The Firm (1993)

Gene Hackman: Avery Tolar

Photos 

Quotes 

• Abby McDeere : What are they going to do to you?

  Avery Tolar : Whatever it is, they did it a long time ago.

• McKnight : He lied about his brother.

  Avery Tolar : Wouldn't you lie about having a felon in the family to get a job like this?

  Bill DeVasher : He ought to be kept on a short leash.

  Avery Tolar : Why? You've got nothing to be suspicious about.

  Bill DeVasher : I get paid to be suspicious when I've got nothing to be suspicious about.

• Avery Tolar : How'd you find that out?

  Bill DeVasher : What do you think I am around here, a fucking night watchman?

  Avery Tolar : I get confused sometimes.

  Bill DeVasher : Well, don't.

• Mitch McDeere : What led you to law school?

  Avery Tolar : It's so far back I don't think I can remember.

  Mitch McDeere : Sure you can, Counsellor.

  Avery Tolar : I used to caddy for lawyers and their wives on summer weekends. I looked at those long tan legs and just knew I had to be a lawyer. The wives had long tan legs, too.

• Avery Tolar : Do you think l'm talking about breaking the law?

  Mitch McDeere : No, I'm just trying to figure out how far you want it bent.

  Avery Tolar : As far as you can without breaking it.

• Avery Tolar : Being a tax lawyer's got nothing to do with the law. It's a game. We teach the rich how to play it so they can stay rich. The IRS keeps changing the rules so we can keep getting rich teaching them. It's a game...

• Avery Tolar : You know, I have a very bad reputation.

  Abby McDeere : What do you do?

  Avery Tolar : I run around.

• Avery Tolar : Abby, the girl on the beach was a setup. They do things like that, in case the other enticements don't work.

• Avery Tolar : We put you in deals with other clients where they may be very sensitive about exposing their relationships to outside attorneys.

  Sonny Capps : [to Mitch]  You hear that, counselor? That's a veiled threat.

  [to Avery] 

  Sonny Capps : If you're talking about our friends in Chicago, they don't make money when I pay you fees. You make money when I pay you fees. They make money being in business with me. And as long as they're makin' money, they don't give a flyin' fuck who does my taxes.

  [back to Mitch] 

  Sonny Capps : Hey, you don't know me. I'm a nice guy. You lose a million bucks for me, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm not gonna break your legs.

  Avery Tolar : [Worried Mitch will learn too much too soon]  Sonny, let's don't get carried away here, all right?

  Sonny Capps : What did I say?

  [Off Avery's squirming] 

  Sonny Capps : What did I say?

  Mitch McDeere : Maybe it's what you didn't say.

  Sonny Capps : 'What didn't I say.' What didn't I say?

  Mitch McDeere : 'Thank you.' Mr. Tolar handed you a schedule that virtually guarantees you zero tax with zero risk. The basis of your stock would be the face amount of the installment note, but the stock would have no value. Even so, it's deducted in offsets income. You defer your tax in full even though you have a bankable LC.

  Sonny Capps : Deferred to when?

  Mitch McDeere : What do you care? Whenever it is, it's still the best interest-free loan you'll ever get.

  Sonny Capps : So the worst is... I pay my taxes much, much later?

  Mitch McDeere : No. The worst thing is next year they're going to close the loophole, change the regs and if you haven't grabbed this proposal, you're gonna feel you were fucked with a dick big enough for an elephant to feel it.