Daily Dialogue — May 14, 2010
Dirk’s Mother: You can’t do anything. You’re a loser. You’ll always be a loser — you couldn’t even finish high school because you were too stupid — so what are you gonna do?
Dirk: I’ll do something . . . I’ll do it. I’ll go somewhere and do something, maybe I’ll run away where you can never find me.
Dirk’s Mother: Go ahead. Go ahead and fuck that little GIRL.
[Dirk starts to collect things in his bedroom]
Dirk’s Mother: What do you think you’re doing?
Dirk:I’m getting my stuff —
Dirk’s Mother: — you think that’s your stuff? That’s not your stuff . . . you didn’t pay for that — it’s not yours because you didn’t pay for it, stupid. None of this stuff is yours.
[She rips posters off wall]
Dirk’s Mother: If you’re gonna leave, you leave with what you’ve got: Nothing. Y’see . . . you treat me like this and this is what you get. That’s fair. Huh? You wanna live that way? Fuck that little whore. I’ve taken care of you all your miserable fucking life . . . you pay for it . . . you owe me for all the shit I’ve done for you in your life . . . . you little fucker . . . you understand? Think you’re gonna be this? Huh? These god damn posters — you’re not gonna be this — you’re gonna be shit . . . because you’re stupid.
Dirk: I’m not stupid.
Dirk’s Mother: Yes, you are.
Dirk: Why are you so mean to me? You’re my mother . . .
Dirk’s Mother: Not by choice.
Dirk: Don’t. Don’t be mean to me.
Dirk’s Mother: You little fucker, I’m not being mean to you, you’re just too stupid to see.
Dirk: You don’t know what I can do. You don’t know what I can do or what I’m gonna do or what I’m gonna be. You don’t know. I’m good. I have good things that you don’t know and I’m gonna be something — you — You don’t know and you’ll see.
Dirk’s Mother: You can’t do anything. You’ll never do anything —
Dirk: Don’t be mean to me.
Dirk’s Mother: YOU LITTLE FUCKER, I’M NOT BEING MEAN TO YOU!
[Dirk slams his mother against the wall]
Dirk: AND YOU DON’T BE MEAN, AND YOU DON’T TALK TO ME . . . . NO.
— Dirk’s Mother (Joanna Gleason), Dirk (Mark Wahlberg), Boogie Nights (1997), written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Daily Dialogue theme for the week is notable mother-child (young or adult) conversations. Boogie Nights suggested by mrborgen.