A Jazzman’s Blues (2022) Best Movie Quotes

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Starring: Joshua Boone, Solea Pfeiffer, Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jemai Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young, Ryan Eggold, Rob Wood

OUR RATING: ★★★☆☆

Story:

Netflix period drama written and directed by Tyler Perry. A Jazzman’s Blues (2022) is set during the 1940s and centers on star-crossed lovers Bayou and Leanne (Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer) in a tale of forbidden love and family drama as it unravels 40 years of secrets and lies against a soundtrack of juke joint blues in the Deep South.

Our Favorite Quotes:

'Sometimes you have to just go on so that you can come back to help.' - Ira (A Jazzman's Blues) Click To Tweet

Best Quotes

Johnathan Dupree: Something I can do for you, ma’am? I’m fairly busy.
Elderly Hattie Mae: I want you to look into a murder that happened here in Hopewell.
Johnathan Dupree: Have you spoken to the Sheriff’s Office? They handle…
Elderly Hattie Mae: Ain’t for them. They killed him right here in this town in 1947.
Johnathan Dupree: You want me to look into a murder that happened over forty years ago?

Elderly Hattie Mae: [as she gives Bayou’s letters to Johnathan] I never wrote nothing down on the paper. Life’s too long. He wrote down everything. Everything you need to know. It’s right here.

Bayou: [from his letters] You know, as we drove past my mama’s old house, it’s falling apart now, but it still bring back one good memory. When we first met. I can still smell the lavender and the moonshine.

Bayou: Who that there?
Citsy: Well, that’s Ethel Lee’s daughter. They call her Bucket.
Bayou: Why do they call her that?
Citsy: Because her mama dumped her here like an empty bucket when she ran off North.

Bayou: Horace John Boyd’s my name, but everybody call me Bayou.
Leanne: Why they call you that?
Bayou: My pa says my eye’s deep as the bayou from the time I was born.
Leanne: Let me see your eyes. Your eyes are normal. Your daddy don’t seem like he know much.

Bayou: Bayou is what I like to be called, Bucket.
Leanne: My name is Leanne Jean Harper, and I prefer to be called by my name. Don’t you ever call me Bucket, or I’ll never speak to you again.

Bayou: Will I see you again, Lil Ann?
Leanne: When you learn how to say my name.

Buster: [referring to Bayou] Where he going?
Hattie Mae: He going to ask that gal if he can take her to the social.
Willie Earl: What gal? Bucket? She ain’t going to go nowhere with him.

Bayou: Why him and Daddy treat me like that?
Hattie Mae: You don’t worry about them. Or nobody else. You hear me?

Hattie Mae: Why you got to be so mean to this boy? It ain’t right. I don’t care. It ain’t right.
Bayou: It’s alright, Mama. I can handle myself.
Buster: You hear that, Willie Earl? Now, Bayou, that’s something I’d like to see.

Bayou: I came to ask you to the social.
Leanne: [referring to her grandfather] That’s nice, but he won’t let me do that. He won’t let me be around nobody.
Bayou: Why come?
Leanne: He just mean. It’s like he hates me.
Bayou: Yeah. I know the feeling.

Leanne: Why you don’t know how to read?
Bayou: Well, my pa and my brother say I’m too slow to learn.
Leanne: Don’t you listen to that. You can. I’ll show you.

Bayou: [from his letters] You looked so beautiful in that night light. Ain’t never known nobody to encourage me but my mama. And she ain’t make me feel like you did.

'We was both starting be crazy about each other. Like we know what was being said, and we wasn't even talking.' - Bayou (A Jazzman's Blues) Click To Tweet

Bayou: That first night we stood there at that tree for hours, just talking, almost till the sun come up. And every night after that, I couldn’t wait for that airplane to come through my window.

Bayou: It was so innocent, so pure. We did something we both needed real bad. We laughed. We laughed a lot.

Bayou: [from his letters] But I didn’t understand the shaking. Always felt like there was so much you wanted to say, but for some reason you never did. You’d just shake like a leaf in the wind Sometimes I thought, even on a hot night, you would just shake. Like your soul was trying to shake something out.

Bayou: All summer long we met in that tree. I was worried about what would happen when the season rains come. But you know what? There you were. I thought you was crazy, gal. Truth is, we was both starting be crazy about each other. Like we know what was being said, and we wasn’t even talking.

Bayou: And that was our first kiss. Ain’t nothing felt that good in all my life. I walked home floating, like my feet didn’t even touch the ground. But that ain’t last long.

Hattie Mae: You put your hands on me again, I swear, I’ll kill you dead.
Buster: [to Bayou] Where you been, boy? Come here.
Hattie Mae: You touch him, I’ll meet your soul at the gates of hell.

Leanne: [to Bayou] You look sad. Don’t be. I need you to be happy because we can’t be sad together. You hear me?

Bayou: You made me feel like a man. You made me feel good. You made me.

Bayou: I hated that night. I was so confused. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you I loved you.

Bayou: [from his letters] I lay there waiting for a paper airplane, or waiting at that tree for you. We went from talking every night, all summer long, to you not coming at all. I got so worried. So I went to your house that night.

'You are the only person that makes me feel safe.' - Leanne (A Jazzman's Blues) Click To Tweet

Bayou: [referring to the night he saw Leanne being molested] I never told you, but I saw it. I hated every day I didn’t come in there and kill him. What kind of man I’m is that I didn’t. Maybe my brother and daddy are right. Maybe I am weak.

Bayou: Maybe I shouldn’t have told you that I love you, but I do. That’s how I feel. But if you stop coming to see me…
Leanne: No, it ain’t that. I love you too.
Bayou: Then marry me.
Leanne: I’m not a pure girl.
Bayou: I don’t care. I love you. I love you. We can run away. Anywhere. We’ll be alright. Just marry me.

Bayou: Me and Leanne been courting for a while.
Citsy: Bucket?
Bayou: No. Don’t call her that.
Hattie Mae: I knew something was going on. You sneak out of here at night.
Bayou: You know?
Hattie Mae: Yeah. Just didn’t know it was her.

Bayou: Leanne, don’t go. Don’t go. Please. No. Don’t. Don’t.
Ethel: My father told me what you did to her. You better thank heavens I’m not calling the sheriff. Now you get out of here, and you leave her alone.

Bayou: Dear Leanne. Been writing to you every day for a year now. Been sending letters to everybody in Boston with your last name, hoping that one of these letters finds you.

Hattie Mae: [referring to the wounded Ira] If that man die here, we going to be in a world of trouble.
Willie Earl: You just make sure he don’t.

See more A Jazzman's Blues Quotes

Sheriff Jackson: This is my brother John and his beautiful wife…
Leanne: Leanne.

Willie Earl: Who are all these letter for?
Hattie Mae: Bayou writing to this girl.
Willie Earl: What girl? Bucket?
Hattie Mae: Yeah.
Willie Earl: That fool is still writing her after all of these been returned to sender?

Ethel: That man left me with nothing.
Leanne: So you sure came and made me your cash cow, didn’t you?
Ethel: [as she slaps Leanne] Don’t you dare talk to me that way. After all I’ve done for you. Now you get yourself together, girl. This family is well-off.

Leanne: Bayou. Get in.
Bayou: Anybody see me in that car, I’m dead.

Leanne: I thought you moved on and married some girl.
Bayou: How could I do that when my heart only beat for you?

Bayou: Why didn’t you leave with me?
Leanne: My mother. She told me she would go to the sheriff and tell him you did things to me if I didn’t leave with her and never talk to you again. They were going to kill you and burn down your mother’s house. She would do it. I know she would. What was I to do? I didn’t want you hurt.

Bayou: You have to leave here. If they know, they’ll kill you and your mama.
Leanne: I told her that. She said she rather die here in that big house than poor and destitute in Boston. And she wanted me to marry a rich white man. I don’t even know how I got into this. I just want out.

Bayou: [referring to John] You love him? Do you?
Leanne: Not like I love you.
Bayou: That ain’t a no.
Leanne: He doesn’t make me feel the way you do.

Bayou: I don’t know you. The gal I loved only had eyes for me. What did you come down here for?
Leanne: Don’t do this. You know this is hard for me.
Bayou: How you think I feel? Seeing you up there with that son of a b**ch hugging on you. Huh?

John Clayton: You’ll get used to being here. I mean, this is my home. It’s ours now.
Leanne: This is not my home.

John Clayton: [to Leanne] Now, you could have a good life here. Or no life at all.

Leanne: So he told you.
Citsy: Bayou ain’t said a word. And I wasn’t sure it was you.

Citsy: That boy love you like breathing. He ain’t even talked to another girl the whole time you’ve been gone. He been sick about you. Miss Leanne, look at me. It’s a dangerous game y’all playing. Now, you can’t do this. Y’all can’t do this. You made your choice. A colored woman’s life is hard. And it makes me wonder if I could pass, would I? So part of me don’t blame you. But most of me is scared for you.

Leanne: [referring to the paper airplane for Bayou] Can you give this to him?
Citsy: I won’t help you with this.
Leanne: Please.
Citsy: You’re going to get him killed.

Leanne: [as they meet late at night] Just like old times.
Bayou: Nowhere near the same.
Leanne: Do you still want to take me away?
Bayou: With all my heart.

Bayou: You’ll make it hard for every colored person in Georgia if them boys know they’ve been fooled. And if something happen to you, they going to have to kill me.
Leanne: No.
Bayou: Then don’t tell them.

Bayou: I can’t see you no more. Not like this.
Leanne: Bayou, you’re all I’ve got. You are the only person that makes me feel safe.
Bayou: This ain’t safe. I can’t see you like this.

Leanne: What did you do?!
Ethel: I saw you. I followed you to that mill. You letting that monkey lay on top of you. I warned you before. You will not ruin this life for us.

Leanne: I’m telling them everything.
Ethel: Leanne.
Leanne: Everything!

Ethel: [referring to John] Don’t you know that that boy will kill us? Look at the hate in his eyes when he sees coloreds. He will do it.
Leanne: You are evil.

Leanne: [referring to Bayou] If they did something to him, I would have stayed here for the rest of my life in misery. And it would be what I deserve.
Citsy: I quit.
Leanne: No.
Citsy: Look, ain’t no way I can stay here. None.

Leanne: If you leave, I’ve got nobody. Citsy, don’t go. Please. Don’t leave me here all by myself. Please.

Bayou: I just left like a coward. I left them there.

Ira: [after telling the story of how the Nazis killed his wife and daughter to Bayou] Sometimes you have to just go on so that you can come back to help. I couldn’t help my family. But I helped many people. Your mother, she is a smart woman. She knows how to survive. And once you learn that too, how to survive, then you will be able to help her.

Ira: [to Bayou] Listen to me. You want to help your mother? Leanne? Then you sing. You think of her, and you sing.

Bayou: I was scared to death, Ira.
Ira: Oh, you were great.
Bayou: Been singing here for weeks, and I’m still shaking.

Bayou: Ain’t nobody trying to take over your gig.
Willie Earl: Then what the hell you trying to do then, huh? See, I done worked my a** off to get here. Now, finally, where my name’s supposed to be, my own damn brother done going to put his.
Bayou: If anybody took your name, it’s that mess you’re pushing up your arm.

Bayou: [from his letters] I really wish you all would tell me how Leanne doing. Ain’t heard nothing from nobody about nothing. Hope she doing alright and that she’s safe. Ira and Mr. Carney even had me make a record called Paper Airplane. Mama, I got to tell you, can’t wait for you to hear it. He tell me it’s doing pretty well too.

Bayou: My mama in trouble down there in Georgia. I need to go see about her.
Ira: Are you insane? Those people tried to kill you.
Bayou: I already know what you’re going to say, Ira. But I done spent my whole life running. I’m going to see about her.

Bayou: I’m going to see about my mama. Whether you with me or not.
Ira: Is this about your mother or Leanne?

Leanne: [to Hattie Mae] I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I can’t stop thinking about Bayou. I pray every day that he’s okay.

Leanne: If I write him a letter, will you mail it for me?
Hattie Mae: Gal, is you crazy? My boy almost got killed behind you.
Leanne: I love your son.
Hattie Mae: Then let him be. All you think about is yourself. You need to start thinking about the folk you hurt. What you would have done if that baby looked colored? What’s wrong with you?

Leanne: [referring to her baby son] I think he’s getting darker.
Citsy: Oh, he look the same to me. Same as yesterday, and the day before that. And the day before that.
Leanne: No, Citsy. I think he’s getting darker.

Bayou: [from his letter] Dear Leanne. I’ll be there Saturday after next. Be ready to leave with me. I ain’t going to argue with you about this, but you’re coming with me.

Leanne: [to baby Johnathan, referring to Bayou] He’s coming to get us, baby.

Hattie Mae: [referring to Leanne] You ain’t tell her Bayou coming, did you?
Citsy: I’m sorry, Hattie.
Hattie Mae: Now how come you do that?
Citsy: He got a right to know that it’s his baby.
Hattie Mae: She best keep her mouth shut.

Willie Earl: [to Bayou] They going to kill you. How I’m going to be glad when they do too. I hate your black a**.

Willie Earl: [to Bayou] You been jealous of me. I went all the way up to Chicago with him. You had to stay home with Mama. You half-breed. Alright? My daddy ain’t your daddy.

Willie Earl: [to Bayou] They shot him right in front of me. His brains was all over me. You know, I wish I ain’t seen all I saw with him sometimes. See, Mama might have loved you more. My daddy sure loved me more than he loved you.

Ira: Are you going somewhere?
Bayou: To the outhouse.
Ira: The body men are waiting by the car. They will go with you.
Bayou: Yeah, I think I know how to hold it, Ira.
Ira: They will go with you. And when you come back, we leave.

Leanne: [to Bayou as they meet to run away] You have a son.

Bayou: I can’t let them do my mama no harm.
Leanne: Please, no. Please stay. Please stay.
Bayou: [as he kisses Leanne] I can’t run no more.
[as Bayou gives himself up, Jackson, John and the rest of the men by hang him]

[from Bayou’s song] “And I’ll spend my lifetime sending paper airplanes to the moon. Praying they get to you. And I’ll spend the rest of my days lost in this craze for you, sending paper airplanes to the moon. Love so divine. All our memories intertwined. I found the truth in your honey eyes, and even though it’s been a while, I still think about your smile every night before I fall asleep. I find you in my dreams, somewhere in the trees.”

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