Miguel: [back home after being given in adoption to a pedophiliac dentist] At first it was fun, but I am too young to be tied down.
Lucas Villalba: Letters from Hitler?

Antonio: Yeah, she was a bit of a Nazi. I'm going to tell you a secret. I wrote them.

Lucas Villalba: What?

Antonio: I copy handwriting, but I'm not a forger. I did it for her, for Ingrid Muller.

Lucas Villalba: The one who was mad about you.

Antonio: Not that I like it, but she asked me to, and women, when thy want something...

Lucas Villalba: Didn't anyone find you out?

Antonio: Of course not. Not even Hitler, may he rest in peace, would have known.
Abuela: How's the homework going?

Toni: It's crap.

Abuela: I'll give you a hand.

Toni: Let's see. Tell me who are the romantics and who are the realists?

Toni: Ibsen.

Abuela: Romantic.

Toni: Lord Byron.

Abuela: Realist.

Toni: Goethe.

Abuela: Another realist.

Toni: And Balzac.

Abuela: Romantic. See how easy it is.

Toni: It sure is.
Abuela: Your feet are just like your father's. When you take your shoes off, it's the same strong and powerful smell as your father's. I can hardly breathe.
Abuela: Don't lose your temper, Gloria, you'll have a breakdown.
Cristal: You don't have a whip, do you?

Gloria: A whip? No.

Cristal: Tonight's client would like a whip. If I don't take him one, he might leave.

Gloria: He wants to beat you?

Cristal: He wouldn't dare!
Lucas Villalba: What's that?

Cristal: A stick. I couldn't find a whip. Shall I start beating you?

Lucas Villalba: Of course not. What I wanted was some commonplace scene of elegant, sophisticated sadism, like in French films.
Cristal: You're not a real sadist.

Lucas Villalba: Of course not! I just wanted some information to write a little prono novel. A best-seller type.
Cristal: Want a little something?

Lucas Villalba: Yeah, bend over. I'm getting this great idea that'd make more money than a porno novel.

Cristal: Aren't writers wicked?

Lucas Villalba: Yeah, the good ones.
Cristal: Will you come back?

Lucas Villalba: I don't know.

Cristal: If you don't, I'll tell your wife.

Lucas Villalba: You don't know her! She's a witch!

Cristal: I just wanted to excite you, I wouldn't do that.
Cristal: The sooner you learn about what life is about, the better. Here. If you need something else, just ask. Better start with me than any slut.
Toni: If you screw my brother, I'll give you a line.

Cristal: How big?

Toni: A fiver.

Cristal: Really? I'll try, then.
Miguel: Hi, Mom.

Gloria: You know what time it is?

Miguel: I've been studying at Raul's.

Gloria: You were in bed with his father.

Miguel: So what? It's my body, isn't it? What's for supper?
Cristal: You like costumes?

Miguel: No.

Cristal: Boys are a bore!
Lucas Villalba: Maids inspire writers. Truman Capote wrote his best novel with his maid.

Patricia: To write like him, you'll need more than a maid.
Cristal: Do you want to make some easy money?

Gloria: For God's sake!

Cristal: You don't have to move! He's waiting.

Gloria: Don't be crazy! I'm not starting at my age. Antonio will be here any minute.

Cristal: It won't take long. All you have to do is sit by the bed and watch. He's an exhibitionist. It couldn't be easier.

Gloria: Okay, but if he touches me, I'm off. I'm not in a joking mood today.
Cliente 'Striptease': At first glance, I may look too thin, but don't believe it. My arms, for example, are stronger than they look. But a man doesn't screw with his arms. My torso may seem too skinny, but a man doesn't screw with his torso. My legs? My legs aren't those of a sportsman, but a man doesn't screw with his legs. What does a man screw with? You? You?

Gloria: With his cock.

Cristal: With his cock?

Cliente 'Striptease': Exactly. That's what I'm getting at. I have a huge cock! Every time I enter a woman's vagina, I destroy her!

Gloria: Jesus!

Cliente 'Striptease': That's why I've got to go with whores with big cunts stretched through use. Normal women won't go with me. They should like it, but they're scared. And my spunk! You can't imagine what it's like. So white! So thick! Such pressure. It's like a geyser! Great for the skin.
Antonio: Women today just won't stay home!
Antonio: I don't want you hanging around Cristal.

Gloria: Quiet, she'll hear you! Cristal is like a sister to me.

Antonio: She's a whore!

Gloria: So what?

Antonio: They could mistake you for one!

Gloria: Really? You think that any man would pay to sleep with me looking like this?
Antonio: I don't want you to work anywhere, got it?

Gloria: What about the rent? And the television payments? And the service charges? And the children's clothes? And the doctors and food?

Antonio: You're always thinking about luxuries!
Gloria: We live like gypsies and you don't want me to work. Do you think I enjoy it?

Antonio: There are more important things than money.
Antonio: I forbid you to be with Cristal! And you're not going back to that writer's! Let them clean their own shit!

Gloria: Give me money, then, and I won't go back!
Lucas Villalba: Why don't you put on a little makeup?

Patricia: Why don't you make up your prick?
Patricia: The Lebanon crisis worries me.

Lucas Villalba: The Lebanon crisis. You're my Lebanon!
Abuela: What's going on today?

Toni: I think I'll go to school.

Abuela: To school again? But you already know everything.
Gloria: Give me some Dexedrine or something like that. I'm a nervous wreck!
Vanessa: Why don't you adopt me?

Gloria: I'm not such a good mother either.

Vanessa: Then I'll adopt you.
Juani: Why don't you stick your tongue up your ass?
Cristal: She's bitter because no one looks at her. Not all women can have a body like mine, that makes men go wild, but being ugly doesn't mean you have to be rude.
Lucas Villalba: What luck you have!

Patricia: Speak for yourself. You're jinxed!
Pedro: Impotence is caused by what we call anxiety of execution.

Cristal: [with Polo, pretending to be his girlfriend] Yes, of course.

Pedro: Too much importance is given to coitus. There are other ways to find pleasure.

Cristal: Yes, many, many.

Pedro: Accordingly, try to avoid an erection. We will start with some re-sensualization exercises. You've got nice bodies.

Cristal: Thank you very much.

Pedro: So play with them and enjoy them, but no erection and, of course, no penetration. And the anxiety will disappear.

Cristal: Yeah, but if he gets...? Well, you understand me.

Pedro: Gets an erection? No, I don't think so.

Cristal: Yes, but from what you've told us... Well, he very well could...

Pedro: In that case, it's up to you two.
Polo: I always run into her, the odd looks she gives me.

Cristal: What the poor thing needs is a nice big dick. If we manage to fix your plumbing, you could give her a hand.

Polo: You haven't told her about us, have you?

Cristal: Of course not! It's a professional secret.
Cristal: Start taking off your clothes.

Polo: No, you do it for me.

Cristal: You've got some nerve.
Cristal: Let's check you out.

Polo: And you, too.

Cristal: Me? How dare you? "High quality," as they say. Touch me through my clothes, it's sexier.
Polo: If you don't charge me, I won't mention the heroin.

Cristal: What heroin?

Polo: In the Chinese box.

Cristal: Can't you stop poking about? You won't ever get cured like this, and things like this take time.

Polo: It excites me more if you - if you don't charge me.

Cristal: I take it now and then to lose weight. Heroin cuts your appetite, in case you didn't know.

Polo: But you look fine.

Polo: You want me to look like a cow?

Cristal: You're such a flatterer! Such a silly cop! It's growing.

Polo: Better that way.

Cristal: I like it, but it makes me nervous, like the psychiatrist said...

Polo: Forget him!

Cristal: Forget the heroin!

Polo: You are the only heroine here.

What Have I Done to Deserve This? Quotes

Extended Reading

What Have I Done to Deserve This? short comments

Junius 2022-06-08 22:49:07

C＋/ If the first three parts show more control of the narrative rhythm and public interest of marginalized groups, this part initially reveals Almodovar's directorial ability. Magically make the life picture of the bottom group sway between the trivial bleakness of life reality and the humorous melodrama, until the end with a low narrative density lens to extract abundance of emotions, not condescending but so pitiful. If you want to shoot the bottom, it's better to learn this one than to imitate "The Unknown" and his like. :)
Amber 2022-06-08 21:36:58

Obviously, "Why should I be fate like this" hides the history of Almodovar's growth. We can find many shadows of his later expressionist works in his early magical realism style works. In the irreversible "Bad Education", he tells the "Kika" of "All About My Mother" and "Life and Fragrance" and where he comes from following the "Law of Desire". This is the vision and world view of a lizard.