Ten Most Inspiring Movie Quotes from Up Close and Personal

Advertised with the quote, "Passion brought them together - Only success could tear them apart," Up Close and Personal is a well-written movie loaded with poignant messages and great, inspirational movie quotes.

The main characters, Warren Justice [played by Robert Redford] and Tally Atwater [played by Michelle Pfeiffer] are both in the TV news business, and are absolutely crazy about one another. The story follows their relationship professionally and personally, with many touching and inspiring messages about real and enduring love along the way.

Though the following movie quotes may not be powerful unto themselves, in context, they are tremendous messages of love, devotion, and compassion. There are more great movie quotes in Up Close and Personal than are listed here, which is more incentive for the movie to be watched for the first time, or again.

"If you're hungry enough to fake it, you might be hungry enough to do it"~ Warren Justice

Desk worker Sally Atwater has been angling to get a shot at being an on camera reporter. Her boss, Warren Justice gives her a shot at doing the weather segment, in order to prove a point to his own boss. As she begins, he changes her first name to Tally, because it is easier to say. She bumbles through the first part of the weather segment, but in the end, makes a great save.

Unfortunately, she hears the other employees making fun of her performance, and realizes Warren set her up in order to prove a point. They argue about it later, and during the argument it is that her education and work history was largely 'faked' by her in order to get the desk worker job. She tells Warren to go ahead and fire her, but his reply makes a huge point.

Warren recognized that the passion and drive someone feels about accomplishing something; the passion and drive that Tally had for becoming a news reporter, are key elements in achieving success. He looked past the technical data of her background, and saw her potential - and then gave her a real chance to live up to it.

"I expected to get him on camera . . . and I did" ~ Tally Atwater

Warren's former wife and famous reporter, Joanna Kennelly [played by Kate Nelligan] flirts with Warren on the scene of a news event in front of Tally, whom she suspects is the latest woman Warren is mentoring and has his eye on. When she cattily asks Tally if she really expected to get a certain public figure to give her a statement, Tally very graciously replies with her simple "I expected to get him on camera . . . and I did". She then asks very kindly, "How would you do it?" to which Joanna cattily replies, "Oh, perfectly".

The grace under fire feeling of Tally's statement, and how she handled herself in the face of a competitor in several arenas, is inspiring to women everywhere who face similar challenges. It's a movie quote containing a tremendous lesson in being kind and being true to yourself regardless of what others think, say, feel, or do.

"That interests me" ~ Warren Justice

Tally takes off unexpectedly to help her sister out of a bad situation. When a faxed request for an advance comes in, Warren decides to make a pit stop during his trip, with the cash, in order to find out what is going on with his new reporter.

Embarrassed when he shows up unexpectedly and pays off her sister's bill in front of the sleazy proprietor, Tally lashes out at Warren. An argument ensures in which Tally goes off on a tangent, to which Warren replies he is not interested in what he is hearing. Tally pauses, and then gets to the heart of the issue, which explains why she lashed out at Warren, who was only trying to help. His reply is that her opening up about things so close to her heart is interesting to him.

Warren, knowing that there was more to the story than what Tally was saying, and not taking her rant personally, used the perfect words to get her to get on track, and to get to the heart of what was really going on. The way he handled it in this well-written movie quote allowed her to keep some self-respect while making the personal check on her own behavior that she needed to. It is a great movie quote example of how to be patient but firm with others, and that there may be something underneath someone's lashing out that can be compassionately considered.

"I knew you'd go" ~ Warren Justice

As they grow closer, Tally and Warren begin a conversation about beginning a relationship. At that moment, information broadcasts across the scanner (which Warren always leaves on) about a story that would be a great one for Tally to cover and would allow her to be 'first on the scene'. Her choice, in that moment, is to spend time with Warren and perhaps furthering their relationship, or to drop it all to go cover the story.

Tally asks Warren what he wants. Knowing she needs to do what is right for her, he says nothing. As Tally shrugs off his silence, and leaves to cover the story; Warren chuckles, and admits he knew she would go.

Warren knew if he said he wanted her to stay she would have, but he also knew she had to make her own decision and do what was right for her. He knew at that time, what was right for her was to pursue her career over pursuing things between them. That kind of maturity and respect in a relationship is what makes this movie quote a wonderful and inspiration message to all.

"But you want to" ~ Joanna Kennelly

Joanna Kennelly walks out of a meeting with Bucky Terranova [played by Joe Mantegna], who is an agent for television reporters. She spots Tally, and this time greets her kindly. She asks Tally if she knows Bucky, Tally replies she does not. Joanna replies with her insightful wisdom that Tally wants to. The implication is also there that Tally needs to get acquainted with this man if she truly desires to further her career.

Joanna immediately proceeds to introduce Bucky to Tally. While Tally may well be competition for Warren and professionally, Joanna puts all of that aside, and helps the woman she sees with tremendous potential, who was kind to her in spite of her cattiness at their last meeting.

Learning how to be kind and do what is right are wonderful things. This scene and this movie quote both illustrate that even if people get off to a rough start, things can be changed. It just takes one person being kind.

"What is it you want?" ~ Tally Atwater

Once again, Tally asks Warren what he wants in relation to her going or pursuing things with him. This time, she has met with Bucky Terranova, and been offered a weekend anchor spot in another city. When she meets up with Warren later, he already knows what is going on.

When she asks him this time, he struggles as if he wants to say something but can't because, again, he does not want to influence her. This time, though, she tells him he knows what she wants, and when he says its to go to Philadelphia, she says 'no', and leans over to him to kiss him.

Now that she is no longer being mentored by him, and feels more confident about herself and her career, she feels more like his equal and better able to express that what she wants is him.

Things change and people change, and this quote illustrates that sometimes those changes are all part of what brings people together . . .and that it is up to us to recognize those opportunities when they come, as this movie quote so beautifully illustrates.

"I've already been where you're going" ~ Warren Justice

After Tally and Warren spend time together before she has to leave for Philadelphia, she asks him to go with her. He tells her he has already been where she is going. She tells him he could go again, but he explains it does not work that way.

This movie quote sticks out because of its poignancy. Though they are on more equal footing, he still has time and experience on her, and knows that she needs to take on this part of her journey without him - to test her wings. He loves her enough to give her that space and freedom, and it is a great message about loving someone.

"Long Enough"- Warren Justice

Tally is struggling with her new job in Philadelphia, and finds herself bending under the pressure put on her by the competitive and shrewish seasoned newswoman, Marcia McGrath [played by Stockard Channing]. In her calls to Warren, she hides and downplays the situation, but he knows something is wrong. He shows up at the station, as a surprise to her, and when she asks him how long he can stay, his answer is 'long enough'.

Though it is more deeply discussed later in the movie, at the time when he first utters those words, it is all Tally needs to hear. She needs him with her to help her find herself again, and his vow to stay 'long enough' for her to do that, gives her the peace and relief she needs.

Being there for someone as long as he or she needs us to be is yet another movie quote about the meaning of real love.

" . . .everything shuts down" ~Warren Justice

Tally explains in frustration to Warren that she cannot do anything correctly without his presence. He tells her it is not true. As she struggles with the words, she begins to make a statement that he finishes as he understands not only where she is going with her words, but also as he shows that he knows just what she is feeling. She says, "When we're not together . . ." to which he states, " . . .everything shuts down."

There is saying often used with romantic connotations that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts' which means that more is accomplished by the whole unit than could be accomplished by each part, or individual, on their own. In a true loving partnership, that is very much the result of the sheer power and force that seems to come from such a union. What the two characters said in this movie quote has the same meaning - they are far more together than they are apart.

"So much it hurts"~ Warren Justice

Now Warren's wife, Tally gets a premium job offer that would require a move. It would also separate them again unless they find a way to work together or he comes along for the ride. Warren encourages her to go, again reiterating the point that he has been where she is going and maybe for now their paths professionally need to part again. Bewildered, Tally asks Warren if he wants to be with her. His reply "So much it hurts" is just the beginning of the beautiful way in which he describes how much she means to him, and how much he does, indeed, want to be with her.

Touching, heartfelt, and terribly romantic, this movie quote is a beautiful illustration of how loving someone 'so much it hurts' also means letting them do what is best for them, at the expense of your own comfort.

SOURCE:

Up Close and Personal. Dir. By Jon Avnet. With Robert Redford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stockard Channing, Joe Mantegna, Kate Nelligan, Glenn Plummer, and James Rebhorn. Touchstone Pictures, 1996.