Best Quotes from The Dressmaker (2015)

Kate Winslet plays the lead character, Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage in the 2015 Australian film “The Dressmaker.” Myrtle was forced to leave her home and her mother at a young age after being implicated in the death of the school bully. Myrtle grew up to become a seamstress working for top designers in the big fashion houses in London, gay Paree and Milan. She returns home to get some answers and ends up with a few scores to settle. Pay the critics no mind. It’s got great fashion, love, tragedy, scandal, a cross-dressing sergeant and funny brownies. All that and great dialogue, too!

Also starring Judy Davis (Molly), Hugo Weaving (Sergeant Farrat) and Liam Hemsworth (Teddy).

Molly: I don’t know why you’ve come to this hole. There’s nothing here.
Tilly: I came because I need you to remember me, mum.
Molly: Mum?
Tilly: I need you to remember so I can remember. Hmmph!
Molly: Remember what? Being my daughter?
Tilly: That too.
Molly: Fat chance. What else?

Tilly: Did I commit a murder?
Molly: (laughing) What?
Tilly: Am I a murderer? Is that why I’m cursed?
Molly: You don’t remember committing a murder?
Tilly: No.
Molly: (scoffing) It’s not something you’re likely to forget.

Teddy: G’day. Yer get-up’s distracting the players.
Tilly: Well, I do have an unusual talent for bias cutting.
Teddy: Yeah, listen, Myrtle…
Tilly: I prefer Tilly.

Teddy: Tilly, the only reason these bastards haven’t run us McSwineys out of town, too, is me dad empties their sh*thouses and I win ’em the footy. We lose this match, all I’ve got left is the sh*t.
Tilly: Thank you, Teddy. I know you and Mae have been looking out for Molly.
Teddy: You leaving?
Tilly: No I’m going to change
Molly: Been looking out for me, have you?

Tilly: Ah, Gertrude Pratt. What’s the matter with you? I hear the footballers dance is Saturday night. I could make you something.
Gert: A dress can’t change anything.
Tilly: Watch and learn, Gert, watch and learn.

Sergeant Farrat: Tilly, certain accusations have been made, requiring me by law to make a thorough search of this tea chest.
Tilly: What am I being accused of?
Sergeant Farrat: (delighting in the various fabrics and donning one bolt) Oh, good lord!
Molly: This isn’t how I remember you.
Tilly: This isn’t how I remember you either.
Farrat: Well, frankly, this is how I rather you remembered me.
Molly: Don’t worry, Sergeant, not much chance of me forgetting this.

Alvin Pratt: Look at our youngsters.
Ah, they make a lovely couple.
William Beaumont: Gert, you look like someone out of a movie.

Tilly: What about alterations?
Una: They’ll be minor. If there are any, I can manage them myself.
Tilly: You sew?
Una: I’m a dressmaker and a seamstress. Fully qualified. I would like to see what’s in your workroom.
Tilly: Would you let me into your workroom?
Una: You’ll be familiar with my work soon enough. Evan Pettyman invited me here. Did you think they wouldn’t fight back?

Tilly: Why didn’t you tell me? Why?
Molly: You should never have come back.
Barney: But she moved! You moved, Tilly! You moved!
Teddy: Shut up, Barney.
Barney: No-oooo! She moved! I saw him! I saw him! He done it himself! I saw! She moved, Teddy!

“The Dressmaker” was based upon the Rosalie Ham’s novel of the same name, published in 2000. Jocelyn Moorhouse directed and also co-wrote the screenplay with P. J. Hogan. Watch “The Dressmaker” on Amazon (free with Prime).