Paul Thomas Anderson quotes

It's a gamble you take, the risk of alienating an audience. But there's a theory - sometimes it's better to confuse them for five minutes than let them get ahead of you for 10 seconds. (Paul Thomas Anderson)
I've never been a fan of whimsical or confusing storytelling. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I am always looking for that nuance, that moment of truth, and you can't really do that fast. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I remember being taught in school that you would underline things that you liked. I remember just underlining everything as a kid, thinking, 'This has all gotta be important!' I would just underline the whole thing! View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never let the audience get ahead of you for a second. So if the film's abrasive and wrongfoots people then, y'know, that's great. But I hope it involves an audience. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
Screenwriting is like ironing. You move forward a little bit and go back and smooth things out. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I don't get a sense of American pride. I just get a sense that everyone is here, battling the same thing - that around the world everybody's after the same thing, just some minor piece of happiness each day. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I write from my stomach. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
Acting is the hardest job in the entire world. By far. Harder than ditch digging. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
The films that I love are very straightforward stories, like really old-fashioned stuff. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it. (Paul Thomas Anderson)
My writing has a lot to do with who I am, and what my life is like, and my relationships to people. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
There's a lot for screenwriters to steal from songwriters, in terms of getting to the point. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
As I have got older and become a father, there's less and less time for films. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
How do I respond to criticism? Critically. I listen to all criticism critically. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I'm not really a Sundance baby, but they helped me so much I feel I have to acknowledge it. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
But I'd be lying if I didn't say that every time you go to make a film, you're desperate to either do it better than you did it last time or to not repeat yourself. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
Of course, I'm no dummy. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I don't miss scenes at all the way that I used to miss them when I was younger making a film. It's actually quite fun to get rid of them now. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
Well I'd really love to work with Robert De Niro, because he's still the most talented actor out there. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I don't want to be the angry guy. (Paul Thomas Anderson)
My dad was this sort of avant-garde guy who did all kinds of weird things. He was a true original and anybody who met him never forgot him. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I had the standard movie geek childhood, because for as long as I can remember, all I wanted to do was make movies. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
To make a film, the final big collaborator that you have is the composer. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson
I don't think it's a director's job to peek behind the curtain too much. View quote
Paul Thomas Anderson