Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Jean Simmons: Grandma Sophie

Photos 

Quotes 

• Old Sophie : A battleship?

  Howl : On its way to burn cities and people.

  Old Sophie : The enemy's? Ours?

  Howl : What difference does it make?

• Old Sophie : All right Calcifer, let's get cooking.

  Calcifer : I don't cook! I'm a scary and powerful fire demon!

• [Howl comes running out of the bathroom, screaming. His hair is now orange] 

  Howl : Sophie! You, you sabotaged me! Look! Look at what you've done to my hair! Look!

  Old Sophie : What a pretty color.

  Howl : It's hideous! You completely ruined my magic potions in the bathroom!

  Old Sophie : I just organized things, Howl. Nothing's ruined.

  Howl : Wrong! Wrong! I specifically ordered you not to get carried away!

  [tragically] 

  Howl : Now I'm repulsive.

  [slumps into a chair] 

  Howl : I can't live like this.

  [starts sobbing, head in hands] 

  Old Sophie : Come on, it's not that bad.

  [Howl's hair changes color to purple, then black] 

  Old Sophie : You should look at it now, its shade is even better.

  Howl : [inconsolable]  I give up. I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful.

• Old Sophie : I wonder what Howl disguised himself as? Surely not a crow. Can't be a pigeon, he's too flamboyant for that.

  [a glider plane with a giggling young woman and her lover flies overhead] 

  Old Sophie : That could be him.

• Young Sophie : So you are going away. Please, Howl. I know I can be of help to you, even though I'm not pretty and all I'm good at is cleaning.

  Howl : Sophie! Sophie! You're beautiful!

  Old Sophie : Well, the nice thing about being old is you've got nothing much to lose.

• Old Sophie : When you're old, all you want to do is stare at the scenery. It's so strange. I've never felt so peaceful before.

• Old Sophie : It was a pleasure meeting you, even if you are my least favorite vegetable! Take care, Turniphead!

• Markl : Wait! You can't come up here!

  Old Sophie : Whatever you don't want me to clean, better hide it now!

  Markl : Save my room for last, OK?

• Howl : The Witch of the Waste and Madame Suliman's dog at my table? What possessed you to let them in my house?

  Calcifer : I didn't let them in here! Sophie crash landed her plane into my face!

  Howl : [laughs] 

  Old Sophie : Hmph!

  Howl : I knew she'd make a great pilot!

• Howl : [Quietly amused]  Calcifer? You're being so obedient.

  Calcifer : Not on purpose! She bullied me!

  Howl : Not just anybody can do that.

  [Looks at Sophie] 

  Howl : And you are... who?

  Old Sophie : Er, you can just call me Grandma Sophie. I'm your new cleaning lady. I just started work today.

• Old Sophie : What a dump. When I think of castles, it's not what I picture.

• Howl : So what do you have in your pocket, Sophie?

  Old Sophie : Huh?

  [Finds a folded piece of paper] 

  Old Sophie : What is this?

  Howl : Give it to me.

  [paper burns leaving marks on the table] 

  Markl : Scorch marks! Howl, can you read them?

  Howl : That is ancient sorcery, and quite powerful too.

  Markl : Is it from the Witch of the Waste?

  Howl : "You who swallowed a falling star, o' heartless man, your heart shall soon be mine." That can't be good for the table.

  [covers the marks with his hand] 

  Markl : Wow! It's gone!

  Howl : The mark may be gone, but the spell is still there.

• Old Sophie : Why do you get so cold when you're old? I'm fatter than ever and yet the wind blows right through me!

• Old Sophie : I can't do this! Why'd you make me come here if you were coming yourself?

  Howl : Knowing you'd be there gave me the courage to show up. That woman terrifies me. I can't face her on my own. You saved me, Sophie. I was in big trouble back there.

• [in the secret garden] 

  Old Sophie : Did you use your magic to make this?

  Howl : Only a little, just to help the flowers grow.

• Old Sophie : Are you the one moving this castle?

  Calcifer : Of course I am! No one else does any work around here.

• Old Sophie : Howl, why is the Witch of the Wastes trying to hunt you down?

  Howl : She was once quite beautiful, so I decided to pursue her, then I realized she wasn't, so then, as usual, I ran away.

• Old Sophie : Do you know what Madame Suliman said? She said that Howl's heart was stolen by a demon. Tell me now, what do you know?

  Calcifer : I'm so sorry but that would be confidential information.

• Howl : I've got it! Why don't you go to the palace for me?

  Old Sophie : Huh?

  Howl : Just say that you're Pendragon's mother and that your son is such a cowardly wizard he's too afraid to show his face. Maybe then Madame Suliman will finally give up on me.

• Howl : The Witch of the Wastes is trying to find my castle.

  Old Sophie : Ah, I saw her henchmen at the harbor.

  Howl : I'm such a big coward, all I do is hide. All of this magic is to keep everybody away. I can't stand how scared I am.

• Markl : [reading the newspaper]  But the newspaper says we won.

  Witch of the Waste : [smoking a cigar]  Only idiots believe what they read in the paper.

  Old Sophie : That's so strange, I can't get Calcifer going!

  [to the Witch of the Waste] 

  Old Sophie : Do you have to keep smoking that? It smells terrible!

  Witch of the Waste : Don't deny an old witch her pleasures, young lady.

  Old Sophie : Markl, will you crack a window, please?

  Witch of the Waste : [continues smoking]  I wouldn't open that window if I were you, dear. Calcifer's too weak right now to protect this place, Suliman's henchmen could get in.