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Broken Arrow (1996 film)

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Aviation Week has been following the development of the B3 for years. They have "stringers" - guys camping out in lawn chairs all night by the Whiteman perimeter fence- watching just in case one of these things take off. They're gonna know that one took off last night, and they're gonna know that it didn't come back.

Broken Arrow is a 1996 action film where terrorists steal nuclear warheads from the US military but don't count on a pilot and park ranger spoiling their plans.

Directed by John Woo. Written by Graham Yost.
Prepare to Go Ballistic taglines
"You said so yourself- you should have made colonel by now, but you're too busy pushing at everybody all the time."
"Well. That's an awesome responsibility, isn't it?"
This is what I do, Mr. Pritchett! And this is battle. Battle is a highly fluid situation. You plan on your contingencies, and I have. You keep your initiative, and I will. One thing you don't do is share command. It's never a good idea.
"Look, Mr. Pritchett, I will deliver the weapons to the destination. But I can't depend and I can't guarantee that those assholes in Washington won't do something stupid like... not pay."
"What if they don't?
"Well, if they don't, the Southwest will be a quiet neighborhood for... about ten thousand years."

Major Vic Deakins

[edit]
  • I do appreciate the money that you and your associates have invested in this operation, but it is an operation. It's a military operation. And you don't know dick about that. I've been in the military for 20 years. I planned and flew over 100 missions in the Gulf. I put these boys together because they are highly trained, and they are motivated like me. This is what I do, Mr. Pritchett! And this is battle. Battle is a highly fluid situation. You plan on your contingencies, and I have. You keep your initiative, and I will. One thing you don't do is share command. It's never a good idea.

Dialogue

[edit]
[on whether to disclose the loss of a stealth bomber]
Secretary Baird: "The U.S. Air Force regrets to announce that a C-141 cargo plane went down over the Utah desert... the status of the crew have yet to be determined, yaddah yaddah yaddah..." Well, that's very nice bullshit, Rick.
Giles Prentice: Wait. We're making a mistake.
Secretary Baird: Giles? You have something you wish to share with us?
Prentice: Yes. Aviation Week has been following the development of the B3 for years. They have "stringers" - guys camping out in lawn chairs all night by the Whiteman perimeter fence- watching just in case one of these things take off. They're gonna know that one took off last night, and they're gonna know that it didn't come back. Now, we put out a press-release saying a C141 went down in Utah, they're going to put two and two together, Aviation Week is going to run a story, everyone's gonna know what really happened, and we're all going to look extremely... stupid. We're better off just telling the truth.
Baird: The truth? How'd you get this job? [The officers and officials in the room laugh. Baird speaks to an aide.] Write it down, like Giles said.
[After the meeting.]
Baird: "Guys in lawn chairs"... I don't know, Giles. Sometimes you scare me.
Prentice: Hell, sir. Sometimes I scare myself.
Riley Hale: I don't think that Aurora Project is gonna happen for me. I spoke to your buddy Taylor; he doesn't feel like I have enough fighter time to qualify.
Vic Deakins: And what did you say to him?
Hale: 'Thank you very much, sir, goodbye.'
Deakins: You'll never change, will you? And that, my friend, will be your downfall.
Hale: You know what your problem is?
Deakins: Yeah. I'm always right.
Hale: You think you're always right.
Deakins: That's deep.
Hale: You said so yourself- you should have made colonel by now, but you're too busy pushing at everybody all the time.
Deakins: Well. That's an awesome responsibility, isn't it?
Riley Hale: You're out of your mind.
Vic Deakins: Yeah. Ain't it cool?
Hale: I'm serious, Deak, your mind has taken a walk off the map.
Deakins: Maybe. But I'm still gonna kick your ass.
[Deakins has just activated the nuke]
Kelly: Shut that son of a bitch down. Now! I didn't sign up for this. I'm not ready to die, not for you.
Vic Deakins: Everybody dies, Kelly. I'm as good a reason as any.
Pritchett: It's still my money.
Vic Deakins: And if we succeed, you and your associates will get a ton of it.
Pritchett: If we're successful?
Deakins: Look, Mr. Pritchett, I will deliver the weapons to the destination. But I can't depend and I can't guarantee that those assholes in Washington won't do something stupid like... not pay.
Pritchett: What if they don't?
Deakins: Well, if they don't, the Southwest will be a quiet neighborhood for... about ten thousand years.
[A tunnel cave-in in the mine has separated Hale and Deakins]
Riley Hale: So that's what this is all about, huh? The money?
Vic Deakins: [Laughs] Yeah.
Hale: Bullshit.
Deakins: Well, you tell me why. Go ahead. You tell me why.
Hale: Because you've been passed over for promotion so many times, you want to show the bastards you're right. Maybe it's 'cause everybody's cashing out so why the hell not you? I don't know. Maybe-maybe your mother dropped you on your head when you were a baby. I mean, who the hell cares, Deak? I mean, there's no difference between you and a guy who shoots up a schoolyard. You've both got a head full of bad wiring.
Deakins: [Edging closer] What was that?
Hale: You're fucked in the head, Deak!
[Deakins fires wildly at Hale but fails to hit him]
Deakins: HA!
Hale: I pissed him off.
Vic Deakins: Hale. Pick up. Pick UP! [Hale spins around, looking at the phone Deakins is speaking through] C'mon buddy - pick up the 'phone.
Riley Hale: "Buddy," huh? Son of a bitch, you tried to kill me. The friendship is over.
Deakins: Well, that doesn't mean I don't like you. Hell - I'm impressed. I'd have figured you'd have picked up and walked off by now.
Hale: Yeah? Well, you figured wrong. Now I've got the nukes. Guess what, Deak? I'm gonna deactivate 'em. [begins punching random keys on the bomb's keypad, beeping is heard through Deakins' end of the line] You hear that? That's me punching in the wrong codes. Pretty soon these things are gonna be absolutely useless. Might as well turn around and drive away.
Deakins: [Mockingly] Outstanding, Hale! That's the spirit! Damn, I'm totally screwed now. Unless of course I already thought of that ahead of time. [The bomb arms] Didn't work, did it? I used uncoded circuit boards. You just activated a nuclear warhead, my friend. Setting off a nuke in this mine has been part of my plan from day one. Otherwise some D.C. civilian might say, I haven't got the guts.
Hale: Fuck!
Terry Carmichael: He's insane.
Deakins: You know, Hale, I considered bringing you in on this. You know why I didn't?
Hale: Because I would have said "no"?
Deakins: Nah, if you'd said "no" I'd have just killed you; I was afraid that you were going to say "yes"! 'Cause you don't have the balls to follow through with something like this, we both know that.
[last lines]
Riley Hale: My name's Riley Hale.
Terry Carmichael: Terry Carmichael. You know you're still under arrest, Captain.
Hale: [holding Terry's hand] Well, looks like you're gonna have to take me in.

Cast

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