- Penny Jackson: [explaining her drawing] See, sometimes the bees get confused, and run away. That's them there on the tree. But they don't really want to be gone. And they're happy when someone helps them back into their home. But you got to keep calm and don't panic when they sting, 'cause they don't mean nothing by it.
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: There's all kinds of weakness in the world, not all of it is evil. I forget that from time to time.
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: Once you're better, I don't care what you do. But you're not moving until all that poison's out of your body. Even if only for a day.
- Helen Jackson: Oh, man. You always think you know, don't you?
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: Well, I know better than to run from responsibility.
- Helen Jackson: Is that right?
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: Right.
- Helen Jackson: There's all kinds of running, Ulee. Your body might have stuck around, and that lousy bully part of your mind, but your heart took off a long time ago.
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: Oh, you can't say that. That's not true.
- Helen Jackson: Maybe you're right. Maybe you never cared anything about anybody. Year after year, nothing touches Ulee!
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: No. No, it was you and Jimmy wanted too many shortcuts. I told Jimmy if he went down that road, I wouldn't lift a finger to help him. And you both managed major fuck-ups!
- Connie Hope: Ulee, come on.
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: I mean, who the hell are you, Mrs. Helen Jackson? A mother? Wife? No, you're nothing!
- Connie Hope: Come on.
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: And we don't need the whole damn world knowing what's going on in our house.
- Sheriff Bill Floyd: You add grand theft and assault with a deadly weapon, and that should be enough to put 'em away for a long while.
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: Let me know when they get out. They're not friendly.
- [first lines]
- Chance Barrow: So he says to me, I just soon they cut and stay off just north of Orlando. And let the bottom half go, right out into the Gulf. Say it didn't sound like such a bad idea...
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: Fair enough on the uh, Bakery Bridge, Chance. I want 92 for the Tupelo.
- Chance Barrow: Ulee!
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: I could sell it myself... Fact is I've been thinking of doing just that.
- Chance Barrow: Can you expect by next Thursday?
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: I can give you 39 barrels, I'll keep the rest...
- Chance Barrow: You're not workin' as many bees these days, can you deliver?
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: I said 30. I'm ready.
- Chance Barrow: Well - it's gonna be a good year. At least as long as they can keep the Chinese from dumping their honey.
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: The Chinese don't have anything like our Tupelo.
- Chance Barrow: Ulee, most folks don't seem to care any more. The cheap honey floods the market.
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: The bees and I have an understanding. I take care of them, and they take care of me. We both just have to work a little harder, that's all.
- Ulee Jackson: You'll pay for the rest of your life for being a jackass.
- Casey Jackson: Yeah, well, it's better than dying of boredom.
- [last lines]
- Connie Hope: What's so special about this Tupelo honey?
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: Well first, it's very uh, very rare...
- Connie Hope: You're an old fashioned 'ties that bind' kinda guy. Whatever happens you stay the course, isn't that right?
- Ulysses Ulee Jackson: Miss Hope... I'm just realizing I don't know enough about anything to say nothin'.