The Rachel Papers (1989)

Dexter Fletcher: Charles Highway

Photos 

Quotes 

• Charles Highway : The best first impressions are the ones that are misleading. I mean, you can be whoever you want and whoever they want you to be.

• Charles Highway : I notice you don't have a drink.

  RachelNoyce : Are you giving this party?

  Charles Highway : Certainly not. Parties of this kind are not given, they're received.

• Charles Highway : If there's one thing that mothers don't want to see in you it's whatever it is that their daughters do.

• Charles Highway : Well, that's crap. Who's ever got time to act natural with a girl?

• Charles Highway : You spend 15-20 minutes trying not to come and then when you do you have to give a pretty credible performance.

• Charles Highway : Now, I'm surprisingly ineffective on the telephone so I find there are four basic requirements I need on making the first call. Number 1: visual stimulants. Number 2: other stimulants. Number 3: mood music. And, most importantly, number 4: a tight and effective working script.

• Charles Highway : [in discussion with the viewer as he views his 'scoring technique' file on personal computer]  You can never be over-prepared. That's my motto. I mean, one minute you're in there with a chance with one. And then the next, you go and say the wrong thing... and it's all over. It's a whole different ball game up here. Girls, that is. I mean, back where I come from, any experience with something with only two feet, uhm, was considered a plus... but down here in London... it's all about something else. Getting a girl can be like... waging a full-scale campaign.

• Charles Highway : I've been reading... uhm, well, a lot of metaphysical poets recently... but there's this one Elizabethan love couplet, uhm... "Love seeketh only self to please... to bind another to its delight... joys in another's loss of ease... builds a heaven... in hell's..." No, uhm... "Builds a hell in heaven's..."

  RachelNoyce : "Despite."

  Charles Highway : Pardon?

  RachelNoyce : "And builds a hell in heaven's despite." Then it goes "Love seeketh not itself to please... to bind another to its delight... joy at another's loss of ease... and builds a heaven in hell's despite."

  Charles Highway : How did you know that?

  RachelNoyce : Blake's one of my favorite poets.

  Charles Highway : I'm glad you're here.

• RachelNoyce : I thought I might as well make one of you happy.

  Charles Highway : What, me?

  RachelNoyce : If you still want me.

• Charles Highway : [fumbling with bedside precautions, to the tune of 'Electric Moon']  I can never get these damn things on.

  RachelNoyce : Well, it helps if you don't undo it first.