Hank Mitchell Quotes in King Kong Lives (1986)

Amy Franklin: [feels sorry for Hank, who is miserably huddled and shivering with just a blanket wrapped around him while she is nestled comfortably and warmly inside her snug sleeping bag, and so she turns over with a slightly resigned air, unzips the side of the sleeping bag, casts open the entire length of the upper half, and smiles up at Hank invitingly]

Hank Mitchell: [in a tone of slightly surprised hesitation] Uhhh... are you *sure* about this?

Amy Franklin: [in a casual friendly tone, referring to Kong's having prepared a comfy spot on the nearby grassy plateau for Lady Kong and him to sleep] Yeah, why not... we're primates, too.

[Hank talks to the FBI agent about their stories to the police]

Neil Baxter: Looks like we're both gonna have an awful lot of explaining to do.

Hank Mitchell: Just me.

[Hank shoots the gun into Baxter's head]

[Hank worries Sarah with the supposed FBI agent coming through town in search of the plane]

Sarah Mitchell: You've gotta remember how people see you. You're just a normal guy, a nice, sweet, normal guy.

Hank Mitchell: They're gonna know.

Sarah Mitchell: No, they won't. Nobody would ever believe that you'd be capable of doing what you've done.

[first lines]

Hank Mitchell: [narrating] When I was still just a kid, I remember my father telling me what he thought that it took for a man to be happy. Simple things, really. A wife he loves, a decent job, friends and neighbors who like and respect him. And for a while there, without hardly even realizing it, I had all that. I was a happy man.

[Jacob lays in Hank's daughters' bed as Hank tries to comfort him]

Hank Mitchell: Hey, you remember this? Everything goes to sleep.

Hank Mitchell: [Hank presses on Jacob's head] Your head goes to sleep. Remember when dad used to do that?

Hank Mitchell: [Hank presses on Jacob's shoulders] Your shoulders go to sleep.

Hank Mitchell: [Hank presses on Jacob's arms] Your arms go to sleep.

Hank Mitchell: [Hank presses on Jacob's back] Your back goes to sleep.

[Lou tries to encourage Hank to split the money with them from the gym bag]

Lou Chambers: It's the American Dream in a goddamn gym bag!

Lou Chambers: [Lou looks to Jacob] He... He just wants to walk away from it.

Hank Mitchell: You work for the American Dream. You don't steal it.

Lou Chambers: Then this is even better.

[Jacob tries to tell Hank that their father killed himself]

Jacob Mitchell: Hank, Dad killed himself, you know that?

Hank Mitchell: What? What are you talking about? Come on what are you talking about? He was drunk, he had a wreck.

Jacob Mitchell: On Jacksborough Road, that's like that ramp is where he went everyday. He don't go the wrong way over on a ramp like that. He'd been on that thing 8,000 times a year, you know. You think all of a sudden he forgot his way? Good grief. He figured that insurance would be... You know, it'd take care of the whole deal. He wanted to, you know...

Hank Mitchell: [Hank in disbelief] What... No, no... What? What?

Jacob Mitchell: You know that, Hank? I mean think about it.

[Hank thinks about it for the first time]

[Hank argues with the customer Mr. Schmidt]

Mr. Schmitt: You listening to me, Hank? Every Monday I come down here, buy two bags of feed regular as clock work. Two bags a week, four times a month. That's eight bags I'm supposed to be billed for. I don't know how else to get through to you.

Hank Mitchell: Look, December started on a Monday, Mr. Schmidt. So there were five Mondays in the month. So you came in here fives times...

Mr. Schmitt: Are you telling me their were five weeks last month?

Hank Mitchell: No, sir, I'm... I'm telling you there were five... Five Mondays.

[Jacob helps Hank after the crows attack Hank inside the plane]

Jacob Mitchell: Hey, did you... Did you... Did you see... Did you see all them birds?

Hank Mitchell: [Hank bleeds from his forehead] Did I see the birds?

[Lou talks to Hank while drunk at the bar]

Lou Chambers: I guess what I'm trying to say is, well maybe I misjudged you, Hank. 'Cause, I mean, you're a bit more... well, I don't know, let's say... serious than a guy like me. And you know, well maybe sometimes you can come across like you sort of got a stick up your ass. I mean to... to someone who doesn't really know you. To someone who can't get beneath that first impression. And okay, okay maybe... maybe sometimes... well... I can come off a little bit like an asshole. You think?

Hank Mitchell: No, come on.

Lou Chambers: Yeah. Oh, no, no, no! No. I know what I'm talking about.

Lou Chambers: [Lou pauses before laughing] But fuck it.

[Hank and Sarah discuss if the FBI agent could be the brother of the dead man in the plane]

Hank Mitchell: Well, it doesn't make a difference, does it? I mean, no matter who he is I still have to take him to the plane.

Sarah Mitchell: Well, if we think it's him, you shouldn't go.

Hank Mitchell: Why not?

Sarah Mitchell: Because he's going to shoot all three of you, Hank. As soon as he sees the plane. That's why he wants you to go, so he can get rid of the witnesses.

Hank Mitchell: But if he's really from the FBI, and I don't show up, it's gonna look as suspicious as hell.

[Jacob picks Hank up from home, when Jacob looks down at Hank's porch]

Jacob Mitchell: Hey, you know, you need to shovel this shit off of your, uh... whatcha you call it deal there.

Hank Mitchell: I'll pay you a quarter to do it.

Jacob Mitchell: [Jacob laughs] I could use it.

[Hank tries to stop Jacob and Lou from going after the fox in the woods]

Hank Mitchell: Hey, what are you doing? It's a nature preserve. You know that.

Jacob Mitchell: So what?

Hank Mitchell: So you can't hunt out here. Come on, put the gun back.

Jacob Mitchell: But it... but it messed up my truck.

Hank Mitchell: Well, so what? Come on.

Lou Chambers: Hey, hey, Hank... It's not like we're hunting out here. Uh-uh. We're collecting a debt.

Jacob Mitchell: [Lou and Jacob laugh together] That's right. We're collecting a debt.

[Lou makes fun of Hank when he runs after them in the snow]

Lou Chambers: Just look at him. He runs like my wife.

Hank Mitchell: Hey, come on, wait up! Come on, I'm not dressed for this shit!

Lou Chambers: Don't get those penny loafers wet.

[Hank, Jacob, and Lou walk around in the woods looking for the fox]

Jacob Mitchell: Wish we had something to drink.

Lou Chambers: [Lou pulls a beer can out of his jacket] Always be prepared.

Hank Mitchell: Oh, that's a good idea. Let's all start drinking now.

[Lou fakes a snowball throw at Hank]

Lou Chambers: Now, you see... that's what you might call an insinuating throw. Remember? You said that to me last time I saw you. You could've just said 'hint'. But no. You had to put on airs, show us all them fancy words you know.

Hank Mitchell: What, do you sit around, you think of this stuff? When was that, two months ago?

Lou Chambers: [Lou throws the snowball out in the snow-covered field] Kiss my ass.

[as the plane is revealed]

[Lou suggests that the three of them keep the money and not turn it in to the police]

Hank Mitchell: [Hank laughs] He wants to keep it. Well, that's a hot one.

Lou Chambers: Why wouldn't we?

Hank Mitchell: Why wouldn't we?

Lou Chambers: Yeah.

Hank Mitchell: Because we'd go to prison.

Lou Chambers: Why?

Hank Mitchell: Why? Because it's stealing.

Lou Chambers: Stealing. Stealing from who? From him?

Lou Chambers: [Lou points to the dead pilot in the plane, chuckling] Hell, he won't mind.

Jacob Mitchell: [Jacob smiles] Oh, 'cause he's dead, right? That's pretty funny. He's dead, he won't mind... Right?

[Lou bets Hank that nobody is looking for the money]

Hank Mitchell: Hey, what if there's a reward? Maybe there's a reward, and they'll give us...

Lou Chambers: Maybe there's not. How about this. I tell you what... I bet you $10,000... Just one of these packets... That when they find this plane, there's no mention of this money.

[Lou hands Hank a packet of the money]

[Hank asks Sarah what she would do if she found $4 million as she tends to the cut on his forehead]

Hank Mitchell: What if you were walking in the woods... And you found a bag full of money, let's say $4 million. Would you keep it?

Sarah Mitchell: Of course not. Here. Hold that.

Hank Mitchell: How come?

Sarah Mitchell: Well, for starters, it'd be stealing.

Hank Mitchell: We're talking about lost money here, nobody's looking for it.

Sarah Mitchell: Give me that. Four million dollars of lost money?

Hank Mitchell: Yeah.

Sarah Mitchell: That nobody's looking for?

Hank Mitchell: Yeah.

Sarah Mitchell: Well, then so whose money is it?

Hank Mitchell: Yours.

[Sarah questions Hank on where the money came from]

Sarah Mitchell: Whose money was it before?

Hank Mitchell: A bank robber's.

Sarah Mitchell: So, then, it's the bank's money?

Hank Mitchell: All right, it's a... a drug dealer's.

Sarah Mitchell: It was... Hank. I mean, this is really silly. Obviously you want me to say something in particular. I don't know what it is, but you want me to agree with you or say that you're right or something. But I wouldn't take it. That's just me. I wouldn't.

[Hank pours the bag of money out in front of Sarah]

[Hank and Sarah discuss whether keeping the money is a crime]

Hank Mitchell: Nobody gets hurt by us keeping it. I mean, that's what, that's what makes it a crime, doesn't it? Somebody getting hurt?

Sarah Mitchell: What makes it a crime is it's against the law. It doesn't matter if somebody gets hurt or they don't. If you get caught then you go to jail.

Hank Mitchell: Yeah, but nobody's gonna get caught. The money is the only evidence that we've done something wrong. We sit on it, we see what happens. If somebody comes searching for it, then we just burn it and that will be that. There's no risk. We'll always be in control.

[Sarah tells Hank in bed to go back to the crash site]

Sarah Mitchell: You have to go back and return some of the money.

Hank Mitchell: What?

Sarah Mitchell: A lot. Like 500,000. You see, that way when they find the plane they'll assume nobody's been there yet. It'll put us beyond suspicion. No one could walk away from that much money...

Hank Mitchell: Wait a second. We're gonna keep the rest?

Sarah Mitchell: You'll have to go in the morning, so when it storms later it'll cover your tracks.

[Hank uses Jacob for a lookout as he revisits the crash site]

Hank Mitchell: If somebody comes by, you pretend you're changing the tire.

Jacob Mitchell: You know, that's not gonna work.

Hank Mitchell: What do you mean it's not gonna work?

Jacob Mitchell: Well, nobody is going to believe that it's not flat.

Hank Mitchell: [Hank looks at the truck] Oh... you're kind of crafty.

Jacob Mitchell: I observe things.

Hank Mitchell: Observe and learn, my friend. Observe and learn.

Jacob Mitchell: [when Hanks lets the air out of the tire as Jacob smiles] That's cool.

[Jacob tells Hank that he wants the farm, that the farm is his home]

Hank Mitchell: Jacob, you got the whole world.

Jacob Mitchell: I don't wanna hear that.

Hank Mitchell: You can go anywhere you want.

Jacob Mitchell: This is what I want. This is... This is where I wanna be. It's my home, Hank.

[Hank tears up tapping Jacob's shoulder]

[Lou goes to Hank asking for his share of the money]

Lou Chambers: Just give me one packet okay? Just one packet, you know? I'll come back later for the rest.

Hank Mitchell: Ask me again and I'll go burn it tomorrow morning. Is that clear?

Lou Chambers: Bluff.

Hank Mitchell: What?

Lou Chambers: Yeah it's a bluff. B-L-U-F-F.

Hank Mitchell: Oh, well why don't you call it then and just see what happens.

[Lou pleads to Hank that he needs money]

Lou Chambers: [the two whisper as Sarah sleeps] I need my share, Hank. I do. I'm broke... And I owe people money.

Hank Mitchell: Well, Christ Lou, what can I...

Lou Chambers: I need some help here, man.

Hank Mitchell: Okay, just wait here.

Hank Mitchell: [Hank goes into the closet by his front door to get Lou some money, as he returns] Here, here.

Lou Chambers: [Lou states aloud] $40?

[Sarah takes a bear out of a paper bag that Jacob gave to their newborn daughter for a present]

Sarah Mitchell: Oh, it's used.

Hank Mitchell: Let me see that. Oh my gosh... This was his. When we were kids.

Sarah Mitchell: Oh, I guess it's sweet of him then, isn't it?

Hank Mitchell: [Hank begins winding the music in the bear] Buddy the Bear.

[Hank and Jacob argue about covering themselves from Lou turning them both in]

Hank Mitchell: I can't afford to go to prison, Jacob. I mean, what about Sarah, huh? What are they going to do?

Jacob Mitchell: [Jacob pauses looking over to his old Christmas tree] I'm gonna have to get rid of that Christmas tree out of here it's too dry. It's going to start a fire.

Hank Mitchell: Do you... Are you paying attention here? Pay attention! What would Dad want us to do, huh?

Jacob Mitchell: I got too much to think about. Don't bring up Dad, please Hank.

Hank Mitchell: Don't you think he'd want us to stick together?

Jacob Mitchell: Don't say that. I mean, you don't know what the hell Dad would do. That's fucked up. Don't - Don't bring him up!

[Jacob picks on Hank and the way he's fake drinking his whiskey]

Jacob Mitchell: You see this... You see the way this guy drinks. You see Hank take a drink of that whiskey. It's like... it's like...

Jacob Mitchell: [Jacob imitates the sip of his drink like Hank, as Lou chuckles] Like fucking you know like... what is this like? Some kind of commercial? For... Preparation 'X' or something like that. Like he lives on Primrose Lane. Drink like some God damn bird or something.

Hank Mitchell: You gonna start playing big brother now teaching me how to drink my whiskey?

Jacob Mitchell: [Jacob imitates Hank sipping his drink again] You ever seen anybody drink like that before?

Lou Chambers: [Lou chuckles] No. Tell you the truth I've never seen anybody drink like that before.

Jacob Mitchell: I don't... I don't drink like that. My dad didn't drink like that.

[Hank reveals the tape recording to Lou of him drunkenly confessing to Dwight Stephanson's murder]

Lou Chambers: Nobody is going to believe that. I mean... I mean it's obvious I'm just kidding around on there isn't it Jake?

Hank Mitchell: Why would... why would anyone believe it? I mean... let's just think about this. If you and I both go into Carl's office tomorrow afternoon and we both claimed the other one killed Dwight Stephanson who do you think he's going to believe, huh? You? A 40 year old unemployed high school drop-out who's proud of people calling him the town drunk or me? I've got a job. I don't get drunk and... and scream obscenities at my wife in public, I don't pass out on other people's doorways. I wonder who he's going to believe. Yeah... now we're all back in the same boat again. Isn't that right Jacob?

Hank Mitchell: [Lou looks at Jacob] You seem to have forgotten we're all in this together.

[Nancy cries over Lou's dead body as Hank tries to come up with a story of self-defense]

Hank Mitchell: [to Nancy] We have to decide what we're going to say. We have to decide what we're going to say.

Nancy Chambers: What

Hank Mitchell: You saw what happened. It was an accident. It was an accident.

Nancy Chambers: You fucking killed him.

Hank Mitchell: He got drunk. He went crazy. It was an accident.

Nancy Chambers: You killed him for the money!

Hank Mitchell: No, nobody killed him for the money.

Nancy Chambers: You killed him for the money.

Hank Mitchell: [Hank calmly whispers to Nancy] You can have his share. You can have it.

Nancy Chambers: [Nancy begins screaming while swinging punches at Hank] You fucking think I'm going to let you buy me?

[Jacob tells Hank about the only girl he was ever in a relationship with]

Jacob Mitchell: You know, maybe I can get a family of my own now. I mean, with the money and all. Don't you think somebody would marry me if I'm rich?

Hank Mitchell: [Hank sighs] You don't need money for that.

Jacob Mitchell: [Jacob stares at Hank] Hank.

Hank Mitchell: Hey, come on, what about, uh... What was her name? Carrie Richards? She liked you even though you were a broke-dick.

Jacob Mitchell: Oh, her. Yeah. That was a whole different deal. That was... her friends, they pitched in 100 bucks altogether and bet her that she wouldn't go steady with me for a month.

Hank Mitchell: [Hank hangs his head] Jesus, Jacob. I... I thought you guys had a thing.

Jacob Mitchell: I don't know, it... it weren't that bad. I mean actually... it was kind of cool. We used to walk around together a lot, you know. Take walks, you know? And, uh, we talked about all kind of cool stuff. I held hands with her one time. We were walking around, but my hand sweated so much, she kind of had to let it go. I was nervous, I guess. But it was cool. When the month was over, she, uh... you know, kinda would say hi to me sometimes in the hallway when I'd see her. She didn't have to do that. That was cool of her.

[Hank takes Jacob home after Jacob is depressed over Lou's murder]

Jacob Mitchell: Hey, Hank? I'm gonna be happy now, right?

Hank Mitchell: Sure you are. We all are.

Jacob Mitchell: Yeah, that's right. We all are.

[Sarah and Hank discuss the plane the supposed FBI agent is looking for]

Sarah Mitchell: There's no way it's from the armored car robbery.

Hank Mitchell: This isn't a guess, honey. The guy from the FBI told me.

Sarah Mitchell: It doesn't make sense. The kidnapping made sense.

Hank Mitchell: He's looking for a plane full of money. I mean, how many of those can there be around here?

Sarah Mitchell: It was 100 dollar bills, Hank. If it was an armored car robbery, there'd be other denominations. There'd be 50's and 20's and 10's.

Hank Mitchell: Well, congratulations, Sarah. I guess you know more than the FBI.

[Hank and Sarah argue with each other about coming up with a plan with the supposed fake FBI agent]

Sarah Mitchell: Do you want to just walk out there and get shot by this guy?

Hank Mitchell: No, I don't wanna walk out there and get shot!

Sarah Mitchell: Well, I'm trying to come up with a plan.

Hank Mitchell: A plan?

Sarah Mitchell: Yeah.

Hank Mitchell: Like the one to take the money back to the plane, and we end up killing Stephanson. Or maybe the one where we tape Lou and two more people end up dead. Is that the sort of plan you're thinking of? Well, I've got a plan! I'm taking the money back right now, all of it!

[Sarah fights with Hank about their life going back to before finding the money]

Sarah Mitchell: Is that what you think you want? Walking off to the feed store every morning for the next 30 years, waiting for Tom Butler to retire or die so you can finally get a raise. And what about Amanda? Do you think she's gonna like growing up with somebody else's hand-me-down clothes? Playing with some kid's old toys because we can never afford to by her anything new?

Hank Mitchell: [Hank whispers] Don't say any more.

Sarah Mitchell: And me. What about me? Spending the rest of my life, eight hours a day, with a fake smile plastered on my face checking out books. And then coming home to cook dinner for you, the same meals over and over again, whatever the week's coupons will allow. Only going out to restaurants for special occasions, birthdays or anniversaries. And even then having to watch what we order. Skipping the appetizer, coming home for dessert. You think that's gonna make me happy?

Hank Mitchell: [Hank whispers] That's enough.

Sarah Mitchell: No, no. I haven't done Jacob yet. It's back to the welfare office for Jacob. The occasional odd job. But with Lou gone now... just himself and his dog, all alone in that filthy apartment. How long do you give him, Hank?

Hank Mitchell: [Hank screams] Stop it!

Sarah Mitchell: Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Everything like it used to be.

[Jacob hands Hank the gun to kill him]

Jacob Mitchell: Make it look like the bad guy did it, Hank.

Hank Mitchell: What? Come on. We're almost home.

Jacob Mitchell: I'm tired, Hank. And... and I don't care. It's okay with me. I'm not... I'm not afraid.

Hank Mitchell: No, Jacob.

Jacob Mitchell: I'm not afraid. It's perfect.

Hank Mitchell: Stop that, Jacob.

Jacob Mitchell: It's... it's perfect!

[Jacob tells Hank that he doesn't want to be there anymore]

Jacob Mitchell: This is... this is the only thing. See, I don't wanna sit around the rest of my life thinking of this shit. I can't do it. Sit on the porch and drink. I can't do it, so you're gonna have to do it.

Hank Mitchell: Couple more hours, we'll be home.

Jacob Mitchell: You can do this, it's gonna be perfect for you. And you got something. You got something to go on for, Hank, and you know it. I don't wanna be here.

Hank Mitchell: No, please. No.

Jacob Mitchell: Come on, Hank. Let me do something. You just tell the little girl that I... that, you know, the bear was from me. You know?

Jacob Mitchell: [Hank pauses as Jacob smiles] If you love me, Hank, you'll do it.

[Jacob holds a pistol to shoot himself in the head if Hank won't]

Jacob Mitchell: I'll give you a chance. I won't look at you. I won't look at you, Hank. But if you don't do it... then I'm gonna do it, and then we're both gonna be fucked, aren't we? And we don't need to both be fucked. I'll... I'll do it, Hank, I'm telling you I will.

Hank Mitchell: No!

Jacob Mitchell: Boy, it's funny about finding this fucking plane, wasn't it?

Hank Mitchell: [Hank raises up his pistol and shoots Jacob in the back, crying out] Jacob!

[Hank talks to the FBI agents about the money]

FBI Agent Renkins: It's only part of it. We're still tracking down the rest.

FBI Agent Freemont: Yeah. It's just a matter of time.

Hank Mitchell: A matter of time?

FBI Agent Renkins: Well, we had the money for 2 hours before the kidnappers picked it up. Couldn't mark it. We were afraid they'd detect the markings and kill the girl. So, um... We put together a task force of 20 agents, and they wrote down as many of the serial numbers as they could. They managed to record just around 5,000 of them. It's one out of the ten of the bills. Now, it's simply a matter of waiting for the numbers to turn up. Can't go around passing $100 bills without eventually sticking in someone's memory.

[last lines]

Hank Mitchell: [narrating] There are days when I manage not to think of anything at all. Not the money... Or the murders... Or Jacob. Days when Sarah and I try to pretend we're just like everyone else... as if none of it ever happened. Those days are few and far between.

[Hank tries to warn Carl at the plane about the fake FBI agent]

Hank Mitchell: Pull your gun on him. Make him show you his badge!

Carl: What?

Hank Mitchell: He's got a gun! He's got a gun! He's not FBI. He's lying. He's got a gun!