Angels in America (2003)

Meryl Streep: Hannah Pitt, Ethel Rosenberg, The Rabbi, The Angel Australia

Photos 

Quotes 

• Prior Walter : I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

  Hannah Pitt : Well that's a stupid thing to do.

• [Hannah Pitt approaches a Homeless Woman] 

  Hannah Pitt : Excuse me. I said excuse me. Can you tell me where I am? Is this Brooklyn? Do you know a Pineapple Street or is there some train or bus I...?

  [sets down bags exaustedly] 

  Hannah Pitt : I'm lost. I just arrived from Salt Lake City.

  [beet] 

  Hannah Pitt : Utah? I took the bus I was told to take and I got off... well it was the very last stop so I had to get off and I asked the driver was this Brooklyn and he nodded yes. But he was from one of those foreign countries where they think it's good manners to nod at everything, even if you don't know what it is you're nodding at. In truth I think he spoke no English at all... which I think would make him ineligible for employment on public transportation, you know with the public being English-speaking... mostly. Do you speak English.

  Homeless Woman : [nods yes] 

  Hannah Pitt : Well I was supposed to be met at the airport by my son and he didn't show. And I don't wait more than three and three quarters hours for anyone, so I should have been more patient... I guess. But is this...

  Homeless Woman : Bronx.

  Hannah Pitt : [confused]  Is that The Bronx? How in the name of Heaven did I get to The Bronx? When that drive...

  Homeless Woman : -slurp... slurp... will you stop that disgusting slurping, you disgusting slurping animal, feeding yourself. What would it matter to yourself or anyone if you just stop feeding and DIED!

  Hannah Pitt : Can you just tell me...

  Homeless Woman : Why was the Koziuscko Bridge named after a Po-lack?

  Hanna : I don't know what you're talking ab...

  Homeless Woman : It was a joke.

  Hanna : Well what's the punch line?

  Homeless Woman : I don't know.

  Hanna : Oh for Petes' sake!

  [to the street] 

  Hanna : Is there anyone who can tell me...

  Homeless Woman : [yelling to no one in particular]  Stand further off you fat loathsome whore, you can't have any more of this soup slurp slurp slurp you animal, and I know you'll just go pee it all away and where will you do that behind what bush! It's fucking cold out here and I-

  [gulp] 

  Homeless Woman : ... not right because I'm supposed to live in a tunnel.

  [to Hannah] 

  Homeless Woman : You're not very funny. Have you read the propecies of Nostradomus?

  Hannah Pitt : Who?

  Homeless Woman : Some guy I once went out with somewhere. Nostradomus... prophet... outcast... eyes like scary shit, he would...

  Hannah Pitt : Shut up! Please stop jabbering for one minute and pull your wits together and tell me how to get to Brooklyn, because you know and you're going to tell me because there is no one else around to tell me and I'm cold and I'm wet and I'm very, very angry. So I'm sorry that you're psychotic but just make an effort. Pull yourself together and take a deep breath.

  [Homeless Woman stares dumbfounded at Hannah] 

  Hannah Pitt : Do it!

  Homeless Woman : [stuggles to take in a breath] 

  Hannah Pitt : Good. Now exale.

  [blows air out of her mouth] 

  Homeless Woman : [Tries to mimic Hannah's exhaling with mixed results] 

  Hannah Pitt : Now tell me how to get to Brooklyn.

  Homeless Woman : Hmmm... don't know.

  [Hannah slumps defeatedly] 

  Homeless Woman : Want some soup?

  Hannah Pitt : Manhattan? I don't suppose you know the address of the Mormon Visitor Center.

  Homeless Woman : 65th and Broadway.

  Hannah Pitt : How do you know that?

  Homeless Woman : I go there all the time. Free movies. Boring, but you can stay all day.

  Hannah Pitt : Well how can I get there?

  Homeless Woman : Take the D train. Next block take a right.

  Hannah Pitt : Thank you.

  [Hannah picks up her bags and starts walking away. Homeless Woman dumps out the rest of her soup and throws the empty container in to a bin, startling Hannah] 

  Homeless Woman : In the new century, I think we will all be insane.

  [Hannah hurries away as fast as she can] 

• [Ethel Rosenberg walks into the room] 

  Roy Cohn : Aw, fuck. Ethel.

  Ethel Rosenberg : You don't look so good, Roy.

  Roy Cohn : Well, Ethel. I don't feel so good.

  Ethel Rosenberg : But you lost a lot of weight. That suits you. You were heavy back then. Zaftig, mit hips.

  Roy Cohn : I haven't been that heavy since 1960. We were all heavier back then, before the body thing started. Now I look like a skeleton they stare at.

  Ethel Rosenberg : The shit's really hit the fan, huh, Roy? The fun's just started.

  Roy Cohn : What is this Ethel, Halloween? You trying to scare me? Well you're wasting your time 'cause I'm scarier than you are any day of the week! So beat it, Ethel! Boo! Better dead than red! Somebody trying to shake me up? Hm, hm? From the throne of God in heaven to the belly of hell, you can all fuck yourselves and then go jump in the lake because I am not afraid of you or death or hell or anything!

  Ethel Rosenberg : I'll be seeing you soon, Roy. Julius sends his regards.

  Roy Cohn : Yeah, well send this to Julius!

  [Roy flips her the bird] 

  Ethel Rosenberg : You really are a very sick man, Roy.

• Hannah Pitt : An angel is a belief, with wings, and arms that can carry you. It's not to be afraid of, and if it can't hold you up, seek for something new.

• Ethel Rosenberg : [seeing the buttons on the telephone]  Oh! Buttons! Such things they have these days!

• Ethel Rosenberg : [to a dying Roy Cohn]  I came here to forgive, but all I can do is take pleasure in your misery. Knowing that I would get to see you die, more terribly than I did. And you are. Cause you're dying in shit, Roy. Defeated.

  [leans in] 

  Ethel Rosenberg : And you could kill me... but you couldn't ever defeat me... you never won. And when you die, all anyone will say is, "Better that he had never lived at all."

• Joe Pitt : I want to... I don't know anymore what I want.

  Hannah Pitt : What you want, what you want. Well, that shifts with the breeze. How can you steer your life by what you want? Hold to what you believe!

  Joe Pitt : You and me, it's like we're in Salt Lake again. You sort of bring the desert with you.

  [Noticing Hannah becoming upset] 

  Joe Pitt : Are you...? Don't cry.

  Hannah Pitt : Oh, if I ever do, I promise you, you'll not be privileged to witness it.

• Roy Cohn : I have all the time in the world.

  Ethel Rosenberg : You're immortal.

  Roy Cohn : I'm immortal. Ethel. I have forced my way into history. I ain't never gonna die.

  Ethel Rosenberg : History is about to crack wide open. Millenium approaches.

• [about how to get the angel to go away] 

  Hannah Pitt : I don't know. I don't know what to do.

  Prior : Come on, what about scriptural precedence!

  Hannah Pitt : That was supposed to be more of a metaphor!

  Prior : A metaphor, come on, what am I supposed to do?

  Hannah Pitt : You have to... wrestle her!

  Prior : Say what?

• Belize : [seeing that Roy appears dead]  Is he...

  Ethel Rosenberg : Mm hmm.

  Roy Cohn : [rising from his bed]  No I'm not! I fooled you, Ethel! I knew it was you the whole time! I can't believe you actually feel for that Ma stuff! I just wanted to see if I could finally, FINALLY, make Ethel Rosenberg sing! I win!

  [He starts to flatline again] 

  Roy Cohn : Oh... fuck.