Ransom (1996 film)

Ransom is a 1996 film about a rich man who, when his son is kidnapped, cooperates with the police at first but then tries a unique tactic against the criminals.
 * Directed by Ron Howard. Written by Richard Price and Alexander Ignon.

Someone is going to pay.

Tom Mullen

 * You kill him, you kill yourself, you motherfucker! GIVE ME BACK MY SON!!!
 * [on live TV] The whole world now knows... my son, Sean Mullen, was kidnapped, for ransom, three days ago. This is a recent photograph of him. Sean, if you're watching, we love you. And this... well, this is what waits for the man that took him. This is your ransom. Two million dollars in unmarked bills, just like you wanted. But this is as close as you'll ever get to it. You'll never see one dollar of this money, because no ransom will ever be paid for my son. Not one dime, not one penny. Instead, I'm offering this money as a reward on your head. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter. So congratulations, you've just become a two million dollar lottery ticket... except the odds are much, much better. Do you know anyone that wouldn't turn you in for two million dollars? I don't think you do. I doubt it. So wherever you go and whatever you do, this money will be tracking you down for all time. And to ensure that it does, to keep interest alive, I'm running a full-page ad in every major newspaper every Sunday... for as long as it takes. But... and this is your last chance... you return my son, alive, uninjured, I'll withdraw the bounty. With any luck you can simply disappear. Understand... you will never see this money. Not one dollar. So you still have a chance to do the right thing. If you don't, well, then, God be with you, because nobody else on this Earth will be.
 * [to Cubby who's been shot] What is it? Come on, what is it? A name. I swear if you tell me, I'll make sure you get the best funeral there is.

Detective Jimmy Shaker

 * [on the phone with Tom] You think you're suffering right now? Huh? You got no idea what suffering is.
 * [to Tom] We do what you say, and we go to the bank. Anything goes wrong, you're gonna turn around and I'll be gone. Okay. And if that happens, from this day on, any time your kid leaves this house to go to school, go play, see a friend, to buy a fuckin' comic book, you're gonna have to ask yourself: Is today... Jimmy Shaker day?
 * I got to him once. I'll get him again. And when I do... I'm not gonna want money... anymore.

Dialogue

 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: [holding a gun to Cubby's head and clamping a hand on his mouth] Are you a known scumbag in this precinct? Go on, shake your head. Go on!
 * [Cubby nods]
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: Now, a high profile kid was snatched yesterday. You got no idea who knows about it. Cops, FBI, anybody, right?
 * [Cubby shakes his head]
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: So what do you do? You - a known scumbag - walk into a grocery store filled with cops and you ask for a box of kiddy cereal? Now, I don't know about you, but I think that makes you a four-star asshole. What do you think?
 * [Cubby nods. Shaker uncovers Cubby's mouth and puts his gun away]
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: What the hell were you gonna do with the videos? Kid's got tape on his eyes, for Christ's sake!
 * Cubby Barnes: I thought he could listen to 'em.
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: Jesus! Don't be stupid again.


 * Tom Mullen: Why would they ever let my son go, no matter what I do? I mean, no matter what I do... pay, don't pay, comply, tell him to go fuck himself - why would they give him back? I mean, he's a witness any way you cut it. It's all bullshit, it's all just... seven out of ten.
 * Kate Mullen: What are you saying?
 * Tom Mullen: All right: Morlock Man gets his money, I don't think we'll ever see Sean again. That's if he's still alive to begin with.
 * Agent Lonnie Hawkins: Whoa, now. Are you talking about not paying?
 * Kate Mullen: No! No, we pay him!
 * Tom Mullen: Now wait a minute. Listen to me... Morlock man says the pickup guy will give me an address for Sean. I get there, the guy sticks a gun in my face. I said, "You want the money, now give me the address? Where's the address?" You should've seen his face. He had no, absolutely NO idea what I was talking about. None!
 * Agent Lonnie Hawkins: Okay...
 * Tom Mullen: This is not business to him. This is very personal.
 * Agent Lonnie Hawkins: I tell you that everybody pays, and we get back 7 out of 10.
 * Tom Mullen: If we give him what he wants, he will kill Sean!
 * Agent Lonnie Hawkins: Tom, you've got to play the odds, man. I've been doing this for eighteen years, and if I were a betting man, I would bet on the people who pay every time, out of the gate.
 * Tom Mullen: Did you bet on the ones where you got back a corpse?


 * Sean Mullen: Can I have a bar of chocolate? Hey, I know you.
 * Maris Conner: No, you don't! Don't look at me! You don't know me!
 * [She puts fresh tape over his eyes]
 * Maris Conner: What? Do you think this isn't happening? What? You think your dad's gonna come in and save you? Is that what you think? Well, he ain't. Nobody's coming. All right? You understand that? Nobody's coming. Because this is it for you.


 * Tom Mullen: [phone ring. Tom answers] What?
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: You want to talk to your son?
 * Tom Mullen: Yes, of course I do.
 * Sean Mullen: [Jimmy puts phone up to Sean's mouth] Daddy? Dad?
 * [Jimmy pulls phone away]
 * Tom Mullen: Sean. Sean. How ar— son...
 * Kate Mullen: I want to listen.
 * [Kate puts on headphones]
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: That's enough.
 * Tom Mullen: No, put him back on, I want to talk to him.
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: You just did. Now, you listen, real, real good. You've got one more chance to pay up, or you're never gonna talk to him again. No more fucking around. This is it. Right now. What's it gonna be?
 * Tom Mullen: ...No. This is bullshit. You're not gonna touch him. You can't be that stupid. Do you have any idea the rain of shit I can put on you?
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: Look at your wife. Look at her face, motherfucker. Do you know what I can do to your boy?
 * Tom Mullen: Is it dark where you're calling from? Got the shades drawn? Kind of like a cellar, right? Like a cave? Well, you better get used to that. You better get used to crawling in the dark for the rest of your days, because I am gonna get the best group of manhunters in this country, and I am gonna dedicate my life to tracking you down.
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: Hey, hey, get your head out of your ass! You think you can threaten me, huh? Who do you think you're dealing with? GIMME THE MONEY!
 * Tom Mullen: Fuck you and your two million! Don't you understand English, you useless piece of shit? No money! None!
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: Let me tell you something. You think you're suffering now, huh? You got no idea what suffering is. If I don't get the cash in one hour, this kid is dead!
 * Tom Mullen: I don't get my son back, and I mean real soon, you better kill yourself, because when I catch up with you, I'm gonna take my goddamn time. By the time we're finished, you're gonna wish you weren't born! I'll have your head on a fucking pike, do you understand me?
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: Fuck you! I'll fucking kill him right now!
 * Kate Mullen: I want to talk!
 * Tom Mullen: You kill him, you kill yourself, you motherfucker! GIVE ME BACK MY SON!
 * Kate Mullen: Hello?!
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker:: YOU WANT HIM?
 * Tom Mullen: YES!
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: YOU WANT HIM?
 * [Jimmy hits speaker phone with gun]
 * Sean Mullen: Daddy!
 * [Jimmy fires gun]


 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: [whispering, after beating Kate] It's very simple.
 * [Kate moans from pain and through a choke-hold]
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: I'm growing very, very tired of this bullshit.
 * Kate Mullen: Then could you...
 * Detective Jimmy Shaker: It's up to you. Get him to take back the reward and pay me my money... or you're gonna find pieces of your little boy all over New York. I'm not gonna waste a bullet. I'm just gonna sharpen my knife.

Cast

 * Mel Gibson - Tom Mullen
 * Rene Russo - Kate Mullen
 * Brawley Nolte - Sean Mullen
 * Gary Sinise - Det. James "Jimmy" Shaker
 * Delroy Lindo - Special Agent Lonnie Hawkins
 * Lili Taylor - Maris Conner
 * Liev Schreiber - Clark Barnes
 * Donnie Wahlberg - Cubby Barnes
 * Evan Handler - Miles Roberts
 * Paul Guilfoyle - FBI Director Stan Wallace
 * José Zúñiga - David Torres
 * Dan Hedaya - Jackie Brown