The Majestic

The Majestic



Genre: Drama, Romance
Production: Universal Pictures
  3 wins & 1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
6.9
Metacritic:
27
Rotten Tomatoes:
42%
PG
Year:
2001
152
Website
2,528 Views

Peter Appleton:
The 5th Amendment is out of the question. But there is another Amendment that I'd like to invoke. I wonder if anyone here is familiar with it. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."

Congressman Doyle:
Mr. Appleton, you're out of order, Sir! [Congressman Doyle continues to berate Appleton as he continues his speech]

Peter Appleton:
[reading from Adele's book of the Constitution] "Congress shall make no law... respecting... and establishment of religion... or prohibiting the free exercise thereof... or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press... or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Congressman Doyle:
You will not presume to lecture this Committee, Sir!

Peter Appleton:
That's the First Amendment, Mr. Chairman. It's everything we're about if only we'd live up to it!

Elvin Clyde:
[speaking softly to Congressman Doyle] Let him, let him talk. He's just hanging himself.

Peter Appleton:
It's the most important part of the contract every citizen has with this country. And even though these contracts - the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! - even though they're just pieces of paper with signatures on them... they're the only contracts we have that are most definitely subject... to renegotiation... not by you, Mr. Chairman...

Congressman Doyle:
Mr. Appleton!

Peter Appleton:
Not by you, Mr. Clyde...

Congressman Doyle:
You will stand down, Sir!

Peter Appleton:
Not by anyone, ever. Too many people have paid for this contract in blood!

Congressman Doyle:
Enough, Sir! You are out of order!

Peter Appleton:
[holds up Luke's Congressional Medal of Honor] People like Luke Trimble... and all the sons of Lawson, California.

Stan Keller:
[in Mabel's Diner in Lawson, with Mabel, Bob, Mayor Doyle, and Stan listening to the radio] You're damn right. And they deserve better than this. [looks at Bob working the grill] All you boys do. [Mayor Doyle is speechless as a tear rolls down his cheek]

Congressman Doyle:
[banging his gavel] I will have order or I will clear this chamber!

Peter Appleton:
When you get right down to it, fellas... that's all I have to say to you. [turns and begins walking out of the courtroom]

Congressman Doyle:
You are not excused, Sir. The witness will resume his seat, you are not excused, Sir! [the crowd in the courtroom stands and begins to applaud as Appleton nears the exit] You will resume your seat! You... [Congressman Doyle cuts off as he realizes no one is listening]

Peter Appleton:
[Seeing Adele at the cemetery] I didn't know anyone was here.

Adele:
I was just... saying goodbye.

Peter Appleton:
Adele, I'm sorry the way things turned out. I never meant to hurt anyone, least of all you.

Adele:
People get hurt sometimes, we can't always help it. So are you really a communist?

Peter Appleton:
No, I'm really not.

Adele:
I didn't think so. Only a dyed-in-the-wool capitalist could have gotten The Majestic up and running.

Peter Appleton:
Great endorsement. Can I call you as a witness?

Adele:
Eh, if it helps. So what will you tell the committee?

Peter Appleton:
Tell them what they want to hear: "Sorry, I won't do it again, blah, blah."

Adele:
You're not serious.

Peter Appleton:
What's wrong with it?

Adele:
Everything.

Peter Appleton:
Could you be a little more specific?

Adele:
Aside from the fact that this is a free country, and you can be a communist if you want to be a communist - leaving that aside, if you're accused falsely you have a duty as well as a right to stand up and suggest they drop dead.

Peter Appleton:
Emile Zola, you feel strongly about this.

Adele:
Damn right I do!

Peter Appleton:
Great, but it doesn't make the game any less rigged. There's a reason it's called a witch-hunt.

Adele:
And there's burden of proof, innocence before guilt.

Peter Appleton:
Maybe in law school. But the rest of us have to live in the real world and in the real world, I mess with these guys, I go to jail.

Adele:
All the more reason to fight them.

Peter Appleton:
Like Luke would've done? Go ahead, say it.

Adele:
Yes. Like Luke would have done.

Peter Appleton:
God, here it comes. Tell me again what a great guy Luke was, 'cause God I haven't heard that enough!

Adele:
He wouldn've stood up to them.

Peter Appleton:
Yeah well, he's not here... to vouch for that, is he? We have to take your word for it! And forgive me but everybody's memory of Luke is a little rose-colored in this town. Besides, I'm not Luke. While he was liberating Europe, I was running the PX. He couldn't wait to save the world! Me, I was happy not to go overseas!

Peter Appleton:
I'm sorry... but it occurs to me that there is a bigger issue today than whether or not I'm a Communist.

Elvin Clyde:
Bigger issue? Mr. Appleton, there 'is' no bigger issue.

Peter Appleton:
Actually, not to be contrary, I think there is... Gosh, I don't quite know what to say. [Peter takes a drink of water] The fact is I... I've never been a man of great conviction. I never saw the percentage in it... and quite frankly, I suppose I, uh... lacked the courage. See, I'm not like Luke Trimble. He had the market cornered on those things. I never met the guy, but I feel like I've gotten to know him. The thing is, I can't help wondering what he'd say... if he were standing here right now. You know, I think what I think he'd probably tell you: the America represented in this room... is not the America he died defending. [the crowd noise in the background rises] I think he'd tell you your America is bitter... [Congressman Doyle begins banging his gavel] and cruel... and small.

Congressman Doyle:
The chamber will come to order!

Peter Appleton:
I know for a fact that his America was big... bigger than you could imagine... with a wide open heart [Congressman Doyle bangs the gavel again]... where every person...

Congressman Doyle:
Mr. Appleton! You are out of order!

Peter Appleton:
[Speaking over Congressman Doyle]... has a voice! Even if you don't like what they have to say.

Congressman Doyle:
Enough, Sir! You are out of order!

Peter Appleton:
If he 'were' here, I wonder how you'd respond... if you could explain to him what happened to his America.

Congressman Doyle:
Mr. Appleton, you are skating on the very thin edge of contempt.

Peter Appleton:
Well that's the first thing I've heard today that I completely agree with!

Kevin Bannerman:
Mr. Chairman... Mr. Chairman... Mr. Chairman... Mr. Chairman, my client is clearly under an enormous strain as a direct result of the belligerent questioning of Mr. Clyde, and he is therefore not responsible for his comments. At this time, we wish to invoke the Fifth Amendment.

Peter Appleton:
No, no we don't.

Kevin Bannerman:
Yes, Pete, we do.

Peter Appleton:
No, Kevin, we don't, so knock it off! [pounds his fist on the table for punctuation, quieting the crowd] [in a quieter voice] Just shut the hell up and let me get through this.


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