Postcards from the Edge (1990)

Robin Bartlett: Aretha

Quotes 

• Suzanne : Mom, this is my roommate, Aretha.

  Doris : Aretha, what an unusual name.

  Aretha : Yes, I think my parents were expecting someone black.

  [Suzanne laughs] 

  Doris : [confused]  Are you black?

  Aretha : Ummm, no. It was nice to meet you; Suzanne has told me so much about you. I think I'll just go weave a basket or something and let the two of you visit.

• Aretha : Flowers for you, Suzanne.

  Suzanne : Who died?

  Aretha : Both of us almost did for a start. Who are they from?

  Suzanne : They're from the guy who pumped my stomach.

  Aretha : Bullshit!

  [Reading card] 

  Aretha : "Dear Suzanne. Hope your stomach is better. You seem to be what my mother warned me about: A beautiful, overly-sensitive person." He can tell all that by the contents of your stomach.

  Suzanne : I'd have to be sensitive to need all that dope. I'm tempted to marry him so I can tell people how we met.

• Suzanne Vale : I have nothing to say.

  Aretha : The same cannot be said for the rest of your family.

• Suzanne : Did you want some more cashews, Grandpa?

  Grandpa : Did I already have some?

  Grandma : [under her breath, to Aretha]  He gets worse every day.

  Grandpa : Who gets worse? I heard that! Get off my back, woman! I wanna go home!

  Grandma : We're going home, dear.

  Grandpa : Not with you! I wanna go home.

  [smiles at Aretha] 

  Grandpa : Are we going soon?

  Aretha : Soon, sir. Very, very soon.

  Grandpa : You know what my daddy did?

  Aretha : What?

  Grandpa : [confused]  What were we talking about?

  Grandma : [under her breath, to Aretha]  I told ya.

  Grandpa : I heard that! Get out my back, woman! Yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap--that's all you do all the livelong day!

  [singing] 

  Grandpa : And the farmer hauled another load away...

  [wanders off across the lawn] 

  Grandma : [sighs]  The other night he punched me when I was trying to put some clean pajamas on him.

• Suzanne Vale : [regarding an incoming phone call from Gene Hackman's character]  He's a director. I don't wanna talk to him; I'm embarassed. I don't have to right?

  Aretha : You don't have to do anything you don't want to do... except never take drugs again and go to AA meetings for the rest of your life.

  Suzanne Vale : [sarcastically]  Oh, I feel SO much better!