Backdraft (1991) - Quotes

Moment of Choice: Hero or Secret

Taglines: In that instant it can create a hero... or cover a secret.

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The Dangers of Oxygen in Fire

Taglines: One breath of oxygen and it explodes in a deadly rage.

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Something waits silently behind the door.

Taglines: Silently behind a door, it waits.

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Consequences of Deception in Firefighting

Rimgale: [throws the files at the media, resulting in a barrage of questions] These detectives would like to question you on how come you paid Donald Cosgrove, Jeffrey Holcum and Allan Seagrave to create a phony manpower study! Ask him who made money off firemen dying!

Brian: [in Swayzak's ear] You see that glow flashing in the corner of your eye? That's your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear.

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Revelations About Betrayal and Consequences

Stephen: Jesus Christ, Axe!

Axe: You don't understand. My cousin, my cousin, Sally, used to work at Swayzak's office. She saw the files, Stephen. She saw what he did!

Stephen: You set me up with those chemicals on the boat?

Axe: I'm trying to explain—

Brian: Stephen!

Axe: [to Brian] You back off!

Stephen: Axe...

Axe: Somebody had to stop these pricks, Stephen!

Stephen: Would you look at me, Axe?

Axe: Would you please listen to me?

Stephen: What were you thinking? You burned people!

Axe: You didn't see—

Stephen: You're a fireman!

Axe: When Sally showed me what was in Swayzak's files—

Brian: You saw Swayzak's files?!

Axe: I should've told you. I should've let you on it.

Brian: Let him in on what, John? Murder?

Axe: Swayzak and those assholes were closing firehouses. They were getting our friends killed for money! I had to, Stephen! I had to do it for the department!

Brian: Did you do it for Tim, John?

Axe: [to Brian] That was an accident!

Stephen: Did you start that fire?

Axe: [to Stephen] Jesus Christ! Why'd you have to go in there so fucking early?

Stephen: That's why you wanted me to wait.

Axe: Let me finish Swayzak!

Brian: No, John! It's over!

Axe: [to Brian] You shut up! Your dad would fucking puke if he saw how you shit on his department!

Brian: What would he say about what you're doing, John?!

Axe: [to Stephen, ignoring Brian] Your dad died saving my life. He died saving my life, and these people were killing firemen for money.

Stephen: [realizing] Swayzak...

Axe: He killed our friends for money! What the fuck would you do?

Brian: [to Stephen] Look, you're his lieutenant, Stephen! You've gotta handle this!

Axe: It's going!

Stephen: Get to the side, Brian! It's gonna go!

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Career Reflections in a High-Stakes Environment

Swayzak: You know that little glow that’s starting to blink in the corner of your eye? That's your career dissapation light. It just went into overtime.

Stephen: If anybody's lights are about to go out, believe me they're yours.

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Understanding Fire's Nature and Behavior

Rimgale: In a word, Brian, what is this job all about?

Brian: Fire.

Rimgale: It's a living thing, Brian. It breathes, it eats, and it hates. The only way to beat it is to think like it. To know that this flame will spread this way across the door and up across the ceiling, not because of the physics of flammable liquids, but because it wants to. Some guys on this job, the fire owns them, makes em fight it on it's level, but the only way to truly kill it is to love it a little. Just like Ronald.

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Contemplating Destruction and Future Encounters

Rimgale: What about the world, Ronald? What would you like to do to the whole world?

Ronald Bartel: Burn it all.

Rimgale: See you next year, Ronald.

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Mystery Surrounds Collectible Magazine Incident

Ronald: I sent away for the copy of Life Magazine. The one with your picture on the front. It's a collectible.

Brian McCaffrey: Who's doing this, Ronald?

Ronald: Wrong question. Who isn't? It's not a spark because there's not enough damage. He wouldn't have had any fun. It's not an insurance scam because there isn't any profit.

Brian: Do you know who's doing this?

Ronald: Yes.

Brian: Then tell me.

Ronald: You want to know who? I want to know if this kid really wanted to be just like his dad.

Brian: I wanted to be him. I wanted to be him more than anything else in the world.

Ronald: And you loved him?

Brian: Yeah.

Ronald: And you watched him dance with the animal. You saw your dad burn.

Brian: Fuck you, Ronald! Who's doing this, huh?

Ronald: Did it look at you? Did the fire look at you? It did. Whoa. Wow! Our worlds aren't that far apart after all, are they? So, whoever did this this knows the animal well, doesn't he? He knows him real well, but he won't let him loose. He won't let him have any fun, so he does not love him. Now who doesn't love fire? And is around trychtichlorate all day long?

Brian: Oh, my God!

Ronald: See... that wasn't such a long walk after all.

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Investigative Integrity Amid Political Tensions

Jennifer Vaitkus: We believe you're holding back on us, to embarrass the Alderman because of his fire department cutbacks.

Donald: Alderman, I have an uncomplicated job: To determine if a fire is arson or not, and if so, to catch the son-of-a-bitch doing it. And if my investigative methods happen to muck up the campaign of certain mayor wannabes, I gotta tell ya... I'm not gonna go losing any sleep over it.

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The Temptation of Heroism in Firefighting

Rimgale: So stop me if I got this wrong. Now the fire is almost out, you're upstairs on the unburned floor checking for heat, is that correct? And you've been told by your Battalion Chief, your Captain and by me not to do nothin', right? Not to do nothin until ordered. That's correct, right?

Candidate: Yes, sir.

Rimgale: Ok. But now the itch starts. The Glory Boy flash starts. Hey, I'm a hero. Heroes don't just stand around. You can tell me, that's what it was, wasn't it?

Candidate: Yes, sir.

Rimgale: So you punched out a window for ventilation. Was that before or after you noticed you were standing in a lake of gasoline? WAS THAT BEFORE OR AFTER YOU NOTICED YOU WERE STANDING IN A LAKE OF GASOLINE, YOU IDIOT?!

Candidate: Before, sir.

Rimgale: You could have burned or killed or crispened half that company! To say nothing of the fact that you wrecked the physical evidence that I use to prove that it's arson, and you know how goddamned hard it is to determine the cause of these fires! Now you go home and you think about that!

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Tension Over Task Force Accountability

Stephen: Hey, Swayzak! You missed it, buddy! Oh, you should have been there, man! Really, it was fuckin great. I mean, we almost lost it. We almost lost a whole goddamn company for you just because, well, you know, since you shut down Thirty-Three. Well, there's no fuckin backup, right? And we do, we appreciate it. I mean, I don't know about the rest of the guys, but you got my vote for mayor!

Swayzak: Look, Lieutenant, if you have a problem, why don't you help us? Why don't you work with the task force...

Stephen: Task force? Three guys have died already this year because of the cuts made by your FUCKIN TASK FORCE!

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Responsibility and Consequences in Firefighting

Stephen McCaffrey: [angrily] I had that fire. He just didn't listen to me.

Brian: He's a candidate; Your responsibility! You shouldn't have had him up there in the first place! You burned him, Stephen!

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A Toast to Firehouse Brotherhood and Humor

Axe: Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen. As 17's official toastmaster...

Ray Santos: ...and bullshitter.

Axe: [reveals mannequin] Thank you, Santos. Did I happen to mention you're cut out of my will? I think it appropriate that we recognize the two asswipes... Probationary Firemen... among us today who were officially baptized into the world of Old Man Fire. First, to Tim. Despite the fact that he was born with a rather dull expression, and a really hideous pair of ears, he not only took on the beast but pulled from its clutches, assisted by a more famous and brilliant firefighter, me, a kicking and screaming civilian who will probably wind up suing us for breaking her fingernails. And to Brian... ...whose own contribution was both more beautiful and less likely to sue. You know, when I learned that both McCaffrey brothers would be assigned here at this station together at the same time, my heart was filled with... a sudden desire to transfer. So raise a glass, lads. To funny-looking Tim, and the McCaffrey brothers, who, despite the fact that they have gotten on each other's nerves for years, have managed with great effort to still be pissed off at each other... Gentlemen.

All men in the firehouse: [laughter] Fuck you!

Safety Advice for Fire Situations

Stephen: Well, when the doors open, if it's hot, don't get out.

Facing Danger Alone in a Crisis

Schmidt: Yeah, it's jumping floors, Lieutenant!

Stephen: Well, where's the second-in companies, huh?

Schmidt: Sorry, man, John Wayne time. You're on your own, boss.

The Constant Role of Firemen

Ricco, Pathologist: [to Brian about picking up the burned body] Jesus Christ! He's not going to sell you insurance, pick him up!

Ronald Bartel: The funny thing about firemen is... Night and day they are always firemen.

Questioning the Motives Behind a Phony Study

Donald Shadow Rimgale: [Rimgale and Brian crash Alderman Swayzak's press conference] These detectives would like to question you on how come you paid Donald Cosgrove, Jeffrey Holcomb and Alan Seagrave to create a phony manpower study! Ask him who made money off firemen dying!

Questioning Career Choices and Determination

John "Axe" Adcox: Jesus, Stevie, you never know when to quit, do you? Do you ever wonder why you're stuck a fucking lieutenant for life?

Determination in the Face of Adversity

Brian McCaffrey: I'm not gonna quit, Stephen. You hear me?

Brotherly Concern in a Crisis

Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey: Look at him. That's my brother, Goddamn it.

Critique of Poor Execution

Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey: You're doin it wrong.

The Harsh Realities of Firefighting

Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey: The only problem is that in this job is there's just no place to hide. It's not like having a bad day selling log cabins. You have a bad day here and somebody dies... and that's just not fucking good enough.

Union Bylaws and Company Drinks

Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey: Well, I thinks its union bylaw that if you get your picture in the paper, even if it's bullshit, that you gotta buy the whole company a drink.

A Call for Teamwork and Support

Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey: I told you to stay right be-fucking-side me, Brian!

Teamwork in Firefighting

Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey: You go, we go.

A Lighthearted Comment on Aging and Spending

Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey: One case of scotch, Brian? Man, you're getting cheap in your old age!

Questioning Motivations and Consequences of Actions

Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey: How do you do it, man? How do you manage to keep coming up with new and amazing ways to fuck up? I mean, that Scotch bullshit? Am I really supposed to believe you came crawlin home because you felt heartstrings moan for the family biz? You were bankrupt, man! The scary thing is, you probably coulda got away with it for awhile.