Name: Frailty
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: 2002-04-12
Duration: 100 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe, Matt O'Leary, Jeremy Sumpter

Frailty

Secrets of the Past Revealed

Adam I buried him in the rose garden. We went to the sheriff's office a week later and told them that Dad just didn't come home one day. They filed a missing persons but they didn't find anything. After a while they sent us to separate orphanages.

[about his father]

Agent Doyle So, nobody ever knew about any of this?

Adam No. Not until now.

Agent Doyle What about Adam? He didn't tell anybody?

Adam Mind if we just sit here? I don't much feel like talking anymore.

Agent Doyle Tell me more about that promise you made to your brother.

Adam It was later on that night.

Fenton Adam? If you ever destroy me, promise me you'll bury me here.

Adam I promise to God I'll bury you here.

Agent Doyle I don't get it. He promised you that he'd bury you here?

Adam Yeah.

Agent Doyle If he killed you.

Adam No, not killed. Destroyed.

Agent Doyle Don't make any sense.

Adam Yes, it does. If that man standing in front of you is Adam Meiks.

Agent Doyle So you killed all those people.

Adam No. No, I told you before, I've never killed anyone in my life. Fenton was the killer.

Agent Doyle Just stop the bullshit and tell me the truth.

Adam You'll understand soon. Just let me show you where I buried Fenton.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Desperation Amidst Family Turmoil

Fenton Meiks It's all a big lie, you hear me? I think we need to run away, just for a little while. Until he gets better. Sooner or later Dad's gonna kill somebody and you know it.

[to Adam]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Fear and Love in Troubling Times

Dad Come in and close the door. Are you afraid?

Dad Of who?

Fenton You

Dad Only demons should fear me... and you're not a demon are you? The angel said you were. But I can't believe that. I won't. You're my son. And I love you more than my own life. You know what's funny about all this, Fenton? I'm afraid of you.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Confronting the Concept of Demons and Trophies

Adam This is the spot.

Agent Doyle There's too many graves here. There's only six victims.

Adam Fenton didn't bury his victims here. He kept them as trophies in his basement. This is where I put demons.

Agent Doyle You thought your brother was a demon?

Adam He was. That's why he couldn't see the truth. Dad knew it too. He just couldn't accept it. You see, God asked Dad to destroy his son, much like He asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. But Dad couldn't do it. And God didn't take pity on Dad like He did Abraham. So He handed down the duty to me. Fenton knew I'd come. That's why he left those notes to lure me in. I guess he figured when the killings made the news that I'd come for him. But I had to wait till God put him on my list. To come before that would have been murder.

Agent Doyle Adam? Jesus Christ, you really do believe all this stuff.

Adam I've always believed.

Agent Doyle That's all lies, Adam.

Adam No, it's not. I see it when he touches them.

Agent Doyle You're just crazy as hell. Fenton or Adam or whatever your damn name is. I don't really give a fuck. All I need to know right now is you're a murdering son of a bitch. And I got you.

Adam Maybe. But that's not gonna bring your mother back, is it? She's dead and her killer got away, didn't he?

Agent Doyle Goddamn you. Dirty little son of a... How did you know?

Adam You were on my list. You didn't think anybody knew about that, did you? God knew. That's why he sent me.

Agent Doyle I'm an FBI agent. They'll come looking for me.

Adam No, they won't. They'll keep looking for Fenton. You're going to be his last victim.

Agent Doyle They've seen you. They'll know it was you.

Adam God will protect me.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Perception of Humanity and Hidden Truths

Fenton Dad, these are people's names!

Dad That's right. And they'll look like people too. But they're not. The angel said when I lay my hands on them I'll reveal them for what they truly are.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

The Safety of Souls in Question

Taglines No Soul Is Safe

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Divine Instructions in the Rose Garden

Dad No, Adam. Do it like this. It's got to be done a certain way. The Angel was real specific.

[burying Cynthia]

Adam Why out here in the Rose Garden?

Dad God chose it, just like he chose us, I suppose. Don't cry for her, Fenton. She wasn't human. Didn't you see when I touched her?

Adam I saw it, Dad.

Fenton You killed her.

Dad I didn't kill her, son. I destroyed her. She was a demon. You know, I wasn't so sure I could do it myself. I mean, she looked like a woman to me too. But after I touched her, all I could see was the evil. And I had to do it. I'm sorry you didn't see it too. You will next time.

Fenton You... you're gonna do it again?

Dad This is our job now, son. You've got to accept that.

Fenton I won't let you.

Dad We are doing God's work here.

Fenton I'll tell.

Dad If you do, someone will die. The angel was clear on that. Do you understand? Answer me, Fenton. Do you understand?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

The Concept of Divine Disappearance

Fenton Meiks Dad told us that there were moments when people could just disappear without anyone knowing where they went or why. He said those were the moments when God's Hands could take you. According to Dad, nothing, not even a camera, could catch us. We were invisible when we were God's Hands.

[voiceover]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Fear and Identity in Human Nature

Taglines Only demons should fear me.... and you're not a demon, are you?

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

A Father's Confession and a Son's Doubt

Dad I want you to know, I've never killed anything in my whole life.

Fenton That's a lie and you know it.

Dad I did a lot of thinking and praying after you went to bed. I asked the Angel to visit you, instead he visited me. He told me something... that I don't want to believe.

Fenton What?

Dad It doesn't matter, because together you and I are going to prove him wrong. You just don't have any faith, that's why you can't see the truth. But we're going to change that.

Dad I want you to dig a hole right here. It needs to be about ten feet deep, fifteen feet wide on both sides. The length and width should form a perfect square.

Fenton What?

Dad You heard me.

Fenton Why?

Dad Because I'm your father and you do what I tell you. Understand? Do you?

Fenton Yes sir.

Dad Alright then, I expect half that to be done by the time I get home from work tonight.

Fenton Dad, I can't do that.

Dad Pray!

Fenton I started digging that goddamn hole, but I did not pray. I would not. I hated God, I despised him. My hatred helped me dig, kept me going. Dad's, or God's, or the Angel's or whoever's plan it was would not work on me. I knew what Dad was doing was wrong, and nothing was gonna change that.

[voiceover]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Skepticism in Unconventional Confessions

Fenton My name's Fenton Meiks. Now listen, this may sound a little bit crazy but...I know who the "God's Hand" killer is.

Agent Doyle All right, I'll bite. Who?

Fenton You haven't even heard me out yet and already you doubt me. Why is that?

Agent Doyle Because in a case like this nobody just walks in the office and tells you who the killer is. It doesn't happen that way.

Fenton Sometimes truth defies reason.

Agent Doyle Yeah? So who is it then?

Fenton My brother.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Hereditary Nature of Good and Evil

Taglines Like Father, Like Sons/Sins

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Questioning Faith and Existence

Dad Has God spoken to you yet?

Fenton There is no God.

[bitterly]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Survival of the Innocent

Taglines Only The Innocent Survive

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Struggle Between Love and Duty

Fenton Meiks The dream had finally ended. It was all real. And I had to stop him. The obvious answer was to tell someone what he was planning. But I couldn't do that. I loved him even if he had gone crazy.

[voiceover]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Truth and Memory in Conversation

Agent Doyle Is everything you just told me true?

Adam Why would I make it up?

Agent Doyle I just can't imagine how you'd keep something like that inside for so long.

Adam I guess I avoided it because I wanted to. You know, you never did tell me why it is you just keep that one picture of your mother in your office.

[pause]

Agent Doyle My mother was murdered a couple days after that picture was taken. Butchered by some wacked-out killer like your dad.

Adam Did they ever catch him?

Agent Doyle No.

Adam Is that why you took this job?

Agent Doyle You know, you're pretty good at this. Did you ever think about becoming a cop?

Adam Well, you know, when I was a kid.

Agent Doyle Well, you've got the instincts for it. Cops gotta have good instincts. You know what mine are telling me now? You are hiding something from me.

Adam What is it you think I'm hiding?

Agent Doyle Well, why don't you just keep on talking and maybe I'll figure that out.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

Confronting Guilt and Responsibility in Conflict

Dad Do you see what you made me do? You made me commit murder...

Fenton I didn't make you do anything. You did! You're crazy!

Dad I never committed murder before.

Fenton I've seen you murder lots of people.

Dad Those weren't people, son. They were demons.

Fenton No they weren't!

Dad That man is dead, and it's your fault. You killed him because you have no faith.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Frailty

A Father’s Assurance in Uncertainty

Adam Dad?

Dad Come on out here, Adam. Shine that light over here.

[turns to Fenton]

Adam Hey dad, who is that?

Dad That's a demon, son. Come on in here, boys, it's all right. Come on, don't be afraid.

[closes them in the shed as the boys stare, frightened and stunned]

Fenton God had come to Dad earlier that day and told him that the time had come. After work he drove down to Jacksonville, about forty-five minutes or so southwest of Thurman. He said he had never been there before but he had no trouble finding it, God was leading him.

[voiceover]

Dad Cynthia Harbridge?

[watching the woman walk outside her front door]

Cynthia Harbridge Yes?

[turning around surprised]

Fenton Dad don't! Please don't!

[Dad grabs for the ax]

Dad Fenton, if I could spare you of this I would. But we are God's servants, and his will must be served! Don't be afraid, son.

Frailty

A List from God Sparks Concern

Adam Dad, look, I got a list too.

Dad Where did you get this, Adam?

Adam God gave it to me.

Dad Isn't Travis Shed that boy that was picking on you at school last week?

Adam He's a demon.

Dad Tell the truth, Adam. You made this list up yourself, didn't you?

Adam No, God did.

Dad Adam? Come on, right here. Now, listen to me, son. You can't make stuff like that up. We destroy demons. If we were to use your list, we'd be killing people. And we can never do that. Now, destroying demons is a good thing. Killing people is bad. You understand?

Adam I'm sorry, Dad.

Dad That's all right. It's okay. You just got to have a little patience. Don't worry. God will send you your own list when you're older.

Frailty

The Urgency of Escape from Danger

Dad I still can't believe you didn't see it. He was a murderer of little children, Fenton. Babies... babies.

[after killing a man]

Fenton He's the murderer. We got to get out of here, Adam.

Adam What do you mean?

Fenton We gotta run away. I told you we were gonna have to.

Adam I don't want to run away.

Fenton We have to.

Adam Why?

Fenton Listen to me, Adam... Dad kills people.

Adam No he doesn't! He's a demon slayer.

Fenton That's all lies, Adam.

Adam No, it's not, I see it when he touches them.

Fenton No, you don't. Dad's brainwashed you, it's all a big lie. He's a murderer and you help him.

Adam Nuh-uh! We're just serving God's will. I'm telling Dad on you!

Frailty

A Father's Important Message to His Sons

Dad Fenton, wake up.

Fenton Dad?

Dad I've got something to tell you.

Fenton What's wrong?

Dad It's okay. Adam, wake up and listen. I need you both to listen to me very carefully. Something's happened.

Fenton He said he'd had a vision that night. A vision from God. An angel came to him and told him the truth of this world and revealed God's special purpose for our family.

[voiceover]

Dad The end of the world is coming. It's near. The angel showed me. There are demons among us. The devil has released them for the final battle. It's being fought right now. But nobody knows it except us and others like us.

Adam I'm scared, Dad.

Dad There's nothing to be afraid of, Tiger. We've been chosen by God. He will protect us. He's given us special jobs to do. We don't fear these demons, we destroy them. We pick them up one by one, and we pitch them out of this world. That's God's purpose for us. The angel called us "God's Hands.

Adam So we're like superheroes?

Dad That's right. We're a family of superheroes that are gonna help save the world.

Fenton But, Dad, that doesn't make any sense.

Dad I know it sounds that way, son, but it's the truth.

Adam So what are our superpowers?

Dad Well...we can see the demons while other people can't. The angel told me God would send us seven weapons to destroy them with.

Adam Magical weapons?

Dad I imagine so.

Adam When do we get them?

Dad I don't know. The angel just said soon. That's all I was told, except we're not supposed to tell anybody. Absolutely no one. If we do, we put them and ourselves in danger. Fenton? Don't worry, it's okay. It's a lot to understand. I waited to tell you until I had a chance to figure it out myself. But the angel said I had to do it now. Fenton?

Fenton I didn't know what to say or how to feel.

[voiceover]

Dad Do you understand what I told you? ] is here.

[[w:Last Judgment|Judgment Day]

Fenton It was too messed up to understand or even acknowledge.

[voiceover]

Dad Soon we'll all be in Heaven. You, me, Adam. With Mommy.

Fenton I didn't realize it at the moment, at least not consciously...

[voiceover]

Dad She's waiting to see us in Heaven.

Fenton But my happy and mostly secure world had just been flipped over. And there were dark things there.

[voiceover]

Dad Judgment Day is here.

Fenton Very dark things.

[voiceover]

Dad We've been chosen by God.

Fenton And my little boy's mind just couldn't take it.

[voiceover]

Frailty Quotes

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