Cris Johnson quotes from Next (2007)

Cris Johnson

Well, that's magic, folks — and that's why I'm here.

Cris Johnson

You've probably seen a lot of those shows — mentalists, magicians, illusionists. You'd be shocked to know that sometimes — not often, but sometimes — it's the real deal. Masquerading as an act. Hiding behind a few fifty dollar tricks. Hiding in plain sight. Because if the magician doesn't do that, the alternative is impossible for others to live with. Anyway, Wednesday night at the Back Page doesn't pay very well, so I gamble. But I don't play against other people, only against the house. So, no mega-jackpots, no long shots. The idea is to go unnoticed. That way I can keep coming back. I'm not a god. I can't see everyone's future, only my own. And only within two minutes. Except for when I saw her.

Cris Johnson

If I do what you want, you'll keep me in this chair forever.

Callie Ferris

I'm sure you know why I'm here. Because you're the man who knows what I'm going to do before I do it, right?

Cris Johnson

Oh — the show. Right. Right! I saw you there. Wonderful. You like magic tricks.

Callie

Yeah. Yeah, I do like your magic tricks, clairvoyance… whatever you're calling it. Let's talk about something hard. A stolen nuclear munition is being smuggled into the United States, or may, in fact, already be here. I want you to look ahead and tell me where it's going to be deployed.

Cris

Uh... I think you've got the wrong guy. It's a magic act.

Callie

You going to stick with that story? Because millions of lives are at risk and you could, maybe, prevent a major catastrophe. On a practical note: we're standing in front of a stolen vehicle and you're wanted for assault involving a weapon at the casino.

Cris

All right — that was an accident. He had a gun. He was going to shoot two people.

Callie

Yeah? How'd you know that?
No good deed goes unpunished, does it?
I can fix your legal problems, buddy, but you've got to step up. Otherwise, your next magic show is going to be at Folsom State Prison.

Cris

It's ironic, but people like you, who try to "help", have been torturing me, in the full sense of the word, since I was three years old. What did they call it? Oh, yeah. Observed play therapy. Featuring, the marathon 36-hour, can-you-guess-the-next-flash-card game. So, please, leave me alone and let me live some semblance of a normal life.

Callie

I'd love to indulge your feelings, but I am dealing with a slightly larger picture right now. Now you can exercise your responsibility to help your fellow man or I will exercise that responsibility for you.

Callie

Let's see. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?"

Irv

Oh, no! Who's watching ninja turtles?! Honey, who's watching the ninja turtles.

Cris

Why are you ninja turtles?!?!

Cris

It's amazing isn't it? I end up in a diner where you are, and were both headed in the same direction.

Liz

Well, I don't know if I'd call it amazing but…

Cris

Destiny. That's what it really is.

Liz

Okay… I'm starting to get that "psycho vibe."

Cris

Oh, no. You don’t believe in destiny?

Liz

Well, even if it does exist, I don't think I want to know. If every move we make is preordained, then what's the point in that? I mean, life is supposed to be a surprise. Isn't it?

Cris

It would be nice.

Cris

Wow. That was incredible.

Liz

What was?

Cris

This.[kisses her]

Cris

There's an Italian painter, named Carletti, and, uh, ahem , he defined beauty. He said it was the summation of the parts working together in such a way that nothing needed to be added, taken away or altered, and that's you. You're beautiful.

Liz

Wow.

Cris

The man in that casino would have killed two people. It happened. It just hadn't happened yet.

Liz

Oh my God. You are delusional.

Liz

How are you doing this?

Cris

I have no idea how, but I can. I was born with it.

Liz

Is this some kind of a trick?

Cris

You know we don’t have time for that. You said anything was possible.

Liz

So you see things before they happen? You see the future?

Cris

My future. What'll effect me — and only two minutes ahead. Except you. For some reason I saw you. For some reason I saw you far beyond anything I'd ever seen before, and I don’t know why.

Liz

I don't understand. If you can help them why don't you?

Cris

Because I can't. I can only give them a two minute head start. And that's if my life is personally involved.

Liz

But with me you can see further.

Cris

Yeah. But they don't know that. [suddenly moves back, takes an envelope from his jacket] There's almost ten thousand dollars in this envelope. They know about you. You need to get away from here.

Cris

You're going to be okay Liz.

Mr. Smith

Back off!

Cris

I've seen every possible ending here. None of them are good for you.

Mr. Smith

I'll take my chances. One more step, fortuneteller, and it definitely won't be good for you.

Cris

You have one way out of this. [Smith holds up the detonator; Ferris shoots it out of his hand] That wasn't it.

Cris

There's something I've got to do. I can't put it off any longer.

Liz

Are you coming back?

Cris

Yeah. It might be a week, or a month. But if you can wait, I'll find you.