The Paper Chase Quotes

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: Mr. Hart, here is a dime. Take it, call your mother, and tell her there is serious doubt about you ever becoming a lawyer.

James T. Hart: [pause, as he is leaving the room] You... are a son of a bitch, Kingsfield!

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: Mr. Hart! That is the most intelligent thing you've said today. You may take your seat.

Franklin Ford III: Damn good.

James T. Hart: It was a good answer - not a complete analysis, not a hard question - but the point is, I did it. I did it in Kingfield's class, this is a goddamn dance.

James T. Hart: I found something. There's a room above the stacks that have all the professors' old notes from when they were law students here. They're just sitting there waiting. I want to see the notes... I want to see Kingsfield's notes on contracts.

Franklin Ford III: Oh no, I know what you're thinking.

[shakes head]

Franklin Ford III: Uh-uh.

Toombs: Kingsfield drove him mad. He's driven a lot of lawyers mad over the past 40 years that he's been teaching here. I heard he ripped up a 1-L this morning so bad, the guy lost his breakfast.

James T. Hart: That's true. That was me.

William Moss, Tutor: So you flunked all your practice exams, huh? Every one?

Kevin Brooks: Yeah, every one.

William Moss, Tutor: Aww man, don't look like that, you'll be saved. Every person in this house almost flunked out of law school in their first year. It's not hard to see why; they had broads on the brain. It's the worst thing that can happen to a first-year law student. I don't suppose that's your problem?

Kevin Brooks: No, no. I'm married.

William Moss, Tutor: Well, the vote's split on that, but I've saved all kinds. I moved in here and saved all these dum-dums. They'll all graduate, all from Harvard. Did you bring any samples of your work?

Kevin Brooks: Yeah, I brought some notes...

William Moss, Tutor: Notes don't mean a thing.

[first lines]

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: Mr. Hart, would you recite for us the facts of Hawkins versus McGee?

[looks up]

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: I do have you name right? You are "Mr. Hart"?

James T. Hart: [mumbles] Yes, my name's Hart.

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: You're not speaking loud enough, Mr. Hart. Will you speak up?

James T. Hart: Yes, my name's Hart.

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: Mr. Hart, you're still not speaking loud enough. Will you stand? Speak louder, Mr. Hart! Fill the room with your intelligence!

[last lines]

Susan Fields: Here's your mail.

[hands Hart an envelope marked "GRADES ENCLOSED"]

Susan Fields: I just got a letter from my father, something very interesting. My divorce is final. A piece of paper, and I'm free.

[pauses]

Susan Fields: Aren't you going to open your grades?

Susan Fields: They finally got you, Hart, they sucked all that Midwestern charm right out of you. Look, he's got you scared to death. You're going to pass, because you're the kind the law school wants. You'll get your little diploma. Your piece of paper that's no different than this

[toilet paper roll]

Susan Fields: and you can stick it in your silver box with all the other paper in your life. Your birth certificate, driver's license, marriage license, your stock certificates, and your will... I wish you would flunk, there might be some hope for you.

Franklin Ford III: If you ever say "pimp" in front of me again...

Willis Bell: Pimp.

Thomas Craig Anderson: I'm telling you, Hart, the worst thing you can do is get involved with a girl. By the very nature of time consuming.

Franklin Ford III: On the contrary, it's the best thing you can do. Nothing makes you hornier than studying.

Thomas Craig Anderson: My father warned me about this...

Franklin Ford III: Oh, your father's full of shit.

Thomas Craig Anderson: He says the celibate mind is stronger, retains more information. Third year, you can get laid all you want to.

Franklin Ford III: Look, the best thing to do in a mess like this is to find a girl who doesn't make any demands to hang on. Hang on like hell. You grab onto her boobs, and you don't let go.

Hotel Manager: Oh my God. What have you been doing in this room? I just had this room decorated. I'm calling the police.

Franklin Ford III: If you kick us out, I'll swear to God I'll sue your Goddamn hotel for a million dollars. I'll burn it to the ground!

James T. Hart: Look, I know that the piece of paper we signed down there allows you to kick us out. But if you do that, I'm going to go to the newspapers. And I'm going to tell them that we're a dope ring running through this hotel. Yeah, I'm going to tell them that, and you're not going to get any more business. Now shut up, and get out!

James T. Hart: Hi.

Susan Fields: Hello.

James T. Hart: I was just walking by, and I saw your light.

Susan Fields: How nice. Come in.

James T. Hart: Professor Kingsfield?

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: Yes?

James T. Hart: I just wanted to say that I truly enjoyed your class.

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: That's fine, that's fine.

James T. Hart: What I mean is, you have really meant something to me, and your class has truly meant something to me.

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: What is your name?

James T. Hart: Hart.

Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.: Thank you, Mr. Hart. Thank you very much.

James T. Hart: Why didn't you tell me you were Kingsfield's daughter?

Susan Fields: Well, I'm not his daughter very much. Why didn't you call me?

James T. Hart: Wait a minute. You were the one who left me in the park. Why didn't you call me?

Susan Fields: I knew I'd see you here today.

James T. Hart: You lied to me, Susan. You said that your last name was Fields.

Susan Fields: My last name is Fields. I'm married.