"Anybody interested in grabbing a couple of burgers and hittin' the cemetery?"
Royal says this to his children and his grandsons later on in the film. It perfectly encapsulates the contradictions in Royal's character. On the one hand, he is a selfish and indulgent man, who just wants to eat burgers everyday and eschew his responsibilities. On the other hand, he wants to go to the cemetery and pay respects at different family members' graves. This shows that Royal is selfish and self-indulgent, but also maintains certain standards and ethical ideas about what is right.
Chas: Is it dark? Richie: Of course it's dark, it's a suicide note.
This exchange encapsulates a lot of the humor of the film. Richie's suicide is a very dark and scary event in the film, but the film maintains a self-aware humor about it all the while. When Chas asks Richie if his suicide note is "dark," Richie confirms that just the fact that it's a suicide note makes it dark. Even in the wake of tragedy, humor shines through.
"You can't raise boys to be scared of life. You got to brew some recklessness into them."
This is part of Royal's parenting ethic with which Etheline heartily disagrees. Royal believes that children, boys in particular, need to be taught to live wildly and recklessly, that they cannot be afraid to enjoy life. Ironically enough, both of his sons, Richie and Chas, grow up to be quite afraid of life. This line shows the contrast between Royal and his two sons.
"So, she smokes."
After hearing about all of Margot's affairs from the private investigator, Raleigh says this. It is a humorous line because, after hearing all of the scandalizing information about Margot's promiscuity, the detail Raleigh finds most scandalous is his wife's nicotine habit. Compared to an affair, smoking seems like a relatively small offense, but not to Raleigh.
"I know what stomach cancer looks like. I've seen it, and you don't eat three cheeseburgers a day with french fries when you got it."
This line is Henry's revenge on Royal's poor treatment of him. In a big reveal, Henry tells the Tenenbaums that Royal has been lying about his terminal stomach cancer diagnosis. Indeed, Henry's wife died of stomach cancer, so he knows the signs, and he points out that Royal's indulgent lifestyle is a giveaway that his diagnosis is completely fake.
Etheline: How long have you been a smoker?
Margot: 22 years.
Etheline: Well I think you should quit.
After the news about Margot's affair, everyone is almost more shocked to learn that the depressive playwright is a smoker. Here, Etheline confronts Margot about her secret, 22-year-long addiction, and simply tells her that she should stop. This exchange shows that the members of the Tenenbaum family are not very good at talking to and confronting one another. This exchange shows the repressed,, clipped communication that takes place amongst the family members.
"I just wanted to apologize for the other day, when I proposed to you."
After Henry proposes to Etheline, she tells him she needs some time to think about it. A few days later, he is insecure about his proposal and apologizes. His apologetic nature and sweet caring temperament show just how much he cares about Etheline's feelings, and how different he is from her ex, Royal. While Royal is shown to be nothing but selfish, hardly caring about his wife or children's feelings, Henry is almost excessively caring and thoughtful.
"I'll have a butterscotch sundae I guess."
Margot goes to an ice cream parlor with her father. After making a big to-do about the fact that she has to leave soon, Royal convinces her to stay and talk to him. Without a second thought, she orders a butterscotch sundae, as if she has been thinking about it for awhile. This line shows that in spite of being very dour and adult in many ways, Margot is also childlike, in a state of arrested youth. A butterscotch sundae is a stark contrast to her usual cigarette.
"I've had a rough year, dad."
After the giant chaotic altercation with Eli at Etheline and Henry's wedding, Chas says this to his father, referring to the death of his wife. The line marks the first time that Chas actually reveals his vulnerability to his father, the first time that he admits he is having a hard time, and that he needs some support from his family. It provides an opening for communication, and so marks a milestone in Royal's redemption as the Tenenbaums' father.
"I always wanted to be a Tenenbaum."
When Richie and Royal go to confront Eli about his drug problem and his affair with Margot, Eli tells them that he always wanted to be a Tenenbaum. In this moment, he admits that he never felt quite at home in his own family, and he wanted to belong to theirs. This line alludes to the fact that for all their current dysfunction, the Tenenbaums were always a fascinating and enviable family unit.
