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Jesse and Celine, with Jesse’s quote: “If you want love, then this is it. This is real life. It's not perfect, but it's real.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm
Jesse and Celine, with Jesse’s quote: “If you want love, then this is it. This is real life. It's not perfect, but it's real.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

31 ‘Before Midnight’ Quotes: Jesse and Celine’s Authentic Conversations

Dayna Remus
Jun 20, 2023
05:00 P.M.

Jesse and Celines' ongoing dialogue has kept many captivated from 1995 until 2013 when the twosome have matured and are engaged in a serious relationship. Read 31 quotes from them below.

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"Before Midnight," released in 2013, is the third installment of Richard Linklater's dramedy trilogy starring lovers Jesse and Celine.

While the first two movies focus on them in their twenties in "Before Sunrise" in 1995 and in their thirties in 2004's "Before Sunset," they are now in their forties, officially together, with kids and serious careers.

As usual, and like its predecessors, the film focuses on conversations between the two. However, these conversations are less romantic than their younger selves and explore their problems, past, and what it means to experience mature love.

Read 31 quotes from the third ongoing conversation that has continued through the years and kept audiences glued to their screens.

Jesse and Celine, with Jesse’s quote: “On game day, when it mattered, I did talk to you on a train. It was the best thing I ever did.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

Jesse and Celine, with Jesse’s quote: “On game day, when it mattered, I did talk to you on a train. It was the best thing I ever did.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

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Celine’s Quotes

"Can I ask you a question? If we were meeting on a train for the first time today, would you find me attractive?" — Celine

...we don't have to spend our lives comparing ourselves to Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Tolstoy..." — Celine

“Women explore for eternity in the vast garden of sacrifice.” — Celine

"You like to have sex the exact same way evvvvvvery time." — Celine

“Sometimes…I feel like you're breathing helium, and I'm breathing oxygen.” — Celine

Jesse and Celine, with Celine’s quote: “Women explore for eternity in the vast garden of sacrifice.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

Jesse and Celine, with Celine’s quote: “Women explore for eternity in the vast garden of sacrifice.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

"You're so corny. Sometimes I'm just like, what are you? A 12-year-old-girl?" — Celine

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"I'm sure you will. And that'll be the best line in the book." — Celine

"You know what? The only time I get to think now is when I take a [expletive] at the office. I'm starting to associate thoughts with the smell of [expletive]." — Celine

“You would not pick me up on a train. You would not even notice me. A [expletive] middle age mom losing her hair.” — Celine

"I'm the first woman you ever fell in love with? I don't think so." — Celine

Jesse and Celine, with Celine’s quote: “Sometimes…I feel like you're breathing helium, and I'm breathing oxygen.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

Jesse and Celine, with Celine’s quote: “Sometimes…I feel like you're breathing helium, and I'm breathing oxygen.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

“Not knowing is not so bad. I mean, the point is to be looking, searching, to stay hungry, right?” — Celine

"We all get dragged through our parents’ lives." — Celine

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"I feel close to you." — Celine

"See? I'm trying to truly connect, and you make a joke." — Celine

"I'm stuck with an American teenager." — Celine

Jesse’s Quotes

"I know you better than I know anybody else on the planet, but maybe that's not saying much." —Jesse

Jesse, with two other characters: “You wanna live inside some fairy tale." │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

Jesse, with two other characters: “You wanna live inside some fairy tale." │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

“On game day, when it mattered, I did talk to you on a train. It was the best thing I ever did.” —Jesse

"All right, I put up with plenty of your [expletive]. And if you think I'm just some dog who's gonna keep coming back, then you're wrong." —Jesse

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"Ha ha. That is a good line. I gonna use that in a book some day." —Jesse

"I'm a man of simple pleasures." —Jesse

"What about Joan of Arc, right, she was a teenager and she saved France, so..." —Jesse

Jesse, with two other characters: “I know how you work. I know everything about you.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

Jesse, with two other characters: “I know how you work. I know everything about you.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

"If we were ever going to truly know one another, I think we'd probably have to get to know ourselves better first." —Jesse

"From the time we leave our parents' house until we have kids, that’s the only time your life is completely your own." —Jesse

"I [expletive] up my whole life because of the way you sing. Alright? And if you put one-eighth of the amount of time that you put into [expletive] into playing scales, you'd be like Django Reinhardt." —Jesse

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"You’re just like the little girls and everybody else. You wanna live inside some fairy tale." Jesse

“If you want love, then this is it. This is real life. It's not perfect, but it's real.” —Jesse

Jesse, with his quote: "I am giving you my whole life, okay? I got nothing larger to give.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

Jesse, with his quote: "I am giving you my whole life, okay? I got nothing larger to give.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

"You are the [expletive] mayor of Crazytown, do you know that? You are!" —Jesse

“If I could change one thing about you, it would be for you to stop trying to change me.” —Jesse

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"I am giving you my whole life, okay? I got nothing larger to give. I’m not giving it to anybody else. If you’re looking for permission to disqualify me, I’m not gonna give it to you. Okay? I love you and I am not in conflict about it. Okay? But if what you want is like a laundry list of all the things about you that [expletive] me off, I can give it to you." —Jesse

"I’m just trying to make things better here. I tell you that I love you unconditionally, I tell you that you’re beautiful, I tell you that your ass looks great when you’re 80. I’m trying to make you laugh." —Jesse

Jesse, with his quote:“If I could change one thing about you, it would be for you to stop trying to change me.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

Jesse, with his quote:“If I could change one thing about you, it would be for you to stop trying to change me.” │Source: facebook.com/BeforeMidnightFilm

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Jesse is played by Ethan Hawke, and Celine is played by Julie Delpy, who is a French-American actress. While Delpy has dated big names such as Adam Goldberg, Jack Nicholson, and Marc Streitenfeld, there appears to be no indication that her chemistry with Hawke translated to any type of romance offscreen.

If you are in the mood for romance, what better place to turn to than the "Bridgerton" series? Read these 32 Anthony Bridgerton quotes from season two that will make you weak in the knees.

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