Spy Game Quotes

Tom Bishop: [inside a bar] All right, so what else? What else do I need to know?

Nathan Muir: Put away some money so you can die someplace warm and don't ever touch it. Not for anyone, ever.

Tom Bishop: Okay, is that it?

Nathan Muir: Don't "ever" risk your life for an asset. If it comes down to you or them... send flowers.

Nathan Muir: [drinking coffee while standing outside of the coffee shop] , showing Tom the apartment building across from then See that building across the way?

Tom Bishop: Yeah.

Nathan Muir: Do you know anyone there?

Tom Bishop: No.

Nathan Muir: In five minutes I want to see you on the balcony.

Tom Bishop: What do...

Nathan Muir: Five minutes.

Tom Bishop: Can't we discuss it over coffee?

Nathan Muir: You just lost ten seconds.

Nathan Muir: I take it you didn't get to be a marksman putting food on your mama's table.

Tom Bishop: No, sir. We have a Safeway back home.

Nathan Muir: Where'd you leard to shoot?

Tom Bishop: Boy scouts, sir.

Nathan Muir: What, are you kidding me?

Tom Bishop: No, sir.

Tom Bishop: She's just someone I used to get to the camp.

Nathan Muir: She gonna be of any more use to us?

Tom Bishop: Not to us.

Dr. Ahmed: [preparing him for him to help with their next op] Tell me. Is it hard?

Tom Bishop: Is what hard?

Dr. Ahmed: Is it hard? To take a life?

Tom Bishop: [Long pause after a sigh] Yes.

Tom Bishop: [talking privately on a stair case] Central Intelligence?

Nathan Muir: [talking privately on a stair case] You'd be working for me. Mostly undercover.

Gladys Jennip: [in Muir's office] Feeling a little paranoid on our last day?

Nathan Muir: [in Muir's office] When did Noah build the ark Gladys? Before the rain.

Tom Bishop: Happy?

Nathan Muir: Seventy-four casualties, an apartment block leveled, one dead terrorist? Yeah, happy.

Tom Bishop: We have some fucked up barometer for success, don't we?

Charles Harker: [looking at Muir's wall with awards and commendation medals hung on them] If these walls could talk, huh. All this history, I envy you.

Nathan Muir: Then bag your job, you can be just like me.

Charles Harker: No, really. The debt this country owes you guys.

Nathan Muir: Chuck, are you gonna dance with your hand on my ass all night or are you gonna make your move?

Nathan Muir: [while siting in a restaurant while every diner at every table and every restaurant employee] The man reading the menu. Threat?

Tom Bishop: [seeing the reflection of the image of the man through a metal dome watching the hostess] Only to the hostess.

Charles Harker: [inside a CIA briefing room] We need the press on this like we need a third tit.

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] You using the other two?

Gladys Jennip: [in Muir's office] What is this about?

Nathan Muir: [in Muir's office] Money. Free trade, microchips, toaster ovens.

Gladys Jennip: [in Muir's office] And what does that have to do with you?

Nathan Muir: [to Gladys as he leaves the office] Nothing.

Charles Harker: So, sir, you and Muir came up together, right?

Troy Fogler: Mmm-hmm.

Charles Harker: How well do you know him?

Troy Fogler: No one knows Nathan, not really.

Charles Harker: Do you trust him?

Troy Fogler: He's a man who got the job done.

Tom Bishop: So, when do I get my first assignment?

Nathan Muir: When I decide you're ready.

Nathan Muir: [after Muir ordered him to solicit information from an attractive female] You just gave her four pieces of personal information for one dubious impersonal fact.

Tom Bishop: Just trying to find out where she got that dress.

Tom Bishop: [talking privately in a bar] I thought spies drank martinis.

Nathan Muir: [talking privately in a bar] Scotch, never less than twelve years old.

Tom Bishop: [talking privately in a bar] Is that right? Agency rules?

Nathan Muir: [talking privately in a bar] My rules.

Robert Aiken: [inside a CIA briefing room] Patricia?

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] Yeah, my third wife.

Dr. William Byars: [inside a CIA briefing room] My God, how many wives have you had?

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] Four. You want to hear about them or Bishop?

Tom Bishop: Don't tell me that. Don't fucking tell me that. You didn't look in his eyes. Don't tell me that!

Nathan Muir: He was your asset, somebody you use for information.

Tom Bishop: Ah, Jesus Christ, you just... You don't just trade these people like they're baseball cards! It's not a fucking game!

Nathan Muir: Oh, yes it is. It's exactly what it is. And it's no kid's game either. This is a whole other game. And it's serious and it's dangerous. And it's not one you want to lose.

Tom Bishop: Nathan, we killed this man. We used him and we killed him. Okay, then you got to help me understand this one. You got... Nathan, what are we doing here? And don't give me some bullshit about the greater good.

Nathan Muir: That's exactly what it's about. Because what we do is unfortunately very, very necessary. And if you're not willing to sacrifice scum like Schmidt for those that want nothing more than their freedom, then you better take a long hard look at your chosen profession my friend. Because it doesn't get any easier. You wanna walk? You wanna walk, walk.

Tom Bishop: Fuck your rules, Nathan.

Nathan Muir: Okay, but tonight they saved your life.

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] When I was a kid I used to spend summers on my uncle's farm. And he had this plow horse he used to work with everyday. He really loved that plow horse. One summer she came up lame. It could barely stand. The vet offered to put her down. You know what my uncle said?

Charles Harker: [inside a CIA briefing room] No, Muir, what did he say?

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] He said, why would I ask somebody else to kill a horse that belonged to me?

Tom Bishop: [giving Muir a liquor flask, while eating break at a café] Happy Birthday, Nathan. Did you know Langley has seven different birth dates for you?

Nathan Muir: [while eating break at a café] And they're all wrong.

Tom Bishop: I know, believe me, it wasn't easy. KGB, Mossad, also wrong. Fortunately I was well trained.

Anna Cathcart: The Scotch is older than she is...

Nathan Muir: Am I supposed to feel bad about that?

Troy Fogler: [re-enters the room looking faintly amused] There's been... an incident, in China.

Charles Harker: [looks confused for a moment, then shocked as he realises that Muir has played them all] Oh, Jesus Christ.

Tom Bishop: Vodka did me in, I'm comin' home.

Nathan Muir: Throw out the bottle. They know.

Gladys Jennip: [over the phone] I've got Commander Wiley.

Nathan Muir: [over the phone] Ok, connect us.

Commander Wiley - Rescue Sequence: [over a satellite phone] Commander Wiley Sir. Package received, what's the verdict?

Nathan Muir: [over a satellite phone] We're "on" for tonight.

Commander Wiley - Rescue Sequence: [over a satellite phone] Roger sir, understand. Operation Dinner Out is a GO. Confirm.

Nathan Muir: [over the phone] Correct, Dinner out is a go.

Dr. William Byars: [overhearing Muir's side of the phone connection while inside a CIA briefing room] Dinner Out is a go? Hell of a way to speak to your wife.

Vincent Vy Ngo: [to Byars, while sitting next to him inside a CIA briefing room] Why do you think they keep dumping him.

Charles Harker: Maybe the payoff went to

[peruses paper]

Charles Harker: ... Digby Gibson, when you tipped off the press.

Nathan Muir: Troy?

Troy Fogler: Leave Digger outta this! His paper's a front; he's MI6's man in Hong Kong!

Elizabeth Hadley: Fine, that's me. What about you. You can start small... your name?

Tom Bishop: You know my name.

Elizabeth Hadley: [harshly] Your name.

Tom Bishop: Terry

Elizabeth Hadley: Tell me your real name. Please.

Tom Bishop: Terry

Elizabeth Hadley: Gees, you're pathetic.