Daily Dialogue — July 21, 2015

“I do wish we could chat longer, but I’m having an old friend for dinner. Bye.”

— The Silence of the Lambs (1991), screenplay by Ted Tally, novel by Thomas Harris

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Last Line. Today’s suggestion by Michael Waters.

Trivia: The filmmakers were prepared to go to Montana to shoot a flashback sequence depicting Clarice’s runaway attempt. After filming the dialogue between Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, director Jonathan Demme realized it would be pointless to cut away from their performances and announced, “I guess we aren’t going to Montana.”

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Michael: “Often two equally matched actors fight for the last line, as a way of determining status. Starling is the last voice you hear in the telephone call, ‘Dr Lecter’ repeating in a chilling echo effect, but only because Lecter has already hung up.”