Daily Dialogue — December 12, 2014

Brad Dupree: Management wants you gone by the end of the day.
Lester Burnham: Well, just what sort of severance package is management prepared to offer me? Considering the information I have about our Editorial Director buying pussy with company money — which, I think, would interest the I.R.S., since it technically constitutes fraud; and I’m sure that some of our advertisers and rival publications might like to know about it as well. Not to mention Craig’s wife!
Brad Dupree: [crosses his arms] What do you want?
Lester Burnham: One year’s salary, with benefits.
Brad Dupree: That’s not going to happen.
Lester Burnham: Well, what do you say I throw in a little sexual harassment charge, to boot?
Brad Dupree: [chuckles in disbelief] Against who?
Lester Burnham: [he chuckles right back] Against YOU. Can you prove that you didn’t offer to save my job if I let you blow me?
Brad Dupree: Man, you are one twisted fuck.
Lester Burnham: Nope; I’m just an ordinary guy with nothing to lose.

— American Beauty (1999), written by Alan Ball

Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Quitting.

Trivia: The self-help tapes that Carolyn listens to are made by a “Dr. Alan Ball”. Alan Ball is the film’s screenwriter.

Dialogue On Dialogue: One of the all-time best quitting scenes and a significant step in Lester’s metamorphosis.

If you have a suggestion for this week’s theme, please post in comments.