The 10 Best Quotes From I Want You Back

I Want You Back is a romantic comedy that shifts between heartwarming, cringe-worthy, and painful, following Emma and Peter as they try desperately to get their exes back. The film follows their scheme to get their exes out of their current relationships, and of course, contains some bonding between the two leads, as well.

Along with the different tonal elements of I Want You Back, there are some excellent quotes that viewers can connect to. While some are just plain funny, others hit at the heart of what missing your ex and wishing for romance feels like.

Wanting To Be In A Relationship

“I Think I Just Wanted The Search To Be Over. But Maybe You Can’t Force It.”

When Noah points out how incompatible he and Emma were in their relationship, he asks why she would go to such lengths to get back in a relationship that wasn’t all that great to begin with. Many viewers will resonate with the question, wondering why they want relationships back that were harmful to them.

Emma responds with an answer for Noah and for the viewer, explaining that she wanted the search to be over. She wanted to already be in the perfect relationship that gives her all the comfort she needs. But, as the movie shows, you can’t force a relationship to work just because you want to be in one. It just has to be right — or not — on its own.

Embracing The Good In A Lost Relationship

“Even Though We’re Really Mad At Each Other Now, I Don’t Regret All Those Years We Spent Together. I Feel Lucky.”

After all of the secrets are out and everybody is mad at each other, Peter tells Anne something important about their relationship: he doesn’t regret it. Sometimes couples just aren’t meant to be, but that doesn’t mean that the time they spent together was a waste. They grew and changed because of each other, and that’s worth honoring, even if it didn’t end well.

Peter understands that concept, which makes him one of the better protagonists in a romantic comedy, unlike others that can tend toward toxic masculinity and obliviousness.

Missing The Familiarity Of A Lost Relationship

“Well, Actually I Wanted To Tell You Because You’re The Person I’ve Been Telling Things To For The Last Six Years And I Just Miss It. I Miss It So Much My Body Hurts.”

After a crazy night out, Peter calls up his ex, Anne, to tell her about his day. He explains that it was just what he was used to, a familiarity that he misses now that they aren’t together.

Many people can relate to the pain of losing more than just a lover, but a confidant and a friend too when a relationship ends. Peter captures this specific pain well in this quote that will leave audiences aching for their own exes.

The Absurdity Of The Plot

“I Will Seduce Logan, You Will Friendship Seduce Noah, And We Will Get Back Our People.”

The plot of I Want You Back is kind of absurd, and this quote sums that up. Emma and Peter put together a crazy scheme to try to get their exes back, making for some of the creepiest romantic movie moments of all time. It’s no wonder that the people who got caught up in the scheme want nothing to do with Emma and Peter by the end of it.

One thing that’s great about this movie, though, is that it’s nuanced enough to recognize how messed up its plot is, leaving the ending with a bitter sort of closure as characters lose friends and partners due to their bad decisions.

Emma and Peter’s Relationship

“We’re Each Other’s Sadness Sisters.”

Audiences are sure to love the relationship that Emma and Peter have with each other, commiserating with each other on the pain of a breakup and trying to figure out a way to help each other get back on their own two feet. Their original plan as “sadness sisters” — turning to each other when they want to call their exes — would have been a strong plan and a better bonding tactic than working together to destroy other peoples’ lives.

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It’s good to see both characters bond over their shared emotions, making this a movie with more progressive gender dynamics than most romantic comedies, which often don’t let male leads be as vulnerable as Peter is over the course of the film.

Supporting Each Other

“The Other Day, You Were Just Really Supportive Of Me Following My Dream And That Made Me Feel Really Good – That You Believe In Me – And I Just Want You To Know That I Believe In You Too.”

One of the more heartwarming moments of the film is when Peter gives Emma a copy of What Color Is Your Parachute, telling her how much he believes in her. Both characters have areas where they need to be supported and pushed to be their best selves, and this is where Peter begins supporting Emma in the lead-up to her decision to go back to school to become a guidance counselor.

It’s great for audiences to see how Peter and Emma are different together than their previous relationships had been, and this unconditional support is an important part of that. It’s a great moment for the pair, even if they are technically a rom-com couple that doesn’t end up together at the end of the movie.

Romantic Airplane Etiquette

“I Remember When I Was Little Thinking That If I Were Ever Really In Love And Was On An Airplane With My Lover, That I Would Put His Mask On Before My Own.”

Emma defines her idea of love as being putting the other person first, specifically when oxygen is low on an airplane. Although Peter points out the logistical problems with that idea, the feeling of being protected and cared for more than a person cares for themselves is relatable.

The fact that the movie ends with Peter putting Emma’s oxygen mask on before his own makes them a rom-com couple that is perfect together.

The Lengths They Go To

“You’re F**king My Girlfriend, I’m Framing Your Boyfriend, Because That’s What Friends Are For.”

This quote emphasizes how ridiculous, and frankly disturbing, the lengths that Emma and Peter are going to in this movie. It seems like Peter is having a crisis of faith in this plan, which results in him not hiding the condom wrapper on Noah’s bed.

Fans have to wonder if had this crisis of faith had come earlier in the film could Emma and Peter have gotten together in a more natural way, without the dramatics and pain caused to others.

Slow Burn Romance

“Anyone Can Be A One Night Bang, But The Slow Burn That Gets Under Your Skin … That’s Way More Rare.”

This line sums up about half of all rom-coms, where one character was always right for the other but they didn’t know it until the last minute. This idea then comes up repeatedly throughout the rest of the movie, although with different characters than audiences might have originally imagined.

Peter is the one who is originally thought of as a slow-burn kind of protagonist, needing time to be seen for the wonderful person that he is, but Emma ends up being the one who snuck up on him by the end of the film.

The Secret To Adulthood

“Can I Tell You A Little Secret About Being An Adult? We’re All Just Pretending That We Know What We’re Doing And We’re Hoping That We Don’t Screw It Up Too Badly. And Then We’re Feeling Really S**tty About Ourselves When We Do.”

The best line of the film wasn’t even between Emma and Peter but was said by Emma to Trevor, a boy working on Little Shop of Horrors who she takes under her wing.

This line is great advice for Trevor and the audience and stands out as the best line in the film as a whole. The relationship between Emma and Trevor is one of the more realistic and genuine that the film shows off, with the two bonding over Trevor’s dads’ marital problems.