Movie Quote Monday – Miracle on 34th Street
The black and white with Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and Natalie Wood, of course.
It feels odd to include a fight from a Christmas movie, but I keep thinking about Fred’s “lovely intangibles” and they must be quoted.
Fred: Don’t you see, it’s not just Kris that’s on trial, it’s everything he stands for; it’s kindness and joy and love and all the other intangibles.
Doris: Oh, Fred, you’re talking like a child! You’re living in a realistic world and those lovely intangibles of yours are attractive, but not worth very much. You don’t get ahead that way.
Fred: That all depends on what you call getting ahead. Evidently, you and I have different definitions.
What’s your definition?
A job, an income, security – these are all important. But what good do they do you, if they come at the expense of kindness and joy and love. Sometimes we have no choice. Right?
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steadily skipping stones 
Great quote from one of my favorite movies! For me, kindness and empathy are two of the intangibles that matter, as well as the ability to believe, to see the best is possible.
This is a good movie! There is a quote on the main Movie Quote page from Stranger Than Fiction that reminds me of this one. It’s says basically the same thing, about how it’s the little things in life that mean the most, even though we don’t realize it.
Your intangibles are good ones for the list, too!
I’ve wondered at times if my choices to secure income have cost me the intangibles.
That made me sound like a prostitute.
I’m not a prostitute.
Seriously, though, I do wonder if my career choices (e.g., taking a job in a new town, a schedule that required me to give up a lot of extra-curricular activities, etc) have hurt me, even though I had to take the job if I wanted to keep myself financially salient and stable for the future. Watched “Miracle on 34th Street” just the other night. 🙂
I’ve wondered the same thing from time to time. I don’t even have a high paying or particularly stable income, and still I’ve chosen to work in an industry that required me to miss out on holiday and other family/friend functions. Last year, I stepped down and took less money in order to work 9-5 and no weekends, and it was the most personally rewarding decision I have made in a long time. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long and I’m back to where I was before, with less pay. But it let me know what I really wanted. I don’t know how I’m going to get what I want…but at least I have a direction to aim for.
In any case, I don’t think we’ve given up the intangibles, not in a Scrooge way. Not like in an exchange for money kind of way (I’m not a prostitute, either). But we’re sure not enjoying them like we deserve to.