Major Amberson quotes from The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

Uncle Jack

Your grandson. Last night, he seemed inclined to melancholy.

What about? Not getting remorseful about all the money he spent at college, is he? I wonder what he thinks I'm made of.

Uncle Jack

Gold, and he's right about that part of you, father.

What part?

Uncle Jack

Heart.

I suppose that may account for how heavy it feels nowadays, sometimes. This town seems to be rolling right over that old heart you mentioned just now, Jack. Rolling over us and burying us under.

Isabel

Lucy's on a visit, Father. She's spending a week with a school friend.

Eugene

She'll be back Monday.

Fanny

George, how does it happen you didn't tell us before? He never said a word to us about Lucy going away!

Probably afraid to. Didn't know that he might break down and cry if we tried to speak of it, isn't that so, Georgie? [He laughs at George]

Fanny

Or didn't Lucy tell you that she was going?

She told me!

At any rate, Georgie didn't approve. I suppose you two aren't speaking again. Ha, ha, ha, ha.

Eugene

Automobiles will carry our streets clear out to the county line.

Uncle Jack

Oh, I hope you're wrong. Because if people go to moving that far, real estate values here in the old residence part of town will be stretched pretty thin.

So your devilish machines are gonna ruin all your old friends, eh Gene? Do you really think they're gonna change the face of the land?

Eugene

They're already doing it, Major. It can't be stopped. Automobiles...

Automobiles are a useless nuisance.

What did you say George?

I said, 'Automobiles are a useless nuisance.' Never amount to anything but a nuisance. They had no business to be invented.

Uncle Jack

Of course you forget Mr. Morgan makes them. Also did his share in inventing them. If you weren't so thoughtless, he might think you're rather offensive.

Eugene

I'm not sure George is wrong about automobiles. With all their speed forward, they may be a step backward in civilization. It may be that they won't add to the beauty of the world or the life of men's souls. I'm not sure. But automobiles have come. And almost all outward things are going to be different because of what they bring. They're going to alter war and they're going to alter peace. And I think men's minds are going to be changed in subtle ways because of automobiles. And it may be that George is right. It may be that in ten or twenty years from now, if we can see the inward change in men by that time, I shouldn't be able to defend the gasoline engine but would have to agree with George: that automobiles had no business to be invented.