In America (2002)

Emma Bolger: Ariel

Photos 

Quotes 

• Johnny : Are you okay little girl?

  Christy : Don't "little girl" me. I've been carrying this family on my back for over a year, ever since Frankie died. He was my brother too. It's not my fault that he's dead. It's not my fault that I'm still alive.

  Johnny : Ah, Christy.

  Christy : Mom was always crying because he was her son. But he was my brother too. I cried too... when no one was looking. I talked to him every night.

  Ariel : She did, Dad.

  Christy : I talked to him every night, until...

  Johnny : ...until when?

  Christy : Until I realized I was talking to myself.

• Mateo : I'm an alien, like E.T., from a different planet. My skin is too sensitive for this Earth. The air is too hard for me.

  Ariel : Are you going home like E.T.?

  Mateo : I suppose I'm going home.

• Ariel : Cool!

  Christy : Cool? Where'd you hear that?

  Ariel : I don't know, I just heard it.

  Christy : Ugh, you're already American, it's disgusting!

• [through her camcorder, we see Christy walk into Mateo's empty room - we see the view out the window, and then Christy turns to see Ariel sitting on the couch, grief in her eyes] 

  Ariel : [whispering sadly]  He never said goodbye...

  Christy : What?

  Ariel : [shakily]  He never said goodbye.

• Ariel : What are transvestites?

  Christy : A man who dresses up as a woman.

  Ariel : For Halloween?

  Christy : No, all the time. All the time.

  Ariel : Why?

  Christy : It's just what they do here, OK?

• Ariel : I'm scared.

  Johnny : Don't be scared.

  Ariel : Everyone's dying.

• Mateo : This house is haunted, but it's not scary. It's a magic house.

  Ariel : Frankie believed in magic.

  Mateo : Who's that?

  Ariel : Frankie. Our brother. He died.

  Christy : He fell down some stairs when he was two. We thought he was okay... but there was something in his brain. A brain tumor. It was malignant.

  Ariel : [to Mateo]  Are you crying? Are you?

  Ariel : It's okay, he's in Heaven now.

• Christy : Are you awake, Ariel?

  Ariel : Yeah. Are you, Christy?

  Christy : Yeah.

• Immigration Officer #1 : What's your name little girl?

  Ariel : Ariel.

  Immigration Officer #1 : [to Christy]  And who are you?

  Sarah : She's Christy.

  Immigration Officer #1 : What age are you Christy?

  Ariel : She's ten.

  Immigration Officer #1 : Welcome to America.

• Ariel : What's your name?

  Mateo : Mateo. What's yours?

  Ariel : Ariel, hello.

• Johnny : Why would youse wanna be the same as everybody else?

  Ariel : 'Cause everybody else goes trick-or-treating.

  Sarah : What's that?

  Ariel : It's what they do here for Halloween.

  Johnny : What do you mean? Like, help the Halloween party?

  Christy : No. Not help the Halloween party. You don't ask for help in America. You demand it. Trick-or-treat- you don't ask, you threaten.

  Sarah : You can't do that on our street.

  Christy : Why not?

  Sarah : Because you can't threaten drug addicts and transvestites, that's why.

• [Christy and Ariel are in the shower cooling off] 

  Ariel : Daddy, can we stay in here all day?

  Johnny : Sure.

  Ariel : Dad, America's okay.

  Johnny : Good.

  Ariel : Dad?

  Johnny : What?

  Ariel : Nothing.

  [laughter] 

• Ariel : It's alright, Dad. Mam's breathing's okay.

  Johnny : [trying to fix the air conditioner, it's a boiling summer day]  Is it okay, Sarah?

  Sarah : [smiles reassuringly at Johnny, fanning herself] 

  Ariel : It's the lemon drops; they're magic! You take one and you forget about your breathing.

  Sarah : [opens her mouth to show the lemon drop, grinning]