Mother Love (1989)

Diana Rigg: Helena Vesey

Photos 

Quotes 

• Helena Vesey : She's hooked him. In the usual way they do it these days. No beauty, no poetry. She simply opened her legs on a borrowed bed the same way that tart with a camera took my husband.

• Sir Alexander "Alex" Vesey : We could still be friends.

  Helena Vesey : After you betrayed me, you want me to be friends? Alex, if you leave me now you'll never see Kit or me again. Never.

• Helena Vesey : I'm going to call you Angela. And you will call me Helena. Everyone does, except Kitten. I don't care for my married name.

  [to Kit] 

  Helena Vesey : I'm sorry Kitten darling, I know it's your name too, but you and dear George know better then anybody what pain and betrayal it brings back to me.

• Helena Vesey : I know nothing about pictures. I don't even know what I like.

  Christopher "Kit" Vesey : That's simply not true Nell.

• Helena Vesey : I gave you life and I can take it away!

• Helena Vesey : You're like me. We feel very, very deeply. Our love when given is absolute. We know what is right. Even when people laugh at it.

  Angela Turner : I don't think anyone laughs at it Helena.

  Helena Vesey : You see, I've known betrayal of the worst kind. Kit's father was cruel and unnatural. He behaved like a monster toward Kit and me. And for better or for worse I've protected my son against that knowledge. Do you understand?

  Angela Turner : Yes.

  Helena Vesey : The protection I gave him has left him a very vulnerable, innocent boy. He may be tricked into believing that ties of blood oblige him to make overtures. Or recieve them. You know enough about life, I think, to see how very very wrong that will be.

  Angela Turner : Helena, nobody wants to hurt you.

  Helena Vesey : I'm thinking of Kit's vulnerability, not my own. Anyone who allows such overtures to take place will be behaving like a criminal. And deserve to be treated as such.

• Helena Vesey : [to Angela]  You see as soon as I saw you, I knew you were a special person.

• Helena Vesey : And now they want to get married.

  George Batt : Told you all about it, did he?

  Helena Vesey : No of course he didn't. He never tells me anything. I had to listen into his telephone conversations, not that one likes to of course, but how else is one to know? Well, what cannot be cured must be endured. She did seem rather sweet. Quite... teachable. Educable. We shall just have to make room for her.

• [Helena is remembering their first meeting] 

  Sir Alexander "Alex" Vesey : I didn't notice anybody else. I couldn't look at anybody else when you were on.

  Helena Vesey : You shouldn't say things if you don't mean them.

  Sir Alexander "Alex" Vesey : Oh, I mean every word. They're flying us back to Nicaseria in six days. Helena, I can't let you go now that I've found you.

  Helena Vesey : No. Don't let me go. Don't ever let me go.

• Helena Vesey : Darling Kitten, always so loyal. And yes, we were as happy as two waifs could be. And if two could be happy here, that much more happiness for three. Or four.

• Helena Vesey : When you love a child, there is nothing, nothing one wouldn't do.

• Helena Vesey : Disloyalty, treachery, is the worst of crimes. And deserves the severest punishment.

• Helena Vesey : I'm so happy. I feel now that everything's complete. Rounded. Whole. Perfect. Kitten, pussycat and little lollipop. Now I can decline into my dotage. Knowing now at least you have found fulfillment.

• Helena Vesey : For a woman fifty is the end of hope. Aspiration. But I'm not unhappy. I'm quite reconciled to it. From now on I shall live my life through you.

• Helena Vesey : You're not Lady Vesey. You're Alex's whore you smug bitch! I am Lady Vesey. You dare to spit in my face? Whore! Smug little bastards! Smug little whore's bastards. Not you, I am. I am!

• Helena Vesey : Treachery, disloyalty... are the most DREADFUL of crimes. And deserve the severest punishment!

• Helena Vesey : Laburnum! Such a pretty tree... and so many of them.

• Helena Vesey : I brought you into this world, and I am going to take you out!

• Helena Vesey : You stole my life!

• Helena Vesey : It was true. I thought pussy cat was a traitor, and she was one, but all this time, all that long lonely time when I thought it was just me and you. You were one of them.

• Helena Vesey : You were the worst of them. The worst. And the cleverest. And the cruelest!

• Helena Vesey : [to Kit]  You were my life support. But now it's all gone.

  [she looks at his life support equipment] 

  Helena Vesey : All turned off. Everything I ever believed in. All turned off.

  [she turns off one machine and pulls the cords out] 

• Helena Vesey : Stupid bitch. Stupid pretentious nonsense.

• Helena Vesey : Stupid bitch. Mindless whore. Who on Earth do you imagine would be interested in your stupid life?

  [cut to Kit and Angela, who are watching the show] 

• Helena Vesey : Hypocrite. Liar. Bitch!

• [Helena sees George at the Vesey's house] 

  Helena Vesey : Traitor. All those years... traitor!

• Helena Vesey : I think your uncle George is teasing us lollypop. I think he's much clever then he lets us thinks he is. Much, much cleverer. Yes he is.

• Helena Vesey : Half-past three exactly. How punctual. A rarity one finds these days. And punctuality is the politeness of kings.

• Helena Vesey : Well, I cannot tell a lie pussycat, but it was rather expensive. But, how shall I put it? I did want to thank you darling.

  Angela Turner : Thank me? What for?

  Helena Vesey : Simply for being you. You've been so sweet to me. So kind. And I-I haven't known much kindness in my life. So this is my way of saying thank you for everything. Darling pussycat.

• Helena Vesey : I've been reading in the papers about Vesey's little American bastards. Apparently, they went to a wedding and ate some marzipan icing... and it gave me a rather amusing idea!

• Helena Vesey : [planning to poison her ex-husband's twin children, speaking and looking directly into the camera]  Laburnum. Such a pretty tree... and so many of them! Laburnum.

• Helena Vesey : It's laburnum, Kit. Can you smell it? The bark and seed contain stricknine, a convulsant poison - and it's going into the marzipan icing! And Pusscat's bastards are going to poison the American Whore's batards with it!