- Willona Woods: [after Mrs. Gordon tries to hit Penny because she wouldn't give her the tape recorder] Now, are you going to tell me that all your violence is still in the past?
- Mrs. Gordon: [to Willona about Penny] Didn't you see the look in that kid's eyes? She wants to come home with me, it's all those expensive gifts, the tape recorder and the $2500 brass bed. What could you possibly offer to top that?
- Willona Woods: Love. And you?
- Mrs. Gordon: I'm here, aren't I?
- Willona Woods: So's the garbage. It don't make no difference.
- Officer Giles: [to Willona and Mrs. Gordon] Come along, you two.
- Willona Woods: Can't I just stay here and...?
- Officer Giles: I'm afraid not, ma'am, you'll have to...
- Willona Woods: Officer! I'm on the 17th floor. What do you think I'm going to do, fly out the window?
- Mrs. Gordon: [to Willona about Penny] She is not your daughter.
- Willona Woods: She is too my daughter.
- Millicent 'Penny' Woods: Mama?
- Willona Woods: [along with Mrs. Gordon] Yes? What?
- Willona Woods: [to Mrs. Gordon about Penny] That child wakes up at night screaming thinking your abuse, the beatings, the bruises, the cuts, the burns with the hot iron. She ain't gonna forget it. You remember it, I remember it, I hope to God that one day she can finally forget.
- Willona Woods: [to Mrs. Gordon] You know this proves that money can buy almost everything: lies, deceit, deception. Look, you get your actor and your props out of here before I break your neck.
- Mrs. Gordon: You're not serious.
- Willona Woods: Oh, yes I am. Serious as suicide.
- Willona Woods: [to Mrs. Gordon] Your plan ain't going to work because I have too many people to back me up. People at my church, people where I work and people in this whole neighborhood.
- Mrs. Gordon: And I have two policemen, pictures and a dozen witnesses who will swear you were throwing a wild party in the presence of a minor. Add an upscale lawyer to that and you tell me who the judge is going to believe.
- Millicent 'Penny' Woods: [hands Mrs. Gordon the tape recorder] Here, take it.
- Willona Woods: Penny, baby, we need that for evidence.
- Millicent 'Penny' Woods: It doesn't matter!
- [starts to cry]
- Millicent 'Penny' Woods: No matter what the court says, no matter what she says, no matter what anyone says, I'll always be with you, Mama!
- [hugs Willona]
- Florida Evans: [about Michael] I think that boy *reached* puberty, *liked* it and decided to *stay* there.