The Whale (2022) Best Movie Quotes

Thomas: Look, I know that you don’t trust me. And I know that I haven’t known him for very long, but I really think that God brought me here, right when Charlie needs it the most. I just want him to be saved, that’s all.
Liz: You listen to me! He doesn’t need saving! In a few days, he’s probably going to be dead. So what he needs is for you to leave him alone. I’m the only one who can help him. Do you understand me?

Charlie: [reading from Ellie’s notebook] “This apartment smells. This notebook is retarded. I hate everyone.”

Ellie: I kind of hate you.
Charlie: Yeah. Well, you hate everyone.

Charlie: You know, I was in a really strange place in my life when I married your mom.
Ellie: Did I f***ing ask?

Charlie: [to Ellie] You don’t have to be angry at the whole world. You can just be angry at me.

Ellie: [to Charlie] You can’t throw me away like a piece of garbage, and then suddenly just want to be my dad eight years later. You left me for your boyfriend. It’s that simple. And if you’ve been telling yourself anything different, then you’re lying to yourself. But you know what? I’m glad. I’m glad, because you taught me something very important. People are a**holes. Most people learn that way too late. You taught me that when I was eight. Thank you for that.

Ellie: You could have just f***ing called me. All this time, you could have been a part of my life.
Charlie: Ellie. Look at me. Who would want me to be a part of their life?

Charlie: You’re an amazing person, Ellie. I hope you know what an amazing person you are. I couldn’t ask for a more incredible daughter.

Thomas: [after Ellie puts Ambien in Charlie’s sandwich] Where did you get Ambien?
Ellie: I had sex with a pharmacist. I’m kidding. Gross. My mom pops them like Tic Tacs.

Thomas: [referring to pot] I was smoking every day. I had a problem.
Ellie: You were a stoner. You had a hobby.

Thomas: [referring to pot] Can I take another hit?
Ellie: It goes against your religion, and that makes you a hypocrite.

Ellie: [to Thomas] Do you find me attractive? Because I’m not attracted to you at all, just to let you know. I’m not trying to be mean or anything. I just don’t think you’re very good-looking. Or interesting. Or intelligent.

Thomas: [after confessing he stole money from his youth group] I thought I could use this money for my own mission. You know, see my faith save just one person. But now I’m almost out of money. And I just, I can’t go home. And my parents probably want to disown me. I don’t know what to do.
Ellie: You’re more interesting to me now.
Thomas: Thanks.
Ellie: So, that’s why you want to save my dad.

Charlie: The money is for Ellie. It’s always been for Ellie. If there was ever any kind of emergency, I would have given you the money.
Liz: Would you?

Ellie: Listen to me. Listen. I don’t care about you! Get that through your f***ing skull.
Charlie: Ellie, please.
Ellie: Just f***ing die already!

Mary: That positivity. It’s so annoying.
Charlie: You’re a complete cynic. Just trying to balance us out.
Mary: Yeah. I guess I do miss that. That one thing.
Charlie: Just that?
Mary: That, and the cooking.

Mary: I never knew you were doing this to yourself.
Charlie: Well, you never asked how I was doing.
Mary: You never asked how I was doing either.

Charlie: I know I made a lot of mistakes. But I just wanted to see her, Mary. I’ve always just wanted to see her.
Mary: It’s all about you. Even now, huh?

Mary: [referring to Ellie] She’s a terror. And you think it’s my fault.
Charlie: Wait, is that why you kept her from me all this time? Because you thought that I would think that you’re a bad mother?
Mary: At first. But later, when she was fifteen, sixteen, I was worried she would hurt you.

Charlie: [referring to Ellie’s bullying social media comments] This isn’t evil. This is honesty. Do you know how much bulls**t I’ve read in my life?

Mary: I never got to say that I was sorry.
Charlie: What would you have to be sorry about?
Mary: That’s not what I mean. I mean, about your friend.

Charlie: [to Mary] That was the first time we’ve all been together in almost nine years. Do you realize that? When Ellie was little, when we took that trip to the Oregon Coast together, Ellie played in the sand, and we laid out on the beach. I went swimming in the ocean. That was the last time I ever went swimming, actually.

Charlie: I’m dying, Mary.
Mary: F*** you.
Charlie: I’m sorry.

Charlie: I need to make certain that she’s going to be okay. We can’t give up on her.
Mary: You already gave up on her! You gave up on her when she was eight years-old!
Charlie: I wish I could have been a part of her life, Mary, a part of both of your lives.

Charlie: [referring to Ellie] I need to know that she’s going to have a decent life. Where she cares about people, and other people care about her. And she’s going to be okay.

Charlie: She doesn’t have anyone else! I need to know that I have done one thing right with my life!
Mary: We both played our parts. I raised her, and you’re giving her the money. It’s the best we could do.

Charlie: [writing a message for his students] F*** these ridiculous essays. F*** these readings. Just write something f***ing honest.

Charlie: You think Alan died because he chose to be with me? You think God turned his back on him because he and I were in love?
Thomas: Yes.

Charlie: You know something? I wasn’t always this big.
Thomas: Yeah. I know.
Charlie: I mean, I wasn’t the best-looking guy in the room, but Alan loved me. He thought I was beautiful.

Thomas: Charlie, God is ready to help you.
Charlie: Oh, I hope that there isn’t a God. Because I hate to think that there’s an afterlife, and that Alan can see what I have done to myself.

Charlie: [to his students] Well, your complaints have been heard. I’ve been replaced by someone who will, no doubt, have you rewrite, and rewrite, and rewrite, be more objective, less authentic, less you, with every draft.

Charlie: [to his students] You all wrote these amazing, honest things, and you’ve been so honest with me that I just want to be honest with you too.
[he then switches on his webcam so that his students can see him]

Charlie: [to his students] These assignments don’t matter. This course doesn’t matter. College doesn’t matter. These amazing, honest things that you wrote, they matter.

Charlie: I’m not going to the hospital.
Liz: I’m not asking you to. I can’t do this anymore.

Charlie: I tried to save him, Liz. I thought that if I just loved him, that he wouldn’t need anyone else. I told him he didn’t need God, he didn’t need anyone but me.
Liz: Charlie, all I know is that you gave Alan the best years of his life. If it weren’t for you, he would have jumped off that bridge years earlier. Nobody could’ve saved him. Believe me, I spent years trying.

Charlie: [referring to Ellie and Thomas] He’s going home. She did that. She didn’t do it to hurt him. She did it to send him home.

Ellie: I failed.
Charlie: It’s a really good essay.
Ellie: Are you just trying to screw me over one last time? I don’t care about you! I don’t care that you’re dying. Do you want me to fail out of high school? Is that why you did this?
Charlie: I didn’t write it.

Charlie: I’m sorry for leaving you. I was in love, and I left you behind. You did not deserve that. I don’t know how I could have done such a thing. You’re so beautiful. You’re amazing.
Ellie: Stop.
Charlie: You’re amazing. This essay is amazing. This essay is you.

Charlie: [to Ellie] You’re the best thing I have ever done.

Charlie: [to Ellie] You’re perfect. You’ll be happy. You care about people.

Charlie: [referring to her essay] You’ll help if you read it.
Ellie: F*** you.
Charlie: Please.
Ellie: F*** you!
Charlie: Ellie!
Ellie: Daddy, please.
[she stops, turns, and reads her essay as Charlie starts walking towards her and then begins to float towards a white light]