"Choose life."
Trainspotting - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
— Mark Renton
Context:
The film opens with Renton and Spud being chased by security guards after shoplifting. This monologue plays as a voiceover, contrasting the frantic action on screen with Renton's philosophical justification for his life choices.
Meaning:
This iconic opening monologue establishes the film's central theme of rebellion against societal norms and consumerism. It's a cynical anthem for a generation feeling alienated and disenfranchised, framing heroin use not as a failing but as a deliberate choice to reject a life they see as hollow and meaningless.
It's shite being Scottish! We're the lowest of the low. The scum of the fuckin' Earth! The most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some people hate the English. I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers.
— Mark Renton
Context:
Renton, Sick Boy, and Tommy are hiking in the Scottish Highlands. Tommy extols the beauty and pride of Scotland, prompting this bitter and furious outburst from Renton, who sees the fresh air and scenery as irrelevant to their grim urban reality.
Meaning:
This quote is a powerful expression of post-industrial Scottish despair and self-loathing. It speaks to a sense of national and cultural impotence, suggesting their problems are deeper than just blaming the English. It encapsulates the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of failure that fuels their nihilism and drug use.
So why do I do it? I could offer a million answers, all false. The truth is that I'm a bad person, but that's going to change, I'm going to change. This is the last of that sort of thing. I'm cleaning up and I'm moving on, going straight and choosing life. I'm looking forward to it already.
— Mark Renton
Context:
This is Renton's voiceover in the film's final scene. He has just stolen the £16,000 from the drug deal and is walking away to start a new life, leaving a share of the money for Spud. He walks across a bridge, smiling, as he recites a more sincere version of his opening monologue.
Meaning:
This closing monologue marks a significant shift in Renton's perspective. It recasts the "Choose Life" mantra from a sarcastic taunt into a genuine aspiration. His admission of being a "bad person" signifies a crucial step of self-awareness and accountability. The quote represents his final, hopeful decision to break from his past and embrace a conventional future.