The Women of Brewster Place (1989)

Olivia Cole: Miss Sophie

Quotes 

• Kiswana : [after an argumentative person just left]  Can we settle down? We still need someone to take the minutes.

  Tenant #2 : The way this is going, they'd better take the hours.

  Lorraine : Excuse me, I'll take the minutes

  [At this, Miss Sophie is fuming] 

  Kiswana : [giving Lorraine the notepad]  Thank you. Okay, we can finally get down to business. Now, Abshu's going to tell us about some money making ideas and then we'll take a vote.

  Miss Sophie : Ain't we supposed to vote over who we wants for secretary? I mean, can anybody just stroll in here and get shoved down our throats and we don;t have nothing to say about it?

  Lorraine : Look, I can just go. I was only trying to help.

  Kiswana : No, wait.

  [to Miss Sophie] 

  Kiswana : What vote? No one wanted the job. Did you want to take notes?

  Etta Mae : Lord, she can't do that unless we all recite the ABC's. And we better not do that too fast!

  [people start laughing] 

  Miss Sophie : [getting up and facing them]  Now listen here. Why should a decent woman get insulted while y'all all take sides with the like of them?

  Etta Mae : I'm as decent as you are, you old bat! And i'll come obver there and land you in the mouth

  [She gets up and starts to struggle while the people hold her down] 

  Miss Sophie : [holding up a statue in defense]  That's right! Pick on me, pick on me! Like I'm the one going around doing all these filthy unnatural things right in front on you. Every one of you seen it. Every one of you been up there and talked about it, not just me!

  [to Lorraine] 

  Miss Sophie : See what you done. Moving here with your nasty ways. Well, you ain't welcome here, you hear me? You ain't WELCOME HERE!

  Lorraine : What has anyone of you seen me do except leave my house and go to work just like the rest of you?

  Miss Sophie : Ha Hah hah!

  Lorraine : Is it so disgusting for me to speak to all of you on the street even though no one ever speaks back to me? Is that my crime?

  Miss Sophie : Oooh, don't you sit there like Little Miss Innocent! I'll tell you exactly what I seen. I wasn't going to mention such filthy things but you done forced me.

  [cackling evilly] 

  Miss Sophie : You forgot to close your shades last night! And I saw you, I saw the both of you! There you was, standing in the bathroom door dripping wet and naked as you please, call onto the other to put down her book and come over and give you a cool towel. She's standing in that bathroom door with your naked behind, I saw ya, I saw ya, I saw ya, I saw ya!

  Ben : I guess you step out of the tub with your clothes on makes it easy on Jesse's eyes!

  [everyone busts out laughing] 

  Kiswana : Okay, stop it! All right, be quiet

  [Lorraine leaves in tears] 

  Kiswana : Everybody SHUT UP! There is nothing funny going on here!

  [She takes the statue from Miss Sophie] 

  Kiswana : Why did you do that? This association is for everyone who lives here, you judgmental, self-righteous old wench! Who do you think you are?

  [as Kiswana is speaking, Ben takes off after Lorraine] 

  Kiswana : If you can't do anything but be disruptive and humiliate people, then you can just get the hell out of my apartment!

  Miss Sophie : Fine. That's just fine with me, sister.

  [she goes to the door] 

  Miss Sophie : This ain;t nothing but a whole bunch of ol' silly mess anyway. JESSE!

  [she leaves] 

  Tenant #2 : [to a man in a hat]  Go on, Jesse.

  [as the man leaves, everyone starts giggling] 

  Kiswana : I don't want to hear another word out of anyone that isn't strictly related to business. Do I make myself clear?