The Commitments (1991)

Johnny Murphy: Joey 'The Lips' Fagan

Photos 

Quotes 

• Joey : Look, I know you're hurtin' now, but in time you'll realize what you've achieved.

  Jimmy Rabbitte : I've achieved nothing!

  Joey : You're missin' the point. The success of the band was irrelevant - you raised their expectations of life, you lifted their horizons. Sure we could have been famous and made albums and stuff, but that would have been predictable. This way it's poetry.

• Joey : Are you doing what I said? Are you thinking of that reed as a woman's nipple?

  Dean Fay : I am. But, I'm a little embarrassed, she's still in school.

  Joey : Maybe you should set your sights a little higher? My trumpet was always Gina Lollobrigida.

  Dean Fay : [thinking]  How about Kim Basinger?

  Joey : [holds his hand up to his chest as though cupping a breast]  Is she?

  Dean Fay : Oh, yeah!

  Joey : Right. Pick a nipple and try again.

• [Joey and Dean are rehearsing apart from the rest of the band] 

  Joey : Are you doing what I told you? Are you thinking of that reed as a woman's nipple?

• Jimmy Rabbitte : Who're you, then?

  Joey : Are you the one startin the band?

  Jimmy Rabbitte : Yeah.

  Joey : The name's Joseph Fagin. Joey "The Lips" Fagin.

  Jimmy Rabbitte : [sarcastically]  And I'm Jimmy "The Bollocks" Rabbitte

  Joey : I get mine from my horn playing. How'd you get yours?

  Jimmy Rabbitte : Don't get snotty with me.

  Joey : I get snotty with no man.

• Outspan Foster : What's that? A Mister Chippy van?

  Mickah Wallace, Drums : We can't travel in that shit heap.

  Joey : Buddy Holly's last words.

  Bernie : What?

  Joey : We can't travel in that shit heap.

  Outspan Foster : Did Buddy Holly say that?

  Joey : Before he flew to meet his destiny on that storm-tossed night.

  Outspan Foster : Will crashin' in a chipper van make us famous, huh?

• Joey : ...and remember Rome wasn't built in a day.

  Natalie Murphy : And Dublin was. In an hour.