15 quotes
Escalating Tensions Over Control of Nuclear Launch
McKittrick
General, the machine has locked us out. It's sending random numbers to the silos.
Pat Healy
Codes. To launch the missiles.
General Beringer
Just unplug the goddamn thing! Jesus Christ!
McKittrick
That won't work, General. It would interpret a shutdown as the destruction of NORAD. The computers in the silos would carry out their last instructions. They'd launch.
General Beringer
Can't we disarm the missiles?
Pat Healy
Over a thousand of them? There's no time. At this rate it will hit the launch codes in... 5.3 minutes.
General Beringer
Mr. McKittrick, after very careful consideration, sir, I've come to the conclusion that your new defense system sucks.
McKittrick
I don't have to take that, you pig-eyed sack of shit.
General Beringer
Oh, I was hoping for something a little better than that from you, sir. A man of your education.
Officer
Sir, it's the President.
McKittrick
What are you going to tell him?
General Beringer
That I'm ordering our bombers back to fail-safe; we might have to go through this thing after all. Yes, sir.
[talks into the phone]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Objective of the Game
David
What is the primary goal?
Joshua/WOPR
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT, PROFESSOR. YOU PROGRAMMED ME.
David
Oh, c'mon. What is the primary goal?
Joshua/WOPR
TO WIN THE GAME.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
A Weekend Without Chess Strategy
Taglines
This is the weekend they didn't play chess...but they should have.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Consequences of a Dangerous Game
Taglines
To David Lightman, "Global Thermonuclear War" will just be one hell of a game. To everybody else, it will be hell waiting to happen.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Futility of Winning in Games
Joshua/WOPR
Greetings, Professor FALKEN.
Stephen Falken
Hello, Joshua.
Joshua/WOPR
A STRANGE GAME. THE ONLY WINNING MOVE IS NOT TO PLAY.. ... HOW ABOUT A NICE GAME OF CHESS?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Game or Reality: A Thoughtful Question
Taglines
Is it a game, or is it real?
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Decision to Engage in a Game
Joshua/WOPR
SHALL WE PLAY A GAME?
David
Oh!
Jennifer
I think it missed him.
David
Yeah. Weird isn't it? Love to. How about Global Thermonuclear War?
Joshua/WOPR
WOULDN'T YOU PREFER A GOOD GAME OF CHESS?
David
Later. Let's play Global Thermonuclear War.
Joshua/WOPR
FINE.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Cycle of Nature and Human Mistakes
Stephen Falken
Now, children, come on over here. I'm going to tell you a bedtime story. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin. Once upon a time, there lived a magnificent race of animals that dominated the world through age after age. They ran, they swam, and they fought and they flew, until suddenly, quite recently, they disappeared. Nature just gave up and started again. We weren't even apes then. We were just these smart little rodents hiding in the rocks. And when we go, nature will start again. With the bees, probably. Nature knows when to give up, David.
David
I'm not giving up. If Joshua tricks them into launching an attack, it'll be your fault.
Stephen Falken
My fault? The whole point was to practice nuclear war without destroying ourselves; to get the computer to learn from mistakes we could not afford to make. Except, that I never could get Joshua to learn the most important lesson.
David
What's that?
Stephen Falken
Futility. That there's a time when you should just give up.
Jennifer
What kind of a lesson is that?
Stephen Falken
Did you ever play ]?
[[w:Tic-Tac-Toe|tic-tac-toe]
Jennifer
Yeah, of course.
Stephen Falken
But you don't anymore.
Jennifer
No.
Stephen Falken
Why?
Jennifer
Because it's a boring game. It's always a tie.
Stephen Falken
Exactly. There's no way to win. The game itself is pointless! But back in the war room, they believe you can win a nuclear war. That there can be "acceptable losses.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Seriousness of Global Thermonuclear War
Taglines
Global Thermonuclear War." You may think it's one hell of a game. You couldn't be more right.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Game or Reality: A Question Explored
David
Is this a game or is it real?
Joshua/WOPR
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
David
Oh, wow.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Asexual Reproduction Discussion in Class
Mr. Liggett
Now there seems to be a lot of confusion on this next question: asexual reproduction. Could someone tell me please who first suggested the idea of reproduction without sex?
David
Ah-heh.
[whispers something to a classmate]
Mr. Liggett
Miss Mack! What is so amusing?
Jennifer
I...
Mr. Liggett
Alright, Lightman. Maybe you could tell us who first suggested the idea of reproduction without sex.
David
Umm... Your wife?
Mr. Liggett
Get out, Lightman. Get out.
[pointing to the door]
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Escalating Tensions in War Games
Stephen Falken
How far's he gone?
[looking at screens]
McKittrick
Well, the President’s about ready to order a counter-strike. That's what we're recommending he do.
Stephen Falken
It's a bluff, John, call it off.
McKittrick
No, it's not a bluff. It's real.
Stephen Falken
Hello, General Beringer! Stephen Falken!
[raising his voice from stairs]
General Beringer
Mr. Falken you picked a hell of a day for a visit!
[standing]
Stephen Falken
Uh, uh, General, what you see on these screens up here is a fantasy; a computer-enhanced hallucination. Those blips are not real missiles. They're phantoms.
McKittrick
Jack, there's nothing to indicate a simulation at all. Everything is working perfectly!
Stephen Falken
But does it make any sense?
General Beringer
Does what make any sense?
Stephen Falken
That!
[points to the screens]
General Beringer
Look, I don't have time for a conversation right now.
Stephen Falken
General, are you prepared to destroy the enemy?
General Beringer
You betcha!
Stephen Falken
Do you think they know that?
General Beringer
I believe we've made that clear enough.
Stephen Falken
Then don't! Tell the President to ride out the attack.
Colonel Conley
Sir, they need a decision.
Stephen Falken
General, do you really believe that the enemy would attack without provocation, using so many missiles, bombers, and subs so that we would have no choice but to totally annihilate them?
Female Airman First Class
One minute and thirty seconds to impact.
[on loudspeaker]
Stephen Falken
General, you are listening to a machine! Do the world a favor and don't act like one.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Debating a Swim to an Island
David
I think I saw one. What kind of an asshole lives on an island and he doesn't even have a boat?
[runs ahead for a moment and stops]
Jennifer
Maybe we can swim for it. How far do you think it is?
David
No. It's uh, two, three miles at least. Maybe more.
Jennifer
Well, what do you say? Let's go for it!
David
No.
Jennifer
Come on!
[starts to remove her shoes]
David
No! I can't swim.
[pause]
Jennifer
You can't swim?
David
No, I can't, okay, Wonder Woman? I can't swim!
Jennifer
Well, what kind of an asshole grows up in Seattle and doesn't even know how to swim?
David
I never got around to it, okay? I always thought there was gonna be plenty of time!
Jennifer
Sorry.
David
I wish I didn't know about any of this! I wish I was like everybody else in the world, and tomorrow it would just be over. There wouldn't be any time to be sorry... about anything. Oh, Jesus! I really wanted to learn how to swim! I swear to God I did.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
The Dilemma of Choosing Peace Over Conflict
Taglines
Where the only winning move is NOT TO PLAY. We shall make world peace so you have a decision to make now.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Understanding DEFCON Levels in Military Context
McKittrick
See that sign up here - up here. "DEFCON." That indicates our current "def"ense "con"dition. It should read "DEFCON 5," which means peace. It's still on 4 because of that little stunt you pulled. Actually, if we hadn't caught it in time, it might have gone to Defcon 1. You know what that means, David?
David
No. What does that mean?
McKittrick
World War III.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.