- Howard Nichols: You know, someone once called me a molester.
- [scoffs]
- Howard Nichols: Molesters force kids, hurt them; I love them. And I don't think love between consenting humans is wrong.
- Jane Rizzo: [last lines of film, in voice-over, giving her closing argument during Howard's trial] And so, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we ask all adults to look at those below our eye level. To take seriously America's current adult-child relations. There are one million runaways today. Child suicide has tripled in the last ten years; thirty each day. More than half the patients in our mental institutions are under twenty-one. Many children rarely relate to their parents, to the adults in their community, or the adults on television. And into this void walks the pedophile, the child lover. Now, we don't want to suggest that every coach, every teacher, every adult our children come in contact with is a pedophile. It is possible that he or she might be, but it is not possible for our children to be psychologically seduced by these sick people, if we know and love and discipline and talk to and discover what is in the very bright minds of the youngsters in our lives. We do want to suggest to you, the jury, that we can take one step closer in spanning America's adult-child chasm by finding Howard Nichols guilty.
- Jennifer Phillips: [voice trembling] Howard, I do think that you love me. All of us. And I tried to believe everything was right - normal, like you said - but I know now it wasn't. And you don't understand it, and you have to. Maybe I was a wh...
- [intends to say "whore", but trails off]
- Jennifer Phillips: I'm not anymore.
- [rides away on her bicycle]
- Howard Nichols: Yes?
- Sherry Phillips: Mrs. Krebs, the manager?
- [Howard unlatches the chain and opens the door]
- Sherry Phillips: [rushes into the apartment, physically attacking Howard in a fit of rage] It was YOU!
- Jennifer Phillips: Mommy!
- Howard Nichols: [attempting to shield himself from Sherry's hands and fists] Please don't! Don't, please!
- Sherry Phillips: You bastard!
- [pounds Howard with her fists as he falls to the floor]
- Howard Nichols: [trying to shield himself from the blows] Don't! Stop! I was getting her to come home!
- Jennifer Phillips: Mommy, stop!
- Sherry Phillips: What kind of monster are you? You are not a monster, you are worse!
- Howard Nichols: [retreating towards the couch] You don't understand.
- Sherry Phillips: Understand? Oh my God, I understand; look at these children! I finally understand!
- Howard Nichols: Please, listen...
- Sherry Phillips: I listened, all right? Get away from her!
- [slaps Howard some more]
- Sherry Phillips: God! I saw that window; before, I hoped - I really hoped - that this was your second apartment. I hoped it wasn't you!
- Howard Nichols: I love those kids better than their parents! Better than you!
- Sherry Phillips: After what you've done to them? Come on, Jennifer.
- Howard Nichols: I've taken them places; I bought them things!
- Sherry Phillips: You have used them! Let's go, boys.
- Howard Nichols: I've given them love!
- Sherry Phillips: Love?
- [to the boys, insistent]
- Sherry Phillips: Let's go!
- Howard Nichols: I've given them love!
- Sherry Phillips: Love? Oh, my God!
- [to Jennifer and the boys]
- Sherry Phillips: Go!
- Howard Nichols: I never hurt you. Any of you! Don't leave, please; you're the most important things in my life.
- [steps into the hall, where Sherry, Jennifer and the boys are making their exit]
- Howard Nichols: I love you all very, very, very much!
- Sherry Phillips: [sees Jennifer looking back at Howard as he pleads] Come on, honey; let's go!
- Howard Nichols: Please don't hurt me!
- [watches as they exit the building, then steps back inside the boys' apartment, realizing he'll soon be arrested for what he's done, now on the verge of tears]
- Howard Nichols: Please don't say anything.
- Howard Nichols: [trying to convince Jennifer to pose nude for a photo shoot] I won't hurt you; Fred and I, we said we'd never hurt you.
- Jennifer Phillips: Howard, I don't want to.
- Howard Nichols: Yes, but I want you to. I need your help, I need you very much. Does anyone in the world need you? Your mother? Her boyfriend?
- [shakes head]
- Howard Nichols: I need you, I want you.
- Jennifer Phillips: But it's wrong.
- Howard Nichols: Some people think so; I've shown you people who don't. I want you to do it, Angel; if you don't, you'll lose me. I'm all you have.
- Jennifer Phillips: [near tears, voice starting to crack] My mom...
- Howard Nichols: Have you thought about when they get married? They could send you away. He certainly doesn't want you; who wants to raise someone else's kid?
- Jennifer Phillips: Howard, I can't. I like you...
- Howard Nichols: No, no, no! You love me, Angel, love me. And I love you! I'm all you have. Help me?
- Jennifer Phillips: [sniffling] I want to, but...
- Howard Nichols: [taking a more ominous tone] I'd have to send Fred back! I couldn't let you keep him after hurting me.
- Jennifer Phillips: [shaking] Fred never hurt any...
- Howard Nichols: But you'd hurt me! And you know how they kill dogs in those places. They put them in a chamber; no windows, no air, black. Then they push a button, a small button, that literally explo...
- Jennifer Phillips: STOP IT!
- [crying]
- Howard Nichols: It's up to you, Angel. Only you...
- Jennifer Phillips: [in voice-over, reading the note she left for her mother before running away] I don't blame you for hating me, 'cause it's all true. I couldn't look at you once more without you knowing. I know you'll never want to see me again, but I do love you and Daddy. Don't hate me too much.
- Howard Nichols: [spotting Jennifer at the rec center] Hi, Angel. What are you doing here?
- Jennifer Phillips: Here's all I got.
- Howard Nichols: But I thought you were gonna stay home for a few days.
- Jennifer Phillips: Mom found out.
- Howard Nichols: [frowning] What? How?
- Jennifer Phillips: An ad. You know, in one of your dumb magazines?
- Howard Nichols: You told her it wasn't you?
- Jennifer Phillips: Well yeah, but...
- [trails off]
- Jennifer Phillips: Look, I just can't stay home now.
- [flirtatiously]
- Jennifer Phillips: I can stay with you.
- Howard Nichols: Oh, no. I'm on my own. People would ask questions.
- Jennifer Phillips: [more flirtatiously] Deny. Say no.
- Howard Nichols: No, no. No way.
- Jennifer Phillips: You got the other kids places. How about me?
- [smiles as she seductively runs her finger up and down Howard's chest]
- Jennifer Phillips: I'll make it up to you. I am getting older... and better.
- Howard Nichols: [first spots Jennifer, playing pinball at the local arcade] You look exactly like someone who's having fun and wants some more.
- Jennifer Phillips: Huh?
- Howard Nichols: I'm Howard, or Howie.
- [throws a quarter onto the pinball machine]
- Howard Nichols: Have fun.
- Jennifer Phillips: I don't think that I should...
- Howard Nichols: Don't? Never? Can't? Won't? Shouldn't? All bad words. Accept, enjoy: good words. Thanks is a good word, too.
- Jennifer Phillips: Thanks.
- Howard Nichols: I blew it. Thank you. You: very important word. Parents never think about you, right? Only themselves. Thank you?
- Jennifer Phillips: Thank you.
- Howard Nichols: Perfect.
- [points finger at Jennifer and makes "click" sound]
- Howard Nichols: See you around.
- Sherry Phillips: [referring to Jennifer] She's so come out of herself since she's been on your team. You're doing a terrific job!
- Howard Nichols: I just treat her, and well, all the kids like people, and care for them honestly. You know, if I do get mad at them, I let them know it, and tell them you only get mad at people you care about. I'm sure you both do that, too.
- Frank Dawson: Well, maybe not as good as you, but I try about the same.
- Jennifer Phillips: [approaches with a rubber ball] Is this ours, Howie?
- Howard Nichols: No, those rubber turkeys are theirs.
- [puts arm around Jennifer's shoulder]
- Howard Nichols: Hey, you know, if I had a daughter, I'd order up one just like this nut here.
- [nuzzles Jennifer close, as she smiles in response]
- Howard Nichols: Were you a love child?
- Jennifer Phillips: [looks confused] What's that?
- Howard Nichols: Did your folks plan you? Like, uh, "We want Jennifer", and along came Jennifer? Or were you "Oops, oh my God, we got Jennifer", like me?
- Jennifer Phillips: You mean like an accident?
- Howard Nichols: Well, it doesn't make you any better or worse. Just sort of says how your parents must have felt about you at the beginning.
- Jennifer Phillips: [sees various children being innocently photographed at the zoo, triggering flashbacks of her time with Howard]
- Sherry Phillips: [laughing at an exhibit] Did they teach you that in school, Jennifer, the difference between apes and gorillas?
- Jennifer Phillips: I think I can do it.
- Frank Dawson: [thinking she's referring to Sherry's question] Good, Jennifer. Which is which?
- Sherry Phillips: No. I mean, I think I can testify.
- Sherry Phillips: No; it's behind us! You see, that's why we have to move.
- Frank Dawson: Are you sure?
- Sherry Phillips: I'm sure! She's got to go back to leading a normal life.
- Jennifer Phillips: You're sure because you're my mother. I'm not sure what Daddy would think. What do you think, Frank?
- Frank Dawson: [referring to Howard] People say he's sick; I suppose they're right. One thing we both know for sure: that little girl in the mental hospital is sick, because of Howard. What do I tell you? I worry about you if you testify, I worry about other kids if you don't.
- Sherry Phillips: The last thing my little girl needs is more pressure. She's 12 years old!
- Frank Dawson: She's 13, and she's not a little girl anymore. This could be the most important decision Jennifer ever makes; she has to know that from somebody. From somebody besides lawyers and mothers.
- [to Jennifer]
- Frank Dawson: You keep on thinking, Jennifer.