Backdraft

Lt. Steven McCaffrey:
You go. We go.

Lt. Steven McCaffrey:
Look at him... That's my brother god damnit.

Firefighter Brian McCaffrey:
You see that flash of light in the corner of your eye? That's your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear.

Tim Kizminski:
How are we supposed to know if the floor is on fire in one of these?

Lt. Steven McCaffrey:
When the doors open, if it's hot, don't get out.

Ronald:
I sent away for the copy of Life magazine. The one with your picture on the front. It's a collectible.

Firefighter Brian McCaffrey:
Do you know who's doing this?

Ronald:
Yes.

Firefighter Brian McCaffrey:
Then tell me.

Ronald:
You want to know who? I want to know if this kid really wanted to be just like his dad.

Firefighter Brian McCaffrey:
I wanted to be him. I wanted to be him more than anything else in the world.

Ronald:
And you loved him?

Firefighter Brian McCaffrey:
Yeah.

Ronald:
And you watched him dance with the animal. You saw your dad burn.

Firefighter Brian McCaffrey:
F*** you Ronald. Who's doing this, huh?

Ronald:
Did it look at you? Did the fire look at you? It did. Whoa. Wow. Our worlds aren't that far apart after all, are they? So, whoever is doing this knows that animal well, don't they? They know him real well, but they won't let him loose. They won't let him have any fun. Now who doesn't love fire? See... that wasn't such a long trip after all.

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
What about the world, Ronald? What would you like to do to the whole world?

Ronald Bartel:
Burn it all.

Ronald Bartel:
The funny thing about firemen is... Night and day they are always firemen.

John 'Axe' Adcox:
Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen. As 17's official toastmaster...

Ray Santos:
...and bullshitter.

John 'Axe' Adcox:
Thank you, Santos. Did I happen to mention you're cut out of my will?

John 'Axe' Adcox:
I think it appropriate that we recognize the two asswipes... Probationary Firemen... among us today who were officially baptized into the world of Old Man Fire. First, to Tim. Despite the fact that he has a rather dull expression, and a really hideous pair of ears; he not only took on the beast but pulled from its clutches, assisted by a more famous and brilliant firefighter, me, a kicking and screaming civilian who will probably wind up suing us for breaking her fingernails. And to Brian...

John 'Axe' Adcox:
...whose own contribution was not only more beautiful but less likely to sue. You know, when I learned that both McCaffrey brothers would be assigned at the same station together at the same time, my heart was filled with... a sudden desire to transfer. So raise a glass, gents. To funny-looking Tim, and the McCaffrey brothers, who have gotten on each other's nerves so badly and dedicated themselves to still be pissed off at each other. Gentlemen...

Jennifer Vaitkus:
We believe you're holding back on us, to embarass the Alderman because of his fire department cutbacks.

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
Alderman, I have an uncomplicated job: To determine if a fire is arson or not, and if it is, to catch the son of a b*tch doing it. And if my investigative methods happen to muck up the campaign of certain mayor wannabes, I gotta tell ya... I'm not gonna go losing any sleep over it.

Lt. Steven McCaffrey:
How do you do it, man? How do you come up with new and amazing ways to f*** up?

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
In a word, Brian, what is this job all about?

Firefighter Brian McCaffrey:
Fire.

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
It's a living thing, Brian. It breathes, it eats, and it hates. The only way to beat it is to think like it. To know that this flame will spread this way across the door and up across the ceiling, not because of the physics of flammable liquids, but because it wants to. Some guys on this job, the fire owns them, makes 'em fight it on it's level, but the only way to truly kill it is to love it a little. Just like Ronald.

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
So stop me if I got this wrong. Now the fire is almost out, you're upstairs on the unburned floor checking for heat, is that correct? And you've been told by your Battalion Chief, your Captain and by me not to do nothin', right? Not to do nothin' until ordered. That's correct, right?

Candidate:
Yes, sir.

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
Ok. But now the itch starts. The 'Glory Boy' flash starts. 'Hey, I'm a hero. Heroes don't just stand around.' You can tell me, that's what it was, wasn't it?

Candidate:
Yes, sir.

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
So you punched out a window for ventilation. Was that before or after you noticed you were standing in a lake of gasoline?

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
Was that BEFORE OR AFTER you noticed you were standing in a lake of GASOLINE, YOU IDIOT?

Candidate:
Before, sir.

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
You could have burned or killed or crispened half that company! To say nothing of the fact that you wrecked the physical evidence that I use to prove that it's arson, and you know how goddamned hard it is to determine the cause of these fires! Now you go home and you think about that!

Alderman Marty Swayzak:
You see that glow in the corner of your eye. It's your career dissapation light and it's going into overtime.

Lt. Steven McCaffrey:
If anyone's lights are about to go out, believe me they are yours.

"Run, damn you!"

Brian McCaffrey:
You had to do it, didn't you? Had to be myth man again, taking on another fire bare-handed instead of looking out for your probie?

Stephen McCaffrey:
I had that fire! He just wouldn't listen to me!

Brian:
He's a candidate! You're his responsibility! You shouldn't have had him up there in the first place! You burned him, Stephen!

Stephen:
F*** you!

Brian:
Don't you walk away from me!

Stephen:
Who's your brother, Brian?

Brian:
You are, Stephen.

Schmidt:
Hey, Axe, you know this rug rat?

Axe:
Know him? I practically raised him. He never calls. He never writes.

Brian:
[introducing himself] I'm Brian.

Grindle:
I'm sorry.

Schmidt:
Yeah, it's jumping floors, Lieutenant!

Stephen:
Well, where's the second-in companies, huh?

Schmidt:
Sorry, man, John Wayne time. You're on your own, boss.

Stephen:
Jesus Christ, Axe!

Axe:
You don't understand. My cousin, my cousin, Sally, used to work at Swayzak's office. She saw the files, Stephen. She saw what he did!

Stephen:
You set me up with those chemicals on the boat?

Axe:
I'm trying to explain.

Brian:
Stephen!

Axe:
You back off!

Stephen:
Axe...

Axe:
Somebody had to stop these pricks, Stephen!

Stephen:
Would you look at me, Axe?

Axe:
Would you please listen to me?

Stephen:
What were you thinking? You burned people!

Axe:
You didn't see.

Stephen:
You're a fireman!

Axe:
When Sally showed me what was in Swayzak's files...

Brian:
You saw Swayzak's files?

Axe:
I should've told you. I should've let you on it.

Brian:
Let him in on what, John? Murder?

Axe:
Let you in on it while Swayzak and those a**holes were closing firehouses. They were getting our friends killed for money! I had to, Stephen! I had to do it for the department!

Brian:
Did you do it for Tim, John?

Axe:
That was an accident!

Stephen:
Did you start that fire?

Axe:
Jesus Christ! Why'd you have to go in there so f***ing early?

Stephen:
That's why you wanted me to wait.

Axe:
Let me finish Swayzak!

Brian:
No, John! It's over!

Axe:
You shut up! Your dad would f***ing puke if he saw how you sh*t on his department!

Brian:
What would he say about what you're doing, John?!

Axe:
Your dad died saving my life. Died saving my life, and these people were killing firemen for money.

Stephen:
Swayzak?

Axe:
He killed our friends for money! What the f*** would you do?

Brian:
Look, you're his lieutenant, Stephen! You've gotta handle this!

Brian(to candidate):
You're doing it wrong!

Candidate:
Thanks!

Brian:
Alright!

Stephen:
Hey, Swayzak! You missed it, buddy! Oh, you should have been there, man! Really, it was f***in' great. I mean, we almost lost it. We almost lost a whole goddamn company for you just because, well, you know, since you shut down Thirty-Three. Well, there's no f***in' backup, right? And we do, we appreciate it. I mean, I don't know about the rest of the guys, but you got my vote for mayor!

Swayzak:
Look, Lieutenant, if you have a problem, why don't you help us? Why don't you work with the task force...

Stephen:
Task force? Three guys have died already this year because of the cuts made by your F***IN' TASK FORCE!

[Donald and Brian crash Alderman Swayzak's press conference]

Donald:
These detectives would like to question you on how come you paid Donald Cosgrove, Jeffrey Holcum and Allan Seagrave to create a phony manpower study! [throws the files at the media, resulting in a barrage of questions] Ask him who made money off firemen dying!

Brian:
[in Swayzak's ear] You see that glow flashing in the corner of your eye? That's your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear.

Stephen "Bull" Mccaffrey:
How do you do it, man? How do you manage to keep coming up with new and amazing ways to f*** up? I mean, that Scotch bullshit? Am I really supposed to believe you came crawlin' home because you felt heartstrings moan for the family biz? You were bankrupt, man! The scary thing is, you probably coulda got away with it for awhile.

Stephen "Bull" Mccaffrey:
One case of scotch, Brian? Man, you're getting cheap in your old age!

Stephen "Bull" Mccaffrey:
I told you to stay right be-f***ing-side me, Brian!

Stephen "Bull" Mccaffrey:
Well, I thinks its union bylaw that if you get your picture in the paper, even if it's bullshit, that you gotta buy the whole company a drink.

Stephen "Bull" Mccaffrey:
The only problem is that in this job is there's just no place to hide. It's not like having a bad day selling log cabins. You have a bad day here and somebody dies... and that's just not f***ing good enough.

Brian Mccaffrey:
I'm not gonna quit, Stephen. You hear me?

John "Axe" Adcox:
Jesus, Stevie, you never know when to quit, do you? Do you ever wonder why you're stuck a f***ing lieutenant for life?

Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale:
[Rimgale and Brian crash Alderman Swayzak's press conference] These detectives would like to question you on how come you paid Donald Cosgrove, Jeffrey Holcomb and Alan Seagrave to create a phony manpower study! Ask him who made money off firemen dying!

Ricco, Pathologist:
[to Brian about picking up the burned body] Jesus Christ! He's not going to sell you insurance, pick him up!

Stephen "Bull" Mccaffrey:
You're doin it wrong.

Stephen "Bull" Mccaffrey:
Look at him. That's my brother, Goddamn it.