Burn After Reading 2008 quotes

25 quotes · 7 characters
Burn After Reading (2008) poster
Characters
Osbourne Cox 12 quotes
Palmer 8 quotes
CIA Supervisor 7 quotes
Katie Tilda Swinton · 4 quotes
Chad Brad Pitt · 3 quotes
Linda Frances McDormand · 3 quotes

Most scenes together: CIA Supervisor & Palmer (6), Osbourne Cox & Katie (3), Osbourne Cox & Palmer (2)

Burn After Reading quotes

Page 1 of 2

And this, uh, analyst--ex-analyst--uh...

Palmer

Cox.

Yeah. What's his clearance level?

Palmer

Three.

[shrugging]

...okay. No biggie.

[closes the file and hands it back to Palmer]

Just...for now, just keep an eye on everyone, see what they do.

Palmer

Yes sir. And we'll interface with the FBI on this, ah, dead body.

No, no! God, no! We don't want those idiots bumbling around in this! Burn the body. Get rid of it. And, uh, keep an eye on everyone...see what they do. Report back to me, when, uh...I dunno. When it makes sense.

Where is the Treasury guy, Pfarrer?

Palmer

Right now?

Right now.

Palmer

Um, he is in a detention room in Washington Dulles.

Why?

Palmer

He was trying to board a flight to Venezuela. We had his name on a hot list, ah, CBP pulled him in. Um...don't know why he was trying to go to Venezuela.

...you don't know?

Palmer

No, sir.

We have no extradition with Venezuela.

Palmer

...oh. So what should we do with him?

****'s sake, put him on the next flight to Venezuela!

Who do you work for? CIA? NSC?

Private investigator

Tuchman Marsh! […]

Is that a law firm?

Private investigator

No, a rock band. Yes, it’s a law firm.

Why are you following me?

Private investigator

Divorce action, numb nuts. […]

[Emotional]

Sandy…

Private investigator

Jesus. Grow up, man. It happens to everybody.

You think that might be enough carrots?

… What?

For the salad.

You know, you really are a negative person.

What?

I've tried to ignore it, to remain upbeat.

Harry, stop the foolishness.

Stop the foolishness?

Yes, and behave. You are not speaking to one of your "shithole buddies". [Harry storms out]

I know you. You're the guy from the gym.

Ted

I'm not here representing Hardbodies.

Oh yes. I know very well what you represent. You represent the idiocy of today.

Ted

I don't represent that, either. […]

You're in league with that moronic woman. You're part of a league of morons.

Ted

No. No.

Oh yes. You see, you're one of the morons I've been fighting my whole life, my whole **** life. But guess what? Today, I win.

Palmer

Um, there is--

What?

Palmer

Um--

What?

Palmer

There is the woman, the gym woman, Linda Litzke--

[exasperatedly]

Oh, ****, yeah! God! Where is she?

Palmer

Oh, we picked her up, we, we have her.

"We have her"? To-to-to do what with?

Palmer

She says she'll, uh, "play ball", if we pay for, um, some--I know this sounds odd--some surgeries that she wants. Cosmetic surgery. She says she'll sit on everything.

How much?

Palmer

There were several procedures, altogether they--

[dismissively]

Pay it.

Palmer

Well, um, this analyst--Cox--was attacking the gym guy. Um, it was in broad daylight, on the street, and our man did not know what to do, felt he had to step in.

...yes?

Palmer

He, um, he shot the analyst. He shot Cox.

Good.

[Palmer reacts with a surprised look on his face]

Great! Is he dead?

Palmer

No sir, he's in a coma.

Palmer
[the CIA Supervisor reacts with a disappointed look on his face]

Um, they don't think he's gonna make it. They--they--they don't think--they're pretty sure that he has no, ah, no brain function.

[sighing]

Okay. Okay. If he wakes up, we'll worry about it then.

[Palmer enters his CIA supervisor's office]

Palmer? What's up?

Palmer

Ah, not quite certain, sir, but it's...messy.

Palmer
[Palmer hands his supervisor a classified file]

Kalima 2 tells us they have computer files from an ex-analyst of mine, Osbourne Cox.

Kalima 2...?

Palmer

Our man in the Russian embassy.

Hmm.

Palmer

They were brought in to them by a woman--

[interrupting]

The Russians?

Palmer

Yeah. It was, ah, brought in by a woman named Linda Litzke, an associate of a guy named Harry Pfarrer. Her picture's in the file, with Pfarrer's.

The Russians?

Throw it out?!

You can't do that! You should put a note up in the ladies' locker room.

Put a note up? "Highly classified shit found, Signals Intelligence shit, CIA shit? Hello? Did you lose your secret CIA shit?" I don't think so.

[Leading Linda downstairs]

Yeah, I tell ya. I saw an ad for this in a gentlemen's magazine. Twelve hundred bucks, TWELVE HUNDRED BUCKS. I'm lookin' at this thing and I think, "You gotta be kiddin' me." I'm a hobbyist. Thing's basically nothing but speed rails. I figure I'd go down to Home Depot and whip this up myself for... a hundred bucks. [Pulls the tarp off the machine]

...What is it?

What is it?? [Points to the chair] You sit down there, make yourself comfortable, put your feet in the stirrups, and...

[Harry pushes the chair back, and when it comes forward, a dildo pushes up through a hole in the seat of the chair. The chair continues to rock back and forth, with the dildo going up and down]

Oh my God!...[Hushed voice] THAT'S FANTASTIC.

Something, isn't it? Hundred bucks, all in; not counting the labor and...the cost of the dildo -those things aren't cheap- See, I like to...I'm not set up to mold hard rubber.

Is this goat cheese?

Chevre, yes, that is a goat cheese.

Because I have lactose reflux. I can—

You're lactose intolerant? Or you have acid reflux? They're two different things.

I know what they are.

Then you misspoke.

[sarcastic]

Well thank you for correcting me.

[walking up]

Try the chevre, Harry, it's very good.

Oh, yeah, I can eat goat cheese.

What is going on?

Some clown—a couple of clowns got ahold of my memoirs.

Your what?

Stole it or... I have no idea how they—

Your what?

My memoirs... the book I'm writing.

Why in God's name would they think that's worth anything?!

[sleepily]

Hello?

Uhhh... Osbourne?... Osbourne Cox?

Yes?... Uh... Who is this?

Ummm... This ummm... Is this Osbourne Cox?

[still sleepy]

Who is this?.. What time is it?.. Who is?

Um... I'm a Good Samaritan... I'm sorry I'm calling at such an hour... But I thought you might be worried...

Worried?

About the security...... Of your shit.