The two main characters basically represent two opposing views of life and love: Sam (Matthew Broderick) is a romantic & optimist while Maggie (Meg Ryan) is the cynic & no-bullshit realist. I, of course, fall into the Maggie category. HAHAHA. Aren't we all?
Anyway, one of my favourite quotes in the movie is this one, when Maggie explains what love means to her, as opposed to Sam's highly idealistic comment.
Maggie: When I was a kid, my father had this dog that started to get all weak and sickly. He takes it to the vet, who examines it and says a maggot must have laid eggs in the dog's butt. The baby maggots have crawled up, now they've started to grow, and eventually they're gonna eat the dog alive from the inside. He says it should be put to sleep, because it's an old dog anyway. But father won't do it. He takes the dog home, he puts it on the bed, he reaches up into the dog, picking out the maggots with his finger, one by one. It takes him all night, but he gets every last one. That dog outlived my father. That's love, Sam.
I agree 100% with Maggie. If u've seen the good, the bad and the UGLY in someone and still want them and want to be with them.........that's love. Forget the notion of TRUE love. I mean, every love is true, rite? Love for ur parents, ur lov-ah (i hate the term girfriend/boyfriend - so juvenile. but can't think of a better word), ur siblings, ur frens...etc. To me, u have to treat and appreciate every r'ship the same way. After all, they're all people u care about.
Romance is nice n all, but it'll only lasts for a while. For some people, it's pure illusion. And when the illusion wears off/crumbles, all u're left with is the ugly. So, see people as they ARE. And then decide whether u can accept/forgive all their shits, move forward and still love them. U don't have to like them on a daily basis (people argue, people disappoint) but as long as u're willing to let it slide, the relationship can lasts a lifetime.
Love is a work in progress.
