have traveled outside your country
Have you ever been abroad?Blue Jasmine · 2013 — Chapter 5 of 15 · 3'52" · B2
Jasmine's Awkward Blind Date, Explained: on top of the world
The table attempts small talk, but the talk keeps swerving: Mediterranean sailing, a clam argument, and a nurse joke. The surface is polite; underneath, “I just don't know what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life” shows how far the evening is from charming.
What happens
At a restaurant bar, Jasmine, Ginger, Chili, and Eddie sit through a blind-date conversation that slides from European travel and college plans to clams, nurses, and vodka. Questions pile up, someone apologizes for being curt, and the group drifts toward a change of location.
Listen for
sad excuse for a blind dateon short noticewhat the helldropping dead of hunger
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Phrase of the scene
on top of the world
feeling on top of everything
Someone narrates a sudden fall from success, and the unfinished line invites the table to enjoy the drama.
She was on top of the world after the offer, then the funding was cut.
Also in this scene
- sad excuse for a blind date
a poor excuse for a date
- on short notice
with little advance warning
- what the hell
what on earth; mild profanity
- dropping dead of hunger
starving to death
- change the subject
move to a different topic
Everything marked in this scene
26 notes across 78 lines
Let the end of 'been' slide into 'abroad' without a pause.
Have you ever been abroad?did something regularly in the past
We used to sail from Saint-Tropez to Cannes and up the coast to Monaco. Hm.makes me think of
It reminds me of the Mediterranean. There's Chili.ready and planning to do something
I gotta tell you, I was all set to move in with your sister.modal perfect: The perfect modal points to a possible past event, not a present ability.
Could've happened to anybody.a poor example of something
Told me you never been here, don't know anybody, so I brought along this sad excuse for a blind date.with little advance warning
A quick follow-up tries to excuse the substitute while still admitting he was the best last-minute option.
Best he could do on short notice. He works with me.starving to death
A polite refusal of a drink is followed by a comic claim of near-starvation.
I have a drink, but thank you. I'm dropping dead of hunger.what on earth — Blunt and mildly profane; not for formal or polite company.
What the hell are you drinking? Let me see. What is this?crazy; out of your mind — Use it with friends or in arguments; avoid it in formal settings.
You're nuts. They don't even compare. Who cares?conditional without if: The first clause works as the condition, making the warning sound quick and conversational.
You get a bad clam, you'll wish you were never born.relative clause: The clause I made narrows mistake before the sentence explains what that mistake was.
I don't know. I mean, the biggest mistake I made was leaving college in my last year and not completing my education.a dishonest person; a criminal — Informal for a dishonest person, common in conversation and light news writing.
Guy turns out to be a crook. Heh, heh. Yeah.be extremely interested in
Oh, yes, yes, for a year or two, Hal became quite obsessed with thoroughbreds.In fast speech the question words blur; put the beat on 'study'.
So, what are you gonna study in college?have a problem with
A nurse? You got something against nurses?know a great deal about
They have extensive knowledge of how the human body works.move to a different topic
As the table talk gets too explicit, someone names Chili and tries to pull the conversation back.
Chili, why don't you change the subject?Keep 'but you're' light and land hard on 'not'.
You think you're being charming, but you're not.look blankly into the distance
You always stare into space like that?give someone updates; here, a polite brush-off
After repeated questions, a polite promise sounds cooperative but effectively ends the interrogation.
I don't know, but I'll be sure to keep you informed.stop pressing; give space
The questioner retreats with an apology, trying to soften the moment without fixing it.
Oh, okay, sorry. I'll back off. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be curt.the remaining years of my life
I just don't know what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life.object clause: The whole what-clause is what the speaker does not know, not a separate question.
I just don't know what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life.visit famous or interesting places
What do you wanna do? Why don't we take her to see the sights?Jasmine's Awkward Blind Date, explained
What's really going on
The scene runs on mismatched registers. One line reaches for Mediterranean glamour — “We used to sail from Saint-Tropez to Cannes and up the coast to Monaco” — while the talk turns into a clam argument and a nurse joke. Someone tries to be charming, and the reply “You think you're being charming, but you're not” names the gap directly. A later line, “I just don't know what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life,” pulls the small talk somewhere darker: the table is performing ease while everyone keeps bumping into money, status, and uncertainty. The awkwardness is not one bad line; it is the sound of people using very different scripts at the same table.
Theme
ClassTravel talk and vodka brands mark status, while the clam debate and nurse joke show how quickly polish can curdle.
IdentityA line admits, “I just don't know what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life,” as the table's roles keep slipping.
Listen for
- been abroad — Let the end of 'been' slide into 'abroad' without a pause.
- what are you — In fast speech the question words blur; put the beat on 'study'.
- but you're not — Keep 'but you're' light and land hard on 'not'.
I have a drink, but thank you. I'm dropping dead of hunger.A polite refusal of another drink followed by a blunt confession: the speaker is extremely hungry, and the courtesy is running out.
You get a bad clam, you'll wish you were never born.A comic warning about food poisoning: one bad clam is enough to make you miserable.
You think you're being charming, but you're not.A direct deflation of someone's flirting or banter: the performance is not landing.
I just don't know what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life.The small talk drops into real uncertainty: the speaker has no plan for the future.
I don't know, but I'll be sure to keep you informed.A dry way to end repeated questioning: no answer now, but you promise an update later.
Questions about this scene
Why does the table argue about clams?
One line says this place has the best clams in the city; another insists the best are at Manero's. The exchange turns a menu detail into a small contest, and someone finally asks, 'Who cares?'
Why does someone apologize for being curt?
After being told to leave her alone and that the same question has been asked three times, the reply is 'I'll back off. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be curt.' The apology follows repeated prying.
What prompts the line 'You think you're being charming, but you're not'?
It comes after a joke about nurses and the human body. The line rejects the idea that the remark is charming.
Why does the conversation turn to school?
Someone asks what Jasmine does; the answer is that she is looking for a job, and a dentist is mentioned. She then says she is thinking of going back to school and calls leaving college her biggest mistake.
What is the plan suggested at the end?
Someone proposes seeing the sights and then going back to their place, mentioning vodka and a friend just back from Russia. The reply 'Yeah, let's go' accepts the plan.
Blue Jasmine · 15 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 6find my feetHouseguest Pressed on Length of Stay
Chapter 1splurge from habitJasmine Arrives Dead Broke
Chapter 2flushGinger and Augie Visit the Family
Chapter 3make a killingLottery Winners Get a Pitch
Chapter 4looking the other wayJasmine Hears About Hal and Raylene
Watching · Chapter 5on top of the worldJasmine's Awkward Blind Date
Chapter 6find my feetHouseguest Pressed on Length of Stay
Chapter 7I don't mean to pryBoss Asks Her for a Drink
Chapter 8slick operatorJasmine Can't Study During the Fight
Chapter 9beat around the bushDr. Flicker Hits on an Employee
Chapter 10hit the jackpotJasmine Meets Dwight at the Party
Chapter 11by all rightsParty Fight Over a Phone Call
Chapter 12swept me off my feetJasmine Tells the Boys Her Story
Chapter 13put something behind youAugie Confronts Jasmine on the Street
Chapter 14tap danceAffair Confession Turns Ugly
Chapter 15let sleeping dogs lieChampagne Celebration Turns Into a FightChapter 5 of 15 · about 32 min to go