Daily Dialogue — July 8, 2012

Ben bursts into the room.

BEN: That’s it. I’ve had it with you!

VITTI: What happened?

BEN: What happened? I just saw a man fall seven stories into a platter of poached salmon! That’s what happened.

VITTI: Did he break anything?

BEN: Yes. Everything! They’re still picking the capers out of his forehead.

VITTI: Hey, people get depressed, they jump. It’s a human tragedy, but it’s not my fault.

BEN: You’re telling me it was suicide?

VITTI: (to Jelly) I think he left a note. Jelly, did they find that note?

JELLY: No, but they will in a minute.

BEN: Oh, yeah, here it is. (picks up a slip of paper, pretends to read) ‘Life is bullshit. I can’t fuckin’ take it no more. Tino.’

— Vitti (Robert De Niro), Ben (Billy Crystal), Jelly (Joe Viterelli), Analyze This (1999), screenplay by Peter Tolan and Harold Ramis and Kenneth Lonergan, story by Kenneth Lonergan and Peter Tolan

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is gallows humor suggested by churnage. Today’s suggestion by Teddy Pasternak.

Trivia: In the original script, there were more scenes in which Dr. Sobel (Billy Crystal) receives gifts from Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro). In one of them, former Yankee great Phil Rizzuto, at the request of his friend Paul Vitti, would give Dr. Sobel his spike shoes because Dr. Sobel is a Yankess’ fan, which Billy Crystal is in real life).

Dialogue On Dialogue: Once more with ‘tough guys’ and gallows humor.