The Royal Tenenbaums quotes

View Quote Raleigh: You have a visitor, my darling.
Margot: Margot answers without opening the door: Who is it?.
Etheline: It's me sweetie.
[Silence. A key slides from under the door to Etheline's feet. Etheline looks to Raleigh. Raleigh looks embarrassed.
INT. BATHROOM. DAY.
Margot is in the bathtub watching Planet of the Apes on her little black-and-white television set. Etheline sits on the edge of the tub with her coat in her lap.]
Etheline: Raleigh says you've been spending six hours a day locked up in here watching television and soaking in the tub.
Margot: (pause) I doubt that.
Etheline: Well, I don't think that's very healthy, do you? Nor do I think it's very intelligent to keep an electric gadget on the edge of the bathtub.
Margot: I tied it to the radiator.
[Etheline examines the television set. There is a length of red twine wrapped around it and knotted to a pipe.]
Etheline: Well, it can't be very good for your eyes.
[Margot turns off the television set with her foot. She looks to Etheline. Etheline smooths back Margot's wet hair.]
Etheline: Chas came home.
Margot: (pause) What do you mean?
Etheline: He and Ari and Uzi are gonna stay with me for a little while.
Margot: (frowns) Why are they allowed to do that?
Etheline: (hesitates) Well, I don't know exactly, but I think he's been very depressed.
Margot: (urgently) So am I.
Etheline: (pause) So are you what?

View Quote Raleigh: You made a cuckold of me.
Margot: I know.
Raleigh: Many times over.
Margot: I'm sorry.

View Quote Richie Tenenbaum: Read it back to me so far, Pietro.
Radio Operator: Dear Eli, I'm in the middle of the ocean, I haven't left my room in four days, I've never been more lonely in my life and I think I'm in love with Margot.
Richie Tenenbaum: New paragraph.

View Quote Richie Tenenbaum: You dropped some cigarettes.
Margot Tenenbaum: Those aren't mine.
Richie Tenenbaum: They just fell out of your pocket.

View Quote Richie: [referring to Royal] I think he's very lonely. Lonelier than he lets on. Maybe lonelier than he even realizes.
Ethel: Have you spoken to him about this?
Richie: Briefly. And he agreed that -
Chas: I'm sorry, maybe I'm a little confused here. What are you suggesting?
Richie: That he come here and stay in my room.
Chas: Are you out of your mind?
Richie: No. I'm not. Anyway I think he'd be much more comfortable here than at -
Chas: Who gives a shit?
Richie: I do.
Chas: You poor sucker. You poor, washed up papa's boy.

View Quote Richie: Did you say you were on Mescaline?
Eli: I did indeed. Very much so.
Richie: How often do you-
Eli: I'm worried about you, Richie. I found it odd when you said you were in love with Margot. She's married, you know.
Richie: Mm hm.
Eli: And she's your sister.
Richie: Adopted.
Eli: Mm.

View Quote Richie: Did you tell Margot about that letter I wrote to you?
Eli: Why? Did she mention it? Yes, I did. Why would she repeat that?
Richie: I would ask you the same question.

View Quote Richie: I have to tell you something.
Margot: What's that?
Richie: I love you.
Margot: I love you, too.
Richie: I can't stop thinking about you. I went away for a year and it only got worse and I don't know what to do.

View Quote Richie: I wrote a suicide note.
Chas: You did?
Richie: Right after I regained consciousness.
Chas: Can we read it?
Richie: No.
Chas: Can you paraphrase it for us?
Richie: I don't think so.
Chas Tenenbaum: Was it dark?
Richie Tenenbaum: Of course it's dark, it's a suicide note.

View Quote Royal Tenenbaum: I never did stop loving you, by the way. Do you believe that?
Etheline Tenenbaum: Not really.

View Quote Royal: [motions to Pagoda] He saved my life, you know. Thirty years ago. I was knifed at a bazaar in Calcutta, and he carried me to the hospital on his back.
Ari: Who stabbed you?
Royal: [motions to Pagoda again] He did. There was a price on my head, and he was a hired assassin. Stuck me in the gut with a shiv...

View Quote Royal: Are you trying to steal my woman?
Henry Sherman: I beg your pardon?
Royal: You heard me, Coltrane.
Henry Sherman: "Coltrane"?
Royal: What?
Henry Sherman: Did you just call me Coltrane?
Royal: No.
Henry Sherman: You didn't?
Royal: No.
Henry Sherman: Okay...

View Quote Royal: Can we get somebody over here to kill these mice for us?
Margot: No. They belong to Chas. Or anyway he invented them.
Royal: Get him to stick them in a ****ing cage or something.

View Quote Royal: Everyone's against me.
Pagoda: It's your fault, man.
Royal: I know, but dammit, I want this family to love me. How much money you got?
Pagoda: I don't have.
Royal: What? You're Broke? You gotta be kidding me! How are we gonna pay for this room?
[Pagoda shrugs]
Royal: Alright, I'll think of something.

View Quote Royal: He's got them locked up in there, crunching numbers! Boys need to be out and scrapping and mixing it up!
Etheline: I think that's terrible advice.
Royal: No you don't.