James Leeds: [talking to Sarah while she is in the university swimming pool after hours] Sarah, please listen to me. I'm not going away. I did the wrong thing. I'm sorry. I - I don't know what to say. Tell me what to say. Sarah, you are the most mysterious, beautiful, angry person I have ever met. I am falling in l...

[Sarah quickly backs away from the pool ledge, clearly uneasy]

James Leeds: Sarah... Sarah! I am falling... into the pool with you!

[falls forward into pool]
James Leeds: Do you think that we could find a place where we can meet - not in silence and not in sound?
[Translating Sarah's sign language]

James Leeds: "Sex was always something I could do as well as hearing girls. Better. First, I let them have me; because, they wanted to. Before long, the boys were lined up on a waiting list my sister kept for me. No introduction. No talk. Just - into a dark place... Didn't even take me out for a coke first."
James Leeds: I can't ever get close enough. Say my name, just once, say my name.
Dr. Curtis Franklin: Yelling at the back of a deaf person, very good James.
James Leeds: You can't start a bonfire and then say night night.
James Leeds: [at the end of the school year, James encounters deaf student William who has a tendency to use his newly-developed speech skills for profanity] Language skills can be dangerous, so use a little common sense. So long, William.

William: So long, fuck-face!
James Leeds: Speak to me!

Sarah Norman: [screams] Here you go! Hear my words! Hear my voice! Ah, you want more than that? I'm gonna scream!
James Leeds: Hi. I'm James Leeds. My signing is rusty so how many of you can read lips?

[after a moment of silence]

James Leeds: No one? OK. Class dismissed!

[Everybody leaves the class]

James Leeds: No, no, no, no. Just testing, sit down. Lydia and Tony, good lip-readers.

[to Johnny]

James Leeds: Do you mind closing your notebook?
[first lines]

Dr. Curtis Franklin: This is the most amazing résumé I've ever seen.

James Leeds: I've been with some really good schools. The best.

Dr. Curtis Franklin: All of them. All of the best. One right after another. You've also been with the Lucky Erin Bar and Grill.

James Leeds: Pittsburgh. Bartender.

Dr. Curtis Franklin: And a disc jockey.

James Leeds: Yeah, that was in Oklahoma. I used to broadcast in sign language.

Dr. Curtis Franklin: You've covered all the map, Mr. Leeds.

James Leeds: I've got a lot of energy.

Dr. Curtis Franklin: I'm sure you do have a lot of energy and a lot of new ideas. I did too when...

[signing like a long time ago]

Dr. Curtis Franklin: But nobody's trying to change the world around here. Just trying to help a few deaf kids get along a little better. But that's all. Everything else is razzle-dazzle. Am I making myself clear?

James Leeds: Yes, I believe that are you.
James Leeds: [to Sarah after realizing music is empty for him now] I can't enjoy it. I can't... because you can't.
James Leeds: Hey! I know that sign. That's the first sign I ever learned!
James Leeds: Please, please, let me help you, damn it!

[translating Sarah's sign language]

James Leeds: "How? By showing you the joys of *sex* with a hearing man?"
James Leeds: I was thinking poor little deaf virgin? Who spread her legs for every...? You think that I'm threatened by that? You think that I give a good God damn that you *fucked* every pimply-faced teenager? I don't. I don't give a shit!
James Leeds: Did you know that waves strike the average beach about 750,000 times a day?

[Sarah signs a comment]

James Leeds: That's true. I just made it up.
Dr. Curtis Franklin: Nobody is going to fuck with one of my students!

James Leeds: She's not a student! She's a 25 year old woman!

Dr. Curtis Franklin: Nobody is going to fuck with one of my employees, either.

Children of a Lesser God Quotes

Extended Reading

Children of a Lesser God short comments

Kameron 2022-04-22 07:01:55

She is beautiful and God's darling
Mariano 2022-03-27 09:01:21

In fact, I really want to learn to be a special education. Although my mother scolded me for being a snake, they are too cute. What is the importance of language, he kept wanting her to speak, probably because men always subconsciously regard themselves as saviors. The beautiful hearing-impaired actor was 21 years and 218 days old when he won the Olympic Award, which is better than his cousin, who was the youngest at 22 years and 215 days. I think it is because she has never felt voices that she has such precise facial speech.