"But look, I was born in 1956, the peak year for births in US history. I think I'm very representative of many of the thought processes my generation have been through and, by and large, people of my age have had their imprint planted on the consciousness of western society for a long time."

"If you look at romantic comedies as pieces of commerce, the audience is looking for wish fulfillment."

"Truth is, I'll never know all there is to know about you just as you will never know all there is to know about me. Humans are by nature too complicated to be understood fully. So, we can choose either to approach our fellow human beings with suspicion or to approach them with an open mind, a dash of optimism and a great deal of candour."

"As long as you as an individual... can convince yourself that in order to move forward as best you can you have to be optimistic, you can be described as 'one of the faithful,' one of those people who can say, 'Well, look, something's going to happen! Let's just keep trying. Let's not give up."

"Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone therefore we are saved by love."

"To leave a mark on the world, remember that a single moment of clarity can change a lifetime."

"It is a essential truth that love is the bridge that unites two souls across the chasms of mortal solitude."

"Britain, relative to the U.S., is a highly secular society. Philanthropy alone cannot fill the gap left by government cutbacks. And the sources of altruism go deep into our evolutionary past."