Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise Quotes

Actor
Digger - Diggin’ in Clip
Digger - Tom Cruise Poster
Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning - Tom Cruise Character Posters
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning Poster
Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning - Official Poster
+2

Memorable Quotes from Tom Cruise

100 quotes
Consequences of Attracting Unwanted Attention
Vincent You attract attention, you're going to get people killed who didn't need to be.
Joel Goodson on Human Fulfillment and Success
Joel Goodson My name is Joel Goodson. I deal in human fulfillment. I grossed over eight thousand dollars in one night. Time of your life, huh kid?
[voiceover]
Coffee Critique Among Team Members
Ethan Hunt Yeah. Could we get a cappuccino machine in here? Cause I don't know what you call this.
Jack Harmon I call it cruel and unusual.
Claire Phelps Hey, I made that coffee.
Ethan Hunt Exactly. Is it possible that it's any worse than the sludge you made in that barn in Kiev?
Claire Phelps Thank you.
[sarcastically]
Jim Phelps Take it easy on my wife's coffee.
Ethan Hunt We missed you in Kiev, Jim.
Jim Phelps Missed you too, Ethan.
Jack Harmon You're off on one of your cushy recruiting assignments again?
Ethan Hunt Yeah, where did they put you up this time? The Plaza?
Jim Phelps Drake Hotel, Chicago.
Jack Harmon Ooh! Punishing! 24-hour room service!
Ethan Hunt Yeah, chauffeured cars.
Jack Harmon Fat expense accounts.
Ethan Hunt He's getting soft in his old age.
Jack Harmon Yes he is, look at him.
Jim Phelps All right. Now, listen, if that list gets out into the open, the names of all our agents in every country in Eastern Europe will be up for grabs to the highest bidders. Third World terrorists, arms dealers, drug lords, any and everybody who'd love to get rid of long-term coverts like us. If they're exposed, they'll be executed. So, I'll run the whole show from the crow's nest here. Everyone knows their roles. Let's punch out the details.
Aspiration and Recognition in Aviation Training
Goose What are you doing?
[as Maverick is looking around the room]
Maverick Just wondering who's the best.
Viper In case some of you are wondering who the best is, they're up here on this plaque on the wall. The best driver and his RIO from each class has his name on it, and they have the option to come back here to be Top Gun instructors. You think your name's gonna be on that plaque?
[turns to Maverick]
Maverick Yes, sir.
Viper That's pretty arrogant, considering the company you're in.
Maverick Yes, sir.
[pauses]
Viper I like that in a pilot. Just remember, when it's over out there, we're all on the same team.
[smiles]
Choosing a Path in Aviation Training
Stinger They gave you your choice of duty, son. Anything, anywhere. Do you believe that shit? Where do you think you wanna go?
Maverick I thought of being an instructor, sir.
Stinger Top Gun?!
Maverick Yes, sir.
Stinger God help us.
Finding Uniqueness in Unexpected Places
David Aames I dug her completely. Some how I'd found the last semi-guy less girl in New York City.
Ethan and Luther Prepare for Action
Ethan Hunt {{small|One. Two.}} Three. TOAST. TOAST.
[testing decibel meter on his wrist]
Luther Stickel Check.
[through radio]
Ethan Hunt {{small|Good. Okay, Luther, I'm goin in. Everest, man, you ready to plant the flag?}}
Luther Stickell Damn!
Ethan Hunt {{small|Krieger, from here on in, absolute silence.}}
A Complex Legacy of Adventure and Consequence
Barry Seal You know I guess you could say I helped build an army, defend a country and create the biggest drug cartel this world has ever seen. DEA, CIA, White House. I mean, it's been a hell of an adventure. Yes sometimes a little more than I bargained for. But goddamn, you try telling me that this ain't the greatest country in the world?
[recording his last confession on video tape before his assassination]
Condemnation of War and Government Deceit
Ron Kovic I'm here tonight to say that this war is wrong, that this society lied to me, lied to my brothers. They've deceived the people of this country, tricked them into going 13,000 miles to fight a war against a poor, peasant people who have a proud history of resistance, who have been struggling for their own independence for 1,000 years - the Vietnamese people. I can't find the words to express, and the leadership of this government sickens me. People say that if you don't love America, then get the hell out. Well, I love America. We love the people of America very much, but when it comes to the government, it stops right there. The government is a bunch of corrupt thieves, they are rapists and robbers. And we are here to say that we don't have to take it anymore. We are here to say that we are here to tell the truth; they are killing our brothers in Vietnam! We want them to hear the truth tonight!
[to a news camera, outside the 1972 Republican Convention]
Confronting Loss and Identity in Vanilla Sky
David Aames I remember. Somebody died. It was me.
Listening to the Universe's Messages
Les Grossman The universe is talking to us right now. You just gotta listen.
Grossman See, this is the good part, Pecker. This is when the job gets fun.
Rob Slolom Mmm, yeah.
Grossman Ask, and you shall receive.
Slolom All right!
Grossman You play ball, we play ball. I know you want the goodies. Mmm!
[Slolom nods. Grossman begins dancing like he's slapping ass.]
Slolom Welcome to the goodie room.
Grossman You payin attention? Cuz I'm talkin ], Pecker. That's how you're gonna roll. No more frequent flyer bitch miles for my boi. Oh yeah. Playa. Playa. Big dick playa.
[[w:Gulfstream V|G5]
Slolom Swingin past your knees.
Grossman Big dick, baby.
Slolom Yup.
Grossman Or, you can grow a conscience in the next five minutes and see where that takes you.
Rick "Pecker" Peck Let me get this straight. You want me to let my client of fifteen years, one of my best friends, die in the jungle alone for some money and a G5.
Grossman Yes.
Pecker A G5 airplane.
Grossman Yes. And lots of money. Playa....
[Grossman starts the music again, and he and Slolom start dancing again.]
Slolom Yeah! Smack it up, flip up, rub it down, hoo!!
Miscommunication About Apology and Misunderstandings
Luther Stickell Reach your folks? How do they feel?
[Ethan nods]
Ethan Hunt About what?
Luther Stickell The apology from the Justice Department, VIP treatment. You know, the whole nine yards.
Ethan Hunt Well, my mom was a little confused how the DEA could mistake her and Uncle Donald for a couple of dope smugglers in the Florida Keys.
[holds up a glass of beer]
Luther Stickell Cheers.
[holds up his glass]
Ethan Hunt To you, Luther. And being off the disavowed list.
Luther Stickell Hey, I'm the flavor of the month. Why don't you come back with me?
Ethan Hunt I just...don't know why I'd be doing it. Better go catch my flight. So, how does it feel to be a solid citizen again?
Luther Stickell Man, I don't know. I'm gonna miss bein disreputable.
Ethan Hunt Well, Luther, if it makes you feel any better, I'll always think of you that way.
The Need for Speed
Maverick I feel the need...
Maverick and Goose ...the need for speed!
[Maverick and Goose high five]
Determination in Uncertainty
Ethan Hunt I'll/We'll figure it out!
Confrontation Between Agent and Suspect
Wayne Tarrance How about you get down on your knees and kiss my ass for not indicting you as a co-conspirator right now, you chickenshit little Harvard cocksucker?
Mitch McDeere I haven't done anything, and you know it!
Wayne Tarrance Who gives a fuck? I'm a federal agent! You know what that means, you lowlife motherfucker? It means you've got no rights, your life is mine! I could kick your teeth down your throat and yank them out your asshole, and I'm not even violating your civil rights!
Mitch McDeere You are Agent Wayne Tarrance.
Wayne Tarrance Yeah, you’re goddamn right I am. Maybe local cops can’t…
Moral Dilemma in Legal Ethics
Mitch McDeere Let me get this straight: you want me to steal files from the firm, turn them over to the FBI, send my colleagues to jail...
Wayne Tarrance They roped you into this.
Mitch McDeere Breach attorney-client privilege, thus getting myself disbarred for life, then testify in open court against the Mafia...
Wayne Tarrance Well, unfortunately, Mitch...
Mitch McDeere Let me ask you something: are you out of your fucking mind?
Confidence in Driving Ability
Cole Trickle Let me drive I won't make a fool out of you.
The Overlooked Presence of Life and Death
Vincent Six hours he's riding the subway before anybody notices his corpse doing laps around L.A., people on and off sitting next to him. Nobody notices.
Rubbin' is Racin' in NASCAR
Harry Hogge Cole, you're wandering all over the track!
Cole Trickle Well, this son of a bitch just slammed into me!
Harry Hogge No, no, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you, he didn't slam into you, he RUBBED you. And rubbin', son, is racin'. Oh, there goes a fender. There goes a quarter-panel.
[Cole slams into the wall side-ways; Cole slams into another car; Cole slams into other cars and causes a multi-car crash; Harry just shakes his head in disbelief and face-palms]
The Consequences of a Captivating Smile
David Aames That smile's gonna be the end of me.
A Discussion on Taking a Cab
Vincent Let's go.
[after Vincent and Max load a corpse into the cab's trunk]
Max Hey, why don't you just take the cab?
Vincent Take the cab?
Max Yeah, you take it. I'll - I'll chill. I'll - I'll just chill. They don't even know who's driving these things half the time anyway. They never check or anything. Okay... so... just - just take it. You, me...
Vincent You promise not to tell anybody right?
Max Yeah... yeah... yeah... Promise.
Vincent Get in the fucking car.
Max If you just...
Vincent Get in the car.
Identity and Misunderstanding in Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire Bob Sugar said I don't understand what it's like to be a black man? I'm Mister black people!
A Call for Trust in Critical Moments
Ethan Hunt I need you to trust me, one last time.
Commitment to Not Failing Others
Ethan Hunt I won't let you down! I won't let you down.
Urgent Plea for Safety in Crisis
Ray Ferrier Get in the car, Manny, or you're gonna die!
GPS Guidance and Parachute Instructions
Ethan Hunt Hey, your heads-up display has a built-in GPS guidance system. Follow it to the target. Open your chute when the system says -- not before, and definitely not after, or the last thing that goes through your mind will be your kneecaps. Is that clear?
['''Walker:''' ''Crystal.'']
Conflict Under Pressure in a Crisis
Sergeant Johnson We're going to die here because of you!
Nick Morton Just let me think!
Sergeant Johnson What!?
Nick Morton I'm thinking...
Sergeant Johnson What are you thinking!?
Nick Morton I'm thinking we're probably going to die here.
Sergeant Johnson I knew it!
The Limits of Legal Boundaries
Avery Tolar Do you think I'm talking about breaking the law?
Mitch McDeere No, I'm just trying to figure out how far you want it bent.
Avery Tolar As far as you can without breaking it.
Fear of Nothingness Overcomes Fear of Pain
Cole Trickle Claire, I'm more afraid of being nothing than I am of being hurt.
Ethan Hunt's Desperate Call to Claire
Ethan Hunt WAKE UP, CLAIRE! JIM'S DEAD! MY TEAM'S DEAD! THEY'RE ALL DEAD!
[to Claire]
Confronting Life-Altering Medical Realities
Doctor We want to make one thing very clear to you, Ron. The possibility of your ever walking again is minimal... almost impossible. You're a T6 - paralyzed from the mid-chest down. Probably... you'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Do you understand what I'm saying?
[pause]
Ron Kovic Well, doctor...
Doctor Hmm?
Ron Kovic Doctor, will I ever be able to - to have children?
Doctor No. No, but we have a good psychologist. He's helped a lot of people.
[pause]
Ron Kovic I'll walk again.
Doctor No you won't...
Ron Kovic No, I know I'll walk again!
Doctor No, let me tell you something, Ron. You will never walk again.
Inquiry About a Briefcase
Vincent Yo, homie. Is that my briefcase?
Friendship and Support Among Pilots
Iceman Sorry to hear about Cougar. He and I were like brothers in flight school. He was a good man.
Maverick Still is a good man.
Iceman Yeah, that's what I meant. You need any help?
[pause]
Maverick With what?
Iceman You figured it out yet?
Maverick What's that?
Iceman Who's the best pilot.
Maverick You know, I think I can figure that one out on my own.
Iceman I heard that about you. You like to work alone.
Slider Mav, you must've sold under a lucky star, huh? I mean, first the MiG, and then you guys slide into Cougar's spot.
Goose We didn't slide into Cougar's spot. It was ours, okay?
Slider Yeah, well, some pilots wait their whole career just to see a MiG up close. Guess you guys are lucky and famous, huh?
Iceman No, you mean notorious. See you later.
Maverick You can count on it.
Rediscovering the Law After Three Years
Mitch McDeere You want to know something funny? I discovered the law again. You actually made me think about it. I managed to go through three years of law school without doing that.
Brotherly Support Amidst Tough Circumstances
Ray McDeere How'd you land a job like that with a brother in the slammer?
Ray McDeere I get it. Don't worry, I'd probably have done the same thing.
Mitch McDeere You're always there for me, Ray...
Ray McDeere I'd have done the same thing. You think I want to tell the guys around here that I got a brother at Harvard?
The Nature of Casual Relationships
David Aames You keep the relationship casual, until the absolute breaking point. And then one evening or afternoon or morning, it could be months from now. Well, you know how it works
Recognizing the Good Within Others
Jenny Halsey You are a good man.
Nick Morton You don't know that.
Jenny Halsey Yes, I do. There's good man inside of you fighting to come out. You saved my life. You gave me the only parachute without thinking.
Nick Morton I thought there was another one.
[taken aback]
Understanding Stock Car Racing Through Television
Harry Hogge What do you know about stock car racing?
Cole Trickle Well... watched it on television, of course.
Harry Hogge You've seen it on television?
Cole Trickle ESPN. The coverage is excellent, you'd be surprised at how much you can pick up.
Harry Hogge I'm sure I would.
Political Gratitude and Future Uncertainty
Senator Jasper Irving You first called me the future of my party. I'm returning the favour.
Janine Roth It was just how I saw it eight years ago.
Senator Jasper Irving Well, nonetheless, grateful.
Janine Roth Considering the state of your party, how do you know the tag isn't pejorative?
The Influence of Money on Performance
Vincent Lauria I think maybe the money's what's throwing you off here today.
Frustration and Rebellion Amidst Chaos
Ron Kovic What are we gonna do now?
Charlie Fuck em.
Ron Kovic Yeah. Sure. How are we gonna get outta here?
Charlie Fuck em all. Fuck the whores. Fuck the cab drivers... fuck Mexico. Fuck Nixon, fuck Vietnam, fuck'em all.
Ron Kovic Yeah, Charlie, but how are we gonna get outta here?
Charlie They made me kill babies, man. Little gook babies. You ever have to kill a baby?
Ron Kovic Yeah, O.K. come on, we gotta get back to the villa.
Charlie FUCK YOU!
[drawing closer]
Ron Kovic Gotta get back to the villa.
Charlie What do you mean "ok"?! What do you mean "ok"? You ever have to kill a baby, you ever have to kill a little gook baby?!!
Ron Kovic What the fuck do you know what I did!!
[wheels away]
Charlie I didn't think so. I didn't think so, you're full of shit.
Ron Kovic No, you are! The fuck? Leave me the fuck alone. You're nuts, you know that? You're nuts. The fuckin sun is goin down! what do you know what the fuck comes out here at night? We gotta get outta here.
Charlie Don't shit me, Kovic. You never killed a baby. You never HAD to kill a baby because... you never put your soul into that war. You never put your soul on the line, man!
[again drawing closer]
Ron Kovic How do you know? How the fuck do you know? maybe I killed babies. Maybe I killed more babies than you did, you FUCK! Maybe I killed a whole bunch a babies, but I don't talk about it! I don't have to talk about it.(wheels away)
Charlie Why not? Wh-Why the fuck not? What do you think you are- better than anybody else? You a hero is that it?
Ron Kovic Fuck you!
Charlie Maybe you got a whole bunch'a fuckin medals, but deep down you know you're full of shit. You never fought that war. YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE, MAN!
Ron Kovic (Stops. Turns back, enraged) What the fuck did you mean "I wasn't there", man? What did you mean?
Charlie What the fuck are you hidin from?
Ron Kovic I'm not the one that's hidin'. You're the one that's hidin'- down here in Mexico- you're the one that's hidin'! What are you hidin from you whiny fuck!
Charlie Don't shit me. You never killed anybody or anything, did ya, Kovic? Did ya?
Ron Kovic Did you?!
Charlie DID YA?!!!
Ron Kovic Did you?!
Charlie Ya ever look at yourself in the fuckin mirror?
Ron Kovic Did you?
Charlie Fuck you.
Ron Kovic You.
Charlie No. You! FUCK YOU!!!
Ron Kovic No, FUCK YOU!!
Frustration in a Hospital Setting
Ron Kovic Washington?! Washington! I've been laying in my own shit for the last three hours. I've been pushing my call button and nobody comes. Why can't I have a bath? Why can't the sheets be changed in this goddamn place? Why can't the vomit be wiped off the goddamn floor once in a while?
[Washington arrives]
Nurse Washington Don't you raise your voice to me Mr. Kovic, you watch your mouth.
Ron Kovic Look at my leg. It's twice as big as it ever was. When are you people gonna help me? Where's the doctor? I need to see the doctor- I need to see him now!
Nurse Washington He's not available now. He's too busy.
Ron Kovic He's always too busy.
Marvin What's eating you now, Kovic? You going off the deep end?
Ron Kovic Fucking shit! What do I have to do to make you people listen to me? I wanna be treated like a fucking human being! I don't want this fucking shit! You wanna keep me drugged all the time so I don't know what's going on. This place is a fuckin slum!
[grabbing Marvin; slaps the valium hypodermic out of the nurse's hand]
Marvin You want out of here, man? Fine. We take that leg of yours, and we can get you out of here in two weeks!
Ron Kovic I want my leg.
Marvin Why?
Ron Kovic I want my leg!
Marvin Why? You can't feel it no how!
Ron Kovic It's my leg! I want my leg, you understand? Can't you understand that? All's I'm sayin is that I want to be treated like a human being! I fought for my country! I am a Vietnam veteran! I fought for my country!
[incredulous and angry]
Patient Shut the fuck up!
[off-camera]
Ron Kovic And I think that I deserve to be treated...d- decent!
Marvin Vietnam? Vietnam don't mean nothing to me man, or any of these other people. You can take your Vietnam and shove it up your ass.
Indifference to Life in Urban Society
Vincent Hey, Max, a guy gets on the MTA here in L.A. and dies. Think anybody will notice?
Focus on the Job and Move Forward
Vincent Lady Macbeth, we're sitting here and the light's green. Leave the seats.
Max Asshole!
Vincent You no longer have the cleanest cab in ]. You gotta live with that. Focus on the job. Drive.
[[:w:Los Angeles|La-La Land]
Navigating Ambition and Support in Life Choices
Steve Boyer You could start out as a cashier... and then work your way up to becoming a manager of one of these places - just like your dad.
Ron Kovic I get $1700 a month from the government. I think I'm just going to lay low, and look around...
Steve Boyer That's charity money, Ronnie; this isn't.
[dismissively]
Ron Kovic Charity?
Steve Boyer All I'm saying is that you got to - you got to put the war behind you, you know; you got to forget about this chair you're in!
Ron Kovic Sometimes, Stevie, I think people, they know you're back from Vietnam, and their face - changes: the eyes, the voice, the way they look at you, you know.
[leans forward]
Steve Boyer I know what you mean, Ronnie, but people here - they don't give a shit about the war! Yeah! To them it's just a million miles away. It's all bullshit, anyway. I mean, the government sold us a bill of goods and we bought it, and got the shit kicked out of us, and for what, huh?
Ron Kovic What do you mean, "we," Stevie? You were in college, man.
Steve Boyer You bought that Communist bullshit, Ronnie. Yeah, they were going to take over the world, you remember that? Fenelli, you, Walsh - the whole town was devastated. For what? For lies, for bullshit lies?
[shrugs his shoulders; pause]
Ego and Consequences in Aviation Leadership
Stinger Maverick, you just did an incredibly brave thing. What you should have done was land your plane! You don't own that plane, the taxpayers do! Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash. You've been busted, you've lost your qualifications as section leader three times, put in hack twice by me, with a history of high speed passes over five air control towers—and one admiral's daughter!
Goose Penny Benjamin?
[Maverick shrugs]
Stinger And you, asshole, you're lucky to be here!
[to Goose]
Goose Thank you, sir.
Stinger And let's not bullshit, Maverick. Your family name ain't the best in the Navy. You need to be doing it better and cleaner than the other guy. Now what is it with you?
Maverick Just want to serve my country; be the best fighter pilot in the Navy, sir!
Stinger Don't screw around with me, Maverick. You're one hell of an instinctive pilot. Maybe too good. I'd like to bust your butt but I can't. I got another problem here. I gotta send somebody from this squadron to Miramar. I gotta do something here, I⁠—I still can't believe it. I gotta give you your dream shot! I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters...are going to Top Gun. For five weeks, you'll be flying against the best fighter pilots in the world. You were number two, Cougar was number one. Cougar lost it⁠—turned in his wings. You guys are number one. But you remember one thing: if you screw up just this much, you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong!
[pinches fingers for emphasis]
Maverick Yes sir!
Life's Game: Taking What You Want
Frank T.J. Mackey In this big game that we play, life, it's not what you ] for, it's not what you deserve, it's what you take. I'm Frank T.J. Mackey, a master of the muffin and author of the Seduce and Destroy system now available to you on video and audio cassette. Seduce and Destroy will teach you the techniques to have any hardbody blonde just dripping to wet your dock. Bottom line? Language. The magical key to unlocking the female analytical mindset. Tap directly into her hopes, her wants, her fears, her desires, and her sweet little panties. Learn how to make that lady "friend" your sex-starved servant. I don't care how you look. I don't care what car you drive. I don't care what your last bank statement says. Seduce and Destroy produces an instant money-back guarantee trance-like state that will get you this ´— naughty sauce you want fast. Hey — how many more times do you need to hear the all-too-famous line of "I just don't feel that way about you?
[[hope]
The Allure of Capitalism and Desire
Joel Goodson It was great the way her mind worked: No guilt, no doubts, no fear. None of my specialties. Just this shameless pursuit of immediate material gratification. What a capitalist! She told me I could make more money in one night than I'd make all year. Enough to pay for my father's car. She told me she'd be my girlfriend. She told me a lot of things. I believed them all. So, she introduced me to her friends. I introduced her to my friends.
[about Lana]
Confronting Reality Through Alcohol and Regret
David Aames You're not blind. You're drinking ], and when you drink Jack, you start in with that... ], she shot me down, give me a cigarette, "King of Sad" thing.
[[w:Jack Daniels|Jack Daniels; [w:Frank Sinatra|Frank Sinatra]
Strategy Under Caution in Racing
Harry Hogge All right. While we're still under a caution, I want you to go back out on that track and hit the pace car.
Cole Trickle Hit the pace car?
Harry Hogge Hit the pace car!
Cole Trickle What for?
Harry Hogge Because you've hit every other goddamned thing out there, I want you to be perfect!
Mocking Praise in Hollywood Negotiations
Studio Executive Rob Slolom Wow. Eight Oscars, 400 million dollars at the box office, and you saved Tugg Speedman's career.
Les Grossman I couldn't have done it without you.
Slolom Really?
Grossman No, dickhead. Of course I could. A nutless monkey could do your job. Now, go get drunk and take credit at all the parties.
Slolom I wouldn't do that.
Grossman Ah... joking.
Slolom Ah, there he is! Funny. You're a funny guy.
Grossman Yeah. But seriously, a nutless monkey could do your job.
Misunderstandings in Communication Among Friends
Charlie Eh, Lieutenant, what were you doing there?
Goose Communicating.
Maverick Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. I was, you know, giving him the bird.
Goose You know, the finger!
[Extending his middle finger]
Charlie Yes, I know the finger, Goose.
Goose Sorry. I hate it when it does that.
Charlie So you're the one.
[to Maverick]
Maverick Yes, ma'am.
A Global Crisis of Trust and Control
Ethan Hunt The world's nuclear powers are in a paranoid downward spiral. Every nation had a chance to take their missiles offline, but no one trusted anyone else to do that. Your State Department is warning you that diplomatic channels are breaking down. Everyone who still has control of their arsenals is considering a first strike, just like you are. The intelligence community knows that the Entity is learning as it goes. It's getting smarter, it's getting stronger. They know that we have only 72 hours before every other nuclear arsenal on Earth is under the Entity's control. Three days before it focuses the full force of its energy on the toughest, most secure defense system on the planet: ours, at which point, the Defense Department will have no choice but to insist that you open that case, enter the codes, and launch an all-out preemptive strike on the world's eight other nuclear arsenals before the Entity takes control of ours. Madam President, either you destroy the world or the Entity does. In any case, it is checkmate.
A Tense Exchange of Words
Ethan Hunt You turned around.
Nyah Nordoff-Hall What are you going to do? Spank me?
The Logic of Trust in Language
Joel Goodson It seems to me that if there were any logic to our language, trust would be a four letter word.
Desperation and a life-threatening ultimatum
Ethan Hunt I've got a charge in my head, I'm going to die unless you kill me.
Urgent Communication in a Critical Situation
Luther Stickell Ethan, Nyah's in the building. Do you copy?
[''over radio'']
Ethan Hunt Thank you.
[''dryly, into radio'']
Clarity in Chaos: The True Challenge
Ethan Hunt There's no nations on this one. There's no rival ideologies, no dogma. It's who keeps their head and who panics.
Irony of Fate and Choices
Mitch McDeere Hey Ray, wouldn't it be funny if I went to Harvard, you went to jail and we both ended up surrounded by crooks.
On the Importance of Secrecy
Ethan Hunt If I let you know where I'm going, I won't be on holiday.
[''Response to Swanbeck's remark'']
Searching for Meaning in a Lost World
Ron Kovic I had a mother; I had a father, things - things that made sense. Do you remember things that made sense? Things you could count on? Before we all got so lost? What are we gonna do, Charlie? What am I gonna do?
[to Charlie]
The Syndicate's Threat to Global Stability
Ethan Hunt That missing plane was carrying the Secretary of the World Bank. The fire bankrupted a global arms corporation. That wreck triggered a civil war. These are no accidents. They're links in a chain, the work of a single organization - the Syndicate. A rogue nation, trained to do what we do, with a new purpose. To destroy the system that created them, regardless of who's in their way.
Questioning Decisions in High-Stakes Moments
Ethan Hunt Did you jump?
Brandt Should I not have jumped? Cause I jumped!
The Artistry of Cocktail Creation
Brian Flanagan I am the world's last barman poet! I see America drinking the fabulous cocktails I make.America is getting stinking on something I stir or shake.The Sex On The Beach...the Schnapps made from peach!The Velvet Hammer...the Alabama Slammer!I make things with juice and froth, the Pink Squirrel...the 3 Toed Sloth.I make drinks so sweet and snazzy, the Iced Tea...the Kamikazi!The Orgasm...the Death Spasm.The Singapore Sling...the Ding a Ling.America you're just devoted to every flavor I've got, but if you want to get loaded...why don't you just order a shot!Bar's open!!
A Moment of Unfiltered Praise
Vincent Well, that was brilliant...
[''after Max crashes the cab'']
Questioning Patriotism and Domestic Issues
Ron Kovic Am I good? Hey, am I good?
[attempting to walk in the hospital; drags himself forward]
Willie Man, you're one crazy Marine, Kovic - so gung-ho and everything, but you don't know shit about what's really happenin in this country.
Ron Kovic Fuck you, Willie.
Willie I'm serious man. It ain't about burnin the flag and Vietnam, man. While we fight for rights over there, we ain't got no rights at home. It's about Detroit and Newark, man. It's about racism, man.
Ron Kovic Is that right?
Willie Because you can't get no job at home. Vietnam is a white man's war, a rich man's war.
Ron Kovic Where's my money?
[contemptuously]
Willie I'm serious, man, you gotta read some books. There's a revolution going on, Kovic. Brothers are gettin it together, and if you ain't part of the solution, man, then you're part of the problem.
Welcome to Prodigium: A Warning of Monsters
Dr. Henry Jekyll Welcome to Prodigium, Mr. Morton. From the latin "Monstrum vel prodigium," a warning of monsters. Forgive the state of things, we had very little time to prepare for our guest, and only the information Jennifer provided to go on. In truth she works for us, it's not an exact science this business.
Nick Morton And the business being...?
Dr. Henry Jekyll Evil, Mr. Morton. Recognize, contain, examine, destroy.
Acceptance of Finality in Decision Making
Ethan Hunt What's done is done when we say it's done.
Barry Seal's Confident Car Offer
Barry Seal Did you all know that Caddies have more trunk space than any other car? I'll give each and every one of you a Caddy for your troubles, Because I'm going to walk out of here and there ain't a damn thing any one of you can do about it.
[Dana Sibota walks in]
Dana Sibota He's free to go.
DEA Agent Winter Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute.
[the officers unlock the cuffs from Barry's wrists]
Barry Seal You boys should have taken the Caddies.
Unexpected Encounter at the Meeting
Jorge Ochoa Come on up. Thank you for coming to see me.
[Barry heads upstairs and into Ochoa's office]
Barry Seal Sir, I… I think there’s been some sort of mistake here, because I… These fellas just picked me up at the airport, and…
Jorge Ochoa No, no. No mistake. Just, please, have a seat. Coffee, Mr. Seal?
[asks politely in Spanish]
Barry Seal You know my name?
Jorge Ochoa You’re the gringo who flies to Central America every week taking pictures very low with your fancy plane.
A Father's Concern for His Son's Safety
Ray Ferrier Robbie, you wanna head in that direction?! There's nothing living in that direction, Robbie!
The Absence of the Polish Cavalry
Vincent Only thing that didn't show up is the Polish cavalry.
[''after the nightclub shootout'']
Unexpected Encounters in Secret Meetings
Ethan Hunt I thought I was going to see Max.
[face covered by hood]
Matthias You misunderstood. No one sees Max.
Ethan Hunt Then what am I doing here?
Matthias Allowing Max to see you and hear what you've got to say.
Ethan Hunt I don't communicate very well through a shroud.
Matthias If Max doesn't like what you have to say, you will be wearing that shroud indefinitely.
Ethan Hunt I'm willing to take the chance.
[thinks a second]
Matthias Very well.
Max Who are you and what are you doing here?
Ethan Hunt I need $150,000.
Max Oh, really?....And you thought if you simply showed up, I might give it to you?
[Laughing]
Ethan Hunt Why not? You gave Job 125.
Max Hmmm... The penny drops. You are not Job... Job is not given to quoting scripture in his communications... Then there was its tone, aggressive but playful. Job is not playful... So you are something of a paradox.
Ethan Hunt Well, that depends.
Max On what?
Ethan Hunt Whether you like a paradox.
Countdown Tension in Mission: Impossible Scene
Brandt 26 minutes till door knock...25 minutes till door knock...24 minutes till door knock...
Ethan Hunt The countdown is not helping.
Brandt I'm just saying.
The Fate of Warriors Discussed
Katsumoto What happened to the warriors at ]?
[[w:Battle of Thermopylae|Thermopylae]
Nathan Algren Dead to the last man.
[smiling]
Traffic Command in Mission: Impossible
Ethan Hunt RED LIGHT! GREEN LIGHT!
[Holding the wad of explosive chewing gum before jumping off a chopper in the Channel Tunnel]
A Sweet Bargain for a Kiss
Oona I'll do what you ask if you'll kiss me, Jack.
Jack Easy enough.
[pecks her quickly on the cheek]
Oona You call that a kiss? Am I not sweet?
Jack Sweeter than bee pollen on summer wind.
Oona Sweet as the wind that blows me to you!
[taking the form of Lili]
Screwball It's fairy magic!
Jack Lili? Lili!
Oona/Lili Yes, Jack?
Jack This isn't real.
Oona/Lili Oh, but it is! I'm warn and alive and want to be in your arms.
Jack No, I can't! No. It's just more fairy glamor. Human hearts don't work that way.
[hesitating]
Oona What care I for human hearts, soft and spiritless as porridge? A fairy's heart beats fierce and free!
The Illusion of Eternal Youth
David Aames Isn’t that what being young is about, believing secretly that you would be the one person in the history of man that would live forever?
Desire for awakening and relief from confusion
David Aames I wanna wake up! Tech support! It's a nightmare! Tech support! Tech support!
Consequences of Recklessness in Ancient Discoveries
Nick Morton You're welcome, by the way.
Jenny Halsey How's that?
Nick Morton Because I saved your...whatever-it-is.
[pointing out at the desert]
Jenny Halsey That was safely hidden for 5,000 years before you dropped a Hellfire missile on it.
Betting on Pool: A Conversation About Winnings
Eddie Felson How much did you take off Moselle? I heard a hundred...
Vincent Lauria One fifty!
Eddie Felson A hundred and fifty?
[sarcastically]
Vincent Lauria That's right, a hundred and fifty.
Vincent Lauria You walk into a shoe store with a hundred and fifty bucks, you come out with one shoe! We were working on five thousand!
Ethan Hunt's Greeting in Vienna
Ethan Hunt Welcome to Vienna, Benji. Miss me?
A Bond Forged in Competition and Trust
Iceman You! You are still dangerous. You can be my wingman any time.
[smiles]
Maverick Bullshit! You can be mine. (They hug; they're friends now)
Planning a Complex Operation with Multiple Players
Ethan Hunt Simple game. Four players. Exfil opens the pocket, Cyber Ops lifts the wallet.
Franz Krieger Bank?
Ethan Hunt IMF mainframe.
[shakes his head]
Franz Krieger Where exactly is it?
Ethan Hunt In Langley.
Luther Stickell In Langley? The-one-in-Virginia Langley?
Franz Krieger Inside CIA headquarters at Langley? Is he serious?
[to Claire]
Claire Phelps Always.
Franz Krieger If we're going to Virginia, why don't we drop by Fort Knox? I can fly a helicopter right in through the lobby and set it down inside the vault. And it would be a hell of a lot easier than breaking into the goddamn CIA.
[scoffs]
Luther Stickell What are we downloading?
Ethan Hunt Information.
Luther Stickell What kind?
Ethan Hunt Profitable.
Claire Phelps Payment on delivery.
Luther Stickell I don't know. I just don't know.
[doubtfully]
Ethan Hunt Well, this doesn't sound like the Luther Stickell I heard of. What'd they used to call you? The Net Ranger? Phineas Phreak? The only man alive who actually hacked NATO Ghost Com.
Luther Stickell There was never any physical evidence that I had anything to do with that... with that... ...that exceptional piece of work.
[smiles]
Ethan Hunt You don't know what you're missing. This is the Mount Everest of hacks.
Luther Stickell You're all kidding yourselves. Even with top-of-the-line crypto, Cray access, STU-3's...
Claire Phelps Krieger can get it. Right?
[cuts him off; to Krieger]
Franz Krieger It may take a little time.
Ethan Hunt What the hell do you mean, a little time? That's not what Claire tells me about you.
Luther Stickell Thinking Machine laptops? I'm talking about the 686 prototypes, with the artificial intelligence RISC chip.
[to Krieger]
Franz Krieger Twenty-four hours.
Luther Stickell And, uh, I get to keep the equipment when we're done.
[laughs]
Ethan Hunt Well, Luther, I guess you're all out of excuses.
Luther Stickell Hmm. Look, uh, I just can't hack my way inside. See, there's no modem access to the mainframe. It's in what we call a standalone, which means I'd have to be physically at the terminal.
[laughs]
Ethan Hunt Relax, Luther. It's much worse than you think. The terminal is in a black-vault lockdown. The only person allowed in the room has to pass through a series of security checks.
[voice-over, the scene goes to William Donloe approaching the door to the computer vault]
CIA Analyst William Donloe William Donloe.
[to keypad microphone]
Ethan Hunt The first is a voice-print identification, and a six-digit access code. This only gets him into the outer room. Next he has to pass a retinal scan. And finally, the intrusion countermeasures are only deactivated by a double electronic key card... ...which we won't have. Now, inside the black vault, there are three systems operating whenever the technician is out of the room. The first is sound-sensitive. Anything above a whisper sets it off. The second system detects any increase in temperature. Even the body heat of an unauthorized person in the room will trigger it if the temperature rises just a single degree. Now, that temperature is controlled by the air conditioning coming in through an overhead duct, 30 feet above the floor. That vent is guarded by a laser net.
[voice-over; Donloe enters a code; the door opens and he enters an office; Donloe removes his glasses and looks into a retinal scanner; Donloe inserts his ID card into a reader; cut to Hunt on the train; Donloe then enters the vault and logs in at the terminal]
Ethan Hunt The third system's on the floor and is pressure-sensitive. The slightest increase in weight will trigger the alarm. And any one of these systems, if set off, will activate an automatic lockdown. Now, believe me when I tell you, gentlemen, all three systems are state-of-the-art.
[voice-over; Donloe shuts the door, activating the security systems]
Luther Stickell And you really think we can do this?
[After a stunned silence]
Ethan Hunt We're going to do it.
The Nature of Character in Competition
Eddie Felson You're some piece of work... You're also a natural character.
Vincent Lauria You see? I been tellin her that. I got natural character.
[to Carmen]
Eddie Felson That's not what I said, kid. I said you are a natural character; you're an incredible flake.
Eddie Felson But that's a gift. Some guys spend half their lives trying to invent something like that. You walk into a pool room with that go-go-go, the guys'll be killing each other, trying to get to you. You got that... But I'll tell you something, kiddo. You couldn't find Big Time if you had a road map.
Sharing Divisions Among Family Members
Ray Ferrier Two for you, two for Robbie, two for me... One for the house.
A Surprising Encounter with a Fairy
Meg Foul tasting fairy! Come to Meg, juicy boy! Who be this tender morsel to disturb Meg Muckelbones's rest?
[sees Jack]
Jack Jack. They call me Jack ma'am.
Meg Jack! What a fine, fat boy you are, Jack!
Jack You don't really mean to eat me, do you Ma'am?
Meg Oh, indeed I do!
Jack That would be a shame, because someone as fair and lovely as yourself Miss Meg, deserves far better than scrawny me. Don't you think?
Meg You think me fair, do you Jack?
Jack All the heavenly ] must envy your ]!
[[angels; [beauty]
Meg What a fine meal you will make, be the rest of you as sweet as your tongue!
Jack No wait! Fill your ] with loveliness! Feast on the beauty of your reflection. You are an angel miss Meg. Look!
[[soul]
Meg Clever boy.
The Limits of Emotional Impact in Conflict
Ethan Hunt If you're dealing with someone who's crushed, shot, stabbed, and detonated five members of his own IMF team, how devastated do you really think you're gonna make him by hauling Ma and Uncle Donald down to the county courthouse?
Intense Pain and Mental Struggle
David Aames These? These are more than headaches. These are steel plates slicing through my every thought.
The Significance of Little Things
David Aames The little things... there's nothing bigger, is there?
A Regretful Moment of Loss
David Aames I lost you when I got in that car. I'm sorry.
Communication Breakdown in High-Stakes Situation
Brandt Your line's not long enough.
Ethan Hunt No shit!
Brotherhood and Connection Through Shared Moments
Charlie Babbitt What you have to understand is, four days ago he was only my brother in name. And this morning we had pancakes.
Family Conflict and Strained Relationships
Mrs. Kovic What happened in that war? What happened to you? You need help, Ronnie, you need help.
Ron Kovic No, you need help! All your God and your bullshit dreams about me!
Mrs. Kovic You'll wake the whole neighborhood.
[She starts telling the other children to go to bed]
Ron Kovic YOU ARE ASHAMED OF ME! You're EMBARRASSED by me.
Tommy Kovic Please, Mom, let me talk to him.
Mrs. Kovic You go to bed!
Ron Kovic FUCK YOU!
Mr. Kovic Don't you talk to your mother like that!
Mrs. Kovic What did you say to me?! WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME??
[Comes back to Ron's room, enraged; Smacks Ron's face a couple of times and leaves; Ron strolls after her]
Ron Kovic FUCK YOU!!!
Mr. Kovic Ronnie, that's ENOUGH!
Mrs. Kovic You're gonna wake the whole neighborhood!
Ron Kovic OH, WAKE EM UP! TELL THEM! CUSACKS, CAMELLETTIS, WALSHES!! You tell them all! Tell them what they did to me. What they did to this country.
Mrs. Kovic They're gonna call the police this time
[To Mr. Kovic]
Ron Kovic We went to Vietnam to stop communism!... We shot women and children!
Mrs. Kovic You didn't shoot women and children! What are you saying?
Ron Kovic That was the war, communism, the insidious evil! They told us to go.
Mrs. Kovic Yes, yes that's what they told us.
Ron Kovic Thou shalt not kill, Mom. Thou shalt not kill women and children! Thou shalt not kill! Remember? Isn't that what you taught us? Isn't that what they taught us?
Mrs. Kovic Stop it! Stop it!
Ron Kovic But they're the evil, Mom. They're the ones we should be fighting. They lied to me growing up, they lied to all of us, but it's not gonna work anymore. Not for you... for me... for anybody else.
Mrs. Kovic Stop it, stop it! As long as you're in this house, you will not talk that way. Eli, please stop him.
Mr. Kovic Ron, come on now... you made your point, now stop.
Ron Kovic No, I haven't made my point. Tell her, Dad. They're killing everybody now.
Mrs. Kovic I didn't force you to go!!
Ron Kovic YES, YOU DID! YES, YOU DID!!! It's all falling apart, Mom! King. Kennedy. Kent State. We all lost the war, Mom. Fucking Communism won! It's all for nothing!
Mrs. Kovic That is not true, Ronnie.
Ron Kovic What do you know, Ma? WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!?
Tommy Kovic Ron.
Ron Kovic What? Tell her, Tommy. You tell her, Dad! Tell her it's all a lie! It's a fucking lie! Tell her God's as dead as my legs. There's no God and there's no country. It's just me... and this fucking wheelchair for the rest... of my life. It's just me and this... dead... penis.
[Unzips his pants and sticks his hand in]
Mrs. Kovic OH MY GOD! RONNIE!!
[Hysterically disgusted]
Mr. Kovic Don't, Ronnie! Not with the catheter! For God sake!
Ron Kovic DEAD... PENIS!
Mrs. Kovic Oh, GOD! Eli, I can't take this anymore.
Mr. Kovic Go to your rooms. Go to your ROOMS!
[Notices the children]
Mrs. Kovic THE HELL WITH YOU!!!
[To Ron]
Ron Kovic In church they said that it's a sin if you play with your penis, I wish I could.
Mrs. Kovic Don't say "penis" in this house!
Ron Kovic Penis!
Mrs. Kovic Stop!
Ron Kovic Penis! Big fucking erect penis, MA!
Mrs. Kovic STOOOOOOP!!
Ron Kovic PENIS! PENIIIIIIIIIS!!!
Mrs. Kovic Lord, he won't let go, what do I do?
[Praying in tears]
Ron Kovic I really don't have time to learn to use it. It's gone in some jungle. Some fucking jungle over there. It's just gone. I'm sorry it happened this way. I'm sorry if you're sad, Mom. I'm so sorry you're sad. I'm sorry.
[Notices his mother sits down crying, and he, too, is in tears; Softens]
Understanding Failure in Hospital Reflections
Ron Kovic When I was in the hospital, I thought, "Yeah, this makes sense.
Timmy Burns What makes sense?
Ron Kovic Because I failed, Timmy.
Timmy Burns What are you talking about?
Ron Kovic Because I - I killed some - people; I made some terrible - mistakes!
Timmy Burns Oh, for Christ's sake, Ronnie, we all made mistakes. I mean, you - you had no choice. That's something that those goddamn pansy demonstrators ain't never gonna understand! Now, you don't even have to talk about it, Ronnie; I mean, it was insane over there! It was crazy!
Ron Kovic Sometimes I wish, I wish I'd - The first time I got hit, I was shot in the foot. I could have laid down, I mean - who gives a fuck now if I was a hero or not? I was paralyzed, castrated that day; why? It was all so - stupid! I'd have my dick and my balls now, and some days, Timmy - some days I think I'd give everything I believe in - everything I got, all my values, just to have my body back again, just to be whole again. But I'm not whole; I never will be, and that's - that's the way it is, isn't it?
Timmy Burns For Christ's sake, Ronnie, it's your birthday. You're alive. You made it! Smile.
[after a slight pause]
Confronting the Entity's Psychological Warfare
Ethan Hunt ], you know psychological warfare. Well, you see it! Just look around! We are in the Entity's reality!
[to Sloane; [Mission: Impossible – Fallout|You ran the CIA]
Legacy of Heroism in Combat Aviation
Viper I flew with your old man. ], the ]. You're a lot like he was. Only better… and worse. He was a natural heroic son of a bitch, that one.
[[w:VF-51|VF-51; [w:USS Oriskany (CV-34)|Oriskany]
Maverick So he did do it right.
Viper Yeah, he did right. Is that why you fly the way you do? Trying to prove something? Yeah, your old man did it right. What I'm about to tell you is classified and it could end my career. We were in the worst dogfight I could've dreamed of. There were bogeys like fireflies all over the sky. His F-4 was hit; he was wounded, but he could've made it back. He stayed in it; saved three planes before he bought it.
[Maverick and Viper take a walk.]
Maverick How come I never heard that before?
Viper Well that's not something the State Department tells its dependents when the battle occurred over the wrong line on some map.
Maverick So you were there?
Viper I was there. What's on your mind?
Maverick My options, sir.
Viper Simple. First, you've acquired enough points to show up and graduate with your Top Gun class, or you can quit. There'll be no disgrace. That spin was hell; it would've shook me up.
Maverick So you think I should quit?
Viper I didn't say that. The simple fact is you feel responsible for Goose and you have a confidence problem. Now I'm not gonna sit here and blow sunshine up your ass, Lieutenant. A good pilot is compelled to always evaluate what's happened, so he can apply what he's learned. Up there, we gotta push it. That's our job. It's your option, Lieutenant. All yours.
Maverick Sorry to bother you on a Sunday, sir, but thank you very much for your time.
Viper No problem. Good luck.
The Meaning of Dying Well
Jack How can a man die better...
Sally You don't have to die, Jack. She doesn't have to die.
Jack Everybody dies, Sally. The thing is, to die well.
Loneliness and Regret in Relationships
Constance Sack You know, you're not so weird. You're just another lonely man with many regrets.
[after the interview]
Stacee Jaxx I said time. We can go now.
Constance Sack Final question. What happens when you realize you can't get rid of Stacee Jaxx?
Stacee Jaxx You have no idea what it's like to be me.
Constance Sack Well, then here's your chance. What's it like to be the Stacee Jaxx?
Exfiltration Plan and Acknowledgment of Loss
Eugene Kittridge I am...I can't tell you how sorry I am. I know how much Jim, in particular, meant to you, Ethan...personally as well as professionally.
Ethan Hunt Yeah.
Eugene Kittridge Here's a passport, visa. Usual drill. We'll work the exfiltration through Canada, debrief you at Langley. Throw the Prague police a bone or two. You know, toss them a few suspects....You follow me?
Ethan Hunt Yeah, I follow.
Eugene Kittridge I think we've lost enough agents for one night.
Ethan Hunt You mean, I've lost enough agents for one night.
Eugene Kittridge You seem hell-bent on blaming yourself, Ethan.
Ethan Hunt Who else is left?
Eugene Kittridge Yeah. I see your point.
Ethan Hunt Why was there another team?
Eugene Kittridge What?
Ethan Hunt Of IMF agents at the embassy tonight.
Eugene Kittridge I don't quite follow you.
Ethan Hunt Well, see if you can follow me around the room. The drunk Russians on the embankment at 7:00 and 8:00...The couple waltzing around me at the embassy at 9:00 and 11:00...The waiter standing behind Hannah at the top of the stairs..Bow tie, 12:00...The other IMF team. You're worried about me. Why?
Eugene Kittridge Well, for a little over two years we've been spotting serious blowback in IMF operations. We have a penetration. The other day, we decoded a message on the internet from a Czech we know as Max.
Ethan Hunt The arms dealer.
Eugene Kittridge That's right. Max, it seems, has two unique gifts: a capacity for anonymity and for corrupting susceptible agents. This time, he'd gotten to someone on the inside. He'd gotten himself in a position to buy our NOC list. An operation he referred to as "Job 314." The job he thought Golitsyn was doing tonight.
Ethan Hunt But the list Golitsyn stole was a decoy.
Eugene Kittridge That's correct. The actual list is secure at Langley. Golitsyn was a lightning rod. He was one of ours.
Ethan Hunt This whole operation was a mole hunt. This whole operation was a mole hunt.
Eugene Kittridge Yeah. The mole's deep inside. And, like you said, you survived. I want to show you something, Ethan. Since your father's death your family's farm has been in receivership, and now, suddenly, they're flush with over $120,000 in the bank. Your father's illness was supposed to have wiped out that bank account. Dying slowly in America, after all, can be a very expensive proposition. So...why don't we quietly get out of here and onto a plane? I can understand you're very upset.
Ethan Hunt Kittridge, you've never seen me very upset.
Eugene Kittridge All right, Hunt. Enough is enough. You have bribed, cajoled, and killed, and you have done it using loyalties on the inside. You want to shake hands with the devil, that's fine with me. I just want to make sure that you do it in hell!