# River's Edge

River's Edge is a 1986 film about a high school slacker who commits a shocking act and proceeds to let his friends in on the secret. However, the friends' reaction is almost as ambiguous and perplexing as the crime itself.
    Directed by Tim Hunter. Written by Neal Jimenez, partially based on the 1981 murder of Marcy Renee Conrad.

## Layne

* This is like some fuckin' movie. Friends since second grade, fuckin' like THIS [crosses fingers] and then one of us gets himself in potentially BIG trouble, and now we've gotta deal with it; we've got to test our loyalty against ALL odds. It's kind of... exciting. I feel like... Chuck Norris, y'know?
* It's people like you that are sending this country down the tubes. No sense of pride. No sense of loyalty. No sense of NOTHING, man.

## Matt

* The only reason you stay here is so you can fuck my mother and eat her food. MOTHERFUCKER. FOOD EATER.

## Feck

* My leg was right out in the middle of the street. I remember lying in the gutter and bleeding and shit, staring at my leg, right next to a beer can. And I remember thinking, that's my leg... I wonder if there's any beer in that can.
* [John accuses Feck of having feelings for his blow-up doll, Ellie] Look, I'm not psycho. I know she's a doll. Right, Ellie?
* You understand, don't you? Sure you do. I don't like killing people. But sometimes it's necessary. That's enough for now. I, I'd like you all to leave now. Very tired. Sort of depressed. I lost a good friend today, ya know...

## Dialogue

    Layne: Go on.
    Matt: I don't know. I just figured we could dump this place, you know? Go up there, and if we like it, we stay, don't come back.
    Clarissa: Where did you get Portland?
    Matt: Well, nobody knows us up there.
    Clarissa: People know us here?
    Layne: [mimicking Sonny & Cher, his hand wandering] I know you, babe.
    Clarissa: [brushing him off] That's really annoying, Layne.
    Layne: So what, man? We could be lumberjacks or something?
    Matt: There's other things to do.
    Layne: Like what?
    Maggie: Like getting stoned.
    [laughter]
    Layne: It almost sounds like a plan. Except we're all broke, and I'm the only one with a car.
    Tony: We could just take all our parents' money, take off, discover America, and make like we're Easy Rider plus five.
    Clarissa: [checking Maggie's wristwatch] Shit, I gotta go. Burkewaite's gonna have a spaz attack if I'm late again.
    Layne: She's in love with his middle-aged ass.
    Clarissa: He's not middle-aged, asshole. [as John arrives] Hi, John.
    Layne: [to John] Didn't think you'd make it today. Where's Jamie?
    John: I killed her.
    Clarissa: She's gonna be in big trouble if she keeps ditching like this.
    Maggie: You what?
    John: I killed her.
    Maggie: You're strange, John.
    [the two girls walk off to class]
    Layne: Why did you kill her?
    John: She was talking shit.
    John: You were a biker.
    Feck: Yeah, years ago. Oh, man. I ate so much pussy in those days, my beard looked like a glazed doughnut.
    Feck: I killed a girl, it was no accident. Put a gun to the back of her head and blew her brains right out the front. I was in love.
    John: I strangled mine.
    Feck: Did you love her?
    John: She was okay.
    Bennett: Did the sight of this dead girl move you in any particular way?
    Matt: I don't know.
    Bennett: Were you shocked, angry, saddened? Did the sight please you?
    Matt: I don't know how I felt.
    Bennett: You knew this girl?
    Matt: Yeah.
    Bennett: How did you feel about her?
    Matt: I don't know.
    Bennett: Hey, I'm getting sick of "I don't know". Do you hear me?
    Clarissa: You didn't have to call me a stupid bitch.
    Layne: You would have drove right past us. We had to yell something.
    Matt: You yelled it Layne.
    Clarissa: I got a name you know. You're lucky I didn't just drive right home.
    Layne: OKay, okay, okay. I'm sorry Clarissa, but you've got to understand that in a time like this where every fucking second counts, a man can't waste his time choosing words.
    Clarissa: [as Layne drives] I feel real twisted right now. Twisted, like I should just go to the cops, and just tell them where John is.
    Layne: I wouldn't even joke about that, Clarissa.
    Clarissa: What would you do, kill me? You'd love that, I'll bet. You and John could run off and be outlaws together. But first, to show off to your friends, strap my dead body to the top of your car and drive all over town.
    Layne: [slams on the brakes] Get out!
    Clarissa: What?
    Layne: You don't understand a goddamn thing, do you? Jamie is dead, dammit! And there's nothing that we can do to save her. Now I happened to like Jamie. But John is still alive. Don't you see that?
    Clarissa: And who's next on his list?
    [exasperated, Layne reaches over, and throws open the door for her]
    Clarissa: You're just gonna leave me here? What if John's around?
    Layne: [giggles] Ask him to forgive you. Here... here's your money. We don't need this shit.
    [she climbs out]
    Matt: We can't just leave her alone like this.
    Layne: Okay. Fuck! You stay here, and you protect her. I should have known that I was the only one that can handle a crisis. Do you want your money back, too?
    Matt: Keep my money, Layne. [climbs out]
    Clarissa: What's with you?
    Matt: I don't know. I figured I'd walk you home.
    Clarissa: I can make it on my own. [sighs as he hesitates] Well, come if you're gonna come.
    Matt: [catching up with her] You want my coat or something? You look kinda cold.
    Clarissa: [shakes her head] No, I'm okay. You agree with him, don't you?
    Matt: Layne? Not really.
    Clarissa: You probably do. Everybody goes along with him, like he's got some special power or something. I think he's totally wrong. [pause] Layne brags about me, doesn't he?
    Matt: What do you mean?
    Clarissa: About getting me. I know he does, so don't even say he doesn't.
    [no response]
    Clarissa: Doesn't he?
    Matt: Not to me.
    Clarissa: [smiles] You look kinda cute when you lie, you know that?
    Matt: What?
    Clarissa: You should see him though when there are no other guys around, and he thinks he might get lucky. Shakes like a leaf. Always has to be drunk too. He's like "Layne - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic." They could make a movie, I don't know.
    [they reach her house]
    Clarissa: Do you have to be drunk to kiss a girl?
    [Matt tries to buy beer]
    John: [walks in] You giving my friend trouble?
    Checker: Look, I cannot sell you guys beer after two o'clock in the morning.
    John: [displaying a gun] Well, I'm here to turn back the time.
    Kevin: I just want to say it was horrible what those kids did. And the whole incident points up a fundamental moral breakdown in our society.
    Mr. Burkewaite: Thank you, Kevin, for your insightful self-righteous indignation. I'd still like to hear from Tom.
    Tom: Would you just quit staring at me like that, man?
    Clarissa: I hear they're having an open-casket funeral for Jamie. I think that's in bad taste.
    Tony: It is in bad taste. This whole episode is in bad taste. You young people are a disgrace to the human race. To all living things, to plants even. You shouldn't be seen in the same room with a cactus.

## External links

* River's Edge quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* River's Edge at Mojo
* River's Edge at Rotten Tomatoes