Jerry [pointing at Charlotte in the picture]
Who's the fat lady with the heavy brows and all the hair?
Jerry Where are you? Taking the picture?
I'm the fat lady with the heavy brows and all the hair. I'm poor Aunt Charlotte, and I've been ill. I've been in a sanitarium for three months, and I'm not well yet. [She breaks down in tears] Forgive me.
Jerry Feeling better?
Much. Thanks to you. Oh, many, many thanks to you.
Jerry Thanks for what?
Oh, for sharing my carriage today and for walking my legs off sight-seeing. And for lunch and for shopping, and for helping me feel that there were a few moments when I - when I almost felt alive. Thank you.
Jerry Thank you who?
Jerry [as Charlotte tries to leave]
Please, don't yet.
Well, I'm not going to struggle with you.
Jerry That's right. No telling what sort of primitive instincts you might arouse. Isn't it beautiful? [He puts two cigarettes in his mouth, lights them both and then hands one to Charlotte.] Do you believe in immortality?
Jerry I want to believe that there's a chance for such happiness to be carried on somehow somewhere.
Jerry Close to it. Getting warmer and warmer as we used to say as kids. Remember?
Look out or you'll get burned we used to say.
Jerry Are you afraid of getting burnt if you get too close to happiness?
Mercy, no. I'm immune to happiness and therefore to burns.
Jerry You weren't immune that night on the mountain.
Do you call that happiness?
Jerry Only a small part. There are other kinds.
Jerry Having fun together, getting a kick out of simple little things, out of beauty like this. Sharing confidences we wouldn't share with anybody else in all the world. Charlotte, won't you be honest and tell me if you are happy too? Since the night on the boat when you told me about your illness, I-I can't get you out of my mind - or out of my heart either. If I were free, there would be only one thing I want to do - prove you're not immune to happiness. Would you want me to prove it Charlotte? Tell me you would. Then I'll go. [She turns toward him and buries her head in his chest.] Why darling, you are crying.
I'm such a fool, such an old fool. These are only tears of gratitude - an old maid's gratitude for the crumbs offered.
Jerry Don't talk like that.
You see, no one ever called me darling before. [they kiss]
Jerry They don't matter. It's what's gone before.
No, it's what can't go after.
Jerry We may see each other - sometime.
No, we promised. We are both to go home.
Jerry Will it help you to know I'll miss you every moment?
So will I, Jerry, so will I. Goodbye.
I knew you were married and I walked right in with my eyes wide open. But you said it would make you happier.
Jerry And it has. I've got back my work, and that's due to you.
I've been hoping you'd say that.
Shall I tell you what you've given me? On that very first day, a little bottle of perfume made me feel important. You were my first friend. And then when you fell in love with me, I was so proud. And when I came home, I needed something to make me feel proud. And your camellias arrived, and I knew you were thinking about me. Oh, I could have walked into a den of lions. As a matter of fact, I did, and the lions didn't hurt me.
Jerry I can't go on forever taking, taking, taking from you and, and giving nothing, darling.
Oh, I see. Forgive me, Jerry, it's your pride, isn't it? Let me explain. You will be giving. Don't you know that to take is sometimes a way to give - the most beautiful way in the world if two people love each other. You'll be giving me Tina, every single day I'll be taking and you'll be giving.
Jerry It's very kind of you to put it that way.
Some man who'll make me happy? Oh, so that's it. So that's it. Well, I've certainly made a great mistake. Here I have been laboring under the delusion that you and I were so in sympathy, so one, that you'd know without being asked what would make me happy. And you come up here to talk about some man. Apparently, you haven't the slightest conception of what torture it is to love a man and to be shut out, barred out, to be always an outsider, an extra.
Jerry Charlotte, let me...
Why, when Tina said she wanted to come home and stay with me, well, it was like a miracle happening. Like having your child, a part of you. And I even allowed myself to indulge in the fantasy that both of us loving her and doing what was best for her together would make her seem actually like our child after a while. But I see no such fantasy has occurred to you. Again, I've been just a big sentimental fool. It's a tendency I have.
Jerry Wait a minute. I was afraid you were keeping Tina out of pity. But there was no note of pity in your ridicule of me just now. Now I know you still love me, and it won't die, what's between us. Do what we will - ignore it, neglect it, starve it, it's stronger than both of us together.
Jerry Charlotte...
Please, let me go. Jerry, Dr. Jaquith knows about us. When he said I could take Tina, he said, "You're on probation." Do you know what that means? It means that I'm on probation because of you and me. He allowed this visit as a test, and if I can't stand such tests, I'll lose Tina, and we'll lose each other. Jerry, please help me.
Jerry Shall we just have a cigarette on it?
Jerry May I sometimes come here?...
Whenever you like; it's your home too. There are people here who love you.
Jerry ...and look at you and Tina? Share with you peace and contentment?
Of course, and just think, it won't be for this time only. That is, if you will help me keep what we have, if we both try hard to protect that little strip of territory that's ours. We can talk about your child...
Jerry Our child.
Jerry And will you be happy, Charlotte?
Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars.
Note: bolded line is ranked #46 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema.
