Christopher: That's it. I don't wanna just survive. It says in these movie-writin' books that every character has an 'arc.' You understand?
Paulie: [shakes his head].
Christopher: Like, everybody starts out somewheres, then they do somethin', or somethin' gets done to them. It changes their life. That's called their arc. Where's my arc?
Paulie: [shrugs].
Christopher: Like, take Richard Kimball, right? No, that's no good. His arc is run, run, jump off a dam, run. Ahh [pause] Keanu Reeves. Devil's Advocate. You see that?
Paulie [smiling with recognition]: Al! [Pacino]
Christopher: Right. Keanu's a lawyer. Gets all turned on by power, money, the devil. Then his wife says to him: "You're not the man I married." Leaves him. You see the arc? He starts down here [holds his hand in front of his face]; he ends up here [moves his hand upward]. Where's my arc, Paulie?
Paulie: Kid, Richard Kimball, the devil's whatever: those are all make believe. Hey, I got no arc either. I was born, grew up, spent a few years in the army, a few more in the can ?and here I am, a half a wise guy. So what?
Christopher: I got no identity!
from "The Sopranos" Season One, Episode VIII, written by Frank Renzulli and David Chase, directed by Tim Van Patten.
