Children of a Lesser God (1986)

William Hurt: James

Photos 

Quotes 

• James Leeds : Do you think that we could find a place where we can meet - not in silence and not in sound?

• James Leeds : You can't start a bonfire and then say night night.

• [Translating Sarah's sign language] 

  James Leeds : "Sex was always something I could do as well as hearing girls. Better. First, I let them have me; because, they wanted to. Before long, the boys were lined up on a waiting list my sister kept for me. No introduction. No talk. Just - into a dark place... Didn't even take me out for a coke first."

• James Leeds : Speak to me!

  Sarah Norman : [screams]  Here you go! Hear my words! Hear my voice! Ah, you want more than that? I'm gonna scream!

• James Leeds : [talking to Sarah while she is in the university swimming pool after hours]  Sarah, please listen to me. I'm not going away. I did the wrong thing. I'm sorry. I - I don't know what to say. Tell me what to say. Sarah, you are the most mysterious, beautiful, angry person I have ever met. I am falling in l...

  [Sarah quickly backs away from the pool ledge, clearly uneasy] 

  James Leeds : Sarah... Sarah! I am falling... into the pool with you!

  [falls forward into pool] 

• James Leeds : I can't ever get close enough. Say my name, just once, say my name.

• James Leeds : [at the end of the school year, James encounters deaf student William who has a tendency to use his newly-developed speech skills for profanity]  Language skills can be dangerous, so use a little common sense. So long, William.

  William : So long, fuck-face!

• James Leeds : Hi. I'm James Leeds. My signing is rusty so how many of you can read lips?

  [after a moment of silence] 

  James Leeds : No one? OK. Class dismissed!

  [Everybody leaves the class] 

  James Leeds : No, no, no, no. Just testing, sit down. Lydia and Tony, good lip-readers.

  [to Johnny] 

  James Leeds : Do you mind closing your notebook?

• [first lines] 

  Dr. Curtis Franklin : This is the most amazing résumé I've ever seen.

  James Leeds : I've been with some really good schools. The best.

  Dr. Curtis Franklin : All of them. All of the best. One right after another. You've also been with the Lucky Erin Bar and Grill.

  James Leeds : Pittsburgh. Bartender.

  Dr. Curtis Franklin : And a disc jockey.

  James Leeds : Yeah, that was in Oklahoma. I used to broadcast in sign language.

  Dr. Curtis Franklin : You've covered all the map, Mr. Leeds.

  James Leeds : I've got a lot of energy.

  Dr. Curtis Franklin : I'm sure you do have a lot of energy and a lot of new ideas. I did too when...

  [signing like a long time ago] 

  Dr. Curtis Franklin : But nobody's trying to change the world around here. Just trying to help a few deaf kids get along a little better. But that's all. Everything else is razzle-dazzle. Am I making myself clear?

  James Leeds : Yes, I believe that are you.

• James Leeds : [to Sarah after realizing music is empty for him now]  I can't enjoy it. I can't... because you can't.

• James Leeds : I was thinking poor little deaf virgin? Who spread her legs for every...? You think that I'm threatened by that? You think that I give a good God damn that you *fucked* every pimply-faced teenager? I don't. I don't give a shit!

• James Leeds : Hey! I know that sign. That's the first sign I ever learned!

• James Leeds : Did you know that waves strike the average beach about 750,000 times a day?

  [Sarah signs a comment] 

  James Leeds : That's true. I just made it up.

• James Leeds : Please, please, let me help you, damn it!

  [translating Sarah's sign language] 

  James Leeds : "How? By showing you the joys of *sex* with a hearing man?"

• Dr. Curtis Franklin : Nobody is going to fuck with one of my students!

  James Leeds : She's not a student! She's a 25 year old woman!

  Dr. Curtis Franklin : Nobody is going to fuck with one of my employees, either.