A Diva's Christmas Carol (2000 TV Movie)

Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas: Marli Jacob

Quotes 

• Ebony Scrooge : Is this about the royalties because I thought we already settled that. If I write 65% of the songs, I get 65% of the...

  Marli Jacob : [shows her chains]  I think I'm way past worried about money now.

  Ebony Scrooge : Well, then you must be dead because no one's ever past worrying about money. And what's with the getup? I thought you quit the chains when you broke up with that guy from Paramus.

  Marli Jacob : These chains are to represent my mistakes, how I messed up my life.

  Ebony Scrooge : I'll say you did. What a waste. And we were getting so big.

  Marli Jacob : But how did we use our success? What did we do to help our own? In the true business of life, we were flops.

  Ebony Scrooge : That doesn't make sense.

  Marli Jacob : I have tried, Lord knows I have tried, to reach you from... wherever it is I am, and tonight I finally did. So I am telling you, you have got to start...

  Ebony Scrooge : What gives you the right to tell me what to do?

  Marli Jacob : What gives me the right?

  [Room brightens up as she sits down] 

  Marli Jacob : We were best friends. You tell me what happened to that.

  Ebony Scrooge : You screwed up, that's what happened.

  Marli Jacob : You pushed us out of the spotlight!

  Ebony Scrooge : Now it's all my fault?

  Marli Jacob : Excuse me, I'm talking! The first minute we're a trio, the next, Terri and I are your backup singers! And that hurts!

• Marli Jacob : Well, where were you Christmas Eve 1990?

  Ebony Scrooge : Where was I? I was just getting the news that you got yourself messed up and got your Porsche wrapped around a tree.

  Marli Jacob : Yeah, and I took two innocent lives with me. And what did you do?

  Ebony Scrooge : I cried all night long. I never really got over it.

  Marli Jacob : The very night I died, you abandoned Terry and started planning your own solo act.

  Ebony Scrooge : That's not true.

  Marli Jacob : And I had to watch it. My hell is watching you mess up your life.

  [She hangs her head in shame, but then looks up after a moment] 

  Marli Jacob : Remember that showcase that Bob put together for us at Tramps? that night was make-or-break. We do a good show, we get signed. If we choke, we're history, remember?

  Ebony Scrooge : Yeah, we kicked butt.

  Marli Jacob : Well, tonight is just like that. You're going to be visited by three spirits. At 1:00, 2:00...

  Ebony Scrooge : Oooh, tonight's no good.

  Marli Jacob : Well, tough!

  Ebony Scrooge : I have to get some sleep. I have "A.M. America" to do in the morning.

  Marli Jacob : They're spirits. They don't care about no talk shows.

  Ebony Scrooge : Nobody cares about talk shows. But if you look at my calender

  [Marli disappears] 

  Ebony Scrooge : Well, this Pharmalayin is some powerful sh...

  [she falls out in a dead sleep]