Memorable quotes for
Miller's Crossing (1990) More at IMDbPro »

Johnny Caspar: You never say, "I told you so."

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Tom Reagan: Think about what protecting Bernie gets us. Think about what offending Caspar loses us.
Leo O'Bannion: Oh, come on, Tommy. You know I don't like to think.
Tom Reagan: Yeah. Well, think about whether you should start.

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Verna: What're you chewin' over?
Tom Reagan: 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 Reagan: Nah, it stayed a hat and no, I didn't chase it. Nothing more foolish than a man chasin' his hat.

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Leo O'Bannion: You hear about Rug?
Tom Reagan: Yeah, RIP.
Leo O'Bannion: They took his hair, Tommy. Jesus, that's strange, why would they do that?
Tom Reagan: Maybe it was injuns.

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Tom Reagan: Tell Leo he's not God on the throne, he's just a cheap political boss with more hair tonic than brains.

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Tom Reagan: 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 antics once. Some crackpot idea about saving me from my friends. She's a sick twist all right.
Tom Reagan: She speaks highly of you.
Bernie: Yeah, well, you stick by your family.

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Tom Reagan: I am awake.
Tad: Your eyes are shut.
Tom Reagan: Who you gonna believe?

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Tom Reagan: All in all not a bad guy - if looks, brains and personality don't count.
Verna: You better hope they don't.

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Eddie Dane: Where's Leo?
Hitman at Verna's: 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 at Verna's: He's moving around. He's getting his mob together tomorrow night. Whisky Nick's.
Eddie Dane: You sure?
Hitman at Verna's: Check it. It's gold.
Eddie Dane: You know what, yegg? I believe you.

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Tom Reagan: 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.

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Eddie Dane: How'd you get the fat lip?
Tom Reagan: Old war wound. Acts up around morons.

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Bernie: Look in your heart! Look in your heart!
Tom Reagan: What heart?

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[Tom holds Bernie at gunpoint, and walks him out deeper into the forest]
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.

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Tom Reagan: If I'd known we were gonna cast our feelings into words, I'd've memorized the Song of Solomon.

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Tom Reagan: I didn't ask for that and I don't want it.

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Eddie Dane: You are so goddamn smart. Except you ain't.

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Tom Reagan: Nobody knows anybody. Not that well.

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Leo O'Bannion: So you wanna kill him...
Eddie Dane: For starters.

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Johnny Caspar: 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.

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Verna: You think you've raised hell.
Tom Reagan: Sister, when I've raised hell, you'll know it!

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Leo O'Bannion: You ain't got a license to kill bookies and today I ain't sellin'. So take your flunky and dangle.

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Bernie: Don't smart me! See I wanna watch you squirm; I wanna see you sweat a little, and when you smart me... it ruins it.

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Tom Reagan: 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 event been talkin'! Jesus, Tom! Dammit! Jesus!

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Verna: Shouldn't you be doing your job?
Tom Reagan: Intimidating helpless women is my job.
Verna: Then go find one, and intimidate her.

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Leo O'Bannion: I figure I can still trade body-blows with any man in this town.
[Tom looks at him]
Leo O'Bannion: Except you Tom.
Tom Reagan: And Verna.

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Verna: What you doing?
Tom Reagan: Walking...
Verna: Don't let on any more than you have to.
Tom Reagan: ...in the rain.

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Tom Reagan: Close your eyes ladies! I'm comin' in!

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Verna: Leo's got the right idea. I like him, he's honest and he's got a heart.
Tom Reagan: Then it's true what they say. Opposites attract.

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Leo O'Bannion: Seein' you mope around here ruins my, whaddya call it, "joy de veever"?
Tom Reagan: "Joie de vivre".

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Eddie Dane: I am gonna send you to a deep, dark place and I am gonna have fun doing it!

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Verna: That's you all over, Tom. A lie and no heart.

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Eddie Dane: You understand that if we don't find a stiff out here, we leave a fresh one.

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Tic-Tac: C'mon, Tom. Boss wants to see ya. He didn't have time to engrave nothin' formal.

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Tom Reagan: Rug Daniels is dead.
Verna: Gee, that's tough.
Tom Reagan: Don't get hysterical.

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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 Reagan: What about Bernie?
Verna: He could go with us.
Tom Reagan: You, me and Bernie; where would we go, Verna? Niagara Falls?

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Johnny 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]
Johnny Caspar: Youse fancy pants, all a youse.
Leo O'Bannion: Johnny, you're exactly as big as I let you be, and no bigger, and don't forget it, ever.
Johnny Caspar: That's right, Leo. You're the big shot around here, and I'm just some schnook likes to get slapped around.

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Tom Reagan: Tell Lazar no hard feelings.
Lazar's thug: Jesus Tom, he knows.

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Eddie Dane: Up is down, black is white.

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Mink: Hey Tom, what's the rumpus?

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Tom Reagan: Is there a point... or are you just brushin' up on your small talk?
Eddie Dane: Oh, cool under fire, I like that.

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Eddie Dane: You dumpin' Leo for the guy who put a bullet in your brother?

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Tic-Tac: I told you to put one in his brain, not in his stinkin' face!

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Johnny Caspar: [after killing Eddie Dane] 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!

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Johnny Caspar: You can't say, "I told you so."
Tom Reagan: I don't say that and I don't like people who do.

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Johnny Caspar: What is this, the high hat?

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Verna: I thought you said you didn't care about Leo no more.
Tom Reagan: I said we're through. That's not the same thing.

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Johnny Caspar: 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.

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Verna: That's not why you came, either.
Tom Reagan: Tell me why I came.
Verna: [seductively] The oldest reason there is.
Tom Reagan: There are friendlier places to drink.

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Tic-Tac: [finds a corpse] It's hanky time!

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[repeated line]
Tom Reagan: I'll think about it.

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O'Doole: Jesus, Tom, I was just speculatin' about a hypothesis. I know I don't know nothin'.

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Tom Reagan: Hello, Brian. Still fighting the good fight?
Cop - Brian: Hello, Tom! Neither rain nor wind nor snow...
Tom Reagan: That's the mailman!

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Johnny Caspar: 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.

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Terry: The old man's still an artist with a Thompson.

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Tom Reagan: 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.

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Eddie Dane: Mr Inside-Outsky just like some God-damned Bolshevik picking up his orders from Yegg Central.

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Tom Reagan: [on finding someone sitting in the dark in his apartment] Hello Bernie.
Bernie: Hello Tom. What's the rumpus? How'd you know it was me?
Tom Reagan: You're the only one I know who'd knock and then break in.
Bernie: Your other friends wouldn't break in, huh?
Tom Reagan: My other friends want to kill me so they wouldn't've knocked.

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Lazarre's Messenger: Hey, horses got knees?
Tom Reagan: 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.

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Johnny Caspar: You double-cross once - where's it all end? An interesting ethical question.

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Tom Reagan: My chin's hanging out right next to yours. I'd worry a lot less if I thought you were worrying enough.

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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.

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Tom Reagan: Drop Johnson? He play your book much?
Tad: Pssh! You kidding? I didn't even know he could count!

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O'Doole: Guttin' the golden calf again! I don't know whether to laugh or cry!
Tom Reagan: Yeah, it's awful confusing.

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O'Doole: Look, don't nobody ask me, since I'm just the chief around here, but I'll tell you my opinion. Caspar is just as crazy as Leo, and an eye-tie into the bargain!
Tom Reagan: What's the matter, O'Doole? Doesn't anything ever suit you?

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Tom Reagan: You can't hijack me, Tic-tac, we're on the same side now. Or didn't you get that far in school?

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Tom Reagan: So, uh, you didn't see Bernie Birnbaum before he was shown across?
Clarence "Drop" Johnson: Uh, no?
Tom Reagan: Seen him since?

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Mink: Listen, Bernie wants to see you. It's important
Tom Reagan: Yeah, well, I'm right here. I'm not made of glass.

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Tony: No small talk, huh? They shoot vour nag?
Tom Reagan: If there's any justice...

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Eddie Dane: Not so fast, there, Kaputnik.

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Tom Reagan: It's not Leo's debt. I'll pay me own way.
Tad: I admire a man of principle. Does this go on the tab?

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Leo O'Bannion: If I never see him again, it would be soon enough.

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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.

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Tom Reagan: [after the attempt on Leo's life] Who's winning?
Terry: We are, for the nonce.
Tom Reagan: What's the disposition?
Terry: Four to one, Dana Cudahy went up with the house.
Tom Reagan: And there's?
Terry: One burned...
Tom Reagan: The other three...?
Terry: Lead...
Tom Reagan: Whose?
Terry: Leo's... the old man's still an artist with a Thompson.

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