"The Good Lie" movie quotes tell based-on-true-events story of Sudanese refugees who come to America, changing their lives and others in the process. The drama film was directed by Philippe Falardeau using a screenplay written by Margaret Nagle. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are among the producers for the film which opened on October 3, 2014.
In "The Good Life," Mamere (Arnold Ocena), Jeremiah (Ger Duany) and Paul (Emmanuel Jal) win a lottery to leave their war-torn Sudan to live in America. Upon arriving in the states, they are greeted by Carrie (Reece Witherspoon), who, along with Jack (Corey Stoll) will help them get settled in and find employment.
But the relationship between the men and Carrie grows much stronger when Carrie learns that they have another sibling, Abital (Kuoth Wiel), who was unable to leave Sudan with them, sending Carrie on a mission to reunite the four refugees. That task, however is not easy, nor especially legal at the moment, requiring the use of more than one "good lie" to accomplish.
"The Good Life" brings an emotional story to theaters already packed with other heavy movies such as "Gone Girl," "Men, Women & Children," "Left Behind," "The Equalizer," "Pride," "Good People," "The Boxtrolls," "This is Where I Leave You," "The Maze Runner," "A Walk Among the Tombstones," "Dolphin Tale 2," "No Good Deed," "The Skeleton Twins," "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby," "The Drop," "The Identical," "Frontera," "The Longest Week," "The November Man," "The Congress," "Life of Crime," "Starred Up," "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," "If I Stay."
The Good Lie Movie Quotes,
She Need To Be Here with Us
Mamere: "I had 34 brothers and sisters and they all died but one and she need to be here with us."
Mamere explains that while he and his two brothers were allowed to come to America as refugees, one of their sisters, the only one who survived the war in Sudan, remains. This mention sets Carrie on a mission to reunite them.
Hosting a Refugee
Carrie: "Hey"
Pamela: "Hey"
Carrie: "Thanks for coming over on such short notice."
Pamela: "Yeah, sure"
Carrie: "I know you're busy on Sundays with church and everything, so, thanks for coming."
Pamela: "Uh huh"
Carrie: "I need your help."
Pamela: "Yeah, you do."
Carrie: "I'm just wondering what you think of this room, whether I could turn it into, you know, a bedroom. Maybe fix it up, get rid of some of this stuff. I'm wondering if you think it would be good enough for the INS to approve me hosting a refugee or if your agency would even back me up on that."
Pamela: "If you can get the whole house presentable and not just this room, yeah. I think you can get approval."
Carrie: "What's wrong with the rest of the house?"
Pamela: "Really?"
Carrie: "All right, so where do we begin?"
Pamela: "Well, why don't you make us some coffee?"
Carrie: "I have tequila."
Pamela: "Praise the lord!"
Hoping to qualify to host a refugee, Carrie enlists the help of Pamela to get a spare bedroom in order. But as Pamela points out, they're going to need to fix more than just the bedroom to qualify.
Who Do I Have To Screw Around Here To See an Immigration Supervisor?
INS Clerk: "You don't have an appointment."
Carrie: "Who do I have to screw around here to see an immigration supervisor?"
INS Supervisor: "Me!"
Carrie: "Thanks, cupcake"
…
INS Supervisor: "That's going to be a problem. All flights from the Kakuma Refuge Camp have been stopped."
INS Agent: "Since 9/11, the program here has stopped indefinitely."
Carrie: "She's a child refuge of war."
When Carrie arrives at the INS office to speak about bringing the boys' sister to America, she is met with more than a little resistance. Unfortunately, bringing the girl to the states will be very difficult.
Dangerous Animals in This Area
Carrie: "I need your help."
Paul: "Are there any dangerous animals in this area?"
Jack: "Such as?"
Paul: "Lions"
Jack: [laughs] "No, there's no lions here. You're safe."
…
Jack: "What's their story, anyways?"
Carrie: "I'm not sure. They seem pretty traumatized."
When Paul asks Jack about dangerous animals, like lions, in the area, at first, Jack thinks it's a joke. He soon learns that where they came from, these kinds of dangers were daily occurrences.
Great White Cow
Jeremiah: "I'm sorry about bringing you dishonor but I cannot do a job I believe in my heart is wrong."
Carrie: "You don't bring me dishonor personally but this company did vouch for you and it is a big deal. Let me explain something to you. In America, we have this thing called bosses and they have too much power for their teeny tiny brains but you have to put up with it because you need money to live and to eat and to go to school. So I'm going to try to get you more job interviews. It's not going to be easy."
Jeremiah: "I have ERD."
Carrie: "ERD?"
Jeremiah: "It is our special name for you."
Carrie: "For me?"
Jeremiah: "Yes, it has great cultural significance."
Carrie: "What does it mean?"
Jeremiah: "It means great white cow."
Carrie: "Okay, eell, it's better than a lot of things I've been called."
Jeremiah answers to Carrie after his job assignment didn't work out. He does however have a very special nickname for her, though some is lost in translation.
I'm Just Supposed to Help Them Find Jobs
Carrie: "Yes, hello, this is Carrie… Pick up who? I'm just supposed to help them find jobs."
…
Carrie: "You must be the guys from Somalia… Senegal…"
Mamere: "Sudan… My name is Mamere. These are my brothers Jeremiah and Paul. You must be Pamela Lowry from Faith Based Charities."
Carrie: "Oh, no, I'm from the Forrester employment agency. I'm going to help you find jobs but I wasn't supposed to meet you until tomorrow but the gal who was supposed to pick you up from your resettlement agency got stuck in her car, but anyway. Okay, uh, did your luggage come down the chute? Great! Okay, let's go!"
…
Mamere: "Where is your husband?"
Carrie: "No, I'm not married. I provide for myself."
Mamere: "Your survival skills are very impressive."
Carrie: "Thanks"
…
Carrie: "I'll call you tomorrow morning and we'll start the job hunt."
Upon request, Carrie picks up the men from the airport and gets them settled into their new home. While she claims that she is only there to help them get jobs, her ultimate involvement in their lives will be much more life changing.
The Good Lie
Erin Sullivan: "Having all read Huckleberry Finn, can anyone tell me what the good lie means?"
Female Student: "Huck uses lies to survive in undesirable situations."
Erin Sullivan: "Exactly. But later in the book, the lies change. How so?"
Mamere: "They change because Huck changes."
Erin Sullivan: "Yes, keep going."
Mamere: "When he tells the slave hunters that he has no slaves, his lie is credible so he lies well but what is more important is that it's an unselfish lie because it saves Jim. Jim's freedom means more to Huck than the money he would get from turning him in. So it is a good lie."
Erin Sullivan: "I could not have said it better."
Mamere explains the story of Huckleberry Finn in his English class. Little does he know, this story will soon be coming very close to home with Carrie taking a great risk, and using a good lie, to help him.
Our Names Are on That List
Mamere: "Our names are on that list!"
The event that started the chain of events on which the film is based is featured. Mamere, along with his brothers Jeremiah and Paul were selected via lottery to go to America as a refugee, changing their lives, and those of others involved, forever.
You Should Just Stick to Walking
Jack: "Hey, you're uh…"
Jeremiah: "Jeremiah"
Jack: "Jeremiah, right, right. Where are you going?"
Jeremiah: "To my home"
Jack: "Come on, I'll give you a ride."
Jeremiah: "You are Carrie's boss."
Jack: "Nobody is Carrie's boss.
Jeremiah: "Oh, this is a very fine car."
Jack: "Thank you"
Jeremiah: "May I ask, what credential is required to drive a car?"
Jack: "Well, you need a driver's license. So you practice, then you pass a test."
…
Jack: "Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, slow down, slow down, left, left, okay, okay, now just stop. Put on the brakes! Brakes! Brakes! … You okay? I think you should just stick to walking."
What starts as Jack offering Paul a ride home soon turns into an impromptu driving lesson for Paul. Like other things, getting accustomed to this American activity does not come so easily.