American Dreams

American Dreams (2002–2005) was a dramatic television series, airing on NBC, about a Philadelphia-area family in the 1960s.

Pilot [1.1]

 * Roxanne: We studied the Battle of Bull Run and the first six weeks of the Civil War. [Meg looks at her] Good lies are all in the details.


 * Roxanne: What? You ain't never seen a bra before? Turn around.


 * Meg: Haven't you ever wanted something so badly it hurt?

The End of the Innocence [1.2]

 * Michael: [on the phone] Is your friend Meg Pryor there with you? Her mother said that she might be.
 * Roxanne: [to Meg] He wants you.
 * Meg: I'm not here.
 * Roxanne: [back to the phone] She's not here. Can I take a message?
 * Michael: Yes you can. You can tell Meg that there is no excuse for what she did today. Because for every kid that dances on our show, there are a thousand - no, ten thousand - kids who wish they could.
 * Roxanne: What did she do?
 * Michael: What did she do? She walked off the set right in the middle of the show. So you can tell Meg that if she plans on coming back to our show, she better take it a little bit more seriously next time, ok? Even if her best friend didn't get a chance to come back this week.
 * Roxanne: I'll tell her. And you can count on her to take it very seriously from now on. In fact, I can guarantee that she'll be here next show. Oh, and so will I. Bye, Mike. [hangs up]


 * Meg: Um I have to leave the show.
 * Michael: What?
 * Meg: The only reason I'm on American Bandstand is because my best friend Roxanne Bojarski got us on. So I can't be on the show unless she is too. So if you want her to dance the show, that would be really great, but you have to call her and ask her. Or else I can't be on the show. I just can't. [hands Michael phone number and walks off]

New Frontier [1.3]

 * Will: So anything could happen.
 * Helen: That's true.
 * Will: So someday there might be satellites with bombs and lasers?
 * Helen: There might be. And there might not be. Anything could happen.
 * Will: I know, that's what's so scary.
 * Helen: That's what's so exciting. Come here. Come sit with me. Come up here. It's a big adventure. Like the first time you rode the roller coaster at Willow Grove. You were so excited. Remember what it was like when the car was going up? And you kept asking, "What's it gonna feel like when we go down? How fast are we gonna go?" You were so excited. Because you didn't know what was gonna happen. Well, that's what the future's like. Except there are no tracks. That's what makes it an adventure.

Pryor Knowledge [1.4]

 * Jack: You can go. But you take the bus...
 * Meg: I love the bus!
 * Jack: And you're home by 10.
 * Meg: 10?
 * Jack: Ok, 9:45.
 * Meg: 9:45?
 * Jack: 9:30. Wanna try for 9?
 * Meg: Ok, ok. Thank you dad! I'll be home by 10.
 * Jack: 9:30!


 * J.J.: Do you ever feel like the whole world has a plan, except nobody told you?
 * Meg: Yeah. All the time.


 * Meg: Dad? Um... [starts fake crying]
 * Jack: Is there something in your eye, Meg?
 * Meg: No, um...
 * Jack: Yes you can.

The Fighting Irish [1.5]

 * Roxanne: [about Jimmy Riley] He doesn't hate you.
 * Meg: I gave him a black eye!

Soldier Boy [1.6]

 * Meg: No, it's not me, because you see, Jimmy and me are...
 * Patty: Jimmy and I.
 * Meg: Patty, I'm trying to be nice here!
 * Patty: [sarcastically] Sorry.

Cold Snap [1.7]

 * Michael: You know what happened to that kid?
 * Roxanne: What?
 * Michael: He grew up to be associate producer of the show.
 * Roxanne: But that's you... oh.
 * Michael: Except now, that job's already taken. So I better not catch you doing this again.
 * Roxanne: You won't.
 * Michael: I won't because...
 * Roxanne: Because I won't do it again.

Black and White [1.8]

 * Meg: What are you doing out here? I thought you had a date with Luke.
 * Roxanne: Nope, you do. Look, the sooner you admit you like him the easier this gets for all of us. So go on in there! He's closing up!

The Home Front [1.9]

 * Meg: Patty's, uh, recital piece is really coming along.
 * Luke: One appearance on Pick a Disc and you're a musical expert?
 * Meg: Rate a Record. And no, I just know when I like something.
 * Luke: Hmmm, so you're saying you might appreciate good music too?
 * Meg: If this is about Bob Dylan-
 * Luke: Bob Dylan happens to be a genius. But this is about you.
 * Meg: Me?
 * Luke: Yeah, you, Betty. And uh, you can bring Veronica too if you like.
 * Meg: Her name is Roxanne. And bring her where?
 * Luke: Somewhere we play music, not rate it. [walks away]


 * Luke: You know, this next song is by a guy named Beethoven. And while most people like the melody, I like it because its got a nice beat and heck, I can dance to it. I'd give it an 88.


 * Luke: Just wait till Saturday night. In the church, better acoustics, packed house. That's when you really want to be here.
 * Meg: How did you learn to play like that? It's so-
 * Luke: Meg. In case you missed it, that was an invitation. Unless you have plans, then-
 * Meg: No. No, no plans. I mean, I was gonna take Will to see The Nutty Professor but that was just because I thought I wasn't doing anything. But it was a thought, it wasn't really a plan. So, um, I'll tell Roxanne. We'd love to.
 * Luke: Meg, do you think Roxanne would mind?
 * Meg: Mind what?
 * Luke: Not coming with you.


 * Gus: I told you, this British Music ain't never gonna catch on.


 * Roxanne: I'll just stay here and read the New Testament. I'll work on Matthew, Mark, and John. You can work on...Luke.

Silent Night [1.10]

 * Patty: Who won best couples?
 * Luke: What's best couples?
 * Meg: How did you know about that?
 * Patty: It was in TeenZine. [to Luke] You can write in and vote for your favorite couples on Bandstand. Who won?
 * Meg: Um, Jim and Shelley, and David and Kathryn, and me.
 * Patty: You and Jimmy Riley?
 * Luke: Who's Jimmy Riley?
 * Patty: Last year the couples kissed. Are you gonna kiss? You and Jimmy Riley?
 * Luke: I repeat, who's Jimmy Riley?
 * Patty: That's Meg's partner on Bandstand. They went on a date once-
 * Meg: Patty!
 * Patty: Meg gave him a black eye.
 * Meg: Who asked you?!
 * Patty: Actually, Luke did. She didn't mean to hit him. So, are you gonna kiss him?


 * Roxanne: We were just talking about Christmas.
 * Michael: Yeah. Peace. Warmth. Joy. STANLEY!
 * Roxanne: Every year my grandmother goes to visit her sister in Harrisburg, and my mom and I, we get to go to a fancy hotel for dinner and then to midnight mass at St. Peter's.
 * Michael: Aw, that's nice. Hey, Gus! Gus! Did somebody find Stanley without telling me?
 * Roxanne: Where do you go? To church, I mean.
 * Michael: I'm Jewish.
 * Roxanne: I'm sorry.
 * Michael: Don't be.
 * Roxanne: No, I mean I'm sorry I asked. About the church.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand [1.11]

 * Roxanne: [while Luke and Meg are kissing] Sorry, I know I'm interrupting, but The Ed Sullivan Show starts in three minutes. Priorities.


 * Roxanne: Can I get anything?
 * Luke: I'll have a soda. [Roxanne walks to kitchen] Oh, and get one for my girlfriend too. [Everyone stares at them]


 * Luke: What did you want me to say?
 * Meg: When?
 * Luke: At Bandstand.
 * Meg: Nothing. Did you even?- nothing.
 * Luke: All right then. [walks away]
 * Meg: Wait. [Luke turns around] Why did you kiss me? On Christmas Eve? Did you feel sorry for me? Did you think I looked pretty then, and I haven't looked pretty since? Do you ever think about kissing me again?
 * Luke: All the time.


 * Dick Clark: And the top 3 songs this week, [Meg and Roxanne mouthing along] All My Loving, She Loves You, and...
 * Roxanne & Meg: I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND!


 * American Bandstand dancers: [huddled around a TV showing the Beatles] Do you think they have girlfriends?

The Pursuit of Happiness [1.13]

 * Michael: Alyssa got kicked off the show because her skirt was too short, Jeff got caught sneaking into Lesley Gore’s dressing room…
 * Roxanne: But the grammar’s good, right?
 * Michael: It’s all lies Roxanne. I don’t know how you could even write this stuff.
 * Roxanne: I was just trying to spice it up a little bit.


 * Meg: What if you were doing something other people think is wrong?
 * Helen: Meg, all of my life, I’ve pretty much done what other people think is right. Maybe, maybe that doesn’t always work out so well. What I mean is, I think we should be able to choose our own friends.
 * Meg: But maybe some people really shouldn’t be friends…
 * Helen: I’d take that chance.

Heartache [1.14]

 * Roxanne: [after Warren finishes his song] Warren, you're going to make a terrible priest. [awkward silence] What you should be is a singer.


 * Warren: Actually, there’s a song I kind of wrote...for you.
 * Roxanne: Is the word "easy" in the title?

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 * Jack: [picking up a red cookie] What the hell did you do to these things
 * Helen: A little red food dye… [Jack looks confused] Valentines Day?
 * Jack: Hmm… [coughs awkwardly] Of course, in fact I… uh… I have a little something for you. Later.
 * Helen: Jack…
 * Jack: No, I do. It's in the car.

False Start [1.15]

 * Dancer: Get ready, be the water.
 * Meg: Be the what?
 * Dancer: Be the water, up here. [Raises Meg’s arms straight up like a shower and dances like he’s taking a shower]
 * Michael: Is she actually pretending to be a shower?
 * Gus: My guess is he’s got her being the water.
 * Michael: Wow.

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 * Roxanne: [referring to Meg] She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, except when it comes to Patty. But if you met Patty, you’d understand why.

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 * Roxanne: Uh, some of the other columns I’ve been reading in other magazines, well they have little pictures of the journalists in the upper right-hand corner of the page. And I was just thinking that since you have such an attractive journalist…
 * Michael: Hey, not a snowball's chance in hell. Have a good show, Roxanne.

Act of Contrition [1.16]

 * Jack: Hey and tonight when the priest comes, all I want to hear from you is “Yes, Father,” and “No, Father.” Nothing else.
 * Patty: Yes, Father.

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 * Coach Donelly: Eighth grade or seventh?
 * Patty: Yes, Father.
 * Coach Donelly: Well which is it?
 * Patty: No, Father.

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 * Patty: Did Father Conte also tell you that Jesus got out of the fishing boat and walked on top of the water, and touched a blind man’s eyes and made him see?
 * Sophie: How did you know?
 * Will: Well didn’t he? Didn’t Jesus do all that stuff?
 * Sophie: Heal people and all that?
 * Patty: How could he have healed anybody? They didn’t even have penicillin yet.

The One [1.18]

 * Luke: I'm glad I ran into you.
 * Meg: I live here.

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 * Meg: And all we do is argue. And a lot of the time, I don't even like you. And Jimmy is nice and sweet and he says all the right things at the right time-
 * Luke: Meg-
 * Meg: Luke, just let me finish for once! And all we do is fight. And just when I think there's nothing else to fight about, we come up with something more. And, so, we broke up. But ever since then, I just, I can't stop thinking about you. About me and you. Ok now you can talk.
 * Luke: Me too.
 * Meg: Me too what?
 * Luke: All of it. Me too. And I think-
 * Meg: Wait! Darn it. I wanted to do that whole thing after I did this. [Turns on record to play "Going Out of My Head"]

City on Fire [1.25]

 * Meg: Wait! My uncle's going to be here soon with a bunch of policemen!
 * Willie Johnson: The policemen can't stop this, girl. [picks up TV and smashes it]

Cast

 * Gail O'Grady - Helen Pryor
 * Tom Verica - Jack Pryor
 * Brittany Snow - Meg Pryor
 * Will Estes - J.J. Pryor
 * Sarah Ramos - Patty Pryor
 * Ethan Dampf - Will Pryor
 * Vanessa Lengies - Roxanne Bojarski
 * Jonathan Adams - Henry Walker
 * Arlen Escarpeta - Sam Walker
 * Rachel Boston - Beth Mason
 * Keith Robinson - Nathan Walker
 * Matthew John Armstrong - Pete Pryor
 * Jamie Elman - Luke Foley
 * Joseph Lawrence - Michael Brooks
 * Peter Spellos - Gus