Tuesdays with Morrie (1999 TV Movie)

Hank Azaria: Mitch Albom

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Quotes 

• Morrie Schwartz : My father was afraid of love. He couldn't give it and he couldn't receive it either. Maybe that's worse.

  Mitch Albom : Morrie, Morrie, we should stop.

  Morrie Schwartz : Not letting ourselves be loved because we're too afraid of giving ourselves to someone we might lose.

• Morrie Schwartz : Usually in the morning, you know, before everybody gets up, I get so angry, so bitter. Just, what the hell did I ever do to deserve this? Where's the fairness? I cry and I rage. I mourn. And then I detach. It's over; that's it; all over. No more. I just look back on how I've been feeling and I say, well, that's self-pity and that's enough of that for today.

  Mitch Albom : Just like that? You just stop?

  Morrie Schwartz : Yeah, that's all the time I give it. Start thinking about the day ahead, you know? The people that are going to come to see me, the stories I'm going to hear, and all the stuff I'm going to learn.

• Sergio : [News reporters are asking him questions]  How do you guys sleep at night?

  Mitch Albom : Most of them sleep with their wives.

• [first lines] 

  Morrie Schwartz : Excuse me, kids.

  [greeting people as he walks past] 

  Morrie Schwartz : Hello, love. How're ya doin'? Hey, Katie.

  Mitch Albom : [narrating]  Among other things, many other things, my old professor loved to eat. He especially liked tongue. I'd say, "Morrie, that's disgusting. " He'd say, "I'm sorry you think so. I also like cole slaw. Can you handle cole slaw, Mitch?"

  Mitch Albom : [narrating]  Near the top of the list of things he loved was dancing. He had his own way of dancing. He'd do the Lindy to Jimi Hendrix. He'd jitterbug to... name a band... Nine Inch Nails.

  Morrie Schwartz : [hands tango music to the DJ] 

  Mitch Albom : [narrating]  One of his favorites was the tango. His own version, of course. Wherever it came from... it wasn't Argentina. Moments like that... he could live in forever. In the summer of he began to notice a few things: shortness of breath... legs giving him a little trouble. But what do you expect at 77?

  Morrie Schwartz : [backs his car into a fence] 

  Mitch Albom : The dancing stopped forever in the summer of 1994.

• Mitch Albom : I guess I'm just not really a touchy-feely guy.

  Morrie Schwartz : Yeah, it scares you.

  Mitch Albom : Doesn't scare me.

  Morrie Schwartz : Yes, it scares you. All this does. Everything we're talking about... death, dying.

  Mitch Albom : There is a reason why people don't talk about these things.

  Morrie Schwartz : Hmm?

  Mitch Albom : To spare people's feelings.

  Morrie Schwartz : "To spare people's feel..." I never have understood that. How can you spare someone's feelings by denying them?

• Morrie Schwartz : [describing what he'd do with one day of perfect health]  I'd have a lovely breakfast: Sweet rolls and tea. Then a good swim. I'd ask my friends for lunch, a great lunch. You know, but... A salad or something simple. And then we'd take a walk in a park... with trees, so we could watch the birds. And we'd talk about how much we meant to each other. And for dinner, I'd take 'em to a place that had great pasta. Oh, boy. And a little duck. Yeah, I love duck. Do you like duck?

  Mitch Albom : Yeah.

  Morrie Schwartz : Yeah. And then I would dance. Oh, I'd dance with my lovely partners... till I was exhausted. Then go home, and I'd have a great sleep.

• [last lines] 

  Mitch Albom : [narrating]  Have you ever had a special teacher? One who taught you things you may not understand, but who never gives up? Who knows the really tough lessons take a lifetime to learn? The last class of my old professor's life took place once a week on Tuesdays. The subject was the meaning of life. The teaching goes on.

• Morrie Schwartz : But you know what I dread? Someday soon someone's going to have to wipe my a** for me. But, I'm a lucky man.

  Mitch Albom : You're lucky?

  Morrie Schwartz : Yeah. I've still got time to learn, time to say goodbye to the people I love. And time to teach my final course.

  Mitch Albom : About dying.

  Morrie Schwartz : Not about dying, about living. When you know how to die, you know to live.

• Mitch Albom : I know I should've called. I'm stealin' time from my boss here.

  Morrie Schwartz : You missed my funeral! Never mind. You'll catch the next one.

• Morrie Schwartz : I passed a landmark. Remember what I said about someday somebody havin' to wipe my ass? I'm there.

  Mitch Albom : You're not gonna expect me to do that, are you?

  Morrie Schwartz : Why not? You might be good at it.