E. Edward Grey Quotes in Secretary (2002)

[Mr. Grey asks Lee why she cuts herself]

E. Edward Grey: Why do you cut yourself, Lee?

Lee: I don't know.

E. Edward Grey: Is it that sometimes the pain inside has to come to the surface and when you see evidence of the pain inside, you finally know you're really here? Then, when you watch the wound heal, it's comforting. Isn't it?

Lee: I... That's a way to put it.

[Mr. Grey tells Lee that they both can't keep doing these sex acts]

E. Edward Grey: We can't do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Lee: Why not?

[Mr. Grey explains to Lee why he's firing her]

E. Edward Grey: I like you, Lee, but I don't think I'm going to offer you the job.

Lee: Why?

E. Edward Grey: It's your behavior.

Lee: What about my behavior?

E. Edward Grey: It's very bad.

[Lee calls Mr. Grey from home to ask for his permission on what to eat at her dinner table]

Lee: [Lee tells Mr. Grey what her family is having for dinner] It's porterhouse steak, mashed, no, creamed potatoes. Green peas, iced tea, and ice cream.

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey responds on what to limit her on] Okay. Just a scoop of creamed potatoes, one slice of butter, four peas, and... as much ice cream as you'd like to eat, doll.

[Mr. Grey interviews Lee again about being his secretary]

E. Edward Grey: Do you really wanna be my secretary?

Lee: Yes, I do.

E. Edward Grey: This isn't just about typos, tapes, staples and pencils, is it, Lee?

Lee: No, sir.

E. Edward Grey: What?

Lee: No, sir!

[Mr. Grey tells Lee that he's shy]

E. Edward Grey: Are you shy? I'm shy.

Lee: You're not shy. You're a lawyer.

E. Edward Grey: I'm shy. But I overcome my shyness... in order to get things done.

Lee: I don't think you're shy.

[Mr. Grey fires Lee]

E. Edward Grey: I'm sorry. You can collect your things.

Lee: Time-out!

E. Edward Grey: Time-out? You're fired.

Lee: You're fired!

E. Edward Grey: You're fired. Now, Lee, get out!

[Lee slaps Mr. Grey's face]

[Mr. Grey hands Lee her last check before telling her to leave]

E. Edward Grey: I'm so sorry for what happened between us. I realize what a terrible mistake, I made with you. And I can only hope that you understand. Be assured you can count on me for excellent references.

E. Edward Grey: [Lee begins to cry] Get out.

E. Edward Grey: [Lee starts to sniffle] Get out.

Lee: What are you doing...

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey yells out] Get out!

[Lee meets Mr. Grey for the first time in his office]

Lee: Hi.

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey responds a bit startled] Hi.

Lee: Are you the lawyer?

E. Edward Grey: Oh. Uh... Yes.

Lee: I'm sorry. I'll just come back later.

E. Edward Grey: [Lee turns to the door before stopping] No. No, stay.

[Lee smiles, turning around to face Mr. Grey]

[Mr. Grey asks Lee if she really wants the job before getting into the details]

E. Edward Grey: Do you really want to be a secretary, Lee?

Lee: Yes, I do.

E. Edward Grey: You scored higher than anyone I ever interviewed. You're really over-qualified for the job. You'd be bored to death.

Lee: I want to be bored.

[Mr. Grey tells Lee the details of what the secretary job pertains]

E. Edward Grey: All I need is a typist. Who can get to work on time and answer the phone.

Lee: I can do that.

E. Edward Grey: We only use typewriters here, not computers.

Lee: That's fine.

E. Edward Grey: It's very dull work.

Lee: I like dull work.

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey stares closely into Lee's face] There's something about you. You're... close-closed up tight. A wall.

Lee: I know.

E. Edward Grey: Do you ever loosen up?

Lee: I don't know.

E. Edward Grey: [the phone begins to ring] I'm not here.

[Mr. Grey asks Lee if she's familiar with answering phones]

E. Edward Grey: Listen. You're a big girl. You can get a much bigger voice out of that tiny throat of yours.

E. Edward Grey: Tiny.

E. Edward Grey: Ms. Holloway. You told me when I hired you that you were used to answering phones.

Lee: [Lee chuckles] I am.

[Lee walks into Mr. Grey's office with the typo letter]

E. Edward Grey: Put the letter on my desk.

E. Edward Grey: [Lee walks to Mr. Grey's desk as he closes his office door] Now, I want you to bend over the desk so that you're looking directly at it. Get your face very close to the letter. And read the letter.

Lee: Um, I don't understand.

E. Edward Grey: There's nothing to understand. Put your elbows on the desk. Bend over, get your face close to the letter, and read it aloud.

[Lee reads the typo letter to Mr. Grey as he disciplines her in his office]

Lee: [Reading while bent forward] 'Dear Mr. Garvey, I'm grateful to you for referring... '

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey slaps Lee in the butt, as she turns her head back to look at him] Continue.

Lee: Um...

E. Edward Grey: Ms. Holloway, read.

Lee: [Lee continues to read] 'For referring me to your case.'

Lee: [Mr. Grey slaps Lee harder in the butt] 'The subject of animal captivity has been of interest to me for quite a while. And my secretary has prepared research material...

Lee: [Mr. Grey slaps again] That I think you'll find illuminating. If you would be so kind...

Lee: [Mr. Grey slaps again] As to send me the June 5th letter of which we spoke, my associates and I will review it immediately.'

Lee: [Mr. Grey slaps again] 'Please feel free to call me at your earliest convenience. Yours sincerely, E...

Lee: [Mr. Grey slaps again as Lee breathes out] Edward Grey.'

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey quietly says] Read it again.

Lee: [Lee hesitates before reading] 'Dear Mr. Garvey... '

Lee: [Mr. Grey smacks Lee's butt even harder, now repeatedly] Ohh!

Lee: [Mr. Grey now smacks on all sides of Lee's butt, as Lee tries to read] 'I'm grateful to you for referring me to your case. The subject of animal captivity has been of interest to me... for quite a while.

Lee: [Lee is unable to read as Mr. Grey continues, when Mr. Grey unexpectedly falls over Lee's backside, laying his hand on the desk beside hers] And my secretary has prepared research material... That I think you'll find illuminating.'

[Lee finally breathes out, rolling her pinky finger out to wrap around Mr. Grey's index finger]

[Mr. Grey stands behind Lee and asks her to pull up her skirt]

E. Edward Grey: Now, pull up your skirt.

Lee: Why?

E. Edward Grey: You're not worried that I'm going to fuck you, are you? I'm not interested in that, not in the least. Now, pull up your skirt.

[Lee runs in to Mr. Grey's office in a wedding dress]

Lee: I have something to say to you.

E. Edward Grey: Lee.

Lee: I love you.

E. Edward Grey: Lee, you should not be here.

Lee: I love you.

E. Edward Grey: I'm sorry, but I don't believe that to be true.

Lee: Well, it is true. It is.

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey tries to walk Lee out] This matter was resolved when I received your cancelled severance check.

Lee: [Lee pulls her arm away] I love you.

[Lee talks to Mr. Grey as he kisses her naked body]

Lee: Where did you go to high school? What was your mother like? What was her name? What did it say under your senior yearbook? Who was your first love? When did your heart first get broken? Where were you born?

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey brings his lips up to hers before kissing her] Des Moines, Iowa.

[last lines]

Lee: [narrating] All our activities melted into an everyday sort of life until we looked like any other couple you would see.

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey teaches Lee how to make a bed] Turn that over, yes. Just pull it tight. Now, these pillows like to be stacked. Largest to smallest.

Lee: [narrating] We had a June wedding, by ourselves at the Justice of the Peace.

Lee: [narrating, as we see the two make love outside] Then, we honeymooned in the mountains. We only had the weekend because Edward had to get back to work.

[Lee suggests to Mr. Grey that she can go look through the dumpster for his notes]

E. Edward Grey: I think I accidentally threw out my notes on the Feldman case. Maybe you could...

Lee: ...Go through the garbage?

E. Edward Grey: Yes, Lee. Thank you.

[Lee smiles at Mr. Grey before leaving his office, heading straight into the dumpster garbage to look for the notes]

[Mr. Grey immediately interviews Lee about her personal life]

E. Edward Grey: Are you pregnant?

Lee: No.

E. Edward Grey: Do you plan on getting pregnant?

Lee: [Lee chuckles] No.

E. Edward Grey: Are you living in an apartment?

Lee: A house.

E. Edward Grey: Alone?

Lee: With my parents.

E. Edward Grey: Siblings?

Lee: Well, my sister is going to live in the backyard in the pool house.

E. Edward Grey: Are you married?

Lee: No.

E. Edward Grey: Have you ever won an award?

Lee: Yes.

E. Edward Grey: What did you win an award in?

Lee: Typing.

[Mr. Grey tells Lee about the several faults in her body language]

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey slams his book shut stopping Lee from leaving the office] Lee.

E. Edward Grey: [Lee stops and turns around] When people come into this office, you are a visual representation of my business. And the way you dress is disgusting.

Lee: [Lee looks down at her wardrobe] Uh... I'm sorry.

E. Edward Grey: You're tapping your toe all the time and playing with your hair. You're either going to have to wear a hairnet or stop playing with your hair.

E. Edward Grey: [Lee begins to walk back out, as she stops again without turning around] And another thing. Do you realize that you're always sniffling?

Lee: I... I'm sniffling?

E. Edward Grey: And what is with your tongue... when you're typing?

Lee: [Lee pauses before answering] I'm sorry. I didn't know I sniffled.

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey responds in a low tone] Well... you do.

[Mr. Grey tests Lee by pretending the phone is ringing]

E. Edward Grey: The phone is ringing.

E. Edward Grey: [Lee looks to the silent phone] Answer it.

Lee: I'm sorry...

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey makes the sound of a phone ringing] Brriinngg! Brriinngg! Brriinngg!

Lee: [Lee smiles] Oh.

[Mr. Grey finally gets through to Lee on how to correctly answer the phones]

E. Edward Grey: The phone is ringing!

Lee: [Lee holds the phone up to her ear, speaking loud and clear] Hello. This is the office of Mr. E. Edward Grey!

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey begins to rapidly clap as Lee laughs to herself] You see? You see? You see? You see? That's showing a little spunk. After all, I'm not running a mortuary.

Lee: [Lee chuckles in her reply] No.

[Mr. Grey asks Lee about Peter and her having sex]

E. Edward Grey: Did you have a date recently?

Lee: Yes.

E. Edward Grey: With whom did you have a date?

Lee: Um... Peter.

E. Edward Grey: Did you have sex?

E. Edward Grey: [Lee laughs shy to herself] No?

Lee: I don't know.

[Mr. Grey tells Lee that she will never cut herself again]

E. Edward Grey: I'm going to tell you something, Lee. Are you ready to listen?

Lee: Yes.

E. Edward Grey: Are you listening?

E. Edward Grey: [Lee silently nods] You will never, ever cut yourself again. Do you understand? Have I made that perfectly clear. You're over that now. It's in the past.

Lee: [Lee nods whispering] Yes.

E. Edward Grey: ...Ever again.

Lee: Okay.

E. Edward Grey: Now, you know what I want you to do? I want you to leave work early. You're a big girl, a grown woman. Your mother doesn't need to pick you up everyday. I want you to take a nice, walk, home in the fresh air. Because you require relief. Because you won't be doing that anymore. Will you?

Lee: [Lee smiles answering] Yes, sir.

[Lee makes a comment about Mr. Grey's tie]

Lee: That's a pretty tie. But I guess you won't be golfing today.

E. Edward Grey: [Lee chuckles to herself] What?

Lee: Your tie. It has golfers on it.

E. Edward Grey: [Lee smiles as Mr. Grey looks down at his tie] Right.

[Mr. Grey calls Lee into his office by the speaker phone]

E. Edward Grey: [Mr. Grey in a low tone on the speaker phone] Ms. Holloway.

Lee: Yes, Mr. Grey?

E. Edward Grey: Come into my office.

Lee: [Lee looks over to the waiting room as Mr. Marvel watches] But Mr. Marvel is waiting.

E. Edward Grey: Ms. Holloway, come into my office.

Lee: Yes, sir.

Lee: [Lee smiles with her eyes closed, whispering] Finally.