To play it safe is not to play.

Filmmaking is a chance to live many lifetimes.

I never knew what I wanted, except that it was something I hadn't seen before.

[The Player is] not a truthful indictment of Hollywood. It's much uglier than I portrayed it, but nobody would've been interested if I'd shown just how sadistic, cruel and self-orientated it is.

Your own ego is the only trap that I think you can fall into.

I love fishing. You put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end. Your imagination is under there.

Chance is another name that we give to our mistakes. And all of the best things in my films are mistakes.

I don't think screenplay writing is the same as writing - I mean, I think it's blueprinting.

If you have a child who is seven feet tall, you don't cut off his head or his legs. You buy him a bigger bed and hope he plays basketball.

All of my films deal with the same thing: striving, socially and culturally, to stay alive.

What is an ending? There's no such thing. Death is the only ending.

Lack of knowledge leads to rejection by God.

Where others saw gloom, I saw light or lit a candle.

You have to balance, but you can be aggressive as a chef. It benefits the food. You have to be passionate. You can't be angry cooking.

Children are like puppies: you have to keep them near you, and look after them, if you want their affection.

Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.

The age calls for simple statements and restatements of simple truths. The prophets of doom are involved, those who would bring light must be clear.

I'm just enjoying playing baseball in the major leagues.

He who does not walk against the arrows cannot talk about the strength of his shield!

Confidence comes from seeing so many sides, angles, views, and tangents. Because when you do select an approach or direction, you are doing so with better/ more complete information.

I'm learning more about life when I'm playing too, and writing music. I'm learning more about life, the connection.