Patrick Gates Quotes in National Treasure (2004)

Patrick Gates: [to Abigail] And he dragged you two into this nonsense?

Abigail Chase: Literally.

Riley Poole: I volunteered.

Patrick Gates: At least I had your mother, for however brief a time! At least I had you! What do you have?

[looks at Riley]

Patrick Gates: Him?

Ben Gates: I'm in a little trouble.

Patrick Gates: Is she pregnant?

Ben Gates: If she is would you leave the mother of your grandchild standing out in the cold?

Patrick Gates: Come in.

Abigail Chase: [to Riley] I look pregnant?

[He shakes his head]

Riley Poole: [examining the back of the Declaration] So if it's in invisible ink, how do we see it?

Patrick Gates: Throw it in the oven.

Abigail Chase, Ben Gates: NO!

Patrick Gates: This room is real, Ben. And that means the treasure is real. We're in the company of some of the most brilliant minds in history because you found what they left behind for us to find, and understood the meaning of it. You did it, Ben, for all of us - your grandfather, and all of us. And I've never been so happy to be proven wrong.

Ben Gates: Dad, where are the letters?

Patrick Gates: I don't have them, son.

Ben Gates: [pause] What?

Patrick Gates: I don't have them.

Ben Gates: [Another pause] Where are they?

Patrick Gates: I donated them to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Ben Gates: Time to go.

Patrick Gates: What is that? Animal skin? How old is it?

Ben Gates: About 200 years.

Patrick Gates: Sure?

Ben Gates: Pretty darn.

Patrick Gates: Cooperation only lasts as long as the status quo is unchanged. As soon as this guy gets to wherever this thing ends... he won't need you anymore, or... or any of us.

Ben Gates: So we find a way to make sure the status quo changes in our favor.

Patrick Gates: How?

Ben Gates: I'm still working on it.

Patrick Gates: Well, I guess I better work on it too, then.

Sadusky: [interrogating him after his son and the others ran away] And you have no idea where he went.

Patrick Gates: Well wouldn't I have told you if I did?

Sadusky: I don't know, would you?

Ben Gates: Are you all right?

Patrick Gates: What do you think? I'm a hostage.

Ben Gates: [upset] I just... really thought I was gonna find the treasure.

Patrick Gates: Okay. Then we just keep looking for it.

Abigail Chase: I'm in.

Patrick Gates: The status quo has changed, son.

Patrick Gates: I'm the family kook. I have a job, a house, health insurance...

Angry College Girl: [storming out of office] I *hate* her!

Patrick Gates: This is the right place.

Emily Appleton: [as Ben is reaching into a rock] This could be a horrible trap.

[to Patrick]

Emily Appleton: Tell him it could be a horrible trap.

Patrick Gates: It could be a horrible trap.

Ben Gates: [Ben begins screaming in pain, everyone else recoils] Sorry couldn't resist.

Patrick Gates: The Statue of Liberty! But which one?

Riley Poole: Exactly. Wait is there more than one?

Ben Gates: Before the Civil War, the states were all separate. People used to say "United States are." Wasn't until the war ended, people started saying "The United States is." Under Lincoln, we became one nation.

Patrick Gates: And Lincoln paid for it with his life.

Ben Gates: So did Thomas Gates.

Patrick Gates: Right.

Ben Gates: With his life.

Patrick Gates: [speaking to Abigail while gesturing at Emily] She fell in love with me on a treasure hunt!

Emily Appleton: That was not love - that was excitement, adrenaline, and tequila! Besides, I needed the course credit.

Ben Gates: [about the clues] Calm down. I sent a picture of the plank to your cell phone.

Patrick Gates: [surprised] You can do that?

Ben Gates: Where's the phone?

Patrick Gates: I don't know son. I can't find anything in this mess.

Ben Gates: It's only temporary 'til I can find a new place.

Patrick Gates: Find the old one. I like her!

Ben Gates: [thoughtful, looks at his hand] Surrender your hand to the heart of the warrior...

[prepares to stick his hand in]

Emily Appleton: Wait Ben, this could be a horrible trap.

[to Patrick]

Emily Appleton: Tell him this could be a horrible trap.

Patrick Gates: This could be a horrible trap.

Ben Gates: [sticks his hand in slowly and then screams. Starts laughing] I'm- I am sorry. I couldn't resist.

[Abigail pushes him]

[from trailer]

Patrick Gates: My first felony.

Ben Gates: Take it from the best. You're a natural.

Mitch Wilkinson: Your great-great granddaddy planned the assassination of President Lincoln.

Patrick Gates: It can't be.

Patrick Gates: [after being told the clues] The resolute desk. *The* resolute desk? The President's desk?

Riley Poole: [nervously] The President? Which President? Our President?

Abigail Chase: [sighing] Unfortunately, yes.

Riley Poole: [still nervous] But that means, so we have to... the White House?

Ben Gates: The Oval Office, to be exact.

Patrick Gates: [beat] Why would I overreact to that?

Patrick Gates: [talking to Ben about Wilkinson] You've got to find where that leads before they do!

[from trailer]

Patrick Gates: What is it about treasure that makes history so fascinating?