Speak (2004)

Kristen Stewart: Melinda Sordino

Photos 

Quotes 

• Heather : [to Melinda]  I hate being a Martha. You were so right not to join. I mean all I am is their little slave. Okay, it was supposed to be me and Meg and Siobhan decorating the Holiday Inn for prom. And now Meg and Siobhan can't do it and I'm totally screwed! Mel, you have to help me! They have some sales meeting in there until like 3:00, but then they'll let us start and I know we can do it!

  [Melinda blankly stares at her] 

  Heather : You are so great! I owe you big time! What if I help you redecorate your room? I know, a nice seafoam green!

  Melinda Sordino : [hesitates]  No...

  Heather : Okay. Or something rich like... like eggplant!

  Melinda Sordino : No, I mean, I won't help you.

  Heather : But you have to.

  Melinda Sordino : No, I don't.

  Heather : But why?

  Melinda Sordino : Because I was nice to you in the beginning of school when I didn't even like you and you blew me... blew me off because you're a self-centered social climber! And you know what? I know what I wanna do to my room and it doesn't involve eggplant. I think you should go.

• David Petrakis : The suffragettes fought for their right to speak. They were attacked, arrested and thrown in jail for daring to do what they wanted to do. Like them, Melinda is willing to stand up for what she believes. That no one should be forced to give speeches.

  Mr. Neck : What is this?

  David Petrakis : Melinda has to deliver her report to the class as part of the assignment. She made copies everyone can read.

  Mr. Neck : Oh, no you don't. When I say oral, I mean oral.

  [to Dave] 

  Mr. Neck : Now you sit down!

  [to Melinda] 

  Mr. Neck : And you read that report.

  [Melinda is silent] 

  Mr. Neck : Open your mouth, Sordino. Open your damn mouth!

  [Melinda remains silent] 

  Mr. Neck : I am so sick of your attitude.

  [drags Melinda by the arm to the principal's office] 

  Melinda Sordino : [voice over]  I forgot the suffragettes were hauled off to jail. Duh!

• David Petrakis : [to Melinda]  Listen, the suffragettes were all about speaking up. You can't speak up for your rights and be silent. I thought what you did was cool, but you can't make a difference unless you speak up.

  Melinda Sordino : Do you lecture all your friends like this?

  David Petrakis : Only the ones I like.

• Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. No one really cares what you have to say.

  Heather : So here's the plan. We join 5 clubs. One for every day of the week. Not like Latin club, but cool stuff. What do you wanna join? Hey, maybe we can tutor kids at the elementary school. What about your friends from last year? Don't you know Nicole?

  Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  I wonder how long it would take for anyone to notice if I just stopped talking.

• Joyce Sordino : You don't have to talk about it, you know, if you don't want to.

  Melinda Sordino : No, I wanna tell you about it.

  [pauses] 

  Melinda Sordino : Last year, I went to this party at the end of the year...

• Melinda Sordino : It happened. There's no avoiding it. No forgetting.

• Melinda Sordino : I hate winter. I've lived in the midwest my whole life and I hate winter. It starts too early and it ends too late. Why doesn't everyone just move to Florida?

• Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  We're studying American history for the ninth time in nine years. Every year they say we're gonna get right up to the present, but we always get stuck in the industrial revolution.

  Mr. Neck : My family has been in this country for over 200 years. We built this place. We fought in every war, from the first one to the last one, paid our taxes and voted. So tell me why my son can't get a job?

  [a number of students raise their hand, but he ignores them] 

  Mr. Neck : Reverse discrimination. He wanted to be a firefighter. Went up for the job but he didn't get it. What I'm suggesting here is maybe if we had closed our borders in 1900, then real Americans would get the jobs they deserved.

  [the Native American student raises his hand but the teacher points to Heather] 

  Mr. Neck : Young lady.

  Heather : Um, I think that we're all foreigners and should just give the country back to the Native Americans.

  Mr. Neck : Now we have a debate, don't we? "Native Americans"?

  black student : Maybe your son didn't get the job because he wasn't good enough. Or maybe he's lazy. Or maybe the other guy was just better than him.

  Mr. Neck : Watch your mouth, mister. That's my son you're talking about. You know what? That's enough debate. Everybody take out your book.

  [Dave stands up to speak] 

  Mr. Neck : Mr. Petrakis, please take your seat.

  David Petrakis : If the class is debating, then each student has the right to say what's on his mind.

  Mr. Neck : I decide who talks in here, Mr. Petrakis.

  David Petrakis : You opened a debate. You can't close it just because it's not going your way.

  Mr. Neck : Watch me! Take your seat, Mr. Petrakis!

  David Petrakis : The Constitution does not recognize different levels of citizenship based upon the time spent in the country. As a citizen and a student, I'm protesting the tone of this lesson as racist, intolerant and xenophobic.

  Mr. Neck : Sit your butt in that chair, Mr Petrakis, and watch your mouth! I try to get this debate going and you people turn it into a "race" thing. Sit down, Mr. Petrakis, or you're gonna go down to the principal's office.

  [Dave walks out of the room] 

  Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  Dave Petrakis is my new hero.

• Melinda Sordino : It's time for a mental health day. So conjugate this: I cut class. You cut class. He/she/it cuts class.

• Melinda Sordino : I should probably tell someone. Just... anyone. Get it over with. Blurt it out.

• Melinda Sordino : Why should I worry about Rachel?

  Melinda Sordino : [alter ego]  He'll hurt her. You were your best friends for nine years. That counts for something.

  Melinda Sordino : She's a traitor and a witch.

  Melinda Sordino : [alter ego]  She doesn't know what happened.

  Melinda Sordino : She'll hate me.

  Melinda Sordino : [alter ego]  She already hates you.

  Melinda Sordino : I hope he breaks her heart.

• Melinda Sordino : Gym should be illegal. It's humiliating.

• Rachel Bruin : [to Melinda]  Oh, my God! Why didn't you tell me?

  Melinda Sordino : It's just... when the police came, everyone just started freaking out. I got scared. I walked home. After that night, I couldn't tell anyone.

  Rachel Bruin : Did you get pregnant? Did you get AIDS? Are you okay?

  Melinda Sordino : Yeah. I mean, no. I didn't get pregnant. I'm fine.

  Rachel Bruin : Was it someone from this school? Who was it? Melinda, tell me!

  Melinda Sordino : It was Andy Evans.

  Rachel Bruin : [angrily]  What? I can't believe you. Liar! You're jealous! I'm popular and I'm going to prom and you're telling me this. That's twisted, Melinda! Seriously, you're sick. You need help!

• Andy Evans : [to Melinda]  So I raped you? I could have any girl in this school I wanted. Willingly! Why would I rape you? You're not even attractive.

  Melinda Sordino : [tries to run away from him, but Andy grabs her]  No! No, no!

  Andy Evans : You really screwed things up for me! You know that?

  Melinda Sordino : No, help me!

  Andy Evans : You are going to go to every single person in this school and tell them that you lied!

  [Melinda throws chemicals in Andy's eyes] 

  Andy Evans : Ah! My eyes!

  Melinda Sordino : [screaming]  No! Get off of me! Get off!

  Nicole : [from outside of the closet]  What's going on in there? Open this door right now!

  [sees Melinda holding a shard of glass to Andy's neck] 

  Nicole : Come out, Melinda.

  [to Andy] 

  Nicole : What the hell is wrong with you?

  Andy Evans : [panting in pain]  Um.

  Nicole : Answer me! Everybody knows what you did. Say something, asshole!

  Andy Evans : [as Melinda walks away]  Please, no!

  Nicole : Don't move!

  Andy Evans : I can't see!

  Nicole : You're not going anywhere.

  Andy Evans : Please move! I can't see anything!

  Mr. Neck : [yells down the hall]  Hey! What's going on down there?

  [to Melinda] 

  Mr. Neck : What happened? Melinda?

• Melinda Sordino : It's my first day of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomach ache.

• Melinda Sordino : Here's what I learned in Bio. If the seed is planted too deep, it doesn't warm up in time. Once the plant surfaces, it sprouts leaves so it can absorb more sun. If someone picks the flower, the plant grows another bloom to produce more seeds.

• Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  The school board decided that Trojans didn't send a strong message of abstinence, so we'll now be the home of the Merryweather Hornets.

  random cheerleader : What are we supposed to cheer? We are the hornets, the horny horny hornets?

• Melinda Sordino : My English teacher has no face. I call her Hairwoman.

• Melinda Sordino : It's hard to sleep at home. How long would it take for the nurses to figure out I don't belong here? Would they let me rest for a few days?

• Melinda Sordino : It's impossible to listen to Ms. Kane. Her voice sounds like an engine that won't turn over. Plus she laughs at her own jokes.

• Melinda Sordino : Today is career day. Am I A: a helper B: a doer C: a planner or D: a dreamer.

• Mr. Freeman : In here is a piece of paper and on that piece of paper is a word. You are gonna spend the rest of the year turning that object into art.

  Ivy : Uh, Mr. Freeman? When I was little, I was really scared of clowns and I don't wanna relapse and have to go back into therapy.

  Mr. Freeman : Oh, yeah, well, fear is a great place to begin art.

  [Melinda picks a piece of paper that says "tree" and tries to put it back] 

  Mr. Freeman : Hey! Whoa. You just chose your destiny. You can't change that.

  Melinda Sordino : I learned how to draw a tree in like the 2nd grade.

  Mr. Freeman : Oh, really? Um. Well, do you wanna show me? It's okay. I won't grade you.

  [he hands her the chalk and Melinda sulks up to the blackboard and very hesitantly draws a really pathetic tree] 

  Mr. Freeman : That's a pretty good start. Yeah, let's see what it looks like at the end of the year.

• Melinda Sordino : Ivy's being nice. Say something. My throat is dry. It hurts.

• Heather : This is really awkward. No matter what... no, I don't wanna say that. I mean, we kinda paired up at the beginning of school when I was new and didn't know anyone and that was really really sweet of you, but I think it's time that we both admit to each other that we're just very different people. I mean, I have my modeling and I like to shop...

  Melinda Sordino : I like to shop.

  Heather : You don't like anything. You're the most depressed person I've ever met. And excuse me for saying this, but I think you need professional help.

  Melinda Sordino : So you're blowing me off because I'm a little depressed?

  Heather : Once you get through this "life sucks" phase, I'm sure lots of people will wanna be your friend. But for right now, I don't think we should have lunch together.

• Melinda Sordino : [to Mr. Neck]  Excuse me, sir? Um, I was wondering if... uh, I was j...

  Mr. Neck : Come on, Sordino. Spit it out. You have to learn to enunciate or else no one will listen.

  Melinda Sordino : I was wondering if there was any way I can raise my grade?

  Mr. Neck : Parents got the report card, huh?

  Melinda Sordino : No, I just wanted to.

  Mr. Neck : Why should I give you that chance?

  Melinda Sordino : Everyone deserves a second chance. I mean, isn't that what Jesus said?

  Mr. Neck : Are you being smart with me?

  [Melinda shakes her head] 

  Mr. Neck : Okay. I'm feeling generous. Just because I don't wanna have to see your face in summer school. Write me a report on a cultural influence at the turn of the century and it better be good.

  Melinda Sordino : It will be.

  [voiceover] 

  Melinda Sordino : I'll write about the suffragettes. Before they came along, women were treated like dogs.

• Hairwoman : A revolutionary is only as good as his analysis. What does that mean?

  [Melinda raises her hand] 

  Hairwoman : Melinda, better late than never. Why is a revolutionary only as good as his or her analysis?

  Melinda Sordino : I think you should know what you stand for, not just what you're against. You should be able to show how things can be better.

  Hairwoman : That's pretty darn good.

• Melinda Sordino : There is no point talking to my ex-friends. Our clan, the plain Janes has been absorbed by rival groups. Nicole hangs out with the jocks. Rachel went all Euro. Ivy straddles two crowds: the Goths and the Marthas. And then there's me. I'm clanless.

• Melinda Sordino : Heather has found a clan. The Marthas. Very Connecticut. Very prep. I suspect money changed hands.

• Melinda Sordino : Dave Petrakis invited me over to do lab homework. I said no. No thanks. I just... I can't.

• Melinda Sordino : It's firewood. Get it?

• Hairwoman : Every word Hawthorne wrote, every comma, every paragraph break, these were done on purpose. It is our job to try and figure out what he's really trying to say.

  Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  Why couldn't he just say what he meant? Would they pin a scarlet letter on his chest? "S" for straightforward?

  Hairwoman : The house with the chunks of glass in its walls, is a symbol of what? Well, it would reflect, sparkle? Come on, people. The house symbolizes...?

  Rachel Bruin : How do you know that's what he meant to say? I mean, you could just make all that up, it's just a story.

  Hairwoman : This is Hawthorne, one of America's greatest novelists. And not that it makes any difference, but I wrote my dissertation on Hawthorne.

  Rachel Bruin : Fine, but, I thought we were all supposed to have opinions here. I mean it's a good story especially when Hester and that guy fall in love, but I don't really believe in symbolism. I mean you can just make all that up.

  Hairwoman : [about to cry]  All right, class. I want you all to write a 500 word essay on symbolism. And then... turn it in!

  Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  Poor Hairwoman. I hope they send her to a conference or something. I'm ready to help pay for a sub.

• Melinda Sordino : I was raped.

• Mr. Freeman : [to Melinda]  Hey! You're the tree. Uh, you can eat lunch in here if you want. It's against school rules, but I'm kind of a rebel.

  [gives Melinda a sheet of paper] 

  Mr. Freeman : Wow, uh. It's not a place mat. The rule is if you're gonna be in here, you need to be working, so choose your weapon.

  [puts some pencils in front of Melinda] 

  Mr. Freeman : Do something, anything. Hey, does this inspire you?

  [points to the radio] 

  Mr. Freeman : No?

  [changes the radio station] 

  Mr. Freeman : Hmm?

  [Melinda nods her head] 

  Mr. Freeman : So are you going trick or treating tonight?

  Melinda Sordino : No.

  Mr. Freeman : Oh. You don't like candy?

  Melinda Sordino : I'm too old.

  Mr. Freeman : Oh, right. Yeah, I got kids, so I guess I never get too old.

  Melinda Sordino : Last year, we were witches.

  Mr. Freeman : Who's we?

  Melinda Sordino : My ex-best friends.

  [angrily crumbles up her drawing] 

  Mr. Freeman : What are you doing? No, no! You gotta give things a chance.

  [looks at the drawing] 

  Mr. Freeman : Close your eyes. Just do it. I'm the teacher. Can you picture a tree? Any tree.

  [sees Melinda's eyebrows bend] 

  Mr. Freeman : There it is. It's burned in your retina. You got it. Do it.

• Melinda Sordino : [writing in bathroom stall]  Exchange students are ruining our country.

• Melinda Sordino : [voiceover]  Oh my God. I'm turning into Hairwoman.

• Jack Sordino : How's she doing?

  Melinda Sordino : [shrugs]  It's Thanksgiving.

  Jack Sordino : [chuckles]  Hey, you wanna go for donuts?

• Mr. Freeman : Hey, Melinda! I'm glad you're here.

  High School Student : Thanks for everything, Mr. F. I really hope I make enough money so I can afford one of your paintings.

  Mr. Freeman : [laughing]  Yeah, alright. Go on have fun! Make the world a better place.

  Melinda Sordino : You're leaving?

  Mr. Freeman : I like to swear. Play music. I hate giving grades.

  Melinda Sordino : [disappointed]  Have a nice life.

  Mr. Freeman : I'm here if you want to talk. Even if I'm not, you know, here.

• Mr. Neck : You got a hall pass, young lady? Come here. Hustle, young lady!

  [Melinda runs to Mr. Neck] 

  Mr. Neck : 7 minutes passed grace period. Name? Don't make this difficult. Name?

  Melinda Sordino : Melinda Sordino.

  Mr. Neck : Grade?

  Melinda Sordino : Ninth.

  Mr. Neck : That's one demerit, Sordino. Get to class.

• Melinda Sordino : [panicking]  Has anyone seen the phone? Hey, has anyone seen the phone?

  [finds phone and dials 911] 

  911 Operator : 911, please state your emergency. Hello? Hold the line. We're tracking your location.