Do you know what I would do if someone did that to me? I would kill him, I wouldn't hesitate. I would stab him 78 times. I would chop off his fingers, slash his throat open, carve numbers in his chest, gouge out his eyes, I swear to God!... But that's me.
Martin Vail
Richard Gere · 14 quotes
Roy
Edward Norton · 7 quotes
Janet
Laura Linney · 5 quotes
Judge Miriam Shoat
Alfre Woodard · 4 quotes
John Shaughnessy
John Mahoney · 3 quotes
Most scenes together: Martin Vail & Janet (5), Martin Vail & Judge Miriam Shoat (3), Martin Vail & John Shaughnessy (3)
Primal Fear quotes
Page 1 of 2
Joey Pinero How are they going to kill a man who never sleeps?
You are making a mockery of my courtroom and I'm not going to allow it. I suggest you start representing your client and stop representing yourself.
Naomi Chance But that means you have to change the plea to insanity, which you can't do mid-trial, unless of course you're planning on a career change.
Aaron Mr. Vail, will you t-tell Miss Venable I'm sorry? Tell her I hope her neck is OK.
Aaron What?
You told me you don't remember. You black out. So how do you know about her neck?
Aaron [pauses and stammers, then starts clapping]
Well... good for you, Marty. I was gonna let it go. You were looking so happy just now, I was thinking "hmmmm'? To tell you the truth, I'm glad you figured it. 'Cause I have been dyin' to tell you! I just didn't know who you'd wanna hear it from. Aaron or Roy or Roy or Aaron. Well I'll let you on a lil' secret, a client-attorney kind of secret. It don't matter who you hear it from, it's the same story! [stammering, like Aaron] I j-j-just had to kill Linda, Mr. Vail, that **** just got what she deserved. But... [speaking normally, like Roy] cuttin' up that son of a bitch Rushman? That was just a ****in' work of art! [Laughs]
You're good. You are really good.
Yeah I did get caught though didn't I?
Marty
So there never...there never was a Roy?
Jesus Christ, Marty. If that's what you think, I'm disappointed in you. There never was an Aaron, counselor. [winks] Come on, I thought you had it figured there at the end. The way you put me on the stand like that, that was brilliant. The whole "act-like-a-man" thing. I knew what you wanted. It was like we were dancing, Marty!
Don't be like that, Marty. We did it, man. We **** did it. We're a great team, you and me. You think I could've done this without you? [Martin continues walking out] You're feeling angry because you started to care about old Aaron, but... love hurts, Marty. What can I say? I'm just kidding, bud! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings! What else was I supposed to do?! You'll thank me down the road, 'cause this'll toughen you up, Martin Vail! You hear me? That's a promise!
[arguing before the judge]
Next thing you know, he'll be objecting to introducing the murder weapon into evidence!
Well, now that you bring it up...
No further questions your honor.
Where the hell do you think you're going?
Excuse me?
Hey you look at me when I'm talkin' to you, bitch!
Mr. Stampler!
**** you, lady! Come here!
You wanna play rough, let's play rough. Come on, lets play rough!
[Bailiff and secruity slowly walk toward Roy]
Yeah, keep comin' closer asshole, don't think I won't break her ****in' neck!
Roy, come on. I got...
**** you, Marty! I'm walkin' outta slowly. Really slow.
Listen to me Marty, it's a mistake to stick your thumbs in the eyes of the most powerful people in the city.
I'm not aiming for their eyes.
Don't **** with me, Marty.
[in her chambers]
If you think you're going to my courtroom to wage personal vendettas and settle old scores, you are sorely mistaken! I'm striking Shaughnessy's testimony from the record as irrelevant and I'm holding you in contempt in the amount of ten thousand dollars!
So... what you're telling me is my client can't get a fair trial in your courtroom?
Be very careful what you say in here, Mr. Vail! You're on dangerous ground here!
Fine! Do you want me to make that check out to you judge?
Am I OK? Do I seem OK? I get attacked by this sick twisted... I've lost the case and out of a job! So no, I'm not particularly OK, but you won! Justice was done, so who the hell cares, right? Congratulations! You knew didn't you? You knew if I went after him he'd wig out up there.
I knew he'd come out if he was threatened.
Who better to do that than me? You used me.
Yeah, I did. I had no choice. And what did I use that was so terrible? I knew you'd do your job and I knew you'd try to win the case. What's wrong with that?
I lost my **** job.
And that's good. You should've left them years ago.
Oh, Jesus! Why do you think you always know what's best for me?
[to Shaughnessy in court]
It's confusing to me because I have document here from your office that says last year Michael O'Donnell spoke to the supervisor of that unit over a period of two weeks explaining to him - in graphic detail - of the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of Archbishop Rushman. Isn't it also true, Mr. State's attorney, that your "friend" Archbishop Rushman was not going to stand trial for any of it? He owed you big time. You must've been very pissed off when he pulled out of the South River construction deal. What happened? He finally said "I can't take it anymore" and you said "no". You and your investors had sixty millions reasons to kill him!
Objection!
Sustained! You're out of order, Mr. Vail!
Come on... all you have to do is turn around.
I thought you liked it better like this. That way you don't have to look at the person.
You're mean. Look at me. Come on. Let's go find a bar you can still smoke in.
Thanks for the invite, but I don't like one-night stands all that much.
We saw each other for months.
It was a one-night stand, Marty. It just lasted six months.
Mr. Pinero has never been convicted of anything. Cops jumped him, he was left bleeding in the snow. It's a miracle he survived. Having said that, I am not opposed to a settlement.
A million-five and Pinero leaves the state.
You can't limit a citizen's right to live wherever he wants to. Legally, that's unenforceable.
Whether or not it's enforceable or just a gentleman's agreement, Mr. Pinero will know what we want.
Yeah, I'm Martin Vail, from the public defender's office. I'm handling the Aaron Stampler case.
Cop Hmm, The Butcher Boy.
Yes, thank you, I forgot his real name.
: On my first day of law school, my professor says two things. "First, from this day forward, when your mother tells you she loves you - get a second opinion."
Jack Connerman [chuckles]
And?
"If you want justice, go to a whorehouse. If you wanna get ****, go to court."