is sad and doesn't have any friends?
Jake Yorkin: Sy!
Nina Yorkin: The Photo Guy at the one hour place? Well, we really don't know that much about him, do we? He might even have a lot of friends. He probably has a girlfriend and a mommy and daddy, who love him.
Jake Yorkin: I don't think he does.
Will Yorkin: How - How do you think we pay for all this?
Nina Yorkin: I'm just asking you. What do you think...
Will Yorkin: there's a money fairy that comes and slips an envelope under my pillow every month?
Nina Yorkin: What are you even talkin' about?
Will Yorkin: Well... well, how... all of this stuff... the new Mercedes, the matching washer and dryer... the fucking Jil Sander blouse you have on now - how? I love you, Nina. I do... but if you continually want our life to look like something out of a magazine, I'm sorry. I've gotta work to make that happen.
Nina Yorkin: Do you even believe what you're saying, huh? This is not about things, Will... and it's not about money. You're neglectful. Do you understand that?
Will Yorkin: What?
Nina Yorkin: You are an emotionally neglectful husband... and you're an emotionally neglectful father. Got it now?
Will Yorkin: That's just fuckin' great. Neglectful?
Nina Yorkin: You're not here, Will. You're not here. You're never here. I'm going to bed.
Nina Yorkin: I'm just asking you. What do you think...
Will Yorkin: there's a money fairy that comes and slips an envelope under my pillow every month?
Nina Yorkin: What are you even talkin' about?
Will Yorkin: Well... well, how... all of this stuff... the new Mercedes, the matching washer and dryer... the fucking Jil Sander blouse you have on now - how? I love you, Nina. I do... but if you continually want our life to look like something out of a magazine, I'm sorry. I've gotta work to make that happen.
Nina Yorkin: Do you even believe what you're saying, huh? This is not about things, Will... and it's not about money. You're neglectful. Do you understand that?
Will Yorkin: What?
Nina Yorkin: You are an emotionally neglectful husband... and you're an emotionally neglectful father. Got it now?
Will Yorkin: That's just fuckin' great. Neglectful?
Nina Yorkin: You're not here, Will. You're not here. You're never here. I'm going to bed.
Larry - Repairman: [angry about Sy's banal reason for a service call] Sy, are you kiddin' me?
[slams door shut on mini-lab machine]
Sy Parrish: What?
Larry - Repairman: I got three of these fuckin' machines down today. I've got to be in Heber Springs by 3:00.
[prepares to leave]
Sy Parrish: Larry, all I'm asking you to do is look at these prints!
[shows photos]
Larry - Repairman: Plus point three? Sy, are you fuckin' kiddin' me? Point three? Nobody gives a shit until those shifts are in the double digits.
Sy Parrish: It's blue, Larry!
[Larry heads for the door]
Sy Parrish: Well, I bet Brandt cares about a plus point three!
Larry - Repairman: Are you fuckin' threatening me? You're breakin' my balls over a plus three blue shift.
[turns away]
Larry - Repairman: Fuckin' asshole.
[to Sy again]
Larry - Repairman: Next time you call me out here, that thing better be belching fire.
Sy Parrish: [shouting facetiously behind him on the sales floor] That's a great attitude, Larry! Thanks for your precision work!
[slams door shut on mini-lab machine]
Sy Parrish: What?
Larry - Repairman: I got three of these fuckin' machines down today. I've got to be in Heber Springs by 3:00.
[prepares to leave]
Sy Parrish: Larry, all I'm asking you to do is look at these prints!
[shows photos]
Larry - Repairman: Plus point three? Sy, are you fuckin' kiddin' me? Point three? Nobody gives a shit until those shifts are in the double digits.
Sy Parrish: It's blue, Larry!
[Larry heads for the door]
Sy Parrish: Well, I bet Brandt cares about a plus point three!
Larry - Repairman: Are you fuckin' threatening me? You're breakin' my balls over a plus three blue shift.
[turns away]
Larry - Repairman: Fuckin' asshole.
[to Sy again]
Larry - Repairman: Next time you call me out here, that thing better be belching fire.
Sy Parrish: [shouting facetiously behind him on the sales floor] That's a great attitude, Larry! Thanks for your precision work!
Detective James Van Der Zee: [Sy sits alone handcuffed in a sterile police interrogation room, door buzzes and Van Der Zee walks in] We processed the roll of film we found in your bag, Mr. Parrish. They're not very pretty pictures. Also, you left the camera in the hotel. We processed that roll as well.
Sy Parrish: Can I see them?
Detective James Van Der Zee: That's not a courtesy, Mr. Parrish. This is evidence.
Sy Parrish: Do you guys have your own lab or do you have to send it out?
Detective James Van Der Zee: We have a lab.
[pauses]
Detective James Van Der Zee: Your legal aide should be here within 30 minutes or so. Now you understand you don't have to talk to me until she gets here if you don't want to. You know that, Sy?
[Sy nods and affirms]
Detective James Van Der Zee: Good. Sy, can I ask you one question?
Sy Parrish: Sure.
Detective James Van Der Zee: What was it about William Yorkin that upset you so? I mean, what did he do to provoke all of this?
Sy Parrish: Can I see them?
Detective James Van Der Zee: That's not a courtesy, Mr. Parrish. This is evidence.
Sy Parrish: Do you guys have your own lab or do you have to send it out?
Detective James Van Der Zee: We have a lab.
[pauses]
Detective James Van Der Zee: Your legal aide should be here within 30 minutes or so. Now you understand you don't have to talk to me until she gets here if you don't want to. You know that, Sy?
[Sy nods and affirms]
Detective James Van Der Zee: Good. Sy, can I ask you one question?
Sy Parrish: Sure.
Detective James Van Der Zee: What was it about William Yorkin that upset you so? I mean, what did he do to provoke all of this?
