A History of Violence Quotes

[Mr. Fogarty tells Edie that her husband's real name is Joey Cusack]

Edie Stall: My husband does not know you. He wouldn't know you, somebody like you.

Carl Fogarty: Oh, he knows Carl Fogarty, all right. He knows me intimately. See?

[Mr. Fogarty points to his blind left eye]

Carl Fogarty: This isn't a completely dead eye. It still works a bit. The problem is, the only thing I can see with it is Joey Cusack. And it can see right through him. Right through your husband, Edie. I see what's inside him, what makes him tick. He's still the same guy.

Edie Stall: No.

Carl Fogarty: He's still crazy fuckin' Joey. And you know it, don't you?

Edie Stall: I know that my husband is Tom Stall. That's what I know.

[Tom talks to Edie in bed after making love to her]

Edie Stall: What is it? Huh?

Tom Stall: I remember the moment I knew you were in love with me. I saw it in your eyes. I can still see it.

Edie Stall: Of course you can. I still love you.

Tom Stall: I'm the luckiest son-of-a-bitch alive.

Edie Stall: You are the best man I've ever known. There is no luck involved.

[Richie yells and kills his own man after the man fails to kill Joey]

Richie Cusack: How do you fuck that up?

Richie Cusack: [Richie kicks his man who lays on the ground, yelling] How do you fuck that up?

[as Richie shoots the man dead]

[Tom argues with Jack about their way of solving problems]

Tom Stall: In this family, we do not solve our problems by hitting people!

Jack Stall: No, in this family, we shoot them!

[as Tom slaps Jack across the face]

[Mr. Fogarty holds his gun on Tom asking if he has any last words]

Carl Fogarty: [angry tone] You got anything to say before I blow your brains out, you miserable prick?

Tom Stall: [gruff voice] I should've killed you back in Philly.

Carl Fogarty: [smiles] Yeah, Joey. You should have.

[last lines]

Richie Cusack: [Joey holds a gun to Richie's head] Jesus, Joey.

Tom Stall: [as Joey shoots Richie in the head, then stands over his dead body] Jesus, Richie.

[Bobby picks on Jack by saying he's an embarrassment to his father]

Bobby Jordan: So, your old man's some kind of tough guy, huh? What's he think of his wimp son? You think he'd take this shit? You think he'd make jokes? Go on, bitch. Say something funny.

Judy Danvers: Bobby, leave him alone.

Bobby Jordan: Shut up, skank.

Bobby Jordan: [Jack turns to face Bobby] Uh-oh. He's gettin' mad.

Judy Danvers: Jack, let's just get out of here, okay? Jack, he's an asshole. You know that. He doesn't mean shit. Let's just go. Let's just get out of here, okay?

Bobby Jordan: Yeah, puss. Run away. Goddamn, I bet your daddy would be real ashamed by you.

Bobby Jordan: [Jack gets in Bobby's face] Go ahead, bitch. Say something funny.

Bobby Jordan: [Bobby whispers in Jack's ear] Make me laugh.

[first lines]

William Orser: [Leland and Billy walk out of the motel room] So we keep headin' east?

Leland Jones: Yeah, that's the idea.

William Orser: Stay out of the big cities?

Leland Jones: Uh-huh.

William Orser: I think I'm tired.

Leland Jones: [Leland smiles] Yeah. Me, too.

[Tom is frisked as soon as he enters Richie's home]

Ruben: Got to frisk you.

Tom Stall: Nah, I'll save you the trouble. I'm not packing.

Ruben: I got to frisk you.

Tom Stall: All right. I don't smell very good. I've been driving pretty much non-stop 15 to 16 hours.

Ruben: I'll hold my nose.

[Bobby picks on Jack for winning the baseball game]

Jack Stall: Bobby, it's just a game, okay? It's just stupid gym class.

Bobby Jordan: Who are you calling stupid?

Jack Stall: [Jack clears his throat] No, I said gym class was stupid.

Bobby Jordan: 'No, I said gym class was.' Listen to this little faggot!

Jack Stall: [Bobby pushes Jack in the back, as Jack turns around to face Bobby] Yeah, you're right. I'm both little and a faggot. You got me dead to rights.

Bobby Jordan: Come on, chicken shit, let's do this!

Jack Stall: [Bobby pushes Jack] What would be the point? I mean, you win. You win, you win. You've established your, uh, alpha male standing; uh, you've established my unworthiness; but doing violence to me just seems pointless and cruel, don't you think?

Bobby Jordan: Let's do this, you punk bitch!

Jack Stall: Shouldn't that be, 'little, punkass, chickenshit, faggot bitch'?

Bobby Jordan: [Bobby grabs Jack's shirt and pushes him again] God!

[Edie asks Tom for the truth about if he's Joey Cusack]

Tom Stall: Edie. Honey, are you okay?

Edie Stall: Tell me the truth.

Tom Stall: The truth?

Edie Stall: Please, you can do that, can't you? You can do that, can't you, please?

Tom Stall: What do you think you heard?

Edie Stall: It's not what I heard. It's what I saw. I saw Joey. I saw you turn into Joey right before my eyes. I saw a killer... the one Fogarty warned me about. You did kill men back in Philly, didn't you? Did you do it for money, or did you do it because you enjoyed it?

Tom Stall: Joey did, both. I didn't... Tom Stall didn't.

[as Edie runs into the bathroom to vomit]

[Richie talks to Joey about the business]

Richie Cusack: What am I gonna do? You bust up a made man's place. You killed some of his guys. You take his eye. Jesus, Joey... you nearly took out his left eye. Barbed wire, wasn't it? That's disgusting. You always were the crazy one.

Tom Stall: Not anymore.

Richie Cusack: Yeah, I heard. You're living the American Dream. You really bought into it, didn't you? You've been this other guy, almost as long as you've been yourself. Hey, when you dream, are you still Joey?

Tom Stall: Joey's been dead a long time.

Richie Cusack: And yet here you sit... big as life. You know you cost me a lot of time and money. Before you pulled that shit with Fogarty, I was a shoe-in to take over when the boss croaked. A shoe-in. It was made very clear to me, Joey. I had to clean up your mess, or nothing was ever gonna happen for me! You got no idea how much shit I had to pull to get back in with those guys. You cost me! A hell of a lot, Joey. A hell of a lot!

Tom Stall: Looks like you're doing all right over here.

Richie Cusack: Yeah, I am, I am. I'm still behind the eight-ball... because of you. There's a certain lack of respect, a certain lack of trust. The boys in Boston are just waitin' for me to go down.

[Tom gets a phone call in the middle of the night]

Tom Stall: Hello?

Richie Cusack: [voice] Hey, Bro-heem. You're still pretty good with the killing. That's exciting.

Tom Stall: Richie?

Richie Cusack: [chuckles; voice] Yeah, it's Richie. What do you say, Joey? Are you going to come see me? Or do I have to come see you?

[Jack confronts his dad after he knows the truth about his secret identity]

Jack Stall: So, what am I supposed to call you now?

Tom Stall: You're supposed to call me Dad. That's what I am... your Dad.

Jack Stall: Are you really? So, you're some kind of closeted mobster... Dad? I mean, if I go rob Mr. Millikan's drug store, will you ground me if I don't give you a piece of the action? What, Dad? You tell me.

Tom Stall: Please, son. Don't...

Jack Stall: Tell me. If I talk to Sam about you, will you have me whacked?

[Tom tries to take advantage of Mr. Fogarty's good side after getting Jack back]

Carl Fogarty: You see how cozy it can be when you decide to play nice? Now, come on, Joey. Get in the car. You won't need your toothbrush. We'll take care of everything.

Tom Stall: I think it'd be better if you'd just leave now.

Carl Fogarty: [Mr. Fogarty stops] Joey.

[Richie asks Joey about having a farm]

Richie Cusack: So, you like that farm life? Milking cows and shit?

Tom Stall: I don't have a farm.

Richie Cusack: [chuckles] No? Fogarty thought you lived on some kind of farm. He said you could smell pig. How that old fart would know what a pig smells like, I don't know, but that's what he said.

[Leland and Billy prepare to murder everybody in Tom's diner]

Tom Stall: Sir, we don't... we don't carry much cash here. You gentlemen are certainly welcome to all of it.

Leland Jones: Oh, I know that, asshole. Believe me. I do know that!

Leland Jones: [Leland pulls out his gun as the girl in the corner of the diner screams] Shut up, bitch!

Leland Jones: [Leland holds his gun on Tom] Okay, Billy... Let's show this asshole we mean business.

William Orser: [Billy looks at Charlotte] What? Her?

Leland Jones: Yes, her. Do her!

[Bobby and his buddy drink in their car when they see Jack]

Bobby's Buddy: Hey, isn't that that Stall faggot?

Bobby Jordan: Yeah.

Bobby's Buddy: You should go kick his ass.

Bobby Jordan: I'm going to.

Bobby's Buddy: [Bobby turns his car sharply to head toward Jack, when he gets cut off by Leland and Orser, slowly, Leland drives off] Who the fuck was that?

Bobby Jordan: I don't know, and I don't want to know.

[Edie drives Tom home from the diner and starts to flirt with him]

Edie Stall: We never got to be teenagers together.

Tom Stall: Uh-huh.

Edie Stall: I'm gonna fix that.

[Mr. Fogarty calls Tom by the name of Joey in the diner]

Tom Stall: Who's Joey?

Carl Fogarty: You are.

Tom Stall: My name's Tom, sir.

Carl Fogarty: Of course it is.

[Tom questions Jack about beating Bobby up and getting expelled]

Tom Stall: What the hell were you thinking?

Jack Stall: I wasn't thinking.

Tom Stall: Obviously not.

[Mr. Fogarty threatens Tom to come with him back to Philadelphia]

Tom Stall: I told you, I have never been to Philadelphia!

Carl Fogarty: [chuckles] Wow. You sound like you really believe your own crap, don't you? You know, you're trying so hard to be this other guy. It's painful to watch.

[Mick talks to a reporter about Tom saving all of their lives]

Mick: I'm telling you, those men they were - They were going to kill us. They were going to kill us, and if it weren't for Tom... He's a hero.

[Richie asks Joey if he likes being married]

Richie Cusack: Do you like being married?

[Joey/Tom shrugs]

Richie Cusack: Does it work for you? I can't see it working for me. I never got the urge, you know? A lot of great-looking women in the world. I never met one made me wanna give up all the others.

[Mr. Fogarty and his men have a conversation with Tom in the diner]

Tom Stall: We really are quite busy here today as you can see. So if you gentlemen aren't going to be eating, I really should offer your seats to paying customers.

Carl Fogarty: Hmm. Well...

Carl Fogarty: [Mr. Fogarty pulls out a $100 bill and lays it on the table] Now we're paying customers.

Tom Stall: [Tom picks up the bill] I can't take this.

Carl Fogarty: It shouldn't be a problem for you.

Tom Stall: What's that supposed to mean?

Charlie Roarke: Mr. Fogarty's just making conversation here.

Tom Stall: Well, whatever you want to call it, this conversation is over.

Charlie Roarke: I think he wants us to leave, Mr. Fogarty.

Frank Mulligan: Do you know what he does when he don't like people, Mr. Fogarty.

Carl Fogarty: Yeah. I'm scared. We should leave before he goes all 'Dirty Harry' on us.

[Sam tells Tom and Edie who Mr. Fogarty and his men are]

Sheriff Sam Carney: Charles Roarke, Philadelphia. Indicted on three counts of murder. Frank Mulligan, out of New York, indicted on one count of murder. Questioned in relation to dozens of acts of violence that you don't want to hear about. Both men work for Carl Fogarty. That's the fella with the eye. He spent 15 years in prison on several counts of assault. He's suspected in half a dozen murders, and more disappearances. Tom, these guys are organized crime from the East Coast. Now, they're the real thing. They're bad men. I have to ask you a question...

Edie Stall: Jesus. Jesus, honey.

Sheriff Sam Carney: I have to ask you a question. Are you in some kind of witness protection plan?

[Leland takes inventory of how much water him and Billy have]

Leland Jones: How are we on water?

William Orser: Probably not enough.

Leland Jones: [Leland holds up the empty water jug] Yeah.

[Tom's daughter Sarah has a a bad nightmare about the shadow monsters]

Jack Stall: What's wrong, Dad?

Tom Stall: Hi, kiddo. Sarah's just had a bad dream.

Jack Stall: [Jack turns on the light] Oh.

Sarah Stall: I saw monsters Jack.

Jack Stall: [Jack gasps] Monsters? What kind?

Sarah Stall: I don't know. They came out of my closet, and then they were in the shadows.

Jack Stall: Hmm, shadow monsters. Well, they look pretty scary, but they really can't do anything. Especially when the lights are on. They're scared of the light.

[Mick the diner chef tells Tom and Pat about the craziest girl he ever slept with]

Mick: Yeah. She used to have these crazy goddamn dreams where instead of her boyfriend, I was some kind of demented killer. I woke up one night, she stuck a goddamn fork in my shoulder.

Tom Stall: You're kidding me.

Mick: Nope. I'm spurting blood. She's sitting there crying, going, 'Baby, I love you, I love you.'

Tom Stall: [Pat laughs] So, what happened? You broke up with her, right?

Mick: No, I married her.

Mick: [Pat continues to laugh] Hey, it lasted 6 years. Nobody's perfect, Tom.

Tom Stall: I guess not.

[Tom sees Edie come out of the bathroom dressed up as a cheerleader]

Tom Stall: [whispering] Holy cow.

Edie Stall: [Edie reveals that she isn't wearing any panties under her skirt] What? Do you need some help with that, big boy?

Tom Stall: Uh... Maybe.

[Edie whips Tom's belt off as it slams to the wall]

[Tom and Edie make love with her dressed up as a cheerleader]

Tom Stall: What have you done with my wife?

Edie Stall: [as Edie gets ready to jump on Tom yelling out a cheer] Ready? Okay! Go Wildcats!

Edie Stall: [Edie chuckles sitting over Tom] No wives in here, mister.

Tom Stall: Mmm. Wow.

Edie Stall: Shh. My parents are in the other room.

Tom Stall: [as Tom exhales, whispering] You're naughty.

[Jack and Judy talk about life when sitting outside together]

Judy Danvers: You ever wonder what kids did for fun on a Saturday 100 years ago?

Jack Stall: [Jack sighs] I don't know. I guess I always figured they got into their parents' wagon and went cruising up and down their main drag playing loud banjo music and acting like idiots.

Judy Danvers: [Judy laughs] So, you think this is as good as it gets?

Jack Stall: For us? Yeah. For now. Eventually, we - We grow up, we get jobs, we have affairs, and we become alcoholics.

Judy Danvers: You know, sometimes, you depress me.

Jack Stall: [Jack laughs] Hey, that's what I'm good at.

[Billy complains to Leland about the small towns]

William Orser: Can I just say how sick I am of these Podunk towns and the goddamn Podunks who live in 'em.

Leland Jones: Do you think if you keep saying that it's actually going to change anything?

William Orser: I am so sick of this shit!

Leland Jones: Yeah, you made that clear about 10,000 miles ago.

[Leland and Billy plan to rob a diner to replenish their funds]

William Orser: We're so goddamned broke.

Leland Jones: Yeah, well... that's an easy fix.

[Leland and Billy walk into the diner and start to threaten Tom]

Leland Jones: Coffee... Black.

William Orser: The same. I'll have some pie - Some of that lemon meringue pie.

Tom Stall: Guys, guys, I'm sorry. I'm - We're closed.

Leland Jones: I said...

Leland Jones: [Leland yells] Coffee!

[Billy grabs Charlotte's wrist before locking the diner door]

Charlotte: Tom?

William Orser: [Billy covers Charlotte's mouth whispering with a menacing tone] Don't fuckin' move.

[taking his hand away, running it down Charlotte's breast, sniffing it before wiping it on his chest]

[the news reporter Jenny Wyatt interviews Tom as he arrives home from the hospital]

Jenny Wyeth: We're in Millbrook, just outside the home of American hero Tom Stall, who's just now returning from the hospital with his family. Mr. Stall, Jenny Wyatt, WRPK news. I have a few questions for you. How did it feel when you saw the guns of those ruthless killers pointed directly at you.

Tom Stall: How did it feel?

Jenny Wyeth: Yeah.

Tom Stall: Not very good. Not very good.

[the news reporter tries to keep talking to Tom before Tom walks off]

Tom Stall: I really need to be with my family. Thanks.

Jenny Wyeth: I'm Jenny Wyatt in Millbrook, and that was Tom Stall - American hero, man of few words.

[Tom and Edie see Mr. Fogarty for the first time]

Edie Stall: Oh, look, more reporters. Nice.

Tom Stall: [Tom sees Mr. Fogarty walk in the diner] They don't look like reporters.

[Mr. Fogarty asks Tom if he's from Philadelphia]

Tom Stall: Pennsylvania? Is that where you gentleman are from?

Carl Fogarty: [Mr. Fogarty rolls his eyes] Yeah, like you don't know.

Tom Stall: Sorry. Did - Did we know each other?

Carl Fogarty: [Mr. Fogarty removes his sunglasses, looking up at Tom] You tell me.

[Sam talks to Mr. Fogarty while pulling him over on the side of the road]

Sheriff Sam Carney: What's your business in Millbrook, sir?

Carl Fogarty: We're tourists.

Sheriff Sam Carney: What business did you have at Stall's diner today?

Carl Fogarty: We heard the coffee was terrific.

Sheriff Sam Carney: Let me make something clear to you and... Mr. Mulligan.

Carl Fogarty: Uh-huh?

Sheriff Sam Carney: This is a nice town. We have nice people here. We take care of our nice people. Do you understand?

Carl Fogarty: Yeah, sure.

[Mr. Fogarty talks to Edie out side the toy store]

Edie Stall: Listen to me. I don't know what you want, and I really don't care.

Carl Fogarty: You should care about what I want, Mrs. Stall, because I want something from your husband that might affect you, might change your life.

[Mr. Fogarty tells Edie to question Tom about his past]

Carl Fogarty: Yeah? Well, why don't you ask "Tom" about his older brother Ritchie?

Edie Stall: [rolls her eyes] He doesn't have...

Carl Fogarty: [cutting her off] Ask "Tom" about how he tried to rip my eye out with barbed wire. And ask him, Edie, how come he's so good... at killing people?

[Edie threatens Mr. Fogarty]

Edie Stall: If I see you within 500 feet of me or my children or my husband again, I will have you arrested!

[Mr. Fogarty chuckles; unfazed]

Edie Stall: Can I possibly make myself any clearer than that?

Carl Fogarty: No, no, Mrs. Stall... you can't. I thank you for your time. You have an enchanting daughter. And Mrs. Stall... don't forget your shoes.

[Edie walks away, barefoot, back to the shoe store]

[Jack stands up to Bobby by punching him in the face]

Jack Stall: Okay, you motherfucker! Get over there, you son of a bitch!

Jack Stall: [Jack kicks Bobby in the ribs before holding Bobby's head up] Come here. Are you laughin'? Are you laughin' now...

Jack Stall: [Jack punches Bobby again in the face] You motherfucking, cock sucking piece of shit?

[as Judy pulls Jack away]

[Tom explains to Edie what happened to Joey Cusack]

Edie Stall: What are you, like, some multiple personality schizoid? It's like flipping a switch back and forth for you?

Tom Stall: I never expected to see Joey again.

Edie Stall: Oh, yeah. Joey. What, was he in hiding? Was he dead?

Tom Stall: I thought he was. I thought I killed Joey Cusack. I went out to the desert, and I killed him.

Edie Stall: Oh, my God.

Tom Stall: I spent three years becoming Tom Stall. Edie, you have to know this. I wasn't really born again until I met you. I was nothing.

Edie Stall: I don't believe you.

[Edie asks Tom about where the name 'Stall' came from]

Edie Stall: So... you didn't grow up in Portland. And you never talk about your adopted parents because you don't have any! And our name... Jesus Christ, my name. Jack's name. Sarah's name? Stall? Tom Stall? Did you just make that up? Where did that name come from?

Tom Stall: I mean... It was available.

Edie Stall: Yeah. I guess I was available, too.

[Joey sees Richie for the first time again]

Richie Cusack: Can you believe that place is still standing, 'The Track and Turf'? Didn't you bang Jill Levy there right on the bar in front of everybody?

Tom Stall: I never banged Jill Levy.

Richie Cusack: Well, you should've. She was... She was something.

[Richie and Tom give each other a hug]

Tom Stall: How you dong, Richie?

Richie Cusack: [Richie holds his head out to Joey] Mmm.

Richie Cusack: [Richie chuckles] Yeah.

Richie Cusack: [Richie hugs Joey] It's been a long, long time, bro-heem.

[Richie tells Joey he's pissed at him]

Richie Cusack: I'm pretty pissed at you, bro-heem. You could've called. You could've dropped a postcard in the mail. We're brothers, what'd you think would happen.

Tom Stall: I thought that business would come first.

Richie Cusack: Well, yeah. Yeah, I know.

[Richie tells Joey about the first day Joey came home as a baby]

Richie Cusack: You always were a problem for me, Joey. When mom brought you home from the hospital, I tried to strangle you in your crib. I guess all kids try to do that. She caught me, whacked the daylights out of me.

Tom Stall: I've heard that story.

Richie Cusack: Well, what do you think? Better late than never?

Tom Stall: Richie... I'm here to make peace. Tell me what I got to do to make things right.

Richie Cusack: You could do something, I guess.

Richie Cusack: [Richie pauses as Ruben reaches into his sleeve behind Joey] You could die, Joey.

[Richie yells at one of his men when the man examines the dead body of a dead henchman]

Richie Cusack: What are you going to do, give him mouth-to-mouth? Did you see my brother? Fuckin' leave this and let's just kill that little fuck!