Ebbie (1995 TV Movie)

Susan Lucci: Elizabeth 'Ebbie' Scrooge

Photos 

Quotes 

• Ebbie : Who are you talking to?

  Jake Marley : My boss. You thought I was tough?

  Jake Marley : [talking to God on his cellphone]  Yes I'm handling it.

  Ebbie : Handling what?

  Jake Marley : Change the agenda Ebbie. Reverse the priorities. I taught you everything.

  Ebbie : Yes Jake, you did.

  Jake Marley : And you know squat! You know the price of everything and the value of nothing. What you sow you reap! Do you remember Eb'? You and me? We used to be such go-getters. Always hungry. Never off the job. Do you remember what we used to say? We said, "There'll be plenty of time to rest when we're dead." Well, there's NOT!

• Ebbie : [while watching the vision of her sister's death]  Why do you show me this! Take it away! I kept my promise, I looked after her child! I know it's my fault... I have never forgotten for one moment that it's my fault! I could se she wasn't feeling well... Francine! Oh, if only I had stayed with her... if I hadn't gone out, you'd still be alive! She said I had a good heart... I don't! I never did. I hate Christmas! I have always hated Christmas!

• Ebbie : My job is important! I have been upfront with you about that from the beginning! So if you're one of those men -...

  Paul : One of those men! My God, Ebbie, don't make me the enemy! I'm glad you like your job, I'm glad that you have a career and that you're successful! You can't imagine how proud I am of you! But -...

  Ebbie : Oh, right, here it comes, the but!

  Paul : You always choose it over me... over us! Every time! You can't tell me I'm wrong, can you?

  [Ebbie is silent] 

  Paul : Can you?

• Ghost of Christmas Past #1 : [watching Ebbie break up with Paul]  What's she thinking, Ms. Scrooge?

  Ebbie : Nobody stays... they say they love you, but they leave you anyway.

  Paul : Goodbye, Ebbie. I'll always love you.

  [He sadly turns and walks away down the stairs as both Ebbies watch] 

  Ebbie : I didn't care if he left... I always knew he would. Can't rely on anybody, you have to take care of yourself.

• Ghost of Christmas Past #2 : [after Ebbie's break-up with Paul]  Looks to me like you cared.

  Ebbie : You're wrong. That's when I stopped caring about everything.

• Jake Marley : [Jake and Ebbie have just taken over Dobson's]  I'm sorry, F.C.

  Mr. Dobson : No, you're not. You two must have been maneuvering behind our backs for months... years. Why not? You've tripled the store's profit, you and Ms. Scrooge. Elizabeth... you always knew how to read the numbers.

  Ebbie : Thank you, F.C., but I promise you it was nothing personal, it's just business.

  Mrs. Dobson : It wasn't just business for us, Ebbie. Dobson's was our family... we built it up from almost nothing and we've taken great pride in what we've accomplished. I will miss not coming in here every morning, but you mustn't worry for us... because this store is not all that we've accomplished in our lives. We have a wonderful family, caring friends, things we love to do... each other.

  [to her husband] 

  Mrs. Dobson : Let's go home.

  [They start to leave, then Mrs. Dobson turns back to Ebbie] 

  Mrs. Dobson : Oh, Ebbie... what happened to that sweet young girl I used to know?

  Jake Marley : Dog eat dog world, Mrs. Dobson. Not her fault.

• Ghost of Christmas Past #1 : [after watching Jake die]  She's got it all now.

  Ghost of Christmas Past #2 : Dream come true?

  Ebbie : She feels so lonely...

  Ghost of Christmas Past #2 : Who does?

  Ebbie : I do... so alone.

• Ghost of Christmas Present : [in a moving driverless car on Christmas Day]  Feel that air!

  [sound of church bells] 

  Ghost of Christmas Present : Listen to that music! All over the city... music! Bells... bells are my favorites. *Ring those bells!* And people singing and laughing and happy! Mmmmmm, and those smells! Evergreen trees and chestnuts roasting and pies baking!

  Ebbie : I suppose you think I should be baking Christmas pies.

  Ghost of Christmas Present : You might give it a try, boss. Bake a pie... sing a song... wish somebody a happy holiday and mean it. We make our own happiness.

• Ebbie : [talking about Tim Cratchit]  He's not going to die, though?

  Ghost of Christmas Present : Everybody dies, boss.

  Ebbie : Yes, but he's just a child!

  Ghost of Christmas Present : Well, too many people in the world anyways. Isn't that what you said?

  Ebbie : I didn't mean him!

  Ghost of Christmas Present : Didn't you? Oh, which ones did you mean?

  Ebbie : [pause, then]  I wasn't thinking.

  Ghost of Christmas Present : Yup, there's a lot of that going around these days.

• Ebbie : [Christmas Present is showing her her neice's party]  These are all a lot of people I could never be comfortable with. I mean, I could never fit in here.

  Chost of Christmas Present : Feeling a little left out, are you?

  Ebbie : I was invited! I was always invited.

• Ebbie : [she's been shown Paul and his wife]  She's lovely, Paul. Oh, such a fool... it could have been me with him.

  Ghost of Christmas Present : Well, who's to say? Maybe it wouldn't have been the best thing, you know? I got to admit... he's a pretty darn nice guy. Time's up... gotta go.

  [She prepares to take them away] 

  Ebbie : [stops Christmas Present]  Paul... I want to be happy... I just don't know how to be happy.

• Ebbie : [she's being shown Ignorance and Poverty]  Are they yours?

  Ghost of Christmas Present : They belong to all of us... but they cling to me. The one is Ignorance... the other is Poverty. Beware them... they can destroy the world.

  Ebbie : They're children... they need security and love! They need loving parents like my niece! Isn't there someone to care for them? Some place?

  Ghost of Christmas Present : Aren't there orphanages? Aren't there shelters?

• Ebbie : [she's being forced to see a vision of herself dying alone in a hospital ward]  I went out of my way for no one... gave nothing of myself... let no one get close. I took no joy in waking up... or lying down. Empty, gray life... and it ends here?

  [she turns to face Christmas Yet-to-Come] 

  Ebbie : The things you've shown me... it's not the way things have to be? Things can be changed... things can change, people can change!

  [Christmas Yet-to-Come points inexorably to the vision of dying Ebbie] 

  Ebbie : No! I'm already a different person than I was! Why show me all this if I'm all past hope? I know I can make things better by being better! I will honor Christmas and I will keep it in my heart, Past, Present and Future! Please! Please!

  [the heart monitor goes flatline with a terrible whine] 

  Ebbie : Spare me!