Vanessa Shelton Quotes in The Family (1970)

Vanessa Shelton: [in car with him] It's hopeless, you'll never believe me.

[he remains stoically silent]

Vanessa Shelton: It's terrible, really, to be the way that I am. I'm always getting things wrong.

[silence from him]

Vanessa Shelton: I was Coogan's girl when I met you.

[taking his eyes off the road, he looks at her]

Vanessa Shelton: He was terribly jealous. He realized right away something had changed. He had me followed, and found out about us. About you. He realized who you were, and decided to use you to get rid of his uncle, and then... have you wiped out, and take me back.

Jeff Heston: [finally speaking] Well, he got what he wanted. You went with him.

Vanessa Shelton: [as car accelerates] Yes, I went away with him! What else could I do? It was only for a little while. I couldn't forget you, Jeff! I couldn't forget what he'd done to you!

Vanessa Shelton: [at the docks] All right, I was wrong! I'm always wrong! It's just because I can't be by myself!

[not what he wants to hear, and he pushes her, advancing menacingly on her, forcing her back, she retreats]

Vanessa Shelton: We can start again! I'll leave everything behind!

[his hand on her throat, he slams her against a container, ripping at her dress]

Vanessa Shelton: [as they witness the thugs beating up their victim] Why is it that whenever I am with you, I always end up in the middle of blood and violence?

Jeff Heston: Well, it happens. The whole city is full of blood and violence. You only see it when you're with me.

[gesturing to where the car is parked]

Jeff Heston: Get in.

Vanessa Shelton: Controlling, just because it exists. You can't understand that, but you have your own way of being in control. I'm weak, perhaps I'm sick, but... to me, then, he meant safety, strength... but I paid for it. Oh, Jeff, it's disgusting living with him. Sleeping with him.

[Jeff becomes aware of something]

Vanessa Shelton: Feeling his heavy greasy body on top of me.

[Jeff grabs his gun, aims, and she thinks it's at her]

Vanessa Shelton: Jeff!

[shot rings out]

Vanessa Shelton: Is he one of Weber's men?

Jeff Heston: My friend Killain.

[takes the payoff money from the corpse's jacket, waving the wad of notes]

Jeff Heston: He's still carrying the price tag.

[tossing it back in disgust]

Vanessa Shelton: [found the negatives in the bureau] Are these the ones, Jeff?

[hands them to him]

Jeff Heston: [quickly checking] Burn them.

Al Weber: [as she starts getting rid of the evidence] Uhm. Good girl.

[knowing what must follow:]

Al Weber: And now you'd better send her off, Jeff. Vanessa, she... hates violence. Don't you, darling?

Jeff Heston: Okay. You remember everything, Vanessa?

Vanessa Shelton: Hotel Jericho. Miss Brown. Hurry, darling.

[starts leaving]

Al Weber: Vanessa!

[she stops]

Al Weber: Goodbye. And, uh, congratulations.

[she leaves, he chuckles]

Al Weber: Dear, dear little Vanessa.

[smirks]

Al Weber: I gotta give her credit. She's got an awful lot on the ball with you, Jeff. You're a big disappointment to me... and it's funny, with her, you seem to lose all your strength, as if she's taken it all from you. I wanna tell you something, and I don't care if you believe me or not. But she's screwing you all over town. Along with the negatives in that drawer, there was a copy of the print. And she just snuck 'em out... right in front of your very eyes.

Jeff Heston: Nah. If she had done that, you'd have told me right away.

[picking up a cushion from the chair]

Al Weber: I find it more amusing. You wanna kill me, don't you, Jeff? Ah, I might as well enjoy it. What's the matter, you lost the courage to pull the trigger? You have your doubts, your second thoughts?

[Jeff places the cushion over the gun barrel]

Al Weber: Let me tell you, Jeff, you're screwed for the rest of your life. You know, you ate the apple, and they're gonna throw you out of the garden of Eden. And if you do any more killing, your victims are gonna haunt you for the rest of your life...!

[Jeff shoots him, and he is blown backwards]

Steve: [about to phone] What's the name of the hotel where you are supposed to meet Jeff?

Vanessa Shelton: Why? Who are you calling?

Steve: The police, naturally.

[she jumps up and clicks off the phone]

Steve: Wow, what does that mean?

[still with receiver in his hand]

Vanessa Shelton: [sighs] Wait, Steve.

[shakes head]

Vanessa Shelton: I can't do it.

Steve: What's wrong? You're moist.

[scoffs]

Steve: Did those three days at the cottage heat up the old romance? I thought you were better than that. Can't you realize, if we don't have him arrested, he'll kill you?

[she lowers her eyes, sits down again, and he cradles the phone]

Steve: And by now, he knows you're a... a bitch.

Vanessa Shelton: [flaring up] Of course I'm a bitch! But that's precisely why you've been able to sit comfortably in your chair and talk about law and justice. I was the one who was risking my skin out there. It was me who had to marry Weber. I was the one who had to go to bed with him.

Steve: [sarcastic] I could have offered myself, but I don't believe Weber would have appreciated my charms, darling. At least I have one thing to my credit. I discovered you! I set the whole Vanessa mechanism in motion, the operation that means we now have a billion dollar organization right in our hands!

[taps desk with pen]

Steve: In any case, Jeff is finished. They have his name on their list. They'd catch him sooner or later. You know how many dead men he has on his conscience.

Vanessa Shelton: What about you? You're the one who wanted Weber killed.

Steve: [tuts, shaking his head] We both did, darling. But he won't be on our consciences. We just shifted the blame from you to him. Jeff was the one who pulled the trigger. The sooner it is over, the better it will be for all of us... even for him.

[throws down his pen]

Steve: Where is he waiting for you?

[she hesitates]

Steve: [as she sits at her dressing table] You know you're beautiful... even in clothes.

[the clink of champagne glasses, and he kisses her on the back of her head]

Vanessa Shelton: [ice princess] I know. There's no need for a toast and flowers, Steve. There'll be lots of them afterwards.

Steve: It Isn't for the ceremony, it's for us. Celebrating

[pops bottle]

Steve: the good news.

[gestures towards maid, and she leaves]

Steve: It seems they found,

[pouring champagne]

Steve: or rather, identified him in Africa, with mercenary troops. With a fake name, of course. One of the Nicholson brothers told me. I'm talking about Jeff, obviously. I wonder how he managed it, to get out of the States and reach Africa?

[takes a sip of champagne]

Vanessa Shelton: Then everything's all right. Africa's far enough away, isn't it? And dangerous enough?

Steve: I would have preferred a more definitive solution.

Vanessa Shelton: I like that word, 'definitive'... it's very refined. But to me, it... sums up a picture of Jeff twisting in the electric chair, or... riddled with machine-gun bullets.

Steve: You frighten me, Vanessa. You agreed to... to betray him. But you're still possessed by that... that killer with the smell of death on him.

Vanessa Shelton: I catch the same smell on you, Steve. Only much stronger. At least, he always took his own risks. People like you...

[rising from her vanity table to face him]

Vanessa Shelton: like us, if you want... they never risk anything... at least, almost never.

Steve: [opening attache case] I have your speech for you.

Vanessa Shelton: [coming nearer] I don't need that. I know what to say. Don't underestimate me, Steve.

Steve: You're learning fast, Vanessa, very fast. But you still need me. We've done everything together, and we'll make it together. But I was the brains, and I still am. Don't forget it. When we're able to get married, once a decent period of mourning is over, I'll show you how far I'll be able to take you. How far we can go.

Vanessa Shelton: [coldly] I know very well where I want to go. But I also know that I want to go there by myself. You were right, Steve, it's wonderful to be powerful and strong. But power can't be shared.

[raises her hand]

Vanessa Shelton: It has to be held by one pair of hands. My hands, in this case.

Steve: Be careful how you treat me.

Vanessa Shelton: Steve, at the new WI building, from the doorman who opens the car door, to the board members at the top of the building, they'll all be waiting for me, the widow Weber, with the majority of the shares. Keep smiling, darling, you're still my faithful, trusted attorney.