Quentin Tarantino knew he wanted to get into film at a young age. He began writing and showing an extreme passion for it, before his mom tried to dissuade him. It's a good thing he didn't listen.
The director opened up about their relationship on an episode of
The Moment podcast, hosted by Brian Koppelman.
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It doesn't seem like Quentin has an awful relationship with mom Connie Zastoupil these days, but it's something that always stuck with him. Connie is a nurse who's residing in Tennessee, far away from Hollywood.
"My mom was [expletive] at me about [writing screenplays] … and then in the middle of her little tirade, she said, 'Oh, and by the way, this little writing career' — with the finger quotes and everything — 'This little writing career that you're doing? That [expletive] is over.'" At the time, Quentin was just around 12.
"I go, OK lady, when I become a successful writer, you will never see one penny from my success," Quentin vowed. "There will be no house for you. There's no vacation for you, no Elvis Cadillac for mommy. You get nothing. Because you said that." And he stuck by it.
He clarified that there was one time he chose to financially help her out — and that's when she had some legal issues with the IRS. But that was the one time he chose to break the promise he made to himself back as a child. It seems a little cruel, but Quentin made a great point to explain his decision further.
"There are consequences for your words as you deal with your children," he explained. "Remember there are consequences for your sarcastic tone about what's meaningful to them." And that's exactly true. If Quentin believed his mother, the world would be void of the impressive collection of films he's created.
It pays off to have a child follow their individual interests — and not just literally. It's important to figure out what your kid is interested in and try hard to support it, even if it's not what you envisioned. It doesn't necessarily mean your child is going to pursue a career in these fields, but if they do, they'll be passionate enough to strive for success.
There were certain ways that Connie showed support of Quentin without actually realizing it. Back in 2019, Quentin appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers and talked more about his upbringing. He grew up in the era of the '60s and '70s, and he believes that that was the key era for some of America's classic movies. And his mom let him watch them all.
"I saw them all when I was a kid, when I was 9, 10, 11," he enthusiastically told Seth, "I saw The Godfather when it came out, I saw The French Connection when it came out. I literally saw The Wild Bunch on a double feature with Deliverance when I was in third grade."
At one point, he realized that he was seeing other titles that his friends weren't, so he brought it up with mom Connie. "'My other friends aren't able to see the kind of movies that you take me to go see,'" he told his mom. "'I'm enjoying it, but what's your thought process on this?' And she was like, 'Quentin, it's a movie.'"
Being immersed in classics likely made Quentin's love of film grow. So in a way, she was being supportive without realizing it. Still, those words were hurtful. A film career might not be the easiest to start up, but it's not impossible. And Quentin proved that.
Back in 1994, Connie reportedly did an interview with Entertainment Weekly, per Today, mentioning that Quentin always drew her sad cards for Mother's Day. It seems like a quirky part of their relationship, but it also needs plenty of follow-up. Witnessing Quentin as a kid must have been quite an experience.
"He'd always kill me and tell me how bad he felt about it," she said. "It was enough to bring a tear to a mother's eye." His relationship with his biological father, to this day, still isn't good. Just this June, he opened up about Tony Tarantino a bit more. "If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t use the name Tarantino," Quentin told Marc Maron, per The Hollywood Reporter. "If I had it to do all over again, I would use my middle name as my last name. I would be Quentin Jerome."
Quentin mentioned that he didn't hear from his dad for 30 years — until he became famous. "It was a drag. He tried to reach out to me. I wasn't interested," he said. Maybe one day, Quentin will make a movie to better depict his childhood. Despite a lot of sadness, it seems like his upbringing may be relatable to many of his fans.
