"A place for dreams. A place for heartbreak. A place to pick up the pieces."
Paris, Texas - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
I'm not afraid of heights. I'm afraid of fallin'.
— Travis Henderson
Context:
Travis and Walt are in Los Angeles, and Walt is trying to understand Travis's seemingly irrational fears and behaviors. Travis expresses this sentiment while looking down at the traffic below, a moment that highlights his fragile mental state.
Meaning:
This line, spoken as Travis looks down from a freeway overpass, encapsulates his fear not of a specific situation, but of the loss of control and the potential for another devastating personal collapse. It reflects his deep-seated anxiety about failing himself and his family again.
I used to talk to you all the time, even though I was alone. I walked around for months talking to you. Now I don't know what to say... It was easier when I just imagined you.
— Jane Henderson
Context:
This is from Jane's final, emotional monologue to Travis through the one-way mirror. After he has confessed his story, she opens up about her own experience of their separation and her struggle to move on.
Meaning:
This quote powerfully conveys the pain of separation and the way memory and imagination can sometimes feel more real and manageable than the complexity of an actual relationship. It reveals the depth of Jane's loneliness and her long-held, one-sided conversation with the man who left her.
I knew these people. These two people. They were in love with each other. The girl was very young, about 17 or 18, I guess. And the man was… older. He was kind of raggedy and wild. And she was very beautiful, you know?
— Travis Henderson
Context:
Travis is speaking to Jane through the intercom in the peep-show booth. He tells their story as if it were about two other people, slowly revealing his identity and the truth of their shared history.
Meaning:
This is the beginning of Travis's climactic confession to Jane. By telling their story in the third person, he creates an emotional distance that allows him to finally articulate the painful events of their past. It's a way of confronting the truth without being completely overwhelmed by it.