Rebel Without a Cause (1955) · 35 quotes
Most-quoted character in Rebel Without a Cause (1955): in 26 of its 35 quotes
Most scenes with: Frank Stark (17), Judy (6), John 'Plato' Crawford (5)
Wanna' see a monkey?
Jim Stark Dad, I said it was a matter of honor, remember? They called me chicken. You know, chicken? I had to go because if I didn't I'd never be able to face those kids again. I got in one of those cars, and Buzz, that - Buzz, one of those kids - he got in the other car, and we had to drive fast and then jump, see, before the car came to the end of the bluff, and I got out OK, and Buzz didn't and, uh, killed him...I can't - I can't keep it to myself anymore.
Jim Stark You can trust me, Judy.
Jim Stark No, don't turn on the lights. Don't. It's too bright. Plato doesn't... Turn out the lights! I've got the bullets! Look!
Jim Stark This is Judy. She's my friend
Jim Stark I never thought I'd live to see eighteen. Isn't that dumb? Every day I look in the mirror and say "What? You still here?"
Jim Stark Nobody talks to children. No, they just tell them.
Jim Stark If I had one day when I didn't have to be all confused and I didn't have to feel that I was ashamed of everything. If I felt that I belonged someplace. You know?
Jim Stark You're tearing me apart!
You see, we just moved here you understand, and uh, the kid hasn't got any friends, you understand, and we moved into a...
Jim Tell him why we moved here.
Will you hold it Jim?
Jim ...Tell the man why we moved here.
Will you hold it?
Jim You can't protect me.
Do you mind if I try? Do - do you have to slam the door in my face? I try to get to him. What happens? [To Jim] Don't I buy everything you want? A bicycle, you get a bicycle, a car.
Jim You buy me many things.
Well, not just buy. We give you love and affection, don't we? Well, then, what is it? Was it because we went to that party, well you know what kind of drunken brawls those kind of parties turn into. It's not a place for kids.
Carol A minute ago you said you didn't care if he drinks.
He said a little drink
Jim You're tearing me apart!
Carol What?
Jim You say one thing, he says another, and everybody changes back again!
Carol That's a fine way to behave!
Well you know who he takes after.
Jim ...Awhh!
Jim They think that they can protect me by moving around all the time.
Ray You had a good start in the wrong direction back there. Why'd you do it?
Jim Whaddya mean? Mess a kid up?
Ray Yeah.
Jim Called me 'chicken.'
Ray And your folks didn't understand.
Jim They never do. They think that I can make friends if we move. Just move - everything will be roses and sunshine.
Ray But you don't think that's the right solution.
Jim Aw, she eats him alive and he takes it.
Ray Things pretty rough for you at home?
Jim What a zoo!
Ray What?
Jim It's a zoo. He always wants to be my pal, you know? But how can I give him anything? If he's, well, I mean I love him and all that type of stuff, and I-I mean, I don't want to hurt him. But then, I don't, I don't, well I don't know what to do anymore, except maybe die...If he had guts to knock Mom cold once, then maybe she'd be happy and then she'd stop pickin' on him, because they make mush out of him! Just mush! I'll tell you one thing, I don't ever want to be like him. How can a guy grow up in a circus like that?...Boy, if, if I had one day when, when I didn't have to be all confused, and didn't have to feel that I was ashamed of everything...If I felt that I belonged someplace, you know, then...
Jim Hi. Hi. Wait a minute. Hi. I seen you before.
Well, stop the world.
Jim You don't have to be unfriendly.
Well now that's true. But life is crushing in on me.
Jim Life can be beautiful. I know where it was.
Where what was?
Jim Where I first saw ya. Everything going OK now? You live here, don't you?
Who lives?
Jim Hey, where's Dawson High?
At University and 10th.
Jim Mmm. Thanks.
You wanna carry my books?
Jim I got my car. You wanna go with me?
I go with the kids.
Jim Yeah, I bet. [the gang drives up] All right.
You know, I bet you're a real yo-yo.
Jim I love you too.
What's that?
That's a new disease.
Hey, you shouldn't monkey with him. He's a wheel.
Jim Who?
Buzz. So is she. It's hard to make friends with these guys.
Jim I don't want to make friends.
Jim Is that meaning me? Is that meaning me?...Chicken?
Yes.
Jim You shouldn't have called me that. [to Judy] How about you? Huh? Are you always at ringside?...No, I mean what do you hang around such rank company for?
What?
Jim I don't want any trouble.
The "blade game" huh, Buzz? [Buzz clicks open his switchblade]
Jim I thought only punks fought with knives.
Well, who's fighting? I'm not fighting. It's examination time, man. It's a crazy game.
Shhh. Listen, I'd better, better clean it up before she sees it.
Jim Let her see it.
Jim Suppose you had to do something, you had to go someplace and do this thing that was, you knew it was very dangerous, but it was a matter of honor. And you had to prove it. What would you do?
Is there a trick answer? Jim. Jim, what happened? What kind of trouble are you in?...I wouldn't make a hasty decision. Nobody can make a snap decision. We've got to consider the pros and cons. We'll get some paper and we'll make a list, and if we're still stuck, we'll get advice... Have I ever stopped you from doing anything?
Jim What can you do when you have to be a man?...Now you give me a direct answer! Are you gonna keep me from going?
Listen, you're at a wonderful age. In ten years you'll look back on this...and then wish that...
Jim Ten years. I want it now, I want an answer now. I need one.
Listen, Jimbo, I'm just trying to show you how foolish you are. When you're older, you'll look back at this, and you'll, well, you'll laugh at yourself, for thinking that this is so important. It's not as if you are alone. This has happened to every boy. It happened to me when I was your age, maybe a year older.
Jim How did you get here?
I hitched.
Jim I'll bet you'd go to a hanging, wouldn't you?
I guess it's just my morbid personality.
This is the edge. That's the end.
Jim Yeah. It certainly is.
You know something? I like you. You know that?
Jim Why do we do this?
You got to do something, now don't you?
Did anyone see you there? Did anyone see your license plate?
Jim It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.
Carol Why should you be the only one involved?
Far be it from me to tell you what to do...
Carol Oh, are you going to preach? Do we have to listen to a sermon now?
Well, I'm only trying to tell him what you mean. You can't be idealistic all your life, Jim.
Jim Except to yourself.
Nobody thanks you for sticking your neck out.
Jim Except - except to yourself.
Wait a minute.
Jim Except to yourself.
...
Jim But I am involved. We are all involved. Mom, a boy, a kid was killed tonight. I don't see how I can get out of that by pretending that it didn't happen.
But you know that you did the wrong thing. That's the main thing, isn't it?
...
Jim You're not tearing me loose again.
...
Jim You are not going to use me as an excuse again.
Carol I don't.
Jim Every time you can't face yourself, you blame it on me.
Carol That is not true!
Jim You say it's because of me. You say it's because of the neighborhood.
Carol No!
Jim You use every other phony excuse. Mom, I, just once, I want to do something right, and I don't want you to run away from me again. Dad?
This is all going too fast for me.
Jim You better give me something. You better give me something fast.
Carol Jimmy, you're very young. A foolish decision now could wreck your whole life. In ten years, you'll never know this even happened.
Jim Dad, answer her. Tell her. Ten years. Dad, let me hear you answer her. Dad, Dad, stand up for me.
Hello, Jamie.
Jim Jamie? Jamie? Where'd you get that? [He smiles and softly laughs] Huh?
How long have you known Plato?
Jim This morning.
They'll be looking for you.
Jim I didn't chicken. You saw where I jumped. What do I have to do? Kill myself?
It doesn't matter to them.
Jim I guess you're still pretty upset, huh?
I'm just numb.
Jim You know something? I woke up this morning, you know, and the sun was shining and it was nice and all that type of stuff. And the first thing - I saw you and, uh, I said, 'Boy, this is gonna be one terrific day, so you better live it up, 'cause tomorrow you'll be nothin'.' See? And I almost was.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I treated you mean today. You shouldn't believe what I say when I'm with the rest of the kids. Nobody, nobody acts sincere.
Jim I felt like it.
Your lips are soft.
Well, what do you think of my castle?
Wow, Shoo, Gee, Wow.
Jim Well, now, there, then, uh, I think we'll take it for the summer.
Right this way.
Jim Oh, uh, uh. Would you like to rent it, or are you more in the mood to buy, dear?
You decide, darling.
Jim Oh yes, yes.
Remember our budget.
Oh, don't give it a thought. It's, uh, only three million dollars a month.
Jim What?
Oh, we can manage that. I'll scrimp and I'll save and I'll work my fingers to the bone.
Jim You see, we're newlyweds.
Yes. Oh there's just one thing. What about...
...children? Right this way.
Yes.
See, we really don't encourage them. They're so noisy and troublesome, don't you agree?
Jim Eh, drown 'em like puppies, eh.
This is a wonderful arrangement. They can carry on and you'll never even notice.
Jim Oh, a sunken nursery.
In fact, if you lock them in, you'll never have to see them again. Much less talk to them.
Talk to them. Heavens!
Jim Nobody talks to children.
No, they just tell them.
I used to lie in my crib at night and I'd listen to them fight.
Jim Can you remember back that far? I can't remember what happened yesterday. [He laughs] I can't. How do you do it?
Oh, I had to go to a head-shrinker. Boy, he made me remember.
Jim Did he?
Then my mother said it cost too much so she went to Hawaii instead.
Jim Well, what's your problem?
Oh, I don't know. But-but I'm happy now, here. Oh, I wish we could stay here.
Plato, where's your father now?
Oh, he's dead. He was a hero in the China Sea.
Jim You told me he was a big wheel in New York.
I did? Aw, what's the difference. He might as well be dead anyway.
It's all right.
Is this what it's like to love somebody?
Jim I don't know.
What kind of a person do you think a girl wants?
Jim A man.
Yes. But a man who can be gentle and sweet...
Jim Yeah...
...like you are...and someone who doesn't run away when you want them. Like being Plato's friend when nobody else liked him. That's being strong.
Jim Oh, wow...I'm not gonna be lonely any more, ever, ever. Not you or me.
I love somebody. All the time I've been looking for someone to love me, and now I love somebody, and it's so easy. Why is it easy now?
Jim I don't know. It is for me, too.
I love you, Jim. I really mean it.
Did he hit you?
Jim No, I'm all right.
We have to go back.
Jim Go back? I'm stayin'.
After he tried to shoot you, Jim!
Jim ...He didn't mean it. We shouldn't have left him in the first place. He needs us.
He needed you maybe, but so do I, Jim.
Jim He needs you, too. [Jim kisses her] You okay?
Yes. You should have heard him earlier tonight. He was talking about you. Like - like you were the hero in the China Sea.
Jim Yeah, you know what he wanted?
What?
Jim He tried to make us his family.
Jim, do you think the end of the world will come at nighttime?
Jim Uh, uh. At dawn.
You can't help it, son. You did everything a man could.
Jim Help me.
Look Jim. You can depend on me. Trust me. Whatever comes, we'll, we'll fix it together. I swear it. Now Jim, stand up. I'll stand up with you. I'll try and be as strong as you want me to be. Come on.
