Forensic Scene Analysis: “I Drink Your Milkshake!”

“I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!” – Some scenes in film and TV are so memorable they transcend their origin and become part of film culture. In this series, we take a look at what makes those scenes so beloved. We’ll break down why the scene works and what it demonstrates about the screenwriting craft.

Understanding what turns a good scene into a great scene is illuminative when writing a screenplay. By looking at the finished product on screen, screenwriters can learn new tools to apply to their own writing.

In this article, we deep-dive into the most famous scene from There Will Be Blood, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The scene will forever be known as the “I Drink Your Milkshake” scene.

Why this Scene?

Many film quotes speak succinctly to what they’re about. Not in this case. The phrase “I Drink Your Milkshake!” when taken in isolation makes little sense, although it is funny. Though distinctive, the phrase’s ubiquitousness comes from how it is specifically used within There Will Be Blood.

There Will Be Blood is a film about the meteoric rise of American oil prospector Daniel Plainview. It’s also about the corrupting power of greed and the stranglehold of religion. The film is a masterpiece of dramatic filmmaking which personifies this old adage:  

The Milkshake scene is the finale of There Will be Blood. Plainview has moved from tenacious trailblazer to rich, successful oil tycoon. In this process, he has alienated those closest to him. Plainview’s private hurt is revealed in his fondness for destructive, hurtful language. His hubris, together with the toll of his sacrifice, has turned him into a barely functioning alcoholic.

The “I Drink Your Milkshake” scene shows the confrontation between Plainview and Eli Sunday, a preacher whose church resides on a neighbouring oil field. Eli’s character personifies an unhealthy relationship between religion and American wealth and capitalism.

Previously, Eli had publicly humbled Plainview by confronting him about abandoning his son, HW. Since then, Plainview has revealed that HW was just a “bastard from a basket” and not his son. This causes HW to walk out on him, also threatening to compete with him business-wise. So all this has pushed Daniel into decline.

Without this foreknowledge, the “I Drink Your Milkshake” scene still works as a feat of dramatic tension, if bordering on farce. With this knowledge though, one can see the additional layers of meaning Anderson weaves into this final scene.