Good Morning — Movie Quotes

Spoken to the aunt (Setsuko) at the train station as they discuss the boys' strike and the nature of communication.

"Important things are difficult to say. Meaningless things are like a lubricant for the world."
This is the film's thesis statement. It explains why we need small talk: to make the difficult machinery of human interaction run smoothly.

Used throughout the film, but most poignantly at the end when the characters resume their daily routines, affirming their connections.

"Good morning."
The title of the film and the most frequent line. It signifies the restoration of order and the acceptance of social roles.

Isamu says this repeatedly to the tutor and his brother, treating the English phrase as a game.

A phrase the young boy repeats without understanding its weight, treating it as a toy or a simple sound, contrasting with the adults who are terrified to say it for real.

During the argument with his father when he is told to shut up.

"Adults say so many meaningless things."
The inciting incident for the silence strike. Minoru points out the hypocrisy of adults who talk without saying anything real.