Family (TV Series)

Thursday's Child (1976)

James Broderick: Doug Lawrence

Quotes 

• Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : [Doug knocks on Buddy's door]  Don't come in.

  [He enters the room to see Buddy lying in bed, faking sick to get out of going to Timmy's christening] 

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : I'm probably contagious. You might catch something.

  Doug Lawrence : I don't know about contagious, but you might very well catch something.

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : Dad, I feel so peculiar.

  Doug Lawrence : You look fine to me.

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : [feeling her forehead]  I think I have a fever.

  Doug Lawrence : Think again. Your mother says you don't.

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : She's being very unreasonable. Daddy...

  Doug Lawrence : Oh, now, don't "daddy" me, either. I'm gonna get dressed. And if you know what's good for you, you get up right now and do the same.

  [Buddy angrily crosses her arms, as Doug leaves the room] 

• Kate Lawrence : [reads a note on the table]  "Mrs. Maitland called. See me" I give up. Who's me?

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : Me.

  Kate Lawrence : I'm seeing you. What's up?

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : Please tell your mother that Jeffrey Sr. and I are looking forward to seeing her at 7:30 tomorrow evening and also, Letitia, dear, would you please say that the Wilsons just got back from Sardenia and will be able to come to the party, after all?

  Doug Lawrence : That brings it up to twenty.

  Kate Lawrence : Twenty-two. There's a married daughter. Oh, god, there's not going to be enough to eat. I was going to have quiche. Doug, do you remember that English couple that catered the Freeman's cocktail party?

  Doug Lawrence : Caterers? Kate, slow down. Jeffrey Maitland isn't paying for this, I am. I'll get Mrs. Handley.

  Kate Lawrence : Mrs. Handley? The only reason she works for us is because she likes the lunches I've fixed for her.

  Willie Lawrence : Do you remember when Charlie and Grace Harmsworth had their baby christened? We went out into a big field and the guests provided the food. I remember I brought Harib bread and a bean and onion salad, and somebody else brought cous-cous.

  Doug Lawrence : Kate, call the caterers.

• James Lawrence : Looking forward to the big event.

  Kate Lawrence : I wish I were. Doug, is there such a thing as a legal action for mental cruelty? Extreme mental cruelty?

  James Lawrence : Of course, there is. Just the other day, I went down to the courthouse. I was curious about the procedure for certain divorce cases.

  Doug Lawrence : Dad...

  James Lawrence : You see, the husband had been involved in a prior action. Before the marriage, she was living with a sculptor who covered him with plaster.

  Doug Lawrence : Dad, please. What is it, Kate?

  Kate Lawrence : It's Carl's Cut-Rate Cleaners. I want you to sue them. I want you to get them for it and I'd appreciate it if you went upstairs and deal with Buddy. If I do, I'm afraid I'll resort to violence.

  Doug Lawrence : What are you talking about?

  Kate Lawrence : She's trying to drive me crazy. She won't get out of bed. She says she's sick and she can't be expected to get up in her condition.

  James Lawrence : She got a fever?

  Kate Lawrence : Not a hint. Oh, Doug, please go up to her. I'm serious. If I do, I'm afraid I'll lose my temper or burst into tears. I'd rather not do either.

• Kate Lawrence : [holds up a box containing a dress for Buddy]  Here's something for you to wear on Saturday. It's called a dress.

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : Well, thanks, Mom, but I already had something else picked out to wear and it wasn't a dress.

  [sets the box on the couch] 

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : But it doesn't matter now, anyway.

  Doug Lawrence : [firmly]  Buddy, don't be difficult.

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : Well, I'm not, Dad. Audrey Pfeiffer called before. Her family's going skiing for the weekend and I'm gonna go with them. I didn't think you'd mind.

  Kate Lawrence : We DO mind and you're not going. Go and call Audrey.

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : [protests]  Mom...

  Doug Lawrence : Buddy, do as your mother says!

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : Oh, what difference does it make? It's just a dumb old christening. Chub-O won't even know I'm there.

  Kate Lawrence : He'll know in years to come when he looks at the photographs and his name's not Chub-O. Call Audrey, now.

  Letitia 'Buddy' Lawrence : [pouts and starts up the stairs]  Dumb baby!

  Doug Lawrence : [stands up]  I won't have her behaving that way.

  Kate Lawrence : She IS being a pain.

  Willie Lawrence : She's been acting cuckoo, for days.

  Doug Lawrence : Well, I don't like it.