Torch Song Trilogy (1988)

Anne Bancroft: Ma

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Quotes 

• Arnold : Ma... I miss him.

  Ma : Give yourself time, Arnold. It gets better... But, Arnold, it never goes away. You can work longer hours, adopt a son, fight with me, whatever... it'll still be there. But that's all right, it becomes a part of you, like learning to wear a ring or a pair of eyeglasses. You get used to it. And that's good. It's good, because it makes sure you don't forget. You don't want to forget him, do you?

• Ma : You cheated me out of your life and then blamed me for not being there.

• Alan : Why are all the mirrors covered?

  Arnold : So we don't see the pain in our faces.

  Alan : Why is everyone sitting on boxes?

  Arnold : To make sure there's pain in our faces.

  Ma : [in an undertone]  You told me he was Jewish!

  Arnold : Out-of-town Jewish.

• Ma : Friend-friend, or euphemism-friend?

  David : He used to be a euphemism, now he's just a friend.

• Ma : Arnold, think about the boy. The way you live is bound to affect himmmmmm!

  Arnold : Ma, David is gay!

  Ma : He hasn't even been here a year!

  Arnold : He came that way!

  Ma : Nobody COMES that way!

  Arnold : What an opening!

• Ma : After all, a problem is never as permanent as a solution!

• Arnold : Try and imagine the world the other way around. Imagine every book, every magazine, every TV show, every movie was telling you you should be homosexual. You know you're not, but...

  Ma : Stop already, you're talking crazy.

  Arnold : You wanna know what's crazy? After all these years I'm still sitting here trying to justify my life. THIS is crazy!

• Ma : You haven't heard one word I've said!

  Arnold : I KNOW YOU WOULD RATHER I WAS STRAIGHT, I'M NOT! Would you also rather I lie to you? My friend Ed, who'd never dream of telling his parents, instead he cut his parents out of his life. And they wonder 'why? Why is my child so distant?' Is that what you'd rather?

  Ma : No. But it doesn't have to be on every conversation, either.

  Arnold : You want to be a part of my life, I'm not editing out the things you don't like!

• Ma : You want meaningful conversation? Do what I do, talk to yourself. It's the only way.