La Bamba (1987)

Esai Morales: Bob Morales

Photos 

Quotes 

• Bob Morales : [last line, in agony over his brother's death]  RITCHIE!

• Bob Morales : Look Rosie, you're not my wife, all right? Stop being such a drag. What the shit's eating you anyway?

  Rosie Morales : I'm pregnant.

  [Bob stops pouring his drink and pauses] 

  Rosie Morales : Well aren't you gonna say anything?

  Bob Morales : What's there to say? It's not my first. Or my last.

• Ritchie Valens : What's going on?

  Connie Valenzuela : [painting posters]  Show business, Mijo. Show business.

  Bob Morales : [posters look terrible]  Show business? These look like shit. Even a monkey can draw better than this.

  Connie Valenzuela : [sarcastically]  Oh yeah.

  Bob Morales : [painting posters late at night]  Should have kept my mouth shut.

• Ritchie Valens : This is like my high school prom.

  Bob Morales : Yeah. Except this prom puts out.

• Bob Morales : I've had one sip of beer tonight and I have to admit it taste like piss to me. You want it?

  Ritchie Valens : Yeah. Thanks.

  [takes a sip and then puts the beer down] 

  Ritchie Valens : What's your problem, man?

  Bob Morales : Old Steve, boy. He always said you were gonna be somebody, and I bought it, too. If that's the way Steve wanted it, that's the way it was going to be. Even after he told me, he wasn't my dad. Then once I knew the full score, I understood. I realized why he always treated you just a little bit better than me. I said, "You know, I'll just hang around and take the leftovers, like a dog." That's how much I loved Steve. Like a goddamn dog!

  Ritchie Valens : Look Bob, we don't have to talk about this right now.

  Bob Morales : Shit! No, I want to talk about this right now and you're gonna listen to me!

  Ritchie Valens : This is a crock of shit, man!

  Bob Morales : No man, he set you up to conquer the world and he didn't leave me shit!

  Ritchie Valens : Nobody told you to throw your life away, man! I'm only sorry I didn't say something about you being drunk half the time. You did it to yourself!

  Bob Morales : Listen to you, coming in here like you own the whole goddamn country. To me, you're always gonna be that little asshole who followed me around in the sticks.

  Ritchie Valens : Yeah, I followed you around, man. I followed you around 'cause I thought you were somebody... then!

• Ritchie Valens : Bob. Where's mom's new dress?

  Bob Morales : What new dress?

  Ritchie Valens : The one I asked you to buy her for Christmas.

  Bob Morales : Hey, you're the asshole with all the money, why don't you buy it yourself!

• Bob Morales : [to Ritchie]  You've been laid yet? I'm serious, I know what your problem is. Sperm pressure, it's scientific. You got hard-ons all the time, you got nightmares, you got wet dreams--.

  Ritchie Valens : [frustrated, hits him in the face with a pillow]  Shut up and go to sleep, okay?

  Bob Morales : A kid your age needs an authority figure around. Believe me, I know.

• [Bartender shuts the television] 

  Bob Morales : Hey, what the hell! Man I was watching that! Put that back on!

  Bartender : You've had enough for one afternoon, buddy.

  Bob Morales : Put it back on! That dude's my brother!

  Bartender : Yeah and I'm your Irish uncle, too. Leave it off!

• Bob Morales : Come on Rosie, take a hit man! Put a little mota in our love life!

• Connie Valenzuela : How could you do this to Ritchie!

  Bob Morales : To Ritchie? I did this to me, okay!

  Rosie Morales : That's my Bob, always thinking of others first.

  Bob Morales : Shut your goddamn mouth!

  Ritchie Valens : Hey man, don't take it out on Rosie, okay.

  Bob Morales : Ritchie, you don't understand man. You don't understand a goddamn thing!

  [walking away for the others] 

  Bob Morales : What do you think, the whole fuckin' world revolves around you!

• Bob Morales : Don't be such a dreamer, man.

  Ritchie Valens : My dreams are pure rock and roll.

• Ritchie Valens : Bob! Watch it! My guitar, man!

  Bob Morales : Sorry, dude. I didn't know that piece of junk was so important to you.

  Ritchie Valens : [smiling]  Are you kidding? I even sleep with it.

• Ritchie Valens : It's cool if you move in with me, man. But what about when the baby comes? Shouldn't you be with Rosie?

  Bob Morales : You know, my old man wasn't around when I was born. Why should I be?

  [takes a swig of vodka and grimaces] 

• Bob Morales : [to Connie]  You always worry more about Ritchie? What about me? What about me? I know you don't give a goddamn about me. You had me turned in! You had me locked up!

• Bob Morales : Look at this. It's Woody Woodpecker and Buzz Buzzard. Hey, this is the real thing, man. They make cartoons out of these things.

• Ted Quillen : [over the radio while the Valenzuelas listen]  We interrupt this program to bring you this bulletin. Four persons, three identified as nationally famous rock and roll singers, died early today in a plane crash five miles north of Clear Lake, Iowa. Buddy Holly, 22, of Lubbock, Texas. Ritchie Valens, 17, of Los Angeles, California. And J.P. Richardson, 29, of Louisiana, known professionally as The Big Bopper.

  Bob Morales : [shocked]  What the shit!

  Rosie Morales : [crying]  Bob, did you hear? Did you hear what the radio said about Ritchie?

  Bob Morales : Are you sure he said Ritchie?

  Rosie Morales : Oh, my God! What about Connie?

  [Bob runs off to tell his mother the tragic news] 

  Rosie Morales : [shocked]  Bob!

• Ted Quillen : Your wife's pregnant and in the car with you?

  Bob Morales : [on the phone]  She's in the car right now!

  Ted Quillen : [pause]  And what kind of car do you have?

  Bob Morales : [on the phone]  A Rolls Royce!

  [maniacal laughter]