3 Dynamite Quotes That Drive Home Subtle Lessons Even in Chaos

The principles of great writing are fixed and eternal.

What worked for Shakespeare then works on TwiXter now, albeit each is wearing slightly different clothing. If someone claims to have found a “new” writing hack, you can be sure they are putting a new shade of lipstick on a reliable, steadfast pig.

So, no, I don’t care that Everything, Everywhere All At Once is 3 whole years old, and no, I don’t care that everyone on social media has stopped saying “look, it’s the kid from the Goonies!”, and no, I’m not concerned that the world has already forgotten the movie absolutely cleaned house at the Academy Awards, taking home 7 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Far as I’m concerned, nobody has paid enough attention to the stellar writing in this film. 

The story is great, obviously, but let’s dig in to the dialog.

Here are my favorite 3 quotes from the film. Let’s talk about what they are, why they work, and how you can learn from them. 

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Quote 1 — “You are getting fat”

“You are getting fat. And you never call me even though we have a family plan. And it's free. You only visit when you need something. And you got a tattoo, and I don't care if it's supposed to represent our family. You know I hate tattoos. And of all the places I could be, why would I want to be here with you?”

Two main rhetorical elements at play here. 

The first is a congeries. (Literally “a heap.”). It’s not enough for our main character to say “you’re awful.” She must add dimension to the dialog. With every new dimension added, the characters become more real and believable. 

(Consider going from a 2-Dimensional video to a 3-Dimensional one. Same effect)

The second element at play here is a balance of hypotaxis and parataxis. (Literally, short and long sentences.)

Look at the quote again, this time with word counts over each sentence. 

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Quote 2 — Why I was looking for you

“I wasn't looking for you so I could kill you. I was just looking for someone who could see what I see, feel what I feel.”

The main rhetorical element at play here is parallel structure. 

Each sentence structurally identical, which makes it stick in our head. 

As an added bonus, these two lines have enormous contrast. 

The motivation isn’t murder. It’s connection. 

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Quote 3 — “See the good side of things”

“When I choose to see the good side of things, I'm not being naive. It is strategic and necessary. It's how I've learned to survive through everything. I don't know. The only thing I do know... is that we have to be kind. Please, be kind - especially when we don't know what's going on.”

Don’t get lost in the message yet. 

Let’s look at the structure. 

First, notice that the first sentence begins with an adverb clause. It grounds us in the topic at hand (Waymond’s annoying optimism), and keeps us hooked and waiting for the second half of the line. 

Second, notice the two descriptors: strategic and necessary. These two cold words create enormous contrast (and therefore interest) in Waymond’s “flaw” of warm naivety.

Lastly, the oldest rhetorical trick in the book — repetition — is deployed for one of the movies main points

“Be kind.” 

If you want people to remember something, say it twice. 

If you want to produce great writing, watch movies like this, read the scripts, and then read them again. 

And then read them again. 

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