The Holiday (2006)
Kate Winslet: Iris
Photos
Quotes
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Arthur Abbott : You know what I've been asking myself all night?
Iris : What? Why I'm bothering you with all these questions?
Arthur Abbott : I'm wondering why a beautiful girl like you would go to a strangers' house for their Christmas Vacation, and on top of that spend Saturday night with an old cock-up like me.
Iris : Well, I just wanted to get away from all the people I see all the time!...
[Arthur looks at her incredulously]
Iris : Well, not all the people... one person. I wanted to get away from one... guy.
[she sobs]
Iris : An ex-boyfriend who just got engaged and forgot to tell me.
Arthur Abbott : So, he's a schmuck.
Iris : As a matter of fact, he is... a huge schmuck. How did you know?
Arthur Abbott : He let you go. This is not a hard one to figure out. Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.
Iris : You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for god's sake! Arthur, I've been going to a therapist for three years, and she's never explained anything to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant.
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Iris : I've found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said "Journeys end in lovers meeting." What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I am more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. It was Shakespeare who also said "love is blind". Now that is something I know to be true. For some quite inexplicably, love fades; for others love is simply lost. But then of course love can also be found, even if just for the night. And then, there's another kind of love: the cruelest kind. The one that almost kills its victims. Its called unrequited love. Of that I am an expert. Most love stories are about people who fall in love with each other. But what about the rest of us? What about our stories, those of us who fall in love alone? We are the victims of the one sided affair. We are the cursed of the loved ones. We are the unloved ones, the walking wounded. The handicapped without the advantage of a great parking space! Yes, you are looking at one such individual. And I have willingly loved that man for over three miserable years! The absolute worst years of my life! The worst Christmas', the worst Birthday's, New Years Eve's brought in by tears and valium. These years that I have been in love have been the darkest days of my life. All because I've been cursed by being in love with a man who does not and will not love me back. Oh god, just the sight of him! Heart pounding! Throat thickening! Absolutely can't swallow! All the usual symptoms.
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Iris : I understand feeling as small and as insignificant as humanly possible. And how it can actually ache in places you didn't know you had inside you. And it doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get, or gyms you join, or how many glasses of chardonnay you drink with your girlfriends... you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood. And how in the hell for that brief moment you could think that you were that happy. And sometimes you can even convince yourself that he'll see the light and show up at your door. And after all that, however long all that may be, you'll go somewhere new. And you'll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again. And little pieces of your soul will finally come back. And all that fuzzy stuff, those years of your life that you wasted, that will eventually begin to fade.
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Jasper : You know what I was thinking? When you get back to London, maybe we could sneak off somewhere together. Maybe Venice. You and me in Venice could be good.
Iris : Do you mean that? I mean, are you free to do that?
Jasper : Darling, I've just traveled halfway across the world to see you, haven't I?
Iris : [Iris & Jasper almost kiss before Iris pulls away] Yeah, that doesn't exactly answer my question. So, are you not with Sarah anymore? I mean, is that what you've come here to tell me?
Jasper : I wish you could just accept knowing how confused I am about all this.
Iris : Okay, let me translate that. So, you are still engaged to be married?
Jasper : Yes, but, I mean...
Iris : Oh, my God.
[Iris gets up from the couch]
Iris : This was a really close call. You know, I never really though I'd say this, literally never, but I think you were absolutely right about us. Very square peg, very round hole.
Jasper : You cannot mean that.
Iris : The great thing is I actually do. And I'm about three years late in telling you this, but nevertheless I need to say it. Jasper. Wait, I need the lights on. Jasper, you have never treated me right. Ever.
Jasper : Oh, babe.
Iris : Shush. You broke my heart. And you acted like somehow it was my fault, my misunderstanding, and I was too in love with you to ever be mad at you, so I just punished myself! For years! But you waltzing in here on my lovely Christmas holiday, and telling me that you don't want to lose me whilst you're about to get MARRIED, somehow newly entitles me to say, it's over. This - This twisted, toxic THING between us, is finally finished! I'm miraculously done being in love with you! Ha! I've got a life to start living.
[Picks up Jasper's jacket, walking to the door]
Iris : And you're not going to be in it.
Jasper : Darling.
Iris : Now I've got somewhere really important to be, and you have got to get the hell out.
[Opens the door]
Iris : Now!
Jasper : What exactly has got into you?
Iris : I don't know.
[Pushes Jasper out the door]
Iris : But I think what I've got is something slightly resembling, gumption.
[Slams door shut in Jasper's face. Lifts hands up and screams with joy]
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Iris : You're supposed to be the leading lady in your own life, for God's sake!
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Iris : Because you're hoping you're wrong. And every time she does something that tells you she's no good, you ignore it. And every time she comes through and suprises you, she wins you over, and you lose that argument with yourself, that she's not for you.
Miles : Exactly, and on top of that there's the old standby, I can't believe a girl like that would actually be with a guy like me.
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Arthur Abbott : I've got something for you.
[picks up a corsage]
Iris : [touched] Oh.
Arthur Abbott : Forgive me. The last time I had a date, this this is what we did.
Iris : It's beautiful.
[kisses Arthur on the cheek]
Arthur Abbott : If it's corny, or if it's going to ruin your outfit, you don't have to wear it.
Iris : [Iris puts the corsage on her wrist] I like corny.
[takes Arthur's hands]
Iris : I'm looking for corny in my life.
Arthur Abbott : That's a nice line.
Iris : It's all those movies!
Arthur Abbott : Okay, let's do it. Let's get this embarassment over with.
Iris : Okay.
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Iris : I'm looking for corny in my life.
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Iris : [reading aloud what she types to Amanda during live chat discussing home exchange] I'm Iris, by the way. I'm very normal, neat-freak, healthy, non-smoker, single...
[stops, fighting back tears; then adds to herself]
Iris : Hate my horrible life!
Amanda : I'm Amanda.
[to herself]
Amanda : Loner, loser and complicated wreck!
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Graham : And what did you say?
Iris : I asked her to hold. Can I call you back?
Graham : I can hold while you speak to her.
Iris : Really?
Graham : Find out how she is.
Iris : Okay.
[Iris switches call]
Iris : My brother wants to know how you are.
Amanda : Can you tell him I'm good and that I'm just taking Charlie for a walk in the village. Um, what's he been up to? Did he say?
Iris : I'm not sure. Do you want me to ask him?
Amanda : Uh, sure.
Iris : Okay. Hold please.
[Iris switches call again]
Iris : I can't believe that you have had sex with the woman staying in my house!
Amanda : [Gasps] He told you that?
Iris : Oh, my God!
Amanda : Oh, my God!
Iris : Oh, my God! I thought I was talking to Graham! Can you just hold, please? I'm terribly sorry.
[Iris switches calls again]
Iris : I can't believe you had sex with Amanda! The one thing she asked me was, 'Are there any men in your town?', and I assured her that there were not. And then you meet her and immediately get into her knickers!
Amanda : Still me.
Iris : Bollocks! I must have lost him. Amanda, I am so sorry.
[Call waiting beeps]
Iris : Can I call you back?
Amanda : Sure.
Iris : Okay, bye.
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Iris : [to Jasper] I don't know, but I think what I've got is something slightly resembling... GUMPTION!
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Miles : Now let me ask you. Have you seen this?
Iris : Chariots of Fire. Loved it.
Miles : [doing an impression of the soundtrack] Such a great score by Vangelis. He took electronic scores to a new level. It was groundbreaking. I'm gonna test you on this later. Okay. Driving Miss Daisy. Hans. Very unexpected. Do you remember how great it was?
[doing impression of soundtrack]
Miles : Sassy! Love it. Is this a bad game?
Iris : No.
Miles : Okay.
Iris : Keep going.
Miles : Sometimes I get self-conscious about my...
[interrupts himself by singing Gone with the Wind soundtrack]
Miles : [singing] Are you embarrassed by this game I've started to play?
[Stopped singing]
Miles : Okay. It's not a library. I can go loud.
[grabs Jaws]
Miles : BA-BAM! Two notes and you've got a villain. I don't know what to say about it. Totally brill.
[the graduate. Singing soundtrack]
Miles : I bet you didn't know that was all written for the movie. It was a score. Technically.
Iris : I did know that one.
Miles : Oh my God. Okay, this one? You have to check this out some time. The Mission. The score is genius. It just comes from a totally different place. It's like... I can't even... Just promise me you'll rent it and listen to it.
Iris : Renting.
Miles : Thank you. It changed my world.
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Iris : [to Miles] Don't blow away.
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Iris : I like corny. I'm looking for corny in my life.
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Iris : Lowpoint!
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Iris : [Iris answers telephone] Hello?
Graham : So are you ever coming home?
Iris : Oh, my God, hi.
Graham : How's it going?
Iris : Great. I met a really nice guy.
Graham : See? And you said you'd never. What's he like?
Iris : He's really cute. I feel great when I'm with him, which is an entirely new experience. And he's about ninety years old.
Graham : Come on.
Iris : He's my next-door neighbor. Or Amanda's next-door neighbor. By the way you should pop over and meet her.
Graham : Yeah, I have, actually.
Iris : [Call waiting beeps] Oh, bugger. Call waiting. Can you hold for a sec? Hold on. I really wanna talk to you.
Graham : Sure.
Iris : [Iris switches to other call] Hello?
Amanda : Iris, hi, it's Amanda.
Iris : How are you? How's it going?
Amanda : Everything's great. How are you?
Iris : Oh, I'm loving it. Listen, can you hold for a sec? My brother's on the other line.
Amanda : Graham?
Iris : Yes. He said you met.
Amanda : Yes, we did meet. How is he?
Iris : Fine, I think. Can you just hold on for a sec?
Amanda : Sure.
Iris : [Iris switches calls] Okay. Hi, sorry. That was Amanda.
Graham : How'd she sound? How's she doing?
Iris : She just asked me how you are.
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Iris : I have found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said, "Journeys end in lovers meeting." What an extraordinary thought.
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Miles : [reaching across Iris to grab something on counter] Okay, sorry about that.
[pregnant pause]
Miles : Boob graze.
[Iris briefly surprised, then burst into merry laughter, with Miles joining in with a chuckle]
Miles : That was accidental.
[gazing around with sheepish smile]
Miles : Accidental boob graze. I'm sorry.
Iris : Change of subject.
[trying to restrain laughter]
Miles : Okay.
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Iris : Arthur, I've been going to a therapist for three years and she's never explained anything to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant.
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Iris : [in an email to Jasper] Jasper, we both know I need to fall out of love with you. Would be great if you would let me try.
