Unbreakable (film)
2000 film directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Unbreakable is a 2000 film that explores the role that myth has in our civilization, and specifically explores the way that humans use comic books to explore mythic dimensions of the real world. It became the first film in the Unbreakable trilogy, when eventually followed by the films Split in 2016, and Glass in 2019.
- Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Are You Ready For The Truth? (taglines)
- I see guys like you all the time in my work, you find someone you want to take advantage of, you tell them a fantastic story, and somewhere in there you say it, I just need your credit card number. A small down payment.
- Friends listen to each other! And they don't shoot each other, do they Audrey?
- You are like me. We can both get hurt. I'm just an ordinary man.
- You forgot the "Now I'm going to tell you what the hell is going on" step. See, that usually that comes before the, "It's over" Step. And it always, always comes before the "You can go" Step.
Elijah Price
edit- Do you see any Teletubbies in here? Do you see a slender plastic tag clipped to my shirt with my name printed on it? Do you see a little Asian child with a blank expression on his face sitting outside on a mechanical helicopter that shakes when you put quarters in it? No? Well, that's what you see at a toy store. And you must think you're in a toy store, because you're here shopping for an infant named Jeb.
- You could have been a tax accountant. You could have owned your own gym. You could have opened a chain of restaurants. You could've done of a thousand things, but in the end, you chose to protect people. You made that decision, and I find that very, very interesting.
- I almost gave up hope. There were so many times I questioned myself, but I found you. So many sacrifices, just to find you.
- Your bones don't break, mine do. That's clear. Your cells react to bacteria and viruses differently than mine. You don't get sick, I do. That's also clear. But for some reason, you and I react the exact same way to water. We swallow it too fast, we choke. We get some in our lungs, we drown. However unreal it may seem, we are connected, you and I. We're on the same curve, just on opposite ends.
- [After proving Dunn's superhuman abilities]...Now all I need is a credit card number. [Dunn stares at him, pauses] The last one was a joke.
- Now that we know who you are, I know who I am.
- They called me Mr. Glass.
- I have something called Osteogenesis Imperfecta. It's a genetic disorder. I don't make a particular protein very well and it makes my bones very low in density, very easy to break. I've had fifty-four breaks in my life. And I have the tamest version of this disorder... Type one. There are type two, type three, and type four. Type four's don't last very long.
- It's alright to be afraid, David, because this part won't be like a comic book. Real life doesn't fit into little boxes that were drawn for it.
- This is an art gallery my friend, and this, is a piece of art.
- It's hard for many people to believe that there are extraordinary things inside themselves, as well as others. I hope you can keep an open mind.
- Go to where people are, you won't have to look very long. It's alright to be afraid, David, because this part won't be like a comic book. Real life doesn't fit into little boxes that were drawn for it.
- Do you know what the scariest thing is? To not know your place in this world, to not know why you're here. That's - that's just an awful feeling.
- Now that we know who you are, I know who I am. I'm not a mistake! It all makes sense! In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain's going to be? He's the exact opposite of the hero. And most times they're friends, like you and me! I should've known way back when... You know why, David? Because of the kids. They called me Mr Glass.
- (from deleted scene) Can I tell you a secret? I'm going to be very, very sad if this doesn't work out the way I think.
Dialogue
edit- Elijah Price: [Regarding an illustration at Price's art gallery] This is from Fritz Champion's own library. This is before the first issue of the comic book hit the stands in 1968. It's a classic depiction of good versus evil. Notice the square jaw of Slayer - common in most comic book heroes. And the slightly disproportionate size of Jaguaro's body to his head. This again is common, but only in villains... The thing to notice about this piece... The thing that makes it very, very special... is its realistic depiction of its figures. When the characters eventually made it into the magazine they were exaggerated... as always happens. This is vintage.
- Customer: Wrap it up.
- Elijah Price: You've made a considerably wise decision.
- Customer: My kid's gonna go beserk.
- Elijah Price: [Visibly concerned] Once again, please?
- Customer: My son, Jeb. It's a gift for him.
- Elijah Price: How old is Jeb?
- Customer: He's four.
- Elijah Price: No. No, no, no, no, no. You need to go. Now.
- Customer: What did I say?
- Elijah Price: Do you see any Teletubbies in here? Do you see a slender plastic tag clipped to my shirt with my name printed on it? Do you see a little Asian child with a blank expression on his face sitting outside on a mechanical helicopter that shakes when you put quarters in it? No? Well, that's what you see at a toy store. And you must think you're in a toy store, because you're here shopping for an infant named Jeb. Now, one of us has made a gross error and wasted the other person's valuable time. This is an art gallery, my friend. And this is a piece of art.
- Joseph Dunn: Do you think you could've beaten up Bruce Lee?
- David Dunn: No.
- Joseph Dunn: I mean if you knew karate.
- David Dunn: No.
- Joseph Dunn: Well, what if he wasn't allowed to kick and you were really mad at him?
- David Dunn: No, Joseph.
- David Dunn: I wanted to ask you a question. It's gonna sound a little strange, just think about it for a second, okay?
- Audrey Dunn: Okay.
- David Dunn: When's the last time I was sick? Do you remember?
- Audrey Dunn: Um, I don't know. It's been a while.
- David Dunn: I haven't been sick this year, I know that.
- Audrey Dunn: Okay.
- David Dunn: Do you remember me getting sick?
- Audrey Dunn: Um... not a specific day. What - what's this about?
- David Dunn: Audrey, do you remember me ever getting sick? In the three years we lived in this house? In the old apartment? Before Joseph was born? Before we ever got married?
- Audrey Dunn: I - I can't remember.
- David Dunn: Don't you think that's kind of weird, not remembering one cold or a fever or a sore throat? What do you think it means?
- Audrey Dunn: Um... I think it means probably too tired to remember.
- Mrs. Price: This is one of Johann Davis's earliest drawings. See the villain's eyes? They're larger than the other characters'. They — insinuate a slightly skewed perspective on how they see the world. Just off normal.
- David Dunn: Doesn't look scary.
- Mrs. Price: Mm-hmm. That's what I said to my son. But he says there's always two kinds; there's the soldier villain — who fights the hero with his hands; and then there's the real threat — the brilliant and evil archenemy — who fights the hero with his mind.
- Elijah Price: It has begun. Tell me something, David. When you woke up this morning... Was it still there? The sadness?
- David Dunn: No.
- Elijah Price: I think this is where we shake hands. [handshake]
- [flashback occurs upon shaking]
- Bar Patron: I worked in that building 25 years, I know all its secrets.
- Elijah Price: Secrets?
- Bar Patron: Like, if there ever was a fire on floors 1, 2 or 3, everyone in that hotel would be burned alive.
- Train Conductor: Passengers aren't allowed in there!
- [flashbacks end]
- Elijah Price: You know what the scariest thing is? To not know your place in this world. To not know why you're here... That's... That's just an awful feeling.
- David Dunn: What have you done...?
- Elijah Price: I almost gave up hope. There were so many times I questioned myself...
- David Dunn: You killed all those people...
- Elijah Price: But I found you. So many sacrifices, just to find you.
- David Dunn: Jesus Christ...
- Elijah Price: Now that we know who you are, I know who I am. I'm not a mistake! It all makes sense! In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain's going to be? He's the exact opposite of the hero. And most times they're friends, like you and me! I should've known way back when... You know why, David? Because of the kids. They called me Mr Glass.
- Joseph Dunn: I thought maybe because you're my dad... I thought I might be like you... I'm not like you...
- David Dunn: You are like me. We can both get hurt. I'm just an ordinary man.
- Joseph Dunn: No, you're not... Why do you keep saying that?
- Elijah Price: Why is it, do you think, that of all the professions in the world you chose protection?
- David Dunn: You are a very strange man.
- Elijah Price: You could have been a tax accountant. You could have owned your own gym. You could have opened a chain of restaurants. You could've done of ten thousand things, but in the end, you chose to protect people. You made that decision, and I find that very, very interesting.
About Unbreakable (film)
edit- I love those characters and I love that world. Of course, the whole world makes comic book movies now. At the time, it was completely novel. I remember when I made it, Disney was literally like, “Comic books?! There’s no market for comic books!” That’s all they make now! It was a hilarious conversation. I remember it. I was like, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe nobody will come see comic book movies.” They were like, “Those are people in little conventions who like comic books.” And I was like, “But, I like comic books!”
- But the beauty of the world of Unbreakable is that you’re playing it for reality. It should never feel like a comic book movie. It feels like a straight-up drama. It’s real. You’re confronting the possibility that comic book characters were based on people that were real. That’s the premise, so the tone has to be super grounded. It would be cool.
- M. Night Syamalan [1]
Taglines
edit- Shattering cinemas soon.
- Are You Ready For The Truth?
- Are You Unbreakable?
- Some things are only revealed by accident
Cast
edit- Bruce Willis as David Dunn
- Davis Duffield as David Dunn (age 20)
- Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price
- Robin Wright as Audrey Dunn
- Laura Regan as Audrey Inverso (age 20)
- Spencer Treat Clark as Joseph Dunn
- Charlayne Woodard as Mrs. Price
- Eamonn Walker as Dr. Mathison
- M. Night Shyamalan as Suspected Stadium drug dealer
- Richard E. Council as Noel
- Michael Kelly as Dr. Dubin
See also
editExternal links
edit- Unbreakable quotes at the Internet Movie Database
- Unbreakable at Rotten Tomatoes