The Missionary (1982)
Michael Palin: The Reverend Charles Fortescue
Photos
Quotes
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Reverend Fortescue : Deborah, do you know what is meant by "fallen women"?
Deborah Fitzbanks : Women who have hurt their knees.
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Reverend Fortescue : Vicki...
Violet : Violet.
Reverend Fortescue : Er, Violet. Would you and Ruby...
Rosie : Rosie.
Reverend Fortescue : Rosie. Go and clean upstairs, and get some help from the three girls in my bed.
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Reverend Fortescue : Isabel?
Lady Isabel Ames : Charles! What are you doing here?
Reverend Fortescue : I've come to stop you.
Lady Isabel Ames : How dare you? How dare you interfere with my plans?
Reverend Fortescue : You mustn't kill him.
Lady Isabel Ames : Why not? What business is it of yours, interfering priest?
Reverend Fortescue : You could hang for it.
Lady Isabel Ames : No one's going to hang. It's a simple shooting accident.
Reverend Fortescue : Isabel, this is England in 1906. People don't go around killing each other just because they don't get on!
Lady Isabel Ames : No, they just endure don't they? Stiff upper lip, that's the British way. I'm sure it wasn't like that in Africa.
Reverend Fortescue : Africa's primitive!
Lady Isabel Ames : Oh, yes. God save us from being primitive.
Reverend Fortescue : There's not so much wrong with the British way, for your class especially.
Lady Isabel Ames : My class? This is not my class, Charles.
Reverend Fortescue : You know what I mean.
Lady Isabel Ames : You don't know what *I* mean.
[Adopts a changed accent and demeanor]
Lady Isabel Ames : You alone, sir? Want some company? Clean and cheap?
[She returns to normal, Fortescue is speechless]
Lady Isabel Ames : Yes. I've disguised it well, haven't I? I had to. The honest tart never gets anywhere. No, they're not my bloody class, thank God!
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[Attempting to talk her out of a dangerous plan]
Reverend Fortescue : Isabel, I...
Lady Isabel Ames : Please, don't. I don't want to be understood.
[pauses]
Lady Isabel Ames : Not now.
Reverend Fortescue : What are you going to do? What are you going to gain from this?
[Isabel begins to say something, tearfully sighs, and walks out the door]
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[Isabel has been injured]
Reverend Fortescue : I'm sorry. Dear, God, I'm so sorry.
Lady Isabel Ames : You were only trying to do the decent thing.
[Fortescue begins to drape his coat around her]
Lady Isabel Ames : No, don't Charles.
[He continues anyway]
Lady Isabel Ames : That's the trouble with you. You're far too decent.
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Lady Isabel Ames : I got it all wrong, didn't I?
Reverend Fortescue : What do you mean?
Lady Isabel Ames : I tried to convert the missionary.
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Deborah Fitzbanks : Everyone was asking after you. They're all terribly excited about the wedding.
Reverend Fortescue : Wedding?
Deborah Fitzbanks : OUR wedding!
Reverend Fortescue : Oh, yes... Yes.
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Reverend Fortescue : I shall be looking after women... Women who are in... moral trouble.
Deborah Fitzbanks : Liars?
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Reverend Fortescue : I'm going to remain a missionary.
Deborah Fitzbanks : But I thought...
Reverend Fortescue : A missionary IN ENGLAND!
Deborah Fitzbanks : But everyone's ENGLISH in England.
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Reverend Fortescue : The locals had never seen a bicycle before. They used to call me "The Man on the Starving Horse."