From enemies at the beginning to friends at the end.
Spoilers are off as per wiki policy. Read at your own risk!- Before Rudolf's death, he gives his sons his lucky string. While Ernie wasn't much interested, Lars takes it in his possession.Ernie: What's with the string?
Rudolf: I've had it in my pocket for 60 years. Here. I want you two to share it. Maybe it'll bring you closer together. You haven't talked much lately.
Ernie: Yeah.
Rudolf: (As Ernie starts to tug on it) Ah! What are you doing?!
Ernie: I'm breaking it in half.
Rudolf: No!
Ernie: No?
Rudolf: I want you to share it, forever.
Ernie: Sure, Pop, sure. You carry it the first 50 years, I'll take it the next.
Lars: Sure.- Followed by Lars keeping his promise to Rudolf:
Rudolf: Promise me... that you will never sell... Smuntz String... to one of those big conglomerates. Keep it between you; brothers, family. Promise.
Lars: I promise, Pop. I promise.
(cut back to the present)
Vinny: So, you were sayin'?
Lars: I'll have to pass.
Vinny: What?
Lars: "A world without string is chaos."- Later on, Lars gives Ernie Rudolf's string during the auction.
Ernie: Pop's lucky piece of string. I'm glad you kept it.
Lars: He, uh, he wanted us to share it. I don't know why, but I think if he were here right now, he'd be proud of you.
Ernie: I think he'd be proud of us. - Just this exchange:Ernie: Look at the bigger picture: You have no home, You have no wife, You have no money, you have no discernible talents. How can you ignore that?
Lars: Ernie, it's Christmas. Instead of dwelling on what we don't have, we should be thankful for what we do have. - Upon hearing from the Smuntz's lawyer about the auction, April stops by Smuntz String and later gave him the $1,200. True, she's a Gold Digger, but just the thought of her giving them the money they needed so they could pay the mortgage.Ernie: So, she just opted and gave you the money? You don't think she heard about the auction.
Lars: No. I didn't even tell her about the auction until after she took me back. She just showed up at the factory, took off her coat, and begged me to take her. We made love in a way I've only ever seen in nature films.
Ernie: Wow. I almost can't believe it. I'll be able to open up another restaurant, you're back with April, and you can even keep that worthless factory. - After the climax of the house being flooded and destroyed in the process during the auction and putting Lars and Ernie through all hell throughout the movie, the mouse makes it up to them by creating a ball of string cheese; resulting in them rebranding the factory and with the mouse and Smuntz brothers now on good terms.
- Lars's first words at the hospital: "Ernie, are you okay? I came as soon as I heard."
- Also that Hilde and Ingrith are at the hospital too, implying that they're the ones who called an ambulance for him. They even saved his hat.
- The dedication to William Hickey, who portrayed Rudolf Smuntz, at the end."A world without string is chaos."
