Frances Ha (2013) - 'What I Want' Monologue (HD)

Awkward and luminous. Greta Gerwig at her best in Frances Ha (2013).

[alexanderthegreat]

Such a brilliant scene. Everyone else at the dinner table looks down on her for being immature, or not having her life together. However, this monologue demonstrates who Frances is at her core, someone who isn’t afraid of being vulnerable, and while lost, someone who knows EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTS. She just hasn’t figured out how to get there

[AnzuMiruku]

This scene made the film for me. Frances’s words resonated so much. I have had the same thoughts and hopes before in love and life.

[gildedfryingpan]

This is great scene. She doesn't fit in with these people in this moment or with Sophie because of her earnestness, but she shows these people the power of earnestness and vulnerability. She has been hurt, but she remains potent enough to carry these ideas with her. Rachel, Sophie, and these people divorce themselves from their intimate thoughts and feelings more than Frances while Frances is stuck in her tragedy. The whole tension about how Sophie was "book smart" even though she wasn't and her attempt to tell a story to these people was so tragic, and it was mad even more tragic when they finally picked up on how astute she is and she nervously left feeling less than and needing to prove herself.

Don't make fun of me for posting here. I just love this scene.

Her face kind of reminds me of Mädchen Amick for some reason.

[MsRetro-idjo]

Greta Gerwig's performance in this film is, in my opinion, one of the best performances of the past 10 years. She's such a marvelous (and underrated) actress.

[startervisions]

I love this entire part of the movie. At dinner Frances is the talkative expression energy in the room, who some might think is self indulgent. A couple of people kinda glance at each other when she says certain things. But by the end of the night they realize that she's the reason why they even had a good time. She's the reason why the air wasn't awkward, she's the fun. It was other people who were self indulgent, because they have a harder time being honest and true with their own feelings and excitement. It's ok to be overjoyed about something. It's ok to be emotional, just find that balance between it all.

[originaozz]

This film was heartbreakingly relatable. I bawled like crazy finishing it because I'm around Frances age and still feeling almost as lost as her. I might not be struggling financially, but it felt like I'll never be truly happy and everyone else has move on from me. This is why the ending comforts me so much.

[kmpiano]

I just rewatched this for the n th time, and this monologue is still so touching and true, especially how it connects with the second last scene with Sophie :)

[pragyaagarwal]

You know when the movie ends and you keep staring at the screen while the credits are rolling but you are not really looking at them... And finally the credits end and it's black now... in that moment, in that one second you can die and have no regrets.

I watched this movie today and I am so relieved at being understood. There's always this urgency inside me that no one will ever get what I think of and want from a person in life. And now this movie has stated it. I feel blissful and at peace yet I feel like shouting to the world that it is THIS! This is who I am. God! I can literally die today and have no regrets.

I have lost many friends. And that dialogue at the end "It's just that if something funny happens on the way to the deli, you'll only tell one person about it and that'll be Patch and I'll never hear about it." It's this dialogue that defines all my friendships since I passed out from High School. And I haven't been able to recover since.

It's really sad how "happily-ever-afters" relate to marriage only. Nothing in this world is as overrated as marriage. And it literally stabbed me that even in the movie Sophie didn't stay - how Frances ran after her! That's the representation of me trying to hold on to those dreams which I really meant when I said them while my friends were drunk when they did.

[rahimaafdal]

I'll never forget this scene... It's so precious.

[somdaizza]

“I want this one moment. It’s what I want in a relationship, which may explain why I am single now, ha-ha. It’s kind of hard to… It's that thing when you're with someone, and you love them and they know it, and they love you and you know it... but it's a party... and you're both talking to other people, and you're laughing and shining... and you look across the room and catch each others eyes... but - but not because you're possessive, or it's precisely sexual... but because... that is your person in this life. And it's funny and sad, but only because this life will end, and it's this secret world that exists right there in public, unnoticed, that no one else knows about. It's sort of like how they say that other dimensions exist all around us, but we don't have the ability to perceive them. That's - That's what I want out of a relationship. Or just life, I guess... love. Blah… I sounded stoned. I’m not stoned. Thanks for dinner, bye!”

[jacob]

*I love this scene*

The way she transitions from shy, to insightful, to apologetic is just so organic, it feels like a real person expressing themselves. Hits a bit too close to home though, so I should really stop watching it 😅

[thefuckedupgod]

1:08 I like how the woman is vibing to France's words plus the background music. It feels like a moment of purity and honesty that takes you far from this world.

[alexs]

She gets what she describes here, at the end of the movie with Sophie.

[Molly_]

This is one of my favorite scene from possibly my all-time favorite movie. Perhaps this scene and I like to look at each other across dimensions in recognition and just know lol!

[penny.santiago]

I love her mimics just before she says "It's a thing". Perfectly describes how She feels, and well, that's how I feel too

[CC-ddfm]

The look the other women gave her was one of respect, and finally, understanding.

[Alina-zxnn]

this is so so beautiful when i first heard this I thought of my friend and i was like damn am i in love with her and then i found out in the movie she‘s also talking about her best friend cause later in the movie she has that moment with her friend and it made me so happy. might still be in love with her tho whoops

[ME-rowh]

if you see me smiling to myself, just know I'm thinking about this monologue

[gavinhenderson]

Can relate. Can still very much relate. And seeing Frances get that moment in the film brought a tear to my eye.

[rreloading]

transcript:
Nadia, I want this one
moment... It’s what I want in a relationship, which might explain why I’m single now ha ha. It’s hard to... It's like that thing where you are with someone and you love them and they know it, and they love you and you know it but it’s a party and you’re both talking to other people and laughing and shining and you look across the room and catch each other’s eye not because you are possessive or that it’s precisely sexual but because that is your person in this life. And it’s funny and sad, but only because this life will end, and it’s a secret world that no one else knows about that exists right there in public unnoticed - sort of like how they say other dimensions exist all around us but we don’t have the ability to perceive them. That’s... That’s what I want out of a relationship. Or just life, I guess. Love. Blah, I sound stoned. I’m not stoned.
(suddenly)
Thanks for dinner. Bye!