John Thornton quotes from The Call of the Wild (2020)

View Quote [about Spitz] A pack can only have one leader. Spitz has had enough.

View Quote [narrating] There's a place in these mountains where a new breed of timber wolf roams, wiser than men or wolf, because of the dog that runs at the head of a pack. Now... they live without fear, raise their young and flourish.

View Quote but now I say that you are a wonderful snow dog. you are now part of the pack

View Quote This is a map of the Yukon. My son was always reading adventure stories, crazy about the news coming out of the Yukon. Wasn't the gold, he didn't care about that, it was the mountains. He spent all day looking at maps and pictures of the mountains, dreaming about was on the other side, places no one had been, wild places. We could go, you and me, see what's out there. What do you think?

View Quote [last lines of the film; narrating] Some say that's the legend. Not so. You see, I knew him once, when he was just a dog at a men side. And even all this land is his, every summer, when he comes down to the valley, he remembers kind hands and old masters... before he went to his own... became his own master... before he heard the call.

View Quote Hal: Charles, persuade him, please.
Mercedes: Not the pup. Charles, put that down or I'll... I won't go a step! Charles!
[Charles raises his club until Thornton comes by]
John Thornton: Remember me? Yeah, I know. [walks over to Hal] Your rudders are frozen. If you help your dogs, it might allow you to take the gee pole and break them out.
Hal: Gee pole?

View Quote John Thornton: Where are you heading, mister?
Hal: None of your concern.
John Thornton: You didn't buy that map in Skagway, did you?
Hal: No.
John Thornton: An old fairy tale, lost cabin. [lifts up the sled] River of gold. It's not too far into the spring. Half that trail is on the river
Hal: Well, that leaves half the trail fit for travel.
John Thornton: No, that means the ice is gonna break up with your companions and the dogs on it. Why don't you lay over until the spring will thaw? Save your dogs and your companions are suffering.
Hal: And let some old prospector lead us to the gold.
John Thornton: I'm not a prospector.
Hal: No, thank you. I paid a fortune for this team. They'll pull my sled.
John Thornton: Your dogs will pull your sled, pull your sled until they die.
Hal: Thank you. Let's go. Alright, let's go!
Charles: And... mush!

View Quote Hal: Oh no. We're going across. Move! I say you go!
Mercedes: Hal, he can't!
Hal: Move.
[Hal pushes Buck out of the way. The dogs bark at him and Hal pulls out his gun]
Mercedes: Don't you dare!
[Hal aims his gun at Buck]
John Thornton: HEY!
[Hal stops and everyone looks at him holding him at gunpoint]
John Thornton: The river ice is gonna break up any minute, you fool! That dog is trying to help you keep your life!
[Thornton pushes Hal down a hill onto the ice and he points his gun at Mercedes and Charles]
Hal: Why are you so keen to stop us? Oh, you know where the gold is, don't you? [searches in the snow for his gun as Thornton cuts Buck from the harnesses and Hal fires a shot] YOU KEEP YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF MY DOGS!
Mercedes: Hal.
[Sol-leks growls and the other dogs bark at him]
Mercedes: Hal, he said we shouldn't cross.
Charles: Hal, are you sure that maybe we couldn't just leave the dogs.
Hal: NO! I CAN'T DO IT! MUSH!
[The dogs get up and continue moving forward as they look at Buck in sadness]
Hal: MUSH!
John Thornton: Don't do this! Not to them.
[Hal rides down onto the ice with Mercedes and Charles following him]
Hal: MUSH!

View Quote [Hal walks into the bar and punches Thornton, causing him to fall to the ground]
Hal: THEY'RE ALL GONE! MY DOGS RAN OFF! MY FORTUNE LOST! YOU CALL IT A FAIRY TALE?! [kicks Thornton] One won't be finding the gold!
[Buck bolts into the bar and attacks Hal as he screams. Two men hold him back as Buck continues to bark at Hal]
John Thornton: Easy, Buck! Easy! Buck! Easy.
Hal: Now, you all saw! This man and I had business and the dog went for my throat. Probably rabid.
[Buck lashes out at Hal and he falls to the ground]
John Thornton: Leave that dog alone!
Hal: I say he gets put down here and now.
John Thornton: You don't touch him!
Edenshaw: No one puts any creature down... 'til we hear all the facts.
John Thornton: The man sucker punched me!
[Buck barks at Hal and he backs away in fear]
John Thornton: Buck, easy.
Edenshaw: What might you have on that belt, friend?
[Edenshaw examines Hal's belt and pulls out his gun. Edenshaw shows it to the entire crowd and the bartender carries Hal outside]
Bartender: No guns allowed, BRUNT!
[The bartender throws Hal out onto the snow]