Brave (2012)

Emma Thompson: Elinor

Photos 

Quotes 

• King Fergus : Pretend I'm Merida, speak to me. What would you say?

  Queen Elinor : I can't do this!

  King Fergus : Sure you can!

  [Elinor gives him a skeptical look] 

  King Fergus : There, there! THAT'S my queen! All right, here we go.

  [takes a deep breath and speaks in a shrilly voice, impersonating Merida] 

  King Fergus : I don't want to get married! I want to stay single and let my hair flow in the wind as I ride through the glen, firing arrows into the sunset!

• Princess Merida : Mum, you'll never guess what I did today!

  Queen Elinor : [not really listening]  Mmm-hmm?

  Princess Merida : I climbed up the Crone's Tooth and drank from the Fire Falls.

  [Hamish, Hubert and Harris look at her in awe] 

  King Fergus : The Fire Falls, eh? They say only the ancient kings were brave enough to drink the fire.

• Queen Elinor : [after Merida's actions at the clan gathering, an angry and humiliated Elinor drags Merida back into the castle and thrusts Merida into the drawing room] 

  [irate] 

  Queen Elinor : I don't believe you!

  [Merida screams as she's forced through the door] 

  Queen Elinor : I've just about had enough of you, lass!

  Princess Merida : [starts an argument]  YOU'RE the one that, wants me to...!

  Queen Elinor : You embarrassed them! You embarrassed me!

  Princess Merida : *I* followed the rules!

  Queen Elinor : [shaking her finger at Merida in disapproval]  You don't know what you have done!

  [slams the door shut] 

  Princess Merida : I just, don't care how...

  Queen Elinor : There'll be fire and sword if it's not set right.

  Princess Merida : Just listen!

  Queen Elinor : [enraged with Merida's interruptions]  I Am The *QUEEN*! You *Listen* To *ME*!

  Princess Merida : [frustrated]  Oh! This is so unfair!

  Queen Elinor : Huh! Unfair?

  Princess Merida : [grabs a sword and swings it around angrily ranting]  You're never there for me! This whole marriage is what you want. Do you ever bother to ask what *I* want? No! You walk around telling me what to do, what not to do. Trying to make me be like you. Well, I'm not going to be like you!

  Queen Elinor : [rebukes Merida]  Oh! You're acting like a child!

  Princess Merida : And *YOU'RE* a *Beast*!

  [points her sword at the completed family tapestry that Elinor had finished working on] 

  Princess Merida : That's what you are!

  Queen Elinor : [gasps]  Merida!

  Princess Merida : [sticks the tip of her sword into the tapestry, the sound of the threads can be heard stretching]  I'll never be like you!

  Queen Elinor : [sharply warning Merida]  No! Stop That!

  Princess Merida : I'd rather *DIE* Than Be Like You!

  [Suddenly, in a fit of rage Merida slashes the tapestry with the sword, a line between the images of Elinor and herself holding hands. Elinor gasps in horror; Merida just stares at her mother angrily afterwards. Elinor instantly becomes extremely furious at Merida for what Merida had said and did, and she marches up to Merida using a motherly like scolding as Merida loses her angry stare and becomes bewildered] 

  Queen Elinor : [scolding]  Merida, you are a *Princess*!

  [Elinor takes the sword away from Merida and throws it off to the side] 

  Queen Elinor : And I Expect You To *ACT* Like One!

  Princess Merida : Mom!

  [Elinor grabs Merida and violently pulls the bow off of Merida's back, then in an act of retaliation Elinor walks over to the fireplace with Merida's bow fuming with anger and furiously throws the bow into the fireplace to destroy it. The fire crackles loudly when the bow hits the scalding coals] 

  Princess Merida : AHHH!

  [Merida screams and covers mouth completely shocked at what her mom had just done. Elinor then quickly faces Merida and angrily glares at her daughter with her eyes blazing at Merida. Devastated by this, Merida slowly backs away from her mother distraught and quickly runs to the door in tears] 

  Queen Elinor : [angrily]  Merida!

  [Merida opens the door and runs away] 

  Queen Elinor : [outraged]  *MERIDA*!

  [suddenly the string on the bow snaps and Elinor sees the bow burning] 

  Queen Elinor : [gasps]  Oh dear!

  [Elinor immediately regretting her actions frantically pulls the bow out of the fireplace and looks it over to see if it can still be saved, but she immediately realizes that the bow is already completely ruined] 

  Queen Elinor : [quietly]  Oh No! What have I done?

  [horrified that she let her anger get the best of her Elinor breaks down sobbing] 

• Queen Elinor : Merida, a princess does not set her weapons on the table.

  Princess Merida : [moans]  Mum! It's just my bow!

  Queen Elinor : A princess should not HAVE weapons, in my opinion.

  King Fergus : Leave her be! Princess or not, learning to fight is essential.

• Young Merida : I missed...

  Queen Elinor : Go and fetch it, then.

  [She turns to Fergus after Merida leaves] 

  Queen Elinor : A bow, Fergus? She's a lady.

• Young Merida : I saw a will-o'-the-wisp!

  [runs up to Elinor] 

  Young Merida : [Elinor picks her up and holds her] 

  Queen Elinor : A will-o'-the-wisp? You know, some say that will-o'-the-wisps can lead you to your fate.

• King Fergus : [after Young Dingwall wins the archery contest by accident]  Well, that's just grand, isn't it? Guess who's coming to dinner!

  Queen Elinor : [annoyed]  Fergus...

  King Fergus : [turns to Merida]  Oh, and by the way, I hope you don't mind being called Lady Ding...

  [sees dog in her seat] 

• Queen Elinor : Legends are lessons, they ring with truths.

• Princess Merida : It's not fair!

  Queen Elinor : Oh, Merida, it's marriage. It's not the end of the world.

• Queen Elinor : [in the tapestry room; practicing a speech with Fergus]  Merida, all this work, all the time spent preparing you, schooling you, giving you everything we never had. I ask you, what do you expect us to do?

  Princess Merida : [in the royal stables; taking care of Angus and rehearsing her own speech]  Call off the gathering! Would that kill them? You're the queen. You can just tell the lords, "The princess is not ready for this. In fact, she might not ever be ready for this, so that's that. Good day to you. We'll expect your declarations of war in the morning."

  Queen Elinor : I understand this must all seem unfair. Even I had reservations when I faced betrothal.

  [Fergus looks up in surprise] 

  Queen Elinor : But we can't just run away from who we are.

  Princess Merida : I don't want my life to be over. I want my freedom!

  Queen Elinor : But are you willing to pay the price your freedom will cost?

  Princess Merida : I'm not doing any of this to hurt you.

  Queen Elinor : If you could just try to see what I do, I do out of love.

  Princess Merida : But it's MY LIFE, it's... I'm just not ready.

  Queen Elinor : I think you'd see, if you could just...

  Princess Merida : I think I could make you understand if you would just...

  Queen Elinor : Listen.

  Princess Merida : Listen.

  [Angus whinnies at her] 

  Princess Merida : I swear, Angus, this isn't going to happen.

  [Angus touches her sympathetically and she pets him] 

  Princess Merida : Not if I have any say in it.

• [first lines] 

  Queen Elinor : Where are you? Come out! Come out! Come on out! I'm coming to get you!

  [Young Merida laughs as she hides under the table] 

  Queen Elinor : Where are you, you little rascal? I'm coming to get you!

  [Elinor looks under the table but Merida quickly moves to hide somewhere else] 

  Queen Elinor : Hmm. Where is my little birthday girl, hm? I'm going to gobble her up when I find her!

  [Merida comes up behind Elinor and goes to run away but Elinor catches her] 

  Queen Elinor : Eat you!

  [as Elinor and young Merida play, Fergus places his bow on the table] 

  Queen Elinor : Ach! Fergus, no weapons on the table!

  Young Merida : Can I shoot an arrow?

  [picks up the large bow from the table] 

  Young Merida : Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? Please, can I?

  [falls and laughs as the bow is too big for her] 

  King Fergus : Not with that. Why not use your very own?

  [presents her with a small bow] 

  King Fergus : Happy birthday, my wee darlin'!

• Queen Elinor : A princess does not chortle! Doesnae stuff her gob! Rises early! Is compassionate. Patient. Cautious! Clean. And, above all, a princess strives for, well, perfection!

• Queen Elinor : You'll get dreadful gollywobbles!

• Queen Elinor : Don't let them lick... Boys, you're naughty! Don't just play with your haggis. Oh, now, how'd you know you don't like it if you won't try it? It's just a wee sheep stomach! It's delicious!

• Queen Elinor : My brave wee lassie, I'm here. I'll always be right here.

• Queen Elinor : I'm naked. Naked as a wee baby. Don't just stare at me, do something!