10 Best Ewan McGregor Trainspotting Quotes | ScreenRant
Very few actors in Hollywood have had the opportunity to showcase their range like Ewan McGregor has. From the legendary Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars to the slick supervillain Black Mask in Birds of Prey, he has played it all - perhaps because McGregor can switch between genres seamlessly and is easily one of the best actors in the industry today.
However, many of his fans still believe that his best performance to date is his portrayal of the troubled Mark Renton in the dark comedy movies, Trainspotting and T2 Trainspotting. The original cult film had some of the most riveting and intense screenwriting and dialogue of that decade, and the sequel was just as good.
10 "But, They Didn't Say What To Do With Those 30 Years."
Trainspotting 2 shows a 46-year-old Mark Renton suffering from the same old existential crises, albeit in a different way. He had been clean for about two decades and on the verge of a divorce, and when he decides to go back to Edinburgh he’s quite directionless about what he wants.
He talks to Simon about his health issues and his gloominess is depicted in his ramblings. “They put a - tube in here and I've got a metal stent in my left coronary artery. Good as new, apparently. Good as new. It should last another 30 years, they said. But, they didn't say what to do with those 30 years,” Renton says.
9 "There Was No Such Thing As Society And If Even There Was, I Most Certainly Had Nothing To Do With It."
The reason Trainspotting was so appealing as a work of fiction is that it explored several aspects of life in an economically depressed Edinburgh. Besides drug addiction, the boys also faced a form of social alienation which made their struggle even tougher.
So when Mark Renton lashes out against society, he also is channeling his angst against the social setup that keeps him and his friends in squalor and does not let him get ahead, financially. This is also why this line is so poignant as it showcases how the boys never saw themselves as part of society.
8 "Once The Pain Goes Away, That's When The Real Battle Starts. Depression, Boredom …"
Trainspotting got painfully real about how brutal and hard addiction is. Renton tried giving up heroin multiple times. In the first movie, he even stocks his pantry with food and his flat with everything he needs so he can lock himself in and try to get clean.
But it’s obviously harder than that for him and Renton talks about what exactly happens when someone tries to get over their addiction and how the physical pain is not the only issue.
7 "I'm 46 And I've Got No Home."
T2 shows how leaving Edinburgh left Renton quite rudderless. The movie doesn’t clarify how long he’d been in Amsterdam, but it was clear that he did not think of Amsterdam as home.
When he comes back to Edinburgh, Renton opens up to Simon about how hopeless he feels. It is part of his borderline mid-life crisis, as the film would eventually reveal, but his feeling of alienation is crucial to understanding his character. “I'm 46 and I've got no home. I've got nowhere to think of as a home. I don't really know anyone. And what's the substance of our acquaintance?” he asks Simon.
6 "The Truth Is That I'm A Bad Person. But That's Gonna Change."
At the core of his heart, Renton has always wanted to belong, and his last monologue in Trainspotting actually gives away that he longs for a house, a stable job and a big television. In other words, he seeks some sort of stability. It is not clear if it’s part of his social engineering or if he really wants these things for himself, but Renton did aspire to become a better version of himself by the end of the film.
“I'm gonna be just like you. The job, the family, the big television. The washing machine, the car, the compact disc and electric tin opener. Good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance, mortgage, starter home, leisurewear, luggage, three-piece suite, DIY, game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, nine to five, good at golf, washing the car, choice of sweaters, family Christmas, indexed pension, tax exemption, clearing gutters, getting by, looking ahead, the day you die.”
5 "... Who Is, In Her Own Domestic And Socially Acceptable Way, Also A Drug Addict."
This may have been the most poignant line in the Trainspotting franchise and it’s funny that most fans may have actually overlooked what Renton was trying to convey here. Before he goes cold turkey, he prepares his pantry and stocks it with tomato soup, mouthwash, vitamins and other essentials.
He takes a bottle of valium from his mum and implies that she also has an addiction, but that hers is more acceptable to broader society and yet not too different from the one her son faces.
4 "Here, I Was Surrounded By My Family And My 'So-Called' Mates And I've Never Felt So Alone."
Renton’s isolation was actually quite layered, which is what made his character so intriguing. He did share a kinship with his friends, but he betrayed them and refers to them as his "so-called" mates. Some critics have pointed out how the boys only hung out with each other because they had their addiction in common.
They found a connection in their struggles, but their emotional bonds may be somewhat flimsy. This would actually explain why Renton found himself so alone all his life, even when he was surrounded by people.
3 "We Would Have Injected Vitamin C If Only They Had Made It Illegal!"
Addiction for Renton and his friends was also a way to break the shackles of the society which they felt chained them in a real way and held them back.
It was their way of retaliating against the system, which implies that Renton’s addiction issues actually went deeper than they first appeared. When he says he and his friends would have injected themselves with vitamin C if it was illegal, it represents a sense of rebellion that they all shared.
2 "I Wish I Could Think Of Something To Say, Something Sympathetic, Something Human."
These lines are uttered by Renton during the most harrowing scene in Trainspotting when Allison finds her baby daughter dead in her crib. Neither Renton nor Sick Boy had anything to say, as Allison screamed in horror at the sight of the dead baby.
It was obvious that the baby died of neglect and starvation or dehydration since her parents were distracted by their addictions. After a few moments, Sick Boy screamed at Renton to say something, and though Renton wanted to find words of consolation, he kept silent."
1 "Choose Your Future. Choose Life."
These words, which were part of Renton’s opening monologue, actually became a tagline for the franchise. They were, of course, penned by Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh and director Danny Boyle didn’t change a word in this stunning monologue.
Renton basically asks viewers to give life a chance, however low-key or boring it may seem. But he also makes it a point to tell them that he decided not to choose life over drugs since the latter brought him momentarily, but true satisfaction. “I chose not to choose life. I chose something else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?” says Renton.