Nathan Muir Quotes in Spy Game (2001)

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] When I was a kid I used to spend summers on my uncle's farm. And he had this plow horse he used to work with everyday. He really loved that plow horse. One summer she came up lame. It could barely stand. The vet offered to put her down. You know what my uncle said?

Charles Harker: [inside a CIA briefing room] No, Muir, what did he say?

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] He said, why would I ask somebody else to kill a horse that belonged to me?

Tom Bishop: Don't tell me that. Don't fucking tell me that. You didn't look in his eyes. Don't tell me that!

Nathan Muir: He was your asset, somebody you use for information.

Tom Bishop: Ah, Jesus Christ, you just... You don't just trade these people like they're baseball cards! It's not a fucking game!

Nathan Muir: Oh, yes it is. It's exactly what it is. And it's no kid's game either. This is a whole other game. And it's serious and it's dangerous. And it's not one you want to lose.

Tom Bishop: Nathan, we killed this man. We used him and we killed him. Okay, then you got to help me understand this one. You got... Nathan, what are we doing here? And don't give me some bullshit about the greater good.

Nathan Muir: That's exactly what it's about. Because what we do is unfortunately very, very necessary. And if you're not willing to sacrifice scum like Schmidt for those that want nothing more than their freedom, then you better take a long hard look at your chosen profession my friend. Because it doesn't get any easier. You wanna walk? You wanna walk, walk.

Gladys Jennip: [over the phone] I've got Commander Wiley.

Nathan Muir: [over the phone] Ok, connect us.

Commander Wiley - Rescue Sequence: [over a satellite phone] Commander Wiley Sir. Package received, what's the verdict?

Nathan Muir: [over a satellite phone] We're "on" for tonight.

Commander Wiley - Rescue Sequence: [over a satellite phone] Roger sir, understand. Operation Dinner Out is a GO. Confirm.

Nathan Muir: [over the phone] Correct, Dinner out is a go.

Dr. William Byars: [overhearing Muir's side of the phone connection while inside a CIA briefing room] Dinner Out is a go? Hell of a way to speak to your wife.

Vincent Vy Ngo: [to Byars, while sitting next to him inside a CIA briefing room ] Why do you think they keep dumping him.

Gladys Jennip: [in Muir's office] Feeling a little paranoid on our last day?

Nathan Muir: [in Muir's office] When did Noah build the ark Gladys? Before the rain.

Tom Bishop: [inside a bar] All right, so what else? What else do I need to know?

Nathan Muir: Put away some money so you can die someplace warm and don't ever touch it. Not for anyone, ever.

Tom Bishop: Okay, is that it?

Nathan Muir: Don't "ever" risk your life for an asset. If it comes down to you or them... send flowers.

Nathan Muir: [to Duncan over the phone] If I'm walking into a shit storm I wanna know which way the wind's blowing.

Charles Harker: [inside a CIA briefing room] We need the press on this like we need a third tit.

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] You using the other two?

Nathan Muir: [drinking coffee while standing outside of the coffee shop] , showing Tom the apartment building across from then See that building across the way?

Tom Bishop: Yeah.

Nathan Muir: Do you know anyone there?

Tom Bishop: No.

Nathan Muir: In five minutes I want to see you on the balcony.

Tom Bishop: What do...

Nathan Muir: Five minutes.

Tom Bishop: Can't we discuss it over coffee?

Nathan Muir: You just lost ten seconds.

Nathan Muir: [continuing to train Tom, while both of them are walking on a street] Technology gets better everyday. That's fine. But most of the time all you need is a stick of gum, a pocket knife and a smile.

Nathan Muir: I take it you didn't get to be a marksman putting food on your mama's table.

Tom Bishop: No, sir. We have a Safeway back home.

Nathan Muir: Where'd you leard to shoot?

Tom Bishop: Boy scouts, sir.

Nathan Muir: What, are you kidding me?

Tom Bishop: No, sir.

Tom Bishop: Happy?

Nathan Muir: Seventy-four casualties, an apartment block leveled, one dead terrorist? Yeah, happy.

Tom Bishop: We have some fucked up barometer for success, don't we?

Charles Harker: [looking at Muir's wall with awards and commendation medals hung on them] If these walls could talk, huh. All this history, I envy you.

Nathan Muir: Then bag your job, you can be just like me.

Charles Harker: No, really. The debt this country owes you guys.

Nathan Muir: Chuck, are you gonna dance with your hand on my ass all night or are you gonna make your move?

Nathan Muir: Hell of an ad for the Boy Scouts.

Tom Bishop: [giving Muir a liquor flask, while eating break at a café] Happy Birthday, Nathan. Did you know Langley has seven different birth dates for you?

Nathan Muir: [while eating break at a café] And they're all wrong.

Tom Bishop: I know, believe me, it wasn't easy. KGB, Mossad, also wrong. Fortunately I was well trained.

Anna Cathcart: The Scotch is older than she is...

Nathan Muir: Am I supposed to feel bad about that?

Robert Aiken: [inside a CIA briefing room] Patricia?

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] Yeah, my third wife.

Dr. William Byars: [inside a CIA briefing room] My God, how many wives have you had?

Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] Four. You want to hear about them or Bishop?

Nathan Muir: You go off the reservation, I will not come after you.

Tom Bishop: Fuck your rules, Nathan.

Nathan Muir: Okay, but tonight they saved your life.

Nathan Muir: We didn't know when the Doc was going to be giving the Sheik his physical but it was our one and only opportunity to take him out. So I didn't have the usual time to butter him up. Which means we needed twice the sex with half the foreplay.

Nathan Muir: [referring to Tom taking the fall for their mistake] Troy, do you remember when we could tell the good guys from the bad guys?

Nathan Muir: [while siting in a restaurant while every diner at every table and every restaurant employee] The man reading the menu. Threat?

Tom Bishop: [seeing the reflection of the image of the man through a metal dome watching the hostess] Only to the hostess.

Gladys Jennip: [in Muir's office] What is this about?

Nathan Muir: [in Muir's office] Money. Free trade, microchips, toaster ovens.

Gladys Jennip: [in Muir's office] And what does that have to do with you?

Nathan Muir: [to Gladys as he leaves the office] Nothing.

Nathan Muir: [after Muir ordered him to solicit information from an attractive female] You just gave her four pieces of personal information for one dubious impersonal fact.

Tom Bishop: Just trying to find out where she got that dress.

Tom Bishop: [talking privately in a bar] I thought spies drank martinis.

Nathan Muir: [talking privately in a bar] Scotch, never less than twelve years old.

Tom Bishop: [talking privately in a bar] Is that right? Agency rules?

Nathan Muir: [talking privately in a bar] My rules.

Tom Bishop: Vodka did me in, I'm comin' home.

Nathan Muir: Throw out the bottle. They know.

Charles Harker: Maybe the payoff went to

[peruses paper]

Charles Harker: ... Digby Gibson, when you tipped off the press.

Nathan Muir: Troy?

Troy Fogler: Leave Digger outta this! His paper's a front; he's MI6's man in Hong Kong!

Tom Bishop: [talking privately on a stair case] Central Intelligence?

Nathan Muir: [talking privately on a stair case] You'd be working for me. Mostly undercover.

Tom Bishop: She's just someone I used to get to the camp.

Nathan Muir: She gonna be of any more use to us?

Tom Bishop: Not to us.

Tom Bishop: So, when do I get my first assignment?

Nathan Muir: When I decide you're ready.

Nathan Muir: She had worked both ends against the middle for so long, the middle decided to give up and go home.