Mud quotes from Mud (2012)

Mud

I like you two. You remind me of me. And seeing how you boys are from Arkansas and we know some people and sounds like we all from the same place I'd say we can make a deal here about somethin'.

Ellis

A deal for what?

Mud

Food. Food for a boat.

Neckbone

This guy's a bum Ellis. Come on.

Ellis

Why don't you go get your own food?

Mud

I would if I could, but I told somebody I’d meet ‘em here. So I’m stuck for now and what I got’s runnin’ low.

Neckbone

He's a bum Ellis, let’s go.

Mud

I'm no bum. I got money. You can call me a hobo ‘cause a hobo’ll work for his living and you can call me homeless ‘cause that’s true for now, but if you call me a bum again I'll have to teach you somethin' about respect that your daddy never did.

Neckbone

I hate snakes.

Mud

That’s because God made them for us to fear. It’s a thing we knew to be afraid of before we even got into this world. Cherokee would wrap snake skin around their pregnant women’s bellies. Induce labor, scare the child out. Here. [He fetches a length of rope out of the duffel bag and tosses it to Neckbone.] Set that ‘round your bed at night. Snake won’t cross braided rope.

Neckbone

Thanks. [nods to Mud’s snake tattoo] So what’s that for then?

Mud

A reminder. Don’t get bit. I was 10, swimmin’ ‘bout a mile up from here. Me and Juniper. Sonofabitch swam right up under me, bit me just below the armpit. June got me out, got me to a clinic. Doctor said I shoulda been dead in twenty minutes. Took us an hour just to get back to town.

Neckbone

What’d they do?

Mud

Gave me antivenom. For a cotton mouth. See here. [Mud shows the tattoo on top of his right hand. He points out the two cotton blossoms bulging from the snake’s mouth.] Problem with antivenom is they can only give it to you once. It’s made from horse blood. Your body would reject it a second time. The cure ends up being more dangerous than the poison.

Ellis

What happens if you get bit again?

Mud

I die, or just sweat it out.

Ellis

The girl you’re waitin’ on, she’s your girlfriend?

Mud

Juniper. Yeah.

How’d you meet her?

Mud

We grew up together.

Ellis

Do you love her?

Mud

I do. The first time I saw her was on this river. Just up from here. She saved my life.

Ellis

From the snake bite.

Mud

That’s right. I was younger than you are now, but when I came to in the hospital and she was there, it was like the world split open, came back together new. Everything changed. I knew from then on I’d do anything for her.

Ellis

Why aren’t ya’ll married?

Mud

I’ve asked. Several times. Marriage just doesn’t work for some people.

Ellis

My dad says my parents may be gettin’ a divorce.

Mud

I’m sorry to hear that.

Ellis

If it happens, and my mom moves us off the river, they say the government can come take our boat away.

Mud

Who says that?

Ellis

Everybody. They passed a law so you can’t sell your boat. Can’t rent it. If the owner leaves, they got you. Game and Fish want ‘em off the river.

Mud

I’ve never been one to trust the government on matters of personal property, but if your parents love each other, there’s always a chance.

Mud

What’d she...

Ellis

You’re a liar. Makin’ two kids run around doin’ work you’re too scared to do yourself. Makin’ me tell her it’s over ‘cause you’re too scared to do it yourself. You said you loved her and you lied. You gave up on her and she gave up on you just like everybody else. I trusted you. Bonfires and crosses. Wolf’s eye bullshit.

Ellis

EVERYTHING YOU’VE TOLD ME WAS A LIE! You never cared about her. You never cared about us. Not like you said. Not enough to matter. You used us.

Mud

Come on Ellis.

Ellis

You made me a thief!

Mud

We got the boat in the water.

Ellis

You did?

Mud

Just now. Smooth sailin’ from here on out.

Ellis

Good.

Mud

Wish you coulda seen it.

Ellis

Me too.

Mud

Didn’t feel right leavin’ town without sayin’ goodbye.

Ellis

I’m sorry ‘bout what I said.

Mud

No. No. You were right to be mad. You were right about a lot of things. I’m the one that’s sorry. I shoulda never gotten ya’ll into all this. I just didn’t see any other way around it. But I couldn’t leave without you knowin’ I never lied about being your friend. I never lied about that.

Ellis

I know.

Mud

I don’t traffic in the truth too often. But I did love her. I do love her.

Ellis

She loves you too. She said it.

Mud

I just made mistakes. We both did. This is a hard life to keep up with. You can’t blame her for gettin’ tired of tryin’.

Ellis

My dad says you can’t count on women lovin’ you. He says you can’t trust it.

Mud

That’s not true. Don’t judge your life on all of our mistakes. You’ll make plenty mistakes of your own, no need takin’ on everybody else’s. You’re a good man Ellis. If you find a girl half as good, you’ll be all right.

Ellis

You’re a good man too Mud.

Mud

No. I’m not. But maybe from here on out I can be...