Sandra Tannen Quotes in Mockingbird Don't Sing (2001)

Dr. Judy Bingham: Do you actually think you're qualified to teach this child how to talk?

Sandra Tannen: I'm not here to teach her how to talk; I'm here to document the way she goes about acquiring language. There's a - huge difference.

Dr. Judy Bingham: Well, you're certainly gonna have a lot to document. This girl... this girl's gonna make me famous. I'm gonna be the next Annie Sullivan.

Sandra Tannen: She's been cut off from acquiring language, so naturally she's developed her own way of communicating. But it's so fascinating. It's just so fascinating to see the effect she has on people.

Dr. Stan York: So, she said, "Sandra silly"?

Sandra Tannen: Yeah, it's the first time she's said my name, or put two words together, for that matter.

Dr. Stan York: What progress.

Dr. Judy Bingham: Katie, how would you like to spend the night at my house tonight?

Sandra Tannen: I beg your pardon?

Dr. Judy Bingham: Dr. Glazer said it was fine. Besides, it's time she spent some time in a normal household.

Sandra Tannen: Normal? Do I need to remind you of some of the remarks you've made?

Beverly Glazer: Katie, do you remember what you're supposed to do before you reach for something at the table? You're supposed to ask. Now, can you say, "May I please have the applesauce"?

Sandra Tannen: Come on, Katie, I know you can say that.

Louise Standon: Don't torture the child. If she doesn't want to say anything, she doesn't have to.

Sandra Tannen: She just learned toilet-training, and she's already menstruating.

Dr. Norm Glazer: Well, there is a silver lining to all this. The critical period is over. Whatever Katie learns now is over the line, so we'll finally get a chance to find out whether or not the Lenneberg Theory is correct.

Sandra Tannen: It's not a theory. It's a hypothesis. Katie will prove it wrong.

Sandra Tannen: Katie said something the other day. She said, and these are her exact words, "Father hit big stick." Do you have any idea what that might mean?

Louise Standon: Well, Wes, he didn't like noise. That's why he didn't want children... and Katie, well, sometimes...

Sandra Tannen: She'd make noise.

Louise Standon: And Wes, he kept a big stick in the corner of her room for when she acted up.

Sandra Tannen: So how often did he beat her?

Louise Standon: Not all that much. He had a few other ways of keeping her quiet.

Sandra Tannen: Like?

Louise Standon: He'd growl.

Sandra Tannen: What?

Louise Standon: He'd growl... like a dog.

[Louise quickly and quietly mimicks Wes' impression of a growling dog]

Sandra Tannen: And that kept her quiet?

Louise Standon: I imagine so. Otherwise, he wouldn't've kept on doing it.

Sandra Tannen: She's leveled out. She's not making any progress.

Louise Standon: The way you hound at that child..."Don't say it like this, Katie, say it like that," and giving her all those tests. That's why she couldn't get along with the Mannings. You pushed her to a point where she didn't know what general was up anymore.

Sandra Tannen: Louise, that's not true. Katie loved the work that we did. I mean... there were days when... when I didn't want to work and she'd make me do it.

Louise Standon: Well, that's the way you trained her. She was never person to you. She was just... some little scientific project.

Sandra Tannen: [beginning to cry] No... No. I needed her in my life... fr... from the first moment that I laid eyes on her.

Louise Standon: Well, you won't be laying eyes on her anymore. If I find you anywhere near Katie, I'm gonna call my lawyer; and that goes for the Glazers and Dr. York and anyone else from Children's Hospital. She is my daughter. I'll decide what's done with her.

Sandra Tannen: [sobbing softly] She's gonna think that I abandoned her... y'know? Could I please say goodbye?

Louise Standon: No goodbyes, no, nothing. Just go back where you came from and stay there.