The Stunt Man (1980)

Allen Garfield: Sam

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Quotes 

• Eli Cross : [Sam has suggested including a risque artifact in a poignant scene]  You'll get a belly laugh, Sam!

  Sam : What do you mean? What are you talking about? They'll break their hearts over it!

  Eli Cross : No no no, there won't be a dry seat in the house!

• Sam : Was she supposed to be a virgin?

  Cameron : [softly, after a reflective pause]  Yeah.

  Sam : I had a virgin once. I had to fly to Guatemala for her. She was blind in one eye and had a stuffed alligator that said "Welcome to Miami Beach."

• Eli Cross : [after Sam asks why Cross is keeping Cameron on the shoot]  He helps me to understand the young man in the film.

  Sam : Bullshit.

  Eli Cross : True.

• Eli Cross : Sam, this picture is my child. What would you say if the studio said your daughter Jennifer would look better with her fingers chopped off?

  Sam : Well, being an insecure writer, I'd call my agent and get a second opinion.

• Sam : [his madhouse scene having been replaced with a brothel scene]  Eli, do you know that when I read the insane asylum scene to my family, do you know that my oldest son shook my hand for the first time in his whole life? So why is it, Eli, why is it that your vulgar little scene turns out to be so much more moving? So much more impassioned?

  Eli Cross : Ah, I don't know, Sam. Possibly because we realize that our friend, the enemy, may just be a poor horny slob, like yourself, falling into the nearest whorehouse.

• Sam : My friend, taking my life in my hands, I must inform you that you are an asshole.

• Sam : What's wrong, Eli?

  Eli Cross : Wrong? The scene's wrong. That's what's wrong.

  Sam : The scene plays like a dream. Plays like "Marat/Sade."

  Eli Cross : It was shit.

  Sam : Shit? Shit, huh? Who was that that called me on the phone when he first read it, woke me up in the middle of the goddamn night, raving about the magical madhouse scene? Who was that? My upstairs maid, Eli?

  Eli Cross : Still shit.

• Eli Cross : [after an effects shot involving a dummy has gone wrong]  It's so awful, it's beautiful. I do wish I could use it.

  Sam : That's all we need.

  Eli Cross : Well, we need something, Sam, and damn well you know it. Something better.

  Sam : Better? How better?

  Eli Cross : Something less boring. Something crazier.

  Sam : A dead man's boots are dropped over his own airfield out of chivalry. That's not crazy enough for you, huh?

  Eli Cross : They did it in a film called "Wings." Even the dummy was bored.