Learn about the metaphor of life through these Scent of a Woman quotes.
Scent of a Woman is a remake of an earlier Italian movie released in 1974 with the same title. In Italian, it’s called Profumo di donna.
However, the newer release has garnered a larger following because it cast Al Pacino as Frank Slade. He’s a retired veteran who is irritable because of his blindness and cynical views on life.
At first glance, the movie’s title alludes to a romantic plot, but it’s about Frank Slade’s bond with a student named Charlie Simms. Charlie thought it would be easy money to watch over Frank Slade.
Little did he know that it would be much harder than it seemed. Through their interactions, both learn a lot from each other about hope, naivety, and more.
Scent of a Woman is genuinely one of the more profound movies released, and it’s also the stage where Al Pacino won Best Actor at the Oscars. Read on to get a better understanding of this incredible drama!
And make sure to check out these The Color Purple quotes and Miss Congeniality quotes.
Best Scent of a Woman Quotes
1. “There are two kinds of people in this world: those who stand up and face the music, and those who run for cover. Cover is better.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
2. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Oh, where do I go from here, Charlie?”
Charlie Simms: “If you’re tangled up, just tango on.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “You askin’ me to dance, Charlie?”
3. “The day we stop lookin’, Charlie, is the day we die.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
4. “I don’t know if Charlie’s silence here today is right or wrong. I’m not a judge or jury, but I can tell you this: he won’t sell anybody out to buy his future! And that, my friends, is called integrity. That’s called courage. Now that’s the stuff leaders should be made of. Now I have come to the crossroads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew. But I never took it. You know why? It was too damn hard. Now here’s Charlie. He’s come to the crossroads. He has chosen a path. It’s the right path. It’s a path made of principle that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey. You hold this boy’s future in your hands, committee. It’s a valuable future. Believe me. Don’t destroy it. Protect it. Embrace it. It’s gonna make you proud one day, I promise you.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
5. Charlie Simms: “So you f*cked up, alright? So what? So everybody does it. Get on with your life, would ya?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “What life? I got no life! I’m in the dark here. You understand? I’m in the dark!”
Charlie Simms: “So give up. You wanna give up? Give up ’cause I’m giving—giving up too. You said I’m through; you’re right I am through. It’s all over. So let’s get on with it. Let’s f*ckin’ do it! F*ckin’ pull the trigger, you miserable blind motherf*cker. Pull the trigger.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Here we go, Charlie.”
Charlie Simms: “I’m ready.”
6. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “You know what’s kept me goin’ all these years? The thought that one day—never mind.”
Charlie Simms: “The what?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Silly. Just the thought that maybe one day, I’d—I could have a woman’s arms wrapped around me and her legs wrapped around me.”
Charlie Simms: “And what?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “That I could wake up in the morning and she’d still be there. The smell of her. All funky and warm. I finally gave up on it.”
Charlie Simms: “I don’t know why you can’t have that. When we get back to New Hampshire, I don’t know why you can’t find someone. You’re a good-lookin’ guy, and you’re fun to be with, and you’re a great travel companion, sensitive, compassionate.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Charlie, are you f*ckin’ with me?”
Charlie Simms: “Yes.”
Famous Scent of a Woman Quotes
7. “Boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there isn’t nothin’ like the sight of an amputated spirit. There is no prosthetic for that. You think you’re merely sending this splendid foot soldier back home to Oregon with his tail between his legs, but I say you are executin’ his soul! And why? Because he’s not a Bairdman. Bairdmen. You hurt this boy; you’re gonna be Baird bums, the lot of ya. And Harry, Jimmy, Trent, wherever you are out there, f*ck you, too!” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
8. “Ooh, but I still smell her. Women! What can you say? Who made ’em? God must have been a f*ckin’ genius. The hair—they say the hair is everything, you know. Have you ever buried your nose in a mountain of curls, just wanted to go to sleep forever? Or lips, and when they touched, yours were like—that first swallow of wine after you just crossed the desert. Tits. Hoo-ah! Big ones, little ones, nipples staring right out at ya, like secret searchlights. Mmm. Legs. I don’t care if they’re Greek columns or secondhand Steinways. What’s between ’em, passport to heaven. I need a drink. Yes, Mr. Sims, there’s only two syllables in this whole wide world worth hearing: pussy.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
9. “It’s a great day for singing a song. It’s a great day for moving along. It’s a great day from morning to night. It’s a great day for everybody’s plight.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
10. “Car feels heavy. You know why? You got the f*ckin’ weight of the world on your shoulders.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
11. “I’m not finished! As I came in here, I heard those words, ‘Cradle of Leadership.’ Well, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here. It has fallen. Makers of Men, Creators of Leaders. Be careful what kind of leaders you’re producing here.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
12. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “You don’t wanna die.”
Charlie Simms: “Neither do you.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Give me one good reason not to.”
Charlie Simms: “I’ll give you two. You can dance the tango and drive a Ferrari better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “You never seen anyone do either.”
Scent of a Woman Quotes About Integrity
13. “Well, gentlemen, when the sh*t hits the fan, some guys run, and some guys stay.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
14. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Charlie, how you ever gonna survive in this world without me?”
Charlie Simms: “Colonel, why don’t you just give me the gun, alright? What are you doing?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “I’m gonna shoot you, too. Your life’s finished anyway. Your friend George is gonna sing like a canary. And so are you. And once you’ve sung, Charlie, my boy, you’re gonna take your place on that long, gray line of American manhood. And then you will be through.”
Charlie Simms: “I’d hate to disagree with you, Colonel.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “You’re in no position to disagree with me, boy. I got a loaded .45 here. You got pimples. I’m gonna kill you, Charlie, ’cause I can’t bear the thought of you sellin’ out!”
15. Charlie Simms: “You ruined your life, too, right?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “What life? I don’t have a life. I’m in the dark here. Do you understand? I’m in the dark.”
16. Randy: “You want to know the truth?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “You got a handle on that, do you, Randy?”
Randy: “He was an *sshole before.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Whoo-ah!”
Randy: “Now all he is is a blind *sshole.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Whoo-ah.”
Randy: “Hey, God’s a funny guy.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “God doth have a sense of humor.”
Randy: “Maybe God thinks some people don’t deserve to see.”
17. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “You break my heart, son. All my life, I stood up to everyone and everything because it made me feel important. You do it because you mean it. You got integrity, Charlie. I don’t know whether to shoot you or adopt you.”
Charlie Simms: “Not much of a choice, is it, sir?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Oh, don’t get cute, son.”
Charlie Simms: “Colonel, could you please put the gun away?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “I asked you a question. Do you want me to adopt you, or don’t you?”
Charlie Simms: “Please, I mean—you’re just in a slump right now.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Slump? No slump, Charlie. I’m bad. I’m not bad, no; I’m rotten.”
Charlie Simms: “You’re not bad. You’re just in pain.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “What do you know about pain? You little snail dart from the Pacific Northwest? F*ck you know about pain?”
18. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Haven’t you heard? Conscience is dead.”
Charlie Simms: “No, I haven’t heard.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Well, then, take the f*ckin’ wax outta your ears! Grow up! It’s f*ck your buddy, cheat on your wife, and call your mother on Mother’s Day! Charlie, it’s all sh*t.”
19. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Soldier. That was a direct order.”
Charlie Simms: “Give me the gun?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “You can stay, or you can leave. You understand? Either way, I’m gonna do this thing. Now, why don’t you leave and spare yourself?”
Charlie Simms: “I want your gun, Colonel.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “I’m gonna give myself a count. You need a count for balance. Five, four, three, two, one. F*ck it.”
Funny Scent of a Woman Quotes That’ll Make You Smirk
20. “When in doubt—f*ck.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
21. “Uh-oh, we got a moron here.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
22. Donna: “Ah, that’s amazing.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Well, I’m in the amazing business.”
23. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “How’s your skin, son? I like my aides to be presentable.”
Charlie Simms: “Well, I—I’ve had a few zits. Um, but my roommate, he lent me his Clinique because he’s from—.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “‘The History of My Skin,’ by Charles Simms.”
24. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Thank you, Randy. You still with Snowqueen Sugar?”
Randy: “Snowflake. How come you always get that wrong?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Because it’s not important for me to get it right.”
25. “Can’t believe they’re my blood. IQ of sloths and the manners of banshees. He’s a mechanic; she’s a homemaker. He knows as much about cars as a beauty queen, and she bakes cookies—taste like wing nuts. As for the tots, they’re twits.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
26. “You’ve been in the sugar business for so long, you’ve forgotten the taste of real honey!” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
27. “Tickets. Money. Speech. Old Washington joke from my days with Lyndon.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
28. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Are you blind? Are you blind?”
Charlie Simms: “Of course not.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Then why do you keep grabbing my goddamn arm? I take your arm.”
Charlie Simms: “I’m sorry.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Don’t be sorry. How would you know? You’ve been watching MTV all your life.”
Scent of a Woman Quotes for All Fans
29. “Don’t shrug, imbecile. I’m blind. Save your body language for the bimbi.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
30. “Are you listening to me, son? I’m givin’ you pearls here.” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
31. “Touch me again, I’ll kill ya, you little son of a b*tch! I touch you. Understand?” – Lt. Col. Frank Slade
32. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Then, I’m going to lie down on my big beautiful bed, and blow my brains out.”
Charlie Simms: “Did I hear you right, Colonel? You said you’re going to kill yourself?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “No. I said I’m going to blow my brains out.”
33. Charlie Simms: “I thought we had a deal.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “I welched. I’m a welcher. Didn’t I tell you?”
Charlie Simms: “No, what you told me was, that you gave me all the bullets.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “I lied.”
Charlie Simms: “Yeah, well, you could’ve fooled me.”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “And I did.”
34. Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “Clear them little bottles off. And when I get off the phone here, call up Hyman and tell him I want it wall to wall with John Daniels.”
Charlie Simms: “Don’t you mean Jack Daniels?”
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: “He may be Jack to you, son, but when you’ve known him as long as I have—that’s a joke.”
35. Mr. Trask: “I am left with no real witness. Mr. Willis’s testimony is not only vague, it is unsubstantiated. The substance I was looking for, Mr. Simms, was to come from you.”
Charlie Simms: “I’m sorry.”
Mr. Trask: “I’m sorry too, Mr. Simms, because you know what I am going to do. In as much as I can’t punish Mr. Havemeyer, Mr. Potter, or Mr. Jameson, and I won’t punish Mr. Willis. He’s the only party to this incident who is still worthy of calling himself a Baird man. I’m going to recommend to the disciplinary committee that you be expelled. Mr. Simms, you are a cover-up artist, and you are a liar.”
Did Any of the Scent of a Woman Quotes Above Hit Your Heart?
It’s easy to think that Scent of a Woman is anchored on a romantic plot. However, this movie starring Al Pacino used it as a metaphor to describe life, integrity, and the characters’ journey in discovering more about the world.
The movie gives us two perspectives on life through the characters’ personalities. Frank’s a cynic who has seen every horrible thing the world has to offer, while Charlie is innocent and naive and still believes that the world is full of wonder.
Though entirely by chance, they form a bond that will change their lives forever. Each gives and takes a lesson from the other they’ll never forget.
Through Charlie, Frank finds new meaning in life. His world was filled with darkness, and through his interactions with Charlie, he slowly saw a different side to life; he was reminded that there are still beautiful things in this world.
In the same way, Frank allows Charlie to realize that there’s more to life than it seems. People can seem happy, but laughter can only be a mask that hides what they’re truly feeling.
Scent of a Woman no doubt makes us rethink how we approach life. So, remember that there’s a good and a bad in everything, and there’s always light and dark.
