Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)

Meg Ryan: DeDe, Angelica, Patricia

Photos 

Quotes 

• Patricia : My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement.

• Angelica : Would you like to hear one of my poems?

  Joe Banks : Sure.

  Angelica : Long ago, the delicate tangles of his hair... covered the emptiness of my hand... Would you like to hear it again?

  Joe Banks : Ok.

  Angelica : Long ago, the delicate tangles of his hair... covered the emptiness of my hand.

• Patricia : Joe, nobody knows anything. We'll take this leap and we'll see. We'll jump and we'll see. That's life!

• [Joe is about to jump into the volcano] 

  Patricia : I love you!

  Joe Banks : I love you, too! I've never been in love with anybody before, either! It's great! I'm glad! But the timing stinks.

  [kisses her on the cheek] 

  Joe Banks : I've gotta go.

• Patricia : [addressing Joe his first night aboard the Tweedle Dee]  I've always kept clear of my father's stuff ever since I got out on my own. And now he's pulling me back in. He knew I wanted this boat and he used it and he got me working for him, which I swore I would never do. I feel ashamed because I had a price. He named it and now I know that about myself. And I could treat you like I did back out on the dock, but that would be me kicking myself for selling out, which isn't fair to you. Doesn't make me feel any better. I don't know what your situation is but I wanted you to know what mine is not just to explain some rude behavior, but because we're on a little boat for a while and... I'm soul sick. And you're going to see that.

• Waponi Chief : Do you want to marry him?

  Patricia : Yes.

  Waponi Chief : Do you want to marry her?

  Joe Banks : Yes.

  Waponi Chief : Good. You're married.

  Joe Banks : [shaking the Chief's hand]  Thank you, Chief.

  Patricia : Thank you, Chief.

  Waponi Chief : I'm going now.

• Joe Banks : I have less than six months to live. The Waponis believe they need a human sacrifice or their island is going to sink into the ocean. They have this mineral your father wants so he hired me to leap into their volcano.

  Patricia : What?

  Joe Banks : You're not going to make me say that again, are you?

• Patricia : I wonder where we'll end up?

  Joe Banks : Away from the things of man, my love. Away from the things of man.

• Angelica : I am completely untrustworthy... I'm a flibbertigibbet.

• Angelica : So, what did you do before you signed on with Daddy?

  Joe Banks : I was an advertising librarian for a medical supply company.

  Angelica : Oh, I have no response to that.

• Angelica : You're in a rotten mood.

  Patricia : It's the sunshine. Gets me down.

• Patricia : You're afraid of the commitment? You're gonna have to love and honor me for about 30 seconds.

• Joe Banks : I've never been to L.A. before.

  Angelica : What do you think?

  Joe Banks : It looks fake. I like it!

• Patricia : I'm soul sick.

• Angelica : You must be tired.

  Joe Banks : I don't mind talking.

  Angelica : Well, I do! This is one of those typical conversations where we're all open and sharing our innermost thoughts and it's all bullshit and a lie and it doesn't cost *you* anything!

• Patricia : Yes! I love you. I can feel my heart. I feel like I'm going crazy. You just can't *die* and leave me here in this stinking earth without you.

• Patricia : That outfit's wearing you, Felix.

  Joe Banks : Why are you calling me Felix. My name is Joe.

  Patricia : I am calling you Felix because I do what I want.

• Joe Banks : What's the matter?

  Angelica : Did you ever think about killing yourself?

  Joe Banks : What... Why would you do that?

  Angelica : Why shouldn't I?

  Joe Banks : Because some things take care of themselves. They're not your job; maybe they're not even your business.

• Patricia : It's always gonna be something with you, isn't it Joe?

• Joe Banks : I still have a problem. I have a brain cloud.

  Patricia : A brain cloud... what is a brain cloud?

  Joe Banks : It's - well, maybe I should get a second opinion.

  Patricia : You didn't get a second opinion on something called a brain cloud? I mean what are you, a hypochondriac?

• DeDe : Hi Joe, what's with the shoe?

  Joe Banks : I'm losing my sole.

  DeDe : Yeah.

• Joe Banks : Where do you get your ideas?

  Angelica : You have to understand something about art. It comes from someplace.

• Patricia : Well, I don't know what to say? You tell me you're dying. You tell me you're jumping into a volcano. My mind is a blank.

• Patricia : Whither thou goest, I go.

• Joe Banks : So, what are we hoping for here?

  Patricia : A miracle.

• Patricia : Did you sleep with my, with my sister?

• Patricia : I wonder where we'll end up?

  Joe Banks : Fell away from the things of man, Noah. Away from the things of man.

• Joe Banks : Look. I don't know you. I don't think I know anybody. You're angry. I can, I can see that. I'm very troubled. I'm not ready to...

  [Long pause] 

  Joe Banks : There's only so much time, and you wanna use it well. So I'm here, talking to you. I don't wanna throw that away.

  Angelica : [Beat]  I have no response to that.

• Patricia : [Pushing her way through the Waponi crowd]  Wait! Wait! Wait! Stop right there!

  [to Joe] 

  Patricia : I love you! I've fallen in love with you! I've never loved anybody! I don't know how it happened! I never even slept with him or anything. And now you're gonna kill yourself!

• Joe Banks : Listen to me. If you have a choice between killing yourself and, and doing something you're scared of doing, why not take the leap, and do the thing you're scared of doing?

  Angelica : You mean stop taking money and leave L.A.?

  Joe Banks : You see? You know what you're scared of doing. Why don't you do it? See what happens?