Collected Stories (2002 TV Movie)

Linda Lavin: Ruth Steiner

Quotes 

• Ruth Steiner : What you have to say means a great deal to me, you know?

  Lisa Morrison : No, I didn't know that.

  Ruth Steiner : [Taken aback]  No? How could you not know that? It goes both ways you know. Am I supposed to give and give and expect nothing in return?

  Lisa Morrison : No, of course not.

  Ruth Steiner : I can't just applaud you and pat you on the back and give you unconditional love and support. I know I've been your teacher and your champion, but I'm also your friend and I could use a little reassurance too you know?

  [Begins to tear up] 

  Lisa Morrison : Ruth, what is it?

  Ruth Steiner : It's very complicated for me.

  Lisa Morrison : What is?

  Ruth Steiner : What's happening for you, it's very complicated for me.

  Lisa Morrison : Ruth, are you jealous?

  Ruth Steiner : Please don't condescend!

  Lisa Morrison : I'm not. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...

  Ruth Steiner : It's not about envy.

  [pause] 

  Ruth Steiner : Maybe it is about envy, but it's not about professional jealousy.

  [Long pause] 

  Ruth Steiner : you know what it is? I'm jealous that you have all of life ahead of you and I can't just sit back and watch you do the dance I danced so long ago and not think about time. That's what it is. Don't you see?

  [Wiping away tears] 

  Ruth Steiner : It's about time.

• Ruth Steiner : what you've done is mimicry. It's not art. It's not homage. It's parody... you have no right.

  Lisa Morrison : No right? What about my right as an artist?

  Ruth Steiner : Well that right you have to earn!

• Ruth Steiner : [Looking down at her desk]  Where's the pile that was here?

  Lisa Morrison : Oh, well I straightened up.

  Ruth Steiner : What do you mean you straightened- oh no, oh God no. Why did you do that?

  Lisa Morrison : Uh, remember, before you left you I asked you if you'd like me to straighten up.

  Ruth Steiner : [Becoming frazzled]  Straighten up, yes, not reorganize my life. I did not authorize you to reorganize my life. Oh God, when you said, "Straighten up" I thought you meant take a schmata and dust. Now how am I going to find anything?

  Lisa Morrison : Just ask me. What are you looking for?

  Ruth Steiner : I don't wanna ask you!

  Lisa Morrison : Well I'll tell you exactly where it is. I didn't throw anything out or anything. I just made neater piles.

  Ruth Steiner : Well I don't want neater piles. I like my piles the way they are.

  Lisa Morrison : Sorry. I didn't mean to...

  Ruth Steiner : There was a method to my madness that has served me very well all these years.

  Lisa Morrison : I'm really, really sorry. I was only trying to... I'll put everything back the way...

  Ruth Steiner : [as Lisa approaches to help]  Please don't! Just leave it.

  [Lisa turns and walks away, hurt] 

  Ruth Steiner : Aw, shit. You're not going to cry, are you?

• Lisa Morrison : What did I do that any good writer wouldn't have done, that you wouldn't have done yourself?

  [Ruth's face shows disbelief of Lisa's ignorance] 

  Lisa Morrison : a story grabbed me and...

  Ruth Steiner : [Waving her finger]  No darling, that's where you're wrong, it didn't grab you, you SEIZED it!

• Ruth Steiner : Are you going to survive this tutorial or will you require oxygen?

• Ruth Steiner : Some things you don't touch.

• Ruth Steiner : [Critiquing Lisa's writing style, with a smirk on her face]  'fabulous green water balloons'?

• Ruth Steiner : [to Lisa]  Every time you straighten up something disappears.

• Ruth Steiner : You crossed the line, sweetie. You crossed the line.

  Lisa Morrison : Why, because it involves you?

  Ruth Steiner : Yeah! I would think that would have something to do with it, yes. I was a fellow writer telling you these stories, not a longshoreman or a waitress. For God's sake, a fellow writer. It was a matter of professional courtesy, I would think. What was I supposed to do, uh, proclaim them off limits, plant a flag, get you to SIGN SOMETHING? You were my friend, god damn it!

  Lisa Morrison : I wish you wouldn't use the past tense!

• Ruth Steiner : It's my life, damn it! You appropriated my life!

• Lisa Morrison : What exactly is so offensive to you? I don't understand it.

  Ruth Steiner : You don't?

  Lisa Morrison : No.

  Ruth Steiner : [Slowly]  You've stolen my stories, Lisa, MY stories. What am I without my stories? I'm nothing. I'm a cipher. I'm as good as dead.

• Ruth Steiner : You know what? Not only have you usurped my love affair, oh no, you took my entire milieu and passed it off as your own.

  Lisa Morrison : How? I don't know what you mean.

  Lisa Morrison : You DON'T? Jewish intellectual life, new york in the 60's. Jesus, Delmore was one thing but to take on territory that is so identifiably mine?

• Lisa Morrison : [Referring to a scandal involving Woody Allen]  No moral dilemmas whatsoever.

  [Pointing out a newspaper article] 

  Lisa Morrison : Did you see that in here? How could he find 'no moral dilemmas, whatsoever'?

  Ruth Steiner : [Smirking]  He wasn't looking so he didn't find any.