Quotes by Sidney Lumet

“All great work is preparing yourself for the accident to happen.”

“there is no justice without love.”

“Galvin uses the word faith several times in his summation to the jury, ... He says, In my faith, we are told you have only to act as if you have faith and faith will be given you.... You have only to act with justice, and so on. He is using faith absolutely synonymously with love. ”

“People make the great mistake with action heroes. They think that because generally the plots are simpler and their behavior is one-note that they cant act. But most of the time they can.”

“Were all, and I include myself in this, big snobs about action heroes, we relegate them. Its what we used to do with beautiful actresses... if youre an action hero and a star it means you cannot act -- and all of this despite the fact that we know different.”

“Were all, and I include myself in this, big snobs about action heroes, we relegate them. Its what we used to do with beautiful actresses ... if youre an action hero and a star it means you cannot act - and all of this despite the fact that we know different.”

“Thats the only part of Network that hasnt happened yet, and thats on its way.”

“We all have a prejudice about action films. Its sort of like, if theyre beautiful and blonde, she cant act, and we should know better by now. Ive heard it from people, What are you doing, doing a picture with Vin Diesel? Theyre not giving him the credit he deserves. Sometimes, I just say, Wait till you see him in the picture.”

“I knew I wasnt buying a pig in a poke. I knew how good he was.”

“I thought back to the O.J. Simpson trial. I would have voted him guilty. But there was no doubt that Johnnie Cochran overwhelmed the jury.”

All good work requires self-revelation.

But he meant beauty in the sense of its organic connection to the material. And this is the connection that, for me, separates true stylists from decorators. The decorators are easy to recognize. Thats why critics love them so.

In drama, the characters should determine the story. In melodrama, the story determines the characters.

The varying physical characteristics of the actors may also necessitate changes. Sean Connery is six feet four. Dustin Hoffman isnt.