Context

This famous line was spoken by Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter (directed by Anthony Harvey, 1968).

You think your family has problems? Try being a royal. (We know, we know, you'll never be royals.) Royal families seem to be as defined by their dysfunction as they are by their power and prestige. This tradition goes way way back (you'll probably find a Neanderthal monarch deposed violently by his brother if you look hard enough), and one of the most dysfunctional families is that of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, as portrayed in The Lion in Winter.

Like most royal families—the Tudors, the Windsors, the Kardashians—they have more problems inside the castle walls than coming from abroad. Eleanor issues the understatement of the 12th century when she says, "What family doesn't have its ups and downs?"

 True, but when was the last time your brother plotted against you for your father's throne?

Where you've heard it

This here's a good quote to roll out during any family conflict, even if it doesn't nearly reach the melodramatic heights of the Plantagenet family drama. In any case, it's one of the most popular quotes in the beloved movie and is referenced in the New York Times film review.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

It would be pretentious if Eleanor pretended there weren't problems; this family has more ups and downs than a roller coaster.