Brave (2012)

Kelly Macdonald: Merida

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Quotes 

• Princess Merida : [last lines; narrating]  There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it.

• Princess Merida : [voice over]  Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it. Others say fate is woven together like a cloth, so that one's destiny intertwines with many others. It's the one thing we search for, or fight to change. Some never find it. But there are some who are led.

• Princess Merida : [after Young Macintosh smashes his bow on the ground; sarcastically]  Oh, that's attractive.

• Princess Merida : I am Merida, firstborn descendant of Clan Dunbroch. And I'LL be shooting FOR MY OWN HAND!

• Princess Merida : [narrating]  But every once in a while, there's a day when I don't have to be a princess. No lessons, no expectations. A day where anything can happen. A day I can change my fate.

• Princess Merida : Mum, you'll never guess what I did today!

  Queen Elinor : [not really listening]  Mmm-hmm?

  Princess Merida : I climbed up the Crone's Tooth and drank from the Fire Falls.

  [Hamish, Hubert and Harris look at her in awe] 

  King Fergus : The Fire Falls, eh? They say only the ancient kings were brave enough to drink the fire.

• Queen Elinor : [after Merida's actions at the clan gathering, an angry and humiliated Elinor drags Merida back into the castle and thrusts Merida into the drawing room] 

  [irate] 

  Queen Elinor : I don't believe you!

  [Merida screams as she's forced through the door] 

  Queen Elinor : I've just about had enough of you, lass!

  Princess Merida : [starts an argument]  YOU'RE the one that, wants me to...!

  Queen Elinor : You embarrassed them! You embarrassed me!

  Princess Merida : *I* followed the rules!

  Queen Elinor : [shaking her finger at Merida in disapproval]  You don't know what you have done!

  [slams the door shut] 

  Princess Merida : I just, don't care how...

  Queen Elinor : There'll be fire and sword if it's not set right.

  Princess Merida : Just listen!

  Queen Elinor : [enraged with Merida's interruptions]  I Am The *QUEEN*! You *Listen* To *ME*!

  Princess Merida : [frustrated]  Oh! This is so unfair!

  Queen Elinor : Huh! Unfair?

  Princess Merida : [grabs a sword and swings it around angrily ranting]  You're never there for me! This whole marriage is what you want. Do you ever bother to ask what *I* want? No! You walk around telling me what to do, what not to do. Trying to make me be like you. Well, I'm not going to be like you!

  Queen Elinor : [rebukes Merida]  Oh! You're acting like a child!

  Princess Merida : And *YOU'RE* a *Beast*!

  [points her sword at the completed family tapestry that Elinor had finished working on] 

  Princess Merida : That's what you are!

  Queen Elinor : [gasps]  Merida!

  Princess Merida : [sticks the tip of her sword into the tapestry, the sound of the threads can be heard stretching]  I'll never be like you!

  Queen Elinor : [sharply warning Merida]  No! Stop That!

  Princess Merida : I'd rather *DIE* Than Be Like You!

  [Suddenly, in a fit of rage Merida slashes the tapestry with the sword, a line between the images of Elinor and herself holding hands. Elinor gasps in horror; Merida just stares at her mother angrily afterwards. Elinor instantly becomes extremely furious at Merida for what Merida had said and did, and she marches up to Merida using a motherly like scolding as Merida loses her angry stare and becomes bewildered] 

  Queen Elinor : [scolding]  Merida, you are a *Princess*!

  [Elinor takes the sword away from Merida and throws it off to the side] 

  Queen Elinor : And I Expect You To *ACT* Like One!

  Princess Merida : Mom!

  [Elinor grabs Merida and violently pulls the bow off of Merida's back, then in an act of retaliation Elinor walks over to the fireplace with Merida's bow fuming with anger and furiously throws the bow into the fireplace to destroy it. The fire crackles loudly when the bow hits the scalding coals] 

  Princess Merida : AHHH!

  [Merida screams and covers mouth completely shocked at what her mom had just done. Elinor then quickly faces Merida and angrily glares at her daughter with her eyes blazing at Merida. Devastated by this, Merida slowly backs away from her mother distraught and quickly runs to the door in tears] 

  Queen Elinor : [angrily]  Merida!

  [Merida opens the door and runs away] 

  Queen Elinor : [outraged]  *MERIDA*!

  [suddenly the string on the bow snaps and Elinor sees the bow burning] 

  Queen Elinor : [gasps]  Oh dear!

  [Elinor immediately regretting her actions frantically pulls the bow out of the fireplace and looks it over to see if it can still be saved, but she immediately realizes that the bow is already completely ruined] 

  Queen Elinor : [quietly]  Oh No! What have I done?

  [horrified that she let her anger get the best of her Elinor breaks down sobbing] 

• King Fergus : [telling a story]  Then out of nowhere, biggest bear you've ever seen! Its hide littered with the weapons of fallen warriors. Its face scared with one dead eye. I drew my sword and...

  Princess Merida : [cuts in]  WHOOSH! One swipe, his sword shattered. Then CHOMP! Dad's leg was clean off! Down the monster's throat it went!

  King Fergus : Awwwwww... That's my favorite part!

  Princess Merida : Mor'du has never been seen since. And is roaming the wilds, waiting his chance at revenge.

  [roars] 

• Queen Elinor : Merida, a princess does not set her weapons on the table.

  Princess Merida : [moans]  Mum! It's just my bow!

  Queen Elinor : A princess should not HAVE weapons, in my opinion.

  King Fergus : Leave her be! Princess or not, learning to fight is essential.

• Princess Merida : [Merida looks at the black berries]  Find these berries down by the creek, did you?

  [Queen Elinor nods her head and keeps eating the berries] 

  Princess Merida : They're Nightshade berries.

  [Elinor eats another one] 

  Princess Merida : They're poisonous.

  [Elinor spits out the berries and drinks water] 

  Princess Merida : Where did you get this water? It's got worms!

  [Elinor spits out the water] 

• Princess Merida : [after Queen Elinor unexpectedly turns into a bear]  Mum? You're... You're a BEAR! Why a bear? OH! That scaffy witch gave me a gammy spell!

  [Bear Elinor glares at her, demanding to know what she meant] 

  Princess Merida : It's not my fault. I didn't ask her to change you into a bear! I just wanted her to change...

  [guilty] 

  Princess Merida : YOU.

  [a shocked and outraged Bear Elinor roars at Merida loudly] 

• Princess Merida : [narrating]  I became a sister to three new brothers. The princes. Hamish, Hubert, and Harris. Wee devils, more like. They get away with murder. I can never get away with anything.

• Princess Merida : [Elinor gestures to Merida's bow on the table]  Sorry, I don't speak Bear.

  [Merida smiles] 

• Princess Merida : [after the witch picks up the cake from the boiling cauldron]  A cake?

  The Witch : Do you not want it?

  Princess Merida : Yes! I want it! But... Are you sure if I give this to my mum, it will change my fate?

  The Witch : Trust me, deary. It will do the trick.

• Princess Merida : My mother... the Queen, feels... in her heart, that I... that we be free to... write our own story. Follow... our... hearts. And find love in our own time.

• Princess Merida : It's not fair!

  Queen Elinor : Oh, Merida, it's marriage. It's not the end of the world.

• Princess Merida : Oh, jings crivvens help ma boab!

• Princess Merida : The Queen and I put the decision to you, my lords. Might our young people decide for themselves who they will love?

• Princess Merida : [after Young Macintosh throws his bow]  Good arm!

  King Fergus : [brushes back his hair]  And such lovely, flowing locks.

• Queen Elinor : [in the tapestry room; practicing a speech with Fergus]  Merida, all this work, all the time spent preparing you, schooling you, giving you everything we never had. I ask you, what do you expect us to do?

  Princess Merida : [in the royal stables; taking care of Angus and rehearsing her own speech]  Call off the gathering! Would that kill them? You're the queen. You can just tell the lords, "The princess is not ready for this. In fact, she might not ever be ready for this, so that's that. Good day to you. We'll expect your declarations of war in the morning."

  Queen Elinor : I understand this must all seem unfair. Even I had reservations when I faced betrothal.

  [Fergus looks up in surprise] 

  Queen Elinor : But we can't just run away from who we are.

  Princess Merida : I don't want my life to be over. I want my freedom!

  Queen Elinor : But are you willing to pay the price your freedom will cost?

  Princess Merida : I'm not doing any of this to hurt you.

  Queen Elinor : If you could just try to see what I do, I do out of love.

  Princess Merida : But it's MY LIFE, it's... I'm just not ready.

  Queen Elinor : I think you'd see, if you could just...

  Princess Merida : I think I could make you understand if you would just...

  Queen Elinor : Listen.

  Princess Merida : Listen.

  [Angus whinnies at her] 

  Princess Merida : I swear, Angus, this isn't going to happen.

  [Angus touches her sympathetically and she pets him] 

  Princess Merida : Not if I have any say in it.

• Princess Merida : [after Young MacGuffin shoots and misses]  I bet he wishes he was tossing cabers.

  King Fergus : Or holding up bridges...

  [Elinor nudges Fergus scoldingly while he and Merida snicker] 

• Princess Merida : There's no point in having a go at me. The witch is to blame. Goggly old hag!

• Princess Merida : Stop! Stop! You're covered with fur! You're not naked! It's not like anyone's gonna see you!

• Princess Merida : Mom, is that you? Mom? You changed. Like you were a... I mean, like you were a bear on the inside.

• Princess Merida : The Tapestry. Mend the bond. Mend the bond! Stitch it up!