Daily Dialogue — May 1, 2010

Jonathan Kent: Yeah, I know, you can do all these amazing things and sometimes you feel like you will just go bust unless you can tell people about them.
Young Clark Kent: Yeah. I mean every time I kick the football I can make a touchdown. Every time! I mean, is it showing off if somebody’s doing the things he’s capable of doing? Is a bird showing off when it flies?
Jonathan Kent: No, no. Now, you listen to me. When you first came to us, we thought people would come and take you away because, when they found out, you know, the things you could do… and that worried us a lot. But then a man gets older, and he starts thinking differently and things get very clear. And one thing I do know, son, and that is you are here for a *reason*. I don’t know whose reason, or whatever the reason is… Maybe it’s because… uh… I don’t know. But I do know one thing. It’s *not* to score touchdowns. Huh?
[they laugh]
Young Clark Kent: Thanks, Dad.

 — Jonathan Kent (Glenn Ford), Young Clark Kent (Jeff East), Superman (1978), screenplay by Mario Puzo and David Newman and Leslie Newman and Robert Benton, story by Mario Puzo, based on characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Actual father and son scene here.

The Daily Dialogue theme this week is poignant father-son exchanges, suggested by JD Walters, who also suggested Superman.