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Miller's Crossing

1990 film by Coen brothers

Miller's Crossing is a 1990 gangster film about Tom Regan, an advisor to a Prohibition-era crime boss, who tries to keep the peace between warring mobs but gets caught in divided loyalties.

Directed by Joel Coen. Written by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Up is down, black is white, and nothing is what it seems.taglines

Tom Reagan

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  • If I'd known we were gonna cast our feelings into words, I'd've memorized the Song of Solomon.
  • Nobody knows anybody. Not that well.
  • Close your eyes ladies! I'm comin' in!
  • Sister, when I've raised hell, you'll know it.
  • You don't hold elected office in this town. You run it because people think you do. They stop thinking it, you stop running it.
  • [to Bernie] Shut up. You're dead, get me?
  • [to Caspar] My chin's hanging out right next to yours. I'd worry a lot less if I thought you were worrying enough.
  • Tell Leo he's not God on the throne, he's just a cheap political boss with more hair tonic than brains.
  • If you want me to keep my mouth shut, it's gonna cost you some dough. I figure a thousand bucks is reasonable, so I want two.

Johnny Caspar

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  • It's gettin' so a businessman can't expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can't trust a fix, what can you trust? For a good return, you gotta go bettin' on chance - and then you're back with anarchy, right back in the jungle.
  • I'm talkin' about friendship. I'm talkin' about character. I'm talkin' about - hell. Leo, I ain't embarrassed to use the word - I'm talkin' about ethics.
  • You got references? You been to college? We ONLY take yeggs what's been to college, ain't that right, Dane? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I'm joking, of course.
  • Shut you son of a bitch! Son of a bitch! You stupid son of a bitch.
  • What is this, the high hat?
  • That son of a bitch! I had a feeling about this son of a bitch! We silence him! And we do the same to Mink this very night!
  • It's like I tell all of my boys. [Casper shoots Eddie Dane] Always put one in the brain!
  • You double-cross once - where's it all end? An interesting ethical question.

Eddie Dane

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  • You are so goddamn smart. Except you ain't.
  • You killed Mink you son of a bitch! You killed Mink, and by God I'll hear you say it!
  • Ever noticed how the snappy dialog dries up once a guy starts soiling his union suit?
  • Then I wondered "Why would Einstein want to talk to a gorilla?" So I grab the gorilla and I beat it out of him.
  • Do you know who I am?
  • Jesus, I open my mouth, the whole world turns smart.
  • You dumpin' Leo for the guy that put a bullet in your brother?
  • Go ahead and run sweetie, I'll track down all you whores.
  • I am gonna send you to a deep, dark place and I am gonna have fun doing it!
  • Up is down, black is white.
  • You understand that if we don't find a stiff out here, we leave a fresh one.

Others

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  • Leo O'Bannion: [to Caspar] You ain't got a license to kill bookies and today I ain't sellin'. So take your flunky and dangle.
  • Verna: Maybe that's why I like you, Tom. I've never met anyone who made being a son of a bitch such a point of pride.
  • Verna: That's you all over, Tom. A lie, and no heart.
  • Tic-Tac: You gotta remember to put one in his BRAIN. Your first shot puts him down, then you put one in his BRAIN. Then he's dead. Then we go home.
  • Tic-Tac: C'mon, Tom. Boss wants to see ya. He didn't have time to engrave nothin' formal.

Dialogue

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[Referring to Bernie]
Leo: So you wanna kill him...
Eddie Dane: For starters.
Caspar: You think that I'm some guinea, fresh off the boat, and you can kick me! But I'm too big for that now. I'm sick a' takin the scrap from you, Leo. I'm a' of marching into this goddamn office to kiss your Irish ass. And I'M SICK A' THE HIGH HAT!
[Puts on his hat and coat]
Caspar: Youse fancy pants, all a youse.
Leo: Johnny, you're exactly as big as I let you be, and no bigger, and don't forget it, ever.
Caspar: That's right, Leo. You're the big shot around here, and I'm just some schnook likes to get slapped around.
Tom: Think about what protecting Bernie gets us. Think about what offending Caspar loses us.
Leo: Oh, come on, Tommy. You know I don't like to think.
Tom: Yeah. Well, think about whether you should start.
Leo: I reckon I can still trade body-blows with any man in this town.
[Tom looks at him]
Leo: Except you Tom.
Tom: And Verna.
Lazarre's Messenger: Hey, horses got knees?
Tom: I don't know... fetlocks
Lazarre's Messenger: Well if I was a horse, I'd be down on my fetlocks praying you don't bet on me.
Verna: That's not why you came, either.
Tom: Tell me why I came.
Verna: [seductively] The oldest reason there is.
Tom: There are friendlier places to drink.
Verna: Shouldn't you be doing your job?
Tom': Intimidating helpless women is my job.
Verna: Then go find one, and intimidate her.
Verna: You think you've raised hell.
Tom: Sister, when I've raised hell, you'll know it!
Caspar: You can't say, "I told you so."
Tom: I don't say that and I don't like people who do.
Verna: What you doing?
Tom: Walking...
Verna: Don't let on any more than you have to.
Tom: ...in the rain.
Verna: Leo's got the right idea. I like him, he's honest and he's got a heart.
Tom: Then it's true what they say. Opposites attract.
Bernie: Tommy, you can't do this! You don't bump guys! You're not like those animals back there. It's not right, Tom! They can't make us do this. It's the wrong situation, they can't make us different people than we are. We're not muscle, Tom. I... I... I... never killed anybody. I used a little information for a chisel, that's all. It's my nature, Tom! I... I... I... can't help it, somebody gives me an angle, I play it. I don't deserve to die for that. Do you think I do?
[Tom doesn't answer, he just keeps walking]
Bernie: I'm... I'm... I'm just a grifter, Tom. I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm an nobody! But I'll tell you what, I never crossed a friend, Tom. I never killed anybody, I never crossed a friend, nor you, I'll bet. We're not like those animals! This is not us! Th... th... this is some hop dream! It's a dream, Tommy! I'm praying to you! I can't die! I can't die... out here in the woods, like a dumb animal! In the woods, LIKE A DUMB ANIMAL! Like a dumb animal! I can't... I can't... I CAN'T DIE OUT HERE IN THE WOODS!... like a dumb animal. I can't... die!
[Bernie falls to his knees, praying]
Bernie: I'm praying to you! Look in your heart! I'm praying to you! Look in your heart! I'm praying to you! Look in your heart! I'm praying to you! Look in your heart...
[Tom slowly aims his gun at Bernie]
Bernie: I'm praying to you! Look in your heart. I'm praying to you... look in your heart... look in your heart! You can't kill me... look in your heart.
Verna: I thought you said you didn't care about Leo no more.
Tom: I said we're through. That's not the same thing.
Verna: Why don't we just pick up and leave town? There's nothing keeping you here. I know there's nothing keeping me.
Tom: What about Bernie?
Verna: He could go with us.
Tom: You, me and Bernie; where would we go, Verna? Niagara Falls?
Tom: You're a fickle boy, Mink. The Dane finds out you got another "amigo," well, I don't peg him as the understandin' type.
Mink: Find out? We ain't even been talkin'! Jesus, Tom! Dammit! Jesus!
Eddie Dane: Where's Leo?
Hitman: If I tell you, how do I know you won't kill me?
Eddie Dane: Because if you told me and I killed you and you were lying I wouldn't get to kill you then. Where's Leo?
Hitman: He's moving around. He's getting his mob together tomorrow night. Whisky Nick's.
Eddie Dane: You sure?
Hitman: Check it. It's gold.
Eddie Dane: You know what, yegg? I believe you.
Leo: You hear about Rug?
Tom: Yeah, RIP.
Leo: They took his hair, Tommy. Jesus, that's strange, why would they do that?
Tom: Maybe it was injuns.
'Tom: Rug Daniels is dead.
Verna: Gee, that's tough.
Tom: Don't get hysterical.
Tom: All in all not a bad guy - if looks, brains and personality don't count.
Verna: You better hope they don't.
Verna: What're you chewin' over?
Tom: Dream I had once. I was walkin' in the woods, I don't know why. Wind came up and blew me hat off.
Verna: And you chased it, right? You ran and ran, finally caught up to it and you picked it up. But it wasn't a hat anymore and it changed into something else, something wonderful.
Tom: Nah, it stayed a hat and no, I didn't chase it. Nothing more foolish than a man chasin' his hat.
Tom: I am awake.
Tad: Your eyes are shut.
Tom: Who you gonna believe?
Tom: [on finding someone sitting in the dark in his apartment] Hello Bernie
Bernie: Hey Tom. How'd you know it was me?
Tom: You're the only one I know who'd knock and then break in.
Bernie: Your other friends wouldn't break in, huh?
Tom: My other friends want to kill me so they wouldn't've knocked.
Tom: So what's the deal, you get to live and Verna has to be Leo's girl?
Bernie: I have nothing to do with that, she'll sleep with anyone Tom, you know that! She even tried to teach me a thing or two about bed artistry once. Some crackpot idea about saving me from my friends. She's a sick twist all right.
Tom: She speaks highly of you.
Bernie: Yeah, well, you stick by your family.
Tom: Hello, Brian. Still fighting the good fight?
Officer Brian: Hello, Tom! Neither rain nor wind nor snow...
Tom: That's the mailman!
Eddie Dane: How'd you get the fat lip?
Tom: Old war wound. Acts up around morons.
Bernie: Look in your heart! Look in your heart!
Tom: What heart?
[Tom shoots Bernie]

Taglines

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  • Up is down, black is white, and nothing is what it seems.
  • Nothing is what it seems at Miller's Crossing.

Cast

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