Quentin Tarantino can really hold a grudge!
The famed director is well known for the intensity of his films and bombastic personality. So it’s no surprise to hear that those traits have been with him for his whole life… even if it IS a bit shocking how they manifested when he was just a kid.
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On a recent episode of the podcast The Moment, hosted by Billions creator Brian Koppelman, the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood auteur shared a pivotal moment in the life of a young 12-year-old Quentin. He explained that his love of screenwriting started early, but his teachers “looked at it as a defiant act of rebellion that I’m doing this instead of my school work.” Unfortunately, getting into trouble in school translated to trouble at home.
He recalled:
“My mom always had a hard time about my scholastic non-ability. … [She] was bitching at me about [writing screenplays]… and then in the middle of her little tirade, she said, ‘Oh, and by the way, this little ‘writing career,’ with the finger quotes and everything. This little ‘writing career’ that you’re doing? That s**t is over.'”
Yikes. Definitely not a good thing to say to your young child. If the writing was getting in the way of succeeding at school, we can understand she would be upset — but it’s never a good idea to squash your kid’s creative pursuits.
The filmmaker definitely took her words to heart — but not in the way she probably hoped. He continued:
“When she said that to me in that sarcastic way, I go, ‘Okay lady, when I become a successful writer, you will never see one penny from my success. There will be no house for you. There’s no vacation for you, no Elvis Cadillac for mommy. You get nothing. Because you said that.'”
Asked by Koppelman if he stuck to his promise, the 58-year-old revealed:
“Yeah. I helped her out with a jam with the IRS. But no house. No Cadillac, no house.”
Wow. That is seriously one hell of a grudge. We mean, he didn’t have to buy her a Cadillac, but only ever helping out with the IRS is tough stuff.
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When the host suggested that his mother’s words could actually have been helpful if they drove him to prove her wrong, Quentin stuck to his guns. He defended his choice:
“There are consequences for your words as you deal with your children. Remember there are consequences for your sarcastic tone about what’s meaningful to them.”
Damn. An important lesson, we suppose, and one we hope Quentin himself is applying to his own life after becoming a first-time father in 2020. We wonder if his mother ever apologized for berating him… but maybe it would have been too little too late!
What do U think, Perezcious readers? Did Tarantino make the right call sticking to this promise for more than 40 years? Or do you think he should have thrown his mom a bone after becoming one of the most famous filmmakers of all time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments (below)!
[Image via WENN/Avalon]
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