A Little Princess (1995)

Eleanor Bron: Miss Minchin

Quotes 

• Miss Minchin : [after ordering the girls out and punishing Becky, to Sara]  And you will perform all her chores in addition to your own without breakfast, lunch, OR dinner! It's time you learn, Sara Crewe, that real life has nothing to do with your little fantasy games. It's a cruel, nasty world out there, and it's our duty to make the best of it - not to indulge in ridiculous *dreams*, but to be productive and useful! Do you understand what I'm saying?

  Sara Crewe : [short pause]  Yes, ma'am.

  Miss Minchin : [short pause]  Good.

  [she leaves] 

  Sara Crewe : But I don't believe in it.

  [Miss Minchin stops, turns back to Sara, and goes awestruck] 

  Miss Minchin : Don't tell me you still fancy yourself a princess!

  [laughs] 

  Miss Minchin : Good God, child, look around you! Or better yet, look in the mirror!

  [after a long pause] 

  Sara Crewe : [confidently]  I am a princess.

  Miss Minchin : [in disbelief]  Oh!

  Sara Crewe : All girls are! Even if they live in tiny old attics, even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young, they're still princesses - *all* of us! Didn't *your* father ever tell you that? Didn't he?

  Miss Minchin : [furiously, in tears]  If I find you up here with any of the girls again, I WILL THROW YOU OUT INTO THE STREET!

• [the amnesiac Capt. Crewe comes across Sara crying in a corner of a darkened room in Randolph's house] 

  Capt. Crewe : What is it? Why are you crying? Please tell me. I won't hurt you. Won't you tell me your name?

  Sara Crewe : [sobbing]  Sara.

  Capt. Crewe : 'Sara'... that's such a pretty name. Sara...

  Sara Crewe : [there is a flash of lightening, and the lights suddenly come back on]  Papa...

  [she rises, and stares at Crewe in shock] 

  Sara Crewe : Papa...

  Capt. Crewe : What did you say?

  Sara Crewe : [she runs to him, and he tries to hold her away]  Papa...

  Capt. Crewe : I'm sorry...

  Sara Crewe : Papa, it's me! It's Sara!

  Capt. Crewe : Sara, do you know me?

  Sara Crewe : Oh, God, papa, don't you remember me?

  Miss Minchin : [faintly]  She must be in here!

  Sara Crewe : Papa, please! You've got to know me! It's Sara, remember? Remember India and Maya? Remember the Ramayana... and Emily? And the locket with Mama's picture in it?

  Capt. Crewe : [still struggling to push her away]  No...

  Sara Crewe : Oh, God, papa, please!

  Miss Minchin : [entering the room with the policemen and Randolph]  Sara!

  Sara Crewe : Papa, please!

  Charles Randolph : Do you know this man?

  Sara Crewe : Papa, tell them!

  Miss Minchin : [recognizes Captain Crewe]  This child has no father. Take her away!

  Sara Crewe : [a policeman tears Sara away and carries her, kicking and screaming, from the room]  No! No! Papa!

  Capt. Crewe : I'm so sorry...

• Miss Minchin : Sara, this is Monsieur Dufarge. You will begin French lessons with him this afternoon.

  Sara Crewe : Do I have to?

  Miss Minchin : Sara! You most certainly do! Now apologize to Monsieur this instant for your rudeness!

  Sara Crewe : But I didn't mean to be rude.

  Miss Minchin : [shouts]  Now!

  [Sara says three sentences entirely in French. Monsieur Dufarge looks at her through his monicle impressed] 

  Monsieur Dufarge : This child doesn't need to learn French, she practically *is* French! Says she learned it from her father.

  Miss Minchin : I understood perfectly well what she said, Monsieur.

  Sara Crewe : I'm sorry, but we tried to tell you.

  Monsieur Dufarge : Well, perhaps she can tutor the younger children, and she might just be able to help you with your pronunciation, Miss Minchin.

  [sniffs deeply] 

  Monsieur Dufarge : Are those sausages I smell? Oh...

• Miss Minchin : [after Sara makes up her own ending for the class's bedtime story]  What are you doing?

  Sara Crewe : I couldn't bear to see Charlotte marry that awful man, so I imagined a different ending.

  Miss Minchin : You imagined it?

  Sara Crewe : [nodding]  Don't you ever do that, Miss Minchin? Believe in something just to make it seem real?

  Miss Minchin : I suppose that's rather easy for a child who has everything.

  [announcing to the rest of the class] 

  Miss Minchin : And now from now on, there will be no more 'make believe' at this school during reading hour or at any other time. Is that understood?

  Girls : [in unison]  Yes, Miss Minchin.

  Miss Minchin : Now all of you go to your beds this instant.

• Miss Minchin : [voiceover, as she leads Sara up to the attic]  And because of the expenses you've incurred, everything you own now belongs to me: your clothes, your toys, everything, though it will hardly make up for the financial losses I've suffered. From now on, you must earn your room and board here. You will move to the attic with Becky and work as a servant. If you fail to meet the standards of this institution or if you don't do as you're told, you'll be thrown out. And believe me, Sara, the streets of the city are not kind to homeless beggars.

  [as they arrive at the attic] 

  Miss Minchin : You should report to Mabel in the kitchen promptly at 5 a.m.

  [sees Sara's locket, then takes it away] 

  Miss Minchin : I could have you arrested for taking this. You're lucky I let you keep that doll. You may have the book, but another incident like this, and I will call the authorities.

  [lighting and thunder] 

  Miss Minchin : I expect you to remember, Sara Crewe: you're not a princess any longer.

• Miss Minchin : A child from the school has escaped into your house.

  Charles Randolph : Ram Dass, what's going on here?

  Miss Minchin : I'm sorry to bother you, but there's a child hiding in your house unlawfully!

  Charles Randolph : What?

  Miss Minchin : Search the rooms upstairs!

• Sara Crewe : [as Becky serves her breakfast]  Thank you.

  Miss Minchin : Sara, there's no talking at the table.

  Sara Crewe : Doesn't seem natural.

  [the other girls stare at her in shock] 

  Miss Minchin : [staring at Sara coldly]  I won't say it again.

• Miss Minchin : [after a young chimney sweep falls into the fireplace]  UGH! Soot all over the place! You clumsy fool, GET OUT! Get out of my house this instant!

  [as Sara works, she witnesses Minchin taking the boy out by his ear] 

  Miss Minchin : And you can forget being paid this week! Ungrateful little wretch!

  [Minchin leaves, but the boy goes back to her in anger] 

  Miss Minchin : Oh no, you don't! I told you, I wouldn't tolerate the slightest bit of SOOT in this house! And there - just look at my BOOT! IT'S FILTHY!

  [the boy goes angry going back to her again] 

  Miss Minchin : Get out - OUT!

  [kicks him out again and throws his chimney sweeper's broom out as well] 

  Miss Minchin : And take this ri*dic*ulous-looking thing with you!

  [slams the door]