Daily Dialogue — June 5, 2012

Arthur: It was better. You know what I’ve been asking myself all night?
Iris: What? Why I’m bothering you with all these questions?
Arthur: I’m wondering why a beautiful girl like you……would go to a stranger’s house for her Christmas vacation……and on top of that, spend Saturday night with an old cocker like me.
Iris: Well, I just wanted to get away from the people I see all the time. Well, not all the people. One person. I wanted to get away from one guy. An ex-boyfriend who just got engaged and forgot to tell me. Sorry.
Arthur: So he’s a schmuck.
Iris: As a matter of fact, he is. A huge schmuck. How did you know?
Arthur: He let you go. This is not a hard one to figure out. Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies……and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady. But for some reason, you’re behaving like the best friend.
Iris: You’re so right. You’re supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for God’s sake. Arthur, I’ve been going to a therapist for three years. And she’s never explained anything to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant. Thank you.

— Iris (Kate Winslet), Arthur (Eli Wallach), The Holiday (1996), written by Nancy Meyers

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is pity party, suggested by Teddy Pasternak. Today’s suggestion by Traci Nell Peterson.

Trivia: This film was written specifically with actors Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black in mind.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Sometimes the listener in a pity party does just that. Listens. But sometimes they offer words of wisdom as here: “You, I can tell, are a leading lady. But for some reason, you’re behaving like the best friend.” Good line. But that’s Nancy Meyers for you, one of the best rom-com writers around.