Ethan Hawke credited as playing...
Todd Anderson
- John Keating: Close your eyes, close your eyes! Close 'em! Now, describe what you see.
- Todd Anderson: Uh, I-I close my eyes.
- John Keating: Yes.
- Todd Anderson: Uh, and this image floats beside me.
- John Keating: A sweaty-toothed madman.
- Todd Anderson: A sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brain.
- John Keating: Oh, that's *excellent*! Now, give him action - make him do something!
- Todd Anderson: H-His hands reach out and choke me.
- John Keating: That's it! Wonderful, wonderful!
- Todd Anderson: And all the time he's mumbling.
- John Keating: What's he mumbling?
- Todd Anderson: Mumbling truth.
- John Keating: Yeah, yes.
- Todd Anderson: Truth like-like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold.
- John Keating: [some of the class start to laugh] Forget them, forget them! Stay with the blanket. Tell me about that blanket!
- Todd Anderson: Y-Y-You push it, stretch it, it'll never be enough. You kick at it, beat it, it'll never cover any of us. From the moment we enter crying t-to the moment we leave dying, it'll just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream.
- [long pause then class applauds]
- John Keating: Don't you forget this.
- Neil Perry: [finds Todd sitting alone on the roof] Hey!
- Todd Anderson: Hey.
- Neil Perry: What's going on?
- Todd Anderson: Nothin'. Today's my birthday.
- Neil Perry: Is today your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Todd Anderson: Thanks.
- Neil Perry: What'd you get?
- Todd Anderson: [indicating the desk set lying beside him] My parents gave me this.
- Neil Perry: Isn't this the same desk set...
- Todd Anderson: Yeah. Yeah, they gave me the same thing as last year.
- Neil Perry: Oh.
- Todd Anderson: Oh.
- Neil Perry: Maybe they thought you needed another one.
- Todd Anderson: Maybe they weren't thinking about anything at all. The funny thing about this is, I-I didn't even like it the first time.
- Neil Perry: Todd, I think you're underestimating the value of this desk set.
- [picks it up]
- Neil Perry: I mean, who would want a football or a baseball or...
- Todd Anderson: Or a car.
- Neil Perry: Or a car, if they could have a desk set as wonderful as this one? I mean, if-if I were ever going to buy a desk set, twice, I would probably buy this one. Both times! In fact, its shape is... it's rather aerodynamic, isn't it?
- [walks to the edge of the roof]
- Neil Perry: You can feel it. This desk set wants to fly!
- [hands it to Todd]
- Neil Perry: Todd? The world's first unmanned flying desk set.
- [Todd throws it off the roof - papers fly everywhere and things crash and clatter to the ground]
- Neil Perry: Oh my! Well, I wouldn't worry. You'll get another one next year.
- [last lines]
- Todd Anderson: [stands up on his desk] O Captain! My Captain!
- Mr. Nolan: Sit down, Mr. Anderson! Do you hear me? Sit down! Sit down! This is your final warning, Anderson. How dare you? Do you hear me?
- Knox Overstreet: [climbs up onto his desk] O Captain! My Captain!
- Mr. Nolan: Mr. Overstreet, I warn you! Sit down!
- [Pitts climbs onto his desk, followed by Meeks, then over half the class, one by one]
- Mr. Nolan: Sit down! Sit down. All of you. I want you seated. Sit down. Leave, Mr. Keating. All of you, down. I want you seated. Do you hear me? Sit down!
- John Keating: Thank you, boys. Thank you.
- Todd Anderson: [talking about people listening to him] The point is, that there's nothing you can do about it. So you can just butt out. I can take care of myself just fine. All right?
- [long pause]
- Neil Perry: No.
- Todd Anderson: What do you mean 'no'?
- Neil Perry: [grinning] No!
- Todd Anderson: Mr. Keating! They made everybody sign it.
- Mr. Nolan: Quiet, Mr. Anderson.
- Todd Anderson: You gotta believe me. It's true.
- John Keating: I do believe you, Todd.
- Mr. Nolan: Leave, Mr. Keating.
- Todd Anderson: But it wasn't his fault!
- Mr. Nolan: Sit down, Mr. Anderson! One more outburst from you or anyone else, and you're out of this school! Leave, Mr. Keating.
- Todd Anderson: Keating said that everybody took turns reading and I don't wanna do that.
- Neil Perry: Gosh, you really have a problem with that, don't you?
- Todd Anderson: N-No, I don't have a problem, Neil. I just... I don't wanna do it, okay?
- Todd Anderson: You want me out? Fine, I'm out.
- Neil Perry: No, I want you in, but being in means you have to do something. Not just saying you're in.