American Beauty Family and Marriage Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from American Beauty.

Quote #7

RICKY: I wish things would have been better for you. Take care of Dad.

After a big blowup with his dad, Ricky is about to leave home. We never did learn what the deal was with Ricky's mom—she is basically catatonic the whole movie—but we suspect she's in some kind of intense submissive state to try to keep her abusive, hotheaded husband calm. Ricky manages to spare a moment to wish/hope for better things for the family he's leaving behind, including his brutish father.