It's about the work.
Writers use movie dialogue to advance the plot, reveal character or dole out information. Work-specific talk is used sparingly to cement the film's authenticity – like a dab of super-glue. But Quentin Tarantino doesn’t dab Reservoir Dogs with work talk. He slathers it. The opening diatribe about waitresses earning their tips, Steve Buscemi and Harvey Keitel in the bathroom, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn and Lawrence Tierney in the office...the movie is full of guys talking about, and relishing in, their work.
Each one of our professions has its own lexicon, which we learn and practice like a secret code. We use that language to distinguish ourselves, measure competence, establish hierarchy and build rapport. We enjoy the opportunity to sound intelligent and competent. At night, go to any restaurant that caters to a business crowd, and listen to the dinner conversation. Off the clock, out of the office, uncompensated, what are most people talking about? Work.
But when we work, we are acting. None of us were born CPAs or nurses, or in the case of Reservoir Dogs, criminals. We learn our profession and its language at the same time. We audition our identities in meetings, in presentations, and in the break room. We perfect our work persona. So when Steve Buscemi talks about being a professional, we relate to him as an actor, playing a character, playing an actor.
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