Breaking Away (1979)

Dennis Christopher: Dave Stohler

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Dave : Buon giorno, papa!

  Dad : I'm not "papa." I'm your god-damned father.

• Dave : Everybody cheats. I just didn't know.

  Dad : Well, now you know.

• Cyril : Hey! Are you really gonna shave your legs?

  Dave : Certo! All the Italians do it.

  Mike : Ah. Some country. The women don't shave theirs.

• Dad : You guys still go swimmin' in the quarries?

  Dave : Sure.

  Dad : So, the only thing you got to show for my 20 years of work is the holes we left behind?

• Moocher : [looking at Dave's beat up bike]  Doesn't look that bad to me...

  Dave : That's cause you don't have to ride it!

  Moocher : Well, you know, you don't have to ride it either, Dave. We're not gonna beg you.

  Cyril : We may plead, but we would never beg!

• Dave : Hell, I don't want to go to college Dad. To hell with them. I'm proud of being a cutter.

  Dad : You're not a cutter. I'm a cutter.

• Dave : Moocher, you're Catholic, right?

  Moocher : Yeah.

  Dave : Did you ever go to confession?

  Moocher : Twice.

  Dave : Did it make you feel better?

  Moocher : Once.

• Dave : Pop, can I have this Saturday off?

  Dad : Hell no!

  Dave : Eh, just this once, Pop. The Italians are coming Saturday.

  Dad : I don't care if the second coming's coming!

• Moocher : [watching the college kids on campus]  Sure looks like they've got it made.

  Mike : That's because they're rich.

  Dave : Italians are poor, but they're happy.

  Mike : Yeah? Maybe in Italy.

• Dave : Have a nice trip.

  Katherine : You too.

  Dave : But I'm not going anywhere.

  Katherine : I don't know about that.

• Dad : [Last lines]  Hi ya, big shot!

  Dave : Bon jour, Papa!

• Dave : You hear from your folks, Mooch?

  Moocher : Yeah, my dad called. He wanted to know if the house was sold. He could use the money something fierce.

  Dave : Well, you can come and live with me when it's sold. In Italy, everybody lives together.

  Moocher : [laughs]  Since you won that Italian bike, man, you've been acting weird. You're really getting to think you're Italian, aren't you?

  Cyril : I wouldn't mind thinking I was somebody myself.

• Dave : You mean we might be a father?

  Dad : No. I might be a father. And your mom might be a mother. And YOU might be a brother. See, that way I keep it all in the family.

  Moocher : Wow! Hey, I didn't think people your age still...

  Dad : [Immediately cuts him off]  The next word may be your last, kid!

• Dave : Hi, Kathy.

  Katherine : [not realizing that Dave's not really the Italian guy he made himself out to be]  Oh, God, what did you do to yourself?

  Dave : I just, uh...

  Katherine : Oh, I liked you better before. Oh, what happened to your cornicello?

  Katherine : [Dave remains silent]  Now you look like everybody else.

  Dave : I *am* everybody else.

• Dave : Italianos - like the nightingales they sing. Like the eagles they fly!

  Dad : Speakin' of flies, eh, you brought a helluva lot of flies in with you.

  Dave : Did you know that fly in Italian is 'mosca'?

  Dad : Did you know in English it's 'pest'?

• Dave : Well, I'm supposed to take this college entrance exam.

  Cyril : Are you gonna go to college?

  Dave : Hell no. I just want to see if I can pass.

• Dad : How you feelin'?

  Dave : Tired, Pop.

  Dad : Exhausted.

  Dave : Yeah.

  Dad : Good. Get used to it. From now on its gonna be more of the same. Let's go home.

• Mom : So, you see, I think you really should go. I think you should come home, singing, with a trophy. I think you should do all those things while you can.

  Dave : I win this one for you Mama.

• Moocher : Hey, come on in, Dave.

  Dave : Nah, I read where this Italian coach said its no good to go swimmin' right after a race.

  Mike : Who's swimmin'? I'm takin' a leak.

• Dad : [after Dave has taken his college entrance exam]  What? Are you afraid?

  Dave : Yeah, a little bit. And then there's the rest of the guys.

  Dad : Well, you took the exam. Did all right, didn't you?

  Dave : Yes.

  Dad : Well, that's - that's good.

• Dave : I was thinking of taking French, but, it's my first year. Have you ever seen la Tour de France?

  French Girl : No.

  Dave : No? Mon Dieu! The French riders - they're the best!