Gracie quotes from May December (2023)

Gracie

Well, I'm not gonna cross-examine you, say what you wanna say.

Gracie

Honor, I got you that scale, as I told you at the time, as a tradition, because that's what my mother got me when I graduated from high school. You try going through life without a scale. See how that goes.

Gracie

My brother Mark, he still lives in Richmond. He always says, "Keep your expectations low, and you'll never be disappointed." And I always forget that.

Elizabeth

How many brothers do you have?

Gracie

Four. Two older. Two younger. But I think you know that.

Elizabeth

So... what were your expectations?

Gracie

Uh, that tonight would go well. That my children would love me. And my life would be perfect.

Elizabeth

That was a little naive.

Gracie

I am naive. I always have been. In a way, it's been a gift.

Gracie

What's making you feel bad?

Joe Yoo

It's not... I don't feel bad, like... I'm just trying to say... [swallows] What if I wasn't ready to be making those kinds of decisions? Then... then what? Because the kids. What would that mean?

Gracie

I don't understand what you're saying.

Joe Yoo

I'm saying, what if I was too young?

Gracie

Well... [starts to tear up, scoffs] You seduced me.

Joe Yoo

But I was 13 years old.

Gracie

Don't give me that.

Joe Yoo

But I was.

Gracie

I don't care how old you were. Who was in charge?

Joe Yoo

What?

Gracie

Who was the boss? Who was in charge? Who was in charge?

Elizabeth

"Peace is sitting on a lake in the summertime. Peace is a Coca-Cola on a hot summer day. Peace is being with you."

Gracie

The assignment was "What is peace?"

Gracie

It's my understanding that the movie takes place between 1992 and 1994, am I wrong? So why would you need to know anything that happened after that?

Elizabeth

Well, there are things that exist inside people that don't necessarily come to a head until later, and I try and look for the seeds of those things.

Gracie

I thought you were taller. You look taller on television, but we're basically the same size.

Elizabeth

We're basically the same.

Joe Yoo

What happened?

Gracie

Joyce in Mercer called and cancelled her order, and all future orders.

Joe Yoo

I'm sorry.

Gracie

And I told her that I'd already made it, and she said that she would pay for it, but that she didn't need it. They were leaving town.

Joe Yoo

Where are they going?

Gracie

Her sister is sick or something. [angrily] It doesn't matter. I wasted hours that I could have used.

Joe Yoo

You couldn't have known, Gracie.

Gracie

I just... I hate things like that. [sobbing] And now I have this cake that's going to go right in the garbage.

Joe Yoo

You don't have to throw it in the garbage.
[Gracie sobs as Joe comforts her]

Elizabeth

Why did you marry a man like Tom?

Gracie

I was young, and he seemed perfect on paper. It was a different time. My father used to say, "You're either leaving this house in a veil, or in a box."