Party of Five (TV Series)

Summer Fun, Summer Not (1996)

Kathleen Noone: Ellie Bennett

Quotes 

• [Ellie is alone in the dinning room when Kirsten approaches her] 

  Ellie Bennett : I'll be out of your hair first thing in the morning.

  Kirsten Bennett : Where are you gonna stay when you get back to Chicago?

  Ellie Bennett : Your sister has that room over the garage. Might be a good excuse for her to dust. I expect I'll get the same kind of reception from her.

  [she goes close to the window] 

  Ellie Bennett : This is what I don't understand. You and Charlie, all the terrible things he did to you and you've forgiven him. Why?

  Kirsten Bennett : Because I love him.

  Ellie Bennett : [sobbing]  Don't you love me?

  Kirsten Bennett : Mom.

  Ellie Bennett : Because I love you, Kirsten. So much. And your sister and your father so much. I don't want to lose any of you. Please, please, do not walk away from me. I mean, if you can forgive a man who left you at the altar, why can't you forgive me?

  Kirsten Bennett : I don't know. I've been trying to figure that out myself. Maybe I don't feel like being generous, Mom, because what you want from me you can't give in return.

  Ellie Bennett : I don't know what you mean.

  Kirsten Bennett : Why can't I forgive you? Why can't you forgive him?

  Ellie Bennett : Well, please, no, that... That's different. It's...

  Kirsten Bennett : No, it isn't. It's exactly the same. Do you know how much I want you and Daddy to be together and happy? Well, I do, Mom. More than anything. But I want you to wish the same for me and Charlie. And I want you to go first.

• [Ellie is sitting alone in the bedroom and Charlie approaches to her] 

  Charlie Salinger : Did you have lunch?

  Ellie Bennett : What? Uh, uh, no. I'm not hungry.

  Charlie Salinger : Okay, so how about if I bring up something for you anyway?

  Ellie Bennett : Is there no one else in the house that you can have a conversation with right now? Is that why you're here?

  Charlie Salinger : No. This is called trying to be polite.

  Ellie Bennett : Yes, I see that. Why?

  Charlie Salinger : I don't know. All of a sudden it seems like we have a little bit in common. I mean, we both made some mistakes and hurt people.

  Ellie Bennett : I don't know what you're talking about.

  Charlie Salinger : All I'm saying is that I know what it feels like to... To want to just be forgiven, you know, for that one stupid mistake that you would take back in, like, a second.

  Ellie Bennett : I don't see how we have a thing in common.

  Charlie Salinger : You gotta be kidding me?

  Ellie Bennett : You know, just because I'm having a problem with my husband, don't look at me like you understand, like we are somehow the same. I don't make promises and break them, over and over again.

  Charlie Salinger : Cut it out, okay? I am trying here with you. And I'm the only one. Your husband's not and Kirsten's not, but I am trying. Doesn't that count for anything?

  Ellie Bennett : No, not in my book.

  Charlie Salinger : [sighs]  Man.

  [jaded, he leaves the room] 

• [while Charlie and Kirsten are ordering the living room, doorbell rings] 

  Charlie Salinger : How much do you want to bet it's the mailman with a letter bomb from your folks?

  [he goes, opens the door and sees Kirsten's mother standing in the doorway] 

  Charlie Salinger : Ellie.

  Ellie Bennett : I'm not talking to you.

  [she comes in] 

  Kirsten Bennett : Charlie, who is it?

  [she sees her] 

  Kirsten Bennett : Mom? What are you doing...

  Ellie Bennett : I thought about calling first, but I got tired of being hung up on. Don't I, uh, get a hug?

  Kirsten Bennett : Not if you've come to criticize.

  [he goes next to her] 

  Kirsten Bennett : Charlie and I don't want to hear it anymore. So you might as well get used to it. Because what you see here is the way it's gonna be. We love each other. And, okay, yeah, so we're not getting married, but we are together. So you just better get used to it.

  Ellie Bennett : That's not why I'm here.

  Kirsten Bennett : Then why are you here?

  Charlie Salinger : Yeah. Why are you here?

  Ellie Bennett : I'm here because I have no place else to go. Because my marriage is over.