The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Anjelica Huston: Etheline Tenenbaum

Photos 

Quotes 

• [in a hospital ward] 

  Chas : Why did you try to kill yourself?

  Ethel : Don't press him right now.

  Richie : I wrote a suicide note.

  Chas : You did?

  Richie : Yeah. Right after I regained consciousness.

  Chas : Can we read it?

  Richie : No.

  Chas : Can you paraphrase it for us?

  Richie : I don't think so.

  Chas : Is it dark?

  Richie : Of course it's dark, it's a suicide note.

• Royal : Chas has those boys cooped up like a pair of jackrabbits, Ethel.

  Ethel : He has his reasons.

  Royal : Oh, I know that, but you can't raise boys to be scared of life. You gotta brew some recklessness into them.

  Ethel : I think that's terrible advice.

  Royal : No, you don't.

• Ethel : How long have you been a smoker?

  Margot : 22 years.

  Ethel : Well, I think you should quit.

• Royal : Got a minute?

  Ethel : [startled]  What are you doing here?

  Royal : Uh, I need a favour. I want to spend some time with you and the children.

  Ethel : Are you crazy?

  [she carries on walking] 

  Royal : Well, wait a minute, dammit!

  Ethel : Stop following me!

  Royal : Well, I want my family back.

  Ethel : Well, you can't have it! I'm sorry for you, but it's too late.

  Royal : Well, listen... Baby, I'm dying.

  [she stops] 

  Royal : Yeah, I-I'm sick as a dog. I'll be dead in six weeks. I'm dying.

  Ethel : What are you talking about? What's happening? Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't know...

  [starts crying] 

  Ethel : Well, what'd they say? What is the prognosis?

  Royal : [trying to comfort her]  Take it easy, Ethel. Now, hold on, baby, hold on. Hold on, OK?

  [she starts wailing] 

  Ethel : Where is the doctor?

  Royal : Well, look, just wait a second now. Wait a second. OK, uh, listen, I'm not dying... but I need some time. A month or so. OK? I want us to-to...

  [she slaps him hard] 

  Ethel : WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? Are you crazy?

  [she walks off] 

  Royal : Ethel, baby... I am dying.

  [she comes back to him] 

  Ethel : Are you or aren't you?

  Royal : What? Dying? Yeah.

• Ethel : Royal, this is Henry Sherman.

  Royal : [shaking hands with him]  Hey, lay it on me, man.

  Henry Sherman : How do you do?

  Royal : Not too well, I'm dying.

• Ethel : What are you talking about?

  Chas : The apartment. I have to get some new sprinklers and a back-up security system installed.

  Ethel : But there are no sprinklers here either.

  Chas : We might have to do something about that too.

• Richie : I think he's very lonely. Lonelier than he lets on. Maybe lonelier than he even realizes.

  Ethel : Have you spoken to him about this?

  Richie : Briefly. And he agreed that...

  Chas : I'm sorry, maybe I'm a little confused here. What are you suggesting?

  Richie : That he come here and stay in my room.

  Chas : Are you out of your mind?

  Richie : No. I'm not. Anyway I think he'd be much more comfortable here than at...

  Chas : Who gives a shit?

  Richie : I do.

  Chas : You poor sucker. You poor, washed up papa's boy.

• Ethel : Raleigh says you've been spending 6 hours a day locked in here, watching television and soaking in the tub.

  Margot : [lying in the bath]  I doubt that.

  Ethel : Well, I don't think that's very healthy, do you? Nor do I think it's very intelligent to keep an electrical gadget on the edge of the bathtub.

  Margot : I tie it to the radiator.

• [Chas Tenenbaum and his sons enter his mother's house with several bags] 

  Etheline Tenenbaum : Chas? What's going on?

  Chas : We got locked out of our apartment.

  Etheline Tenenbaum : Well, did you call a locksmith?

  Chas : Uh huh.

  Etheline Tenenbaum : Well, I don't understand. Did you pack your bags before you got locked out?

• Raleigh : You've made a cuckold of me.

  Margot : I know.

  Raleigh : Many times over.

  Margot : I'm sorry.

  Raleigh : And you nearly killed your poor brother.

  Ethel : What's he talking about?

  Margot : It doesn't matter.

  Raleigh : She's balling Eli Cash.

• Chas : Please don't get in the middle of this, Mr. Sherman. This is a family matter.

  Margot : Don't talk to him like that.

  Henry Sherman : Call me Henry.

  Chas : I prefer Mr. Sherman.

  Ethel : Call him Henry.

  Chas : Why? I don't know him that well.

  Ethel : You've known him for 10 years.

  Chas : As your accountant, Mr. Sherman, yes.

• Henry Sherman : I just wanted to apologize for the other day, when I proposed to you.

  Ethel : Why? I thought it was very sweet.

• Ethel : [about Royal's fake terminal illness charade]  Were you part of this, Pagoda?

  Henry Sherman : Of course he was.

  Royal : No... well, yeah, he was, but, I mean, he wasn't *that* involved.

• Ethel : He was depressed.

  Margot : So am I!

  Ethel : So are you, what?