'Round here, there's the Missionary folks. They's the hardshell Baptists. Then there's the Freewill folks, which is your softshell Baptists. Right now, I preach for both.
Joe Kenehan
Chris Cooper · 5 quotes
Danny Radnor
Will Oldham · 4 quotes
Sid Hatfield
David Strathairn · 2 quotes
Few Clothes Johnson
James Earl Jones · 1 quote
Matewan quotes
C. E. Lively Who wrote The Iron Hand?
Jack London.
Sephus Where's Joe Hill buried at?
All over the world. They scattered his ashes.
C. E. Lively Which eye is Big Bill Haywood missing?
His right one.
C. E. Lively How'd Frank Little die?
Butte, Montana ... they hung him from a railroad trestle.
Griggs [Asking a foothill man about his rifle]
Where'd you get that piece? Spanish War?
Foothill man 2
Nope. War Between the States.
When do we get to Matewan?
Train conductor
You don't want to go there, mister. Ain't nothing but crazy people.
Older Baldwin-Felts man
Ever hear of the Hatfields and McCoys, son?
Young Baldwin-Felts man
Heh. Sure I have have.
Older Baldwin-Felts man
This here Matewan's their stompin' ground. They'll put a bullet in brain just as soon as look at you.
Sephus [Opening lines of film]
Shootin' coal! Shootin' coal!
Hardshell preacher The Prince of Darkness is upon the land. Now in the Bible his name is Beezlebub, Lord of the Flies. Right now on Earth today his name is Bolshevist! Socialist! Communist! Union man! Lord of untruth, sower of evil seed, enemy of all that is good and pure and this creature walks among us. What are we going to do about it?
Foothill man 1
This your machine? [Indicates the Model T Ford.] Heard it last night, too. It's an offense to the ear.
Foothill man 1
You folks try and keep the noise down you'll do fine. Help yourself to the bird and the rabbit. But if you see any hogs, they's probably ours. We'd appreciate it if you leave them be.
Hill man
Grab his ankles missus, and mind your dress. He's a bleedin' like a stuck pig.
Mrs. Knightes
T'ain't no guns allowed at t'dinner table!
[Narrating]
All we got is our misery, Joe Kenehan used to say, and the least we could do is share it.
[Narrating]
It were 19 and 20 in the southwest fields and things was tough. The miners was trying to bring the union to West Virginia and the coal operators and their gun thugs was set on keeping them out.
Fellas, we're in a hole full of coal gas here. The tiniest spark at the wrong time is going to be the end of us. So we got to pick away at this situation, slow and careful. We got to organize and build support. We got to work together. Together! Till they can't get their coal out of the ground without us cause we're a union! Cause we're the workers damn it and we take care of each other!
I take care of my people. You bring 'em trouble, and you're a dead man. Sleep tight, Kenehan.
I've been called ****, and I can't help that's the way white folks is, but I ain't never been called no scab!
I've met Mr. Felts. I wouldn't piss on him if his heart was on fire.
We done it mama! We're gonna have the union!
You think this man is the enemy? Huh? This is a worker! Any union keeps this man out ain't a union, it's a goddam club! They got you fightin' white against colored, native against foreign, hollow against hollow, when you know there ain't but two sides in this world - them that work and them that don't. You work, they don't. That's all you get to know about the enemy.