Speak (2004)

Allison Siko: Heather

Photos 

Quotes 

• Heather : [to Melinda]  I hate being a Martha. You were so right not to join. I mean all I am is their little slave. Okay, it was supposed to be me and Meg and Siobhan decorating the Holiday Inn for prom. And now Meg and Siobhan can't do it and I'm totally screwed! Mel, you have to help me! They have some sales meeting in there until like 3:00, but then they'll let us start and I know we can do it!

  [Melinda blankly stares at her] 

  Heather : You are so great! I owe you big time! What if I help you redecorate your room? I know, a nice seafoam green!

  Melinda Sordino : [hesitates]  No...

  Heather : Okay. Or something rich like... like eggplant!

  Melinda Sordino : No, I mean, I won't help you.

  Heather : But you have to.

  Melinda Sordino : No, I don't.

  Heather : But why?

  Melinda Sordino : Because I was nice to you in the beginning of school when I didn't even like you and you blew me... blew me off because you're a self-centered social climber! And you know what? I know what I wanna do to my room and it doesn't involve eggplant. I think you should go.

• Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. No one really cares what you have to say.

  Heather : So here's the plan. We join 5 clubs. One for every day of the week. Not like Latin club, but cool stuff. What do you wanna join? Hey, maybe we can tutor kids at the elementary school. What about your friends from last year? Don't you know Nicole?

  Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  I wonder how long it would take for anyone to notice if I just stopped talking.

• Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  We're studying American history for the ninth time in nine years. Every year they say we're gonna get right up to the present, but we always get stuck in the industrial revolution.

  Mr. Neck : My family has been in this country for over 200 years. We built this place. We fought in every war, from the first one to the last one, paid our taxes and voted. So tell me why my son can't get a job?

  [a number of students raise their hand, but he ignores them] 

  Mr. Neck : Reverse discrimination. He wanted to be a firefighter. Went up for the job but he didn't get it. What I'm suggesting here is maybe if we had closed our borders in 1900, then real Americans would get the jobs they deserved.

  [the Native American student raises his hand but the teacher points to Heather] 

  Mr. Neck : Young lady.

  Heather : Um, I think that we're all foreigners and should just give the country back to the Native Americans.

  Mr. Neck : Now we have a debate, don't we? "Native Americans"?

  black student : Maybe your son didn't get the job because he wasn't good enough. Or maybe he's lazy. Or maybe the other guy was just better than him.

  Mr. Neck : Watch your mouth, mister. That's my son you're talking about. You know what? That's enough debate. Everybody take out your book.

  [Dave stands up to speak] 

  Mr. Neck : Mr. Petrakis, please take your seat.

  David Petrakis : If the class is debating, then each student has the right to say what's on his mind.

  Mr. Neck : I decide who talks in here, Mr. Petrakis.

  David Petrakis : You opened a debate. You can't close it just because it's not going your way.

  Mr. Neck : Watch me! Take your seat, Mr. Petrakis!

  David Petrakis : The Constitution does not recognize different levels of citizenship based upon the time spent in the country. As a citizen and a student, I'm protesting the tone of this lesson as racist, intolerant and xenophobic.

  Mr. Neck : Sit your butt in that chair, Mr Petrakis, and watch your mouth! I try to get this debate going and you people turn it into a "race" thing. Sit down, Mr. Petrakis, or you're gonna go down to the principal's office.

  [Dave walks out of the room] 

  Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  Dave Petrakis is my new hero.

• Heather : This is really awkward. No matter what... no, I don't wanna say that. I mean, we kinda paired up at the beginning of school when I was new and didn't know anyone and that was really really sweet of you, but I think it's time that we both admit to each other that we're just very different people. I mean, I have my modeling and I like to shop...

  Melinda Sordino : I like to shop.

  Heather : You don't like anything. You're the most depressed person I've ever met. And excuse me for saying this, but I think you need professional help.

  Melinda Sordino : So you're blowing me off because I'm a little depressed?

  Heather : Once you get through this "life sucks" phase, I'm sure lots of people will wanna be your friend. But for right now, I don't think we should have lunch together.

• loudspeaker : Attention, Merryweather students. The final tally is in. Bees: 35. Icebergs: 17. Hilltoppers: 6. Wombats: 84. We will now be the home of the Merryweather Wombats.

  Heather : What rhymes with "wombats"?

  loudspeaker : For those of you who didn't vote, maybe you've learned a valuable lesson today about democracy.

  [Melinda flips off the loudspeaker]