I have an homeland that I have not seen for too long.
Oh, you mean Ireland?
Scotland, for God's sakes!
I'm messing with you, man!
William Forrester
Sean Connery · 19 quotes
Jamal Wallace
Rob Brown · 17 quotes
Terell Wallace
1 quote
Most scenes together: William Forrester & Jamal Wallace (12)
Finding Forrester quotes
Page 1 of 2In some cultures it's good luck to be wearing something inside-out.
And you believe that?
No, but it's like praying: what do you risk?
Paragraph three starts...with a conjunction, "and." You should never start a sentence with a conjunction.
Sure you can.
No, it's a firm rule.
No, it was a firm rule. Sometimes using a conjunction at the start of a sentence makes it stand out. And that may be what the writer's trying to do.
And what is the risk?
Doing it too much. It's a distraction. And it could give your piece a run-on feeling. But for the most part, the rule on using "and" or "but" at the start of a sentence is pretty shaky. Even though it's still taught by too many professors. Some of the best writers have ignored that rule for years, including you.
About those free-throws...Did you miss them? Or did you "miss" them?
Do you know what people are most afraid of?
What?
What they don't understand. And when we don't understand, we turn to our assumptions.
No conventional greetings today?
Why have me rewrite something you published?
Be careful where you take this.
Why didn't you tell me some magazine ran it?
Why the hell should it matter?
You should have told me.
What did you do with it?
I turned it in. I turned it in. I had to show them something.
You promised me anything we wrote in here would stay in here.
I know. I know. I know! I just thought...
Shut up. What are they telling you?
I go on probation unless I write a letter saying I was wrong.
Then write the letter.
Look, I already told you I'm not reading or writing anything.
If you got him, he gets you. Write the letter.
And then, you'd let him do that? Is this supposed to be some kind of another lesson? I'm getting tired of all of these lessons. Whenever every time I come here. And the title of your essay is right at the top of my paper. What's the lesson in that?
I'm not the one who turned it in.
Then you talked all that trash when all you had to say was: "Jamal, keep this one in here because it already got printed in the New Yorker." That's all you had to say. Maybe I could use a little help.
No, that's not an option.
You don't even have to go anywhere.
I said, that's not an option.
I'm sorry, man. I'm getting used to people not helping out with me.
Oh, Christ. Not that self-pity father bullshit.
What did you say? Man, **** you, William! You wanna know what the real bullshit is? How about...you letting me taking it on this one 'cause you're too damn scared to head out that door and do something for somebody else. You're too damn scared, man! That's the only damn reason.
You don't know a goddamn thing about reasons. There are no reasons! Reasons why some of us live and why some of us don't! Well, fortunately for you, you have decades to figure that out.
Yeah! And what's the reason in having a file cabinet full of writing and keeping the shit locked so nobody can ever read it, huh? What is that, man? I'm done with this shit.
I came back to see, if you could help me out with my writing.
Here's one: 5,000 words on why you'll stay the **** out of my home!
Man, **** you, William! You wanna know what the real bullshit is? How about you let me take it on this one cause you're too damn scared to walk out that door and do something for somebody else. You're too damn scared, man! That's the only damn reason.
You don't know a goddamn thing about reasons; there are no reasons! Reasons why some of us live and why some of us don't! Well, fortunately for you you have decades to figure that out.
Yeah, and what's the reason in having a file cabinet full of writing and keeping the shit locked so nobody can read it? What is that man? I'm through with this shit.
Women will sleep with you if you write a book?
Women will sleep with you if you write a bad book.
Jamal Did you ever enter a writin' contest?
Forrester Yeah, once.
Jamal Did you win?
Forrester Well of course I won!
Jamal You win like money or somethin'?
Forrester No.
Jamal Well, whadchu win?
Forrester The Pulitzer.
Jamal I ain't seen nothin' change.
Forrester You 'ain't seen nothin'? What the hell kind of sentence is that?!
We've been talking about your book at school.
People have been talking about it for years. They just haven't been saying anything.
I think I got it down, though. I figure you were writing about how life never works out.
Really? You had to read a book to figure that out?
You ever enter one of those?
Writing contest?
Yeah.
Once, long time ago.
Did you win?
Well of course I won!
Like money or somethin’?
The Pulitzer.
[to William Forrester]
'The rest of those who have gone before us cannot steady the unrest of those to follow.' You wrote that in your book.
[Jamal begins to hit the keys harder]
Yes... Yes! You're the man now, dog!
It should be noted that this particular line has become a popular internet meme, leading to the creation of sites such as YTMND.