Brooklyn (2015)

Jim Broadbent: Father Flood

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Quotes 

• Eilis : I wish that I could stop feeling that I want to be an Irish girl in Ireland.

  Father Flood : All I can say is that it will pass. Homesickness is like most sicknesses. It'll make you feel wretched and it'll move on to somebody else.

• Father Flood : [learning she's homesick]  I'm so sorry, Eilis. This is all my fault. I was led to believe that you didn't need looking after. Franco Bartocci says you're doing great here. Ma Keogh says you're the nicest lodger she's ever had.

  [seeing her smile] 

  Father Flood : What?

  Eilis : "Ma Keogh"?

  Father Flood : Don't ever call her that to her face.

• Father Flood : I'd forgotten just how bad it feels to be away from home. I've enrolled you in a night class, for bookkeeping. In Brooklyn College. It'll be three nights a week, and I paid your tuition for the first semester.

  Eilis : Why?

  Father Flood : Why? Not "thank you"?

  Eilis : Sorry. Thank you. But why?

  Father Flood : Well, I was amazed that someone as clever as you couldn't find proper work at home. I've been here too long. I forget what it's like in Ireland. So when your sister wrote to me about you, I said that the Church would try to help. Anyway, we need Irish girls in Brooklyn.

• Father Flood : Well... you're marvelous, that's all I have to say. It looks to me as if you didn't just pass those exams. No. You flew through them. I can't remember the last time anyone came in here with good news.

  Eilis : Well, I've saved some money. I'll be able to pay for next year's tuition and pay you back for last year.

  Father Flood : One of my parishioners paid. He needed to do something for mankind, and I won't tell you why. He's not out of the woods yet, either, so he can cough up for next year, too.

  Eilis : I'd love to know what sort of woods he's in.

  Father Flood : Yes, I'm sure you would, but you won't hear it from me.

• Eilis : [volunteering at a soup kitchen for Christmas]  How many are we expecting?

  Father Flood : We had a hundred last year. There may be more this.

  Eilis : Are they all Irish?

  Father Flood : All Irish.

  Eilis : Why don't they go home?

  Father Flood : If there's nothing there for clever young girls such as yourself, there's gonna be even less for men like these. Some of them have been here 50 years. They've lost touch with everyone. These are the men who built the tunnels, the bridges, the highways. God alone knows what they live on now.

• Father Flood : [after Eilis' sister dies]  It was sudden. I think perhaps she was ill, and she knew she was ill, and she didn't tell anybody.

  Eilis : What'll happen?

  Father Flood : What can happen?

  Eilis : When will they bury her?

  Father Flood : Tomorrow.

  Eilis : Without me?

  Father Flood : Without you. You're too far away, Eilis.

  Eilis : Why did I ever come here?

  Father Flood : Rose wanted a better life for you. She loved how well you were doing.

  Eilis : But I'll never see her again. That's right, isn't it, Father? I'll never see her again.

  Father Flood : You know that I think you will. And that she'll be watching over you every day for the rest of your life.