Quotes

Dialogue

Freida Riley: Homer, I was in the store today, and I heard some talk. Boy, it's sure hard to keep a secret in this town, isn't it? But I guess I did a pretty good job. You know, there's a rumor going around that I've been sneaking off to Welch to see some beau. I wish that rumor'd been true. Homer Hickam Jr: Yeah. Freida: They told me Hodgkin's can go into remission, so I might have some time. Homer: Is there anything I can do, Miss Riley? Freida: You can accept my apology. Homer: For what? Freida: My life's work is teaching. And I believed that if you boys won that science fair, got scholarships, went off and did something great with your lives, somehow my life would have counted for something. Homer. You know what? Sometimes you really can't listen to what anybody else says. You just gotta listen inside. You're not supposed to end up in those mines. You know why? 'Cause I think you made other plans. I want you to know something. I'm proud of you. Homer: I am. Freida: Whatever you cho

Dialogue

John Hickam: Hey, hey, don't trouble yourself, Homer. You got more important things to worry about. [derisively] Just go look for your suitcase. Jim Hickam: Forget about it, Homer. Homer Hickam: Shut up, Jim! [furiously goes back into house and angrily confronts his father] Listen, I'm sorry about what's going on here but it isn't my fault! What do you want from me anyway? John: Better watch yourself, Homer. Homer: If I win at Indianapolis, maybe I can go to college, maybe even get a job at Cape Canaveral! There's nothing here for me! The town is dying, even the mine is dying...EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT BUT YOU! John: [incensed] You want to get out so bad, then go. Go! Homer: Yeah, I'll go! Yeah, I'll go! John: GO! GO! Homer: And I'll be gone forever! I won't even look back!!!! [angrily gets out and violently slams door behind him]

Dialogue

John: Elsie, I don't have the power to settle this strike. Elsie: The bosses listen to you. They'll do what you tell them. John: I'm not gonna crawl on my belly in front of those miserable union rats. Elsie: Is that what this is about? Is this about your pride? John: It's about what's best for Coalwood. If this mine doesn't produce, then the town dies. Think the union gives a damn about that? They're nothin' but a bunch of greedy sons of bitches... Elsie: Shut up. Just shut up. [John is silent] Homer once said you love the mine more than your own family. I stuck up for you because I didn't want to believe it. Homer has gotten a lot of help from the people in this town. They've helped him build his rockets. They've watched him fly 'em. But not you, John. You never showed up, not even once. I'm not asking you to believe in it, but he's your son, for God's sake, John. And I am asking you to help him. If you don't, I'll leave you. I'll do whatever it takes to get away from here. I will wor