
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Slattery, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp, Michael Kelly, Anthony Ruivivar, James Carville, Mary Matalin, David Bishins, Donnie Keshawarz, Mike DiSalvo
OUR RATING: ★★★☆☆
Story:
Romantic sci-fi thriller loosely based on the Philip K. Dick short story “Adjustment Team”, written and directed by George Nolfi. The Adjustment Bureau (2011) follows politician David Norris (Matt Damon), who just as he is on the brink of winning a Senate seat meets a ballerina named Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt). Though David is instantly smitten, mysterious men conspire to keep him away from her. David learns that he is facing the powerful agents of Fate itself, and after glimpsing the future laid out for him, he must either accept a predetermined path that does not include Elise or else defy Fate to be with her.
Our Favorite Quotes:
'Free will is a gift, you'll never know how to use until you fight for it.' - Harry Mitchell (The Adjustment Bureau) Click To Tweet
Best Quotes
David Norris: My name is David Norris, and I’d like to be the next senator of the great state of New York.
Richardson: You look exhausted. You should take a vacation when all this is finished. You’ve earned it.
Harry Mitchell: I’m not sure the kind of tired I am can be fixed by a vacation.
Richardson: Everybody needs a vacation. Even us. Alright, let’s get him back on track.
Elise Sellas: [as David is practicing his speech in the men’s bathroom] Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just didn’t know what to do. Because I heard you come in and say, “Hello,” and I probably should have said, “Hi.” But then I thought that would be weird because it’s the men’s. Then you started talking to yourself, and it was obviously very personal. So I was stuck in no man’s land, and then it all got to be too much, so I came out.
David Norris: What are you doing in here?
Elise Sellas: Just, I’m hiding from security.
David Norris: Why?
Elise Sellas: I crashed a wedding, upstairs.
David Norris: People still do that?
Elise Sellas: It was a dare.
David Norris: Who dared you to crash a wedding?
Elise Sellas: Me.
Elise Sellas: You’re that guy running for senate, aren’t you?
David Norris: Yeah, I am that guy.
Elise Sellas: And judging from your speech, you’re not winning?
David Norris: No.
Elise Sellas: Oh. That’s too bad the other guy’s such a tool.
David Norris: He is a tool! I wish I could have made that clearer in the campaign ads.
David Norris: Oh, you like politicians then.
Elise Sellas: I like it when they do stuff I can relate to.
David Norris: Like pull their pants down.
Elise Sellas: I love that.
David Norris: See that kind of candidate wouldn’t even get elected to the student council.
Elise Sellas: My guy would know how to tie his own tie.
David Norris: It’s a clip on.
Elise Sellas: Oh, I wish. That would have been my other favorite moment of your campaign.
Elise Sellas: [referring to the campaign] Do you still have a chance? Is it over?
David Norris: He crushed me.
David Norris: Are you a registered New York voter?
Elise Sellas: Do I sound like I am?
David Norris: [they look at each other and suddenly start kissing] Holy s**t!
David Norris: [giving his concession speech] But we had a rule in my neighborhood, when you got in a fight, it wasn’t whether or not you got knocked down. It’s what you do when you get back up. And I came here to tell you tonight that I will get back up!
'When you got in a fight, it wasn't whether or not you got knocked down. It's what you do when you get back up.' - David Norris (The Adjustment Bureau) Click To Tweet
David Norris: [over phone] Hey, I just saw you on TV.
Charlie Traynor: Really?
David Norris: Yeah.
Charlie Traynor: What did they say?
David Norris: You’re bald.
Charlie Traynor: Nice.
David Norris: Yeah, it was weird too, because it was a financial show. But they were really just kind of captivated by your receding hairline.
Man in Madison Square Park: I wish there were more politicians like you.
David Norris: Thank you. I’m retired now. I had to go get a real job.
Man in Madison Square Park: You’ll do well.
Elise Sellas: [after David sits next to her and she wakes] Were you just staring at my legs while I slept?
David Norris: I was defenseless against the small dress stare.
Elise Sellas: It’s a skirt!
David Norris: It’s a belt.
David Norris: What is it with you and the argyle?
Elise Sellas: What is the deal with you and the boring shades of blue?
David Norris: My clothes match!
Elise Sellas: Did your team pick that out for you?
David Norris: No team. Team is gone.
Elise Sellas: Wow.
David Norris: I did it all by myself.
'I'm not a hopeless romantic. I've never allowed myself to be that way. But once I felt, even for a moment, what I felt with you. You ruined me. I didn't want to settle for less.' - Elise Sellas (The Adjustment Bureau) Click To Tweet
Elise Sellas: Are you going to run again?
David Norris: Don’t know. I’m starting a new job today.
Elise Sellas: You have to run again. You can’t do that. The country will end up being run by tools like Linfield.
David Norris: It kind of is.
David Norris: [after spilling coffee on her skirt and offering to dry clean it] You write your number down, and then I will call you and come and pick up your skirt.
Elise Sellas: Oh, my goodness me! That is very smooth.
Elise Sellas: Why don’t you let me spill some on you, and then we’ll be even?
David Norris: That’s a terrible idea.
Elise Sellas: I think it’s a great idea. Just one bit? Because that’s not fair
David Norris: You actually are crazy!
David Norris: [as Elise hides his phone] Okay, now we’re in the third grade. This is great.
Elise Sellas: [she puts his phone in his coffee as it rings] It’s a sturdy little f***er, isn’t it? I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. It just happened.
David Norris: Okay. Okay, that was new phone.
Elise Sellas: [as she wipes the phone clean on her skirt] Let’s wipe it off. I’m Elise, by the way.
David Norris: I’ll remember that.
David Norris: [to Elise as she steps out of the bus] The morning after the election I woke up thinking about you.
'All I have are the choices that I make. And I choose her, come what may.' - David Norris (The Adjustment Bureau) Click To Tweet
David Norris: [over phone] You’re not going to believe who I just ran into!
Charlie Traynor: Who?
David Norris: The girl! The girl from election night.
Charlie Traynor: The one you kissed?
David Norris: She kissed me!
Charlie Traynor: You’re still sticking with that story?
David Norris: It’s the truth!
Charlie Traynor: Whatever, dude!
David Norris: [over phone, referring to seeing Elise] What are the odds? It’s amazing!
Charlie Traynor: That’s great, man. Just don’t take her advice on speeches anymore. First time worked, it’s not going to work again.
David Norris: You’re just jealous because it’s the best speech I ever gave, and you didn’t write it.
Richardson: [after David sees them scanning the people with lasers] David, you’re really making this harder than it has to be.
Richardson: What are my options?
Burdensky: [referring to David] Just bulls**t him.
Richardson: Bulls**t this guy?
'Being early is just as being late.' - Harry Mitchell (The Adjustment Bureau) Click To Tweet
Richardson: [referring to David] Questions will burn in him till the day he dies. He won’t stop searching for answers. He won’t quit. We have to watch him forever! Make sure he doesn’t talk. Endless ripple effects.
David Norris: Who the hell are you guys?
Richardson: We are the people who make sure things happen according to plan.
David Norris: I don’t really know what’s going on here.
Richardson: But you’ve just seen behind a curtain that you weren’t even supposed to know existed. It must be jarring. It’s not your fault. Your path through the world this morning was supposed to have been adjusted.
David Norris: I was supposed to spill my coffee?
Richardson: We call that an adjustment. See, sometimes when people spill their coffee, or their internet goes out, or they misplaced their keys, they think it’s chance. And sometimes it is. Sometimes it’s us nudging people back on plan. Sometimes when nudging isn’t enough, management authorizes a recalibration. We deploy our Intervention Team and they change your mind for you. Like with your good friend Charlie. He’s fine by the way. You don’t need to worry about him.
Richardson: [to David] Very few humans have seen what you’ve seen today. And we’re determined to keep it that way. So, if you ever reveal our existence, we’ll erase your brain. The Intervention Team will reset you. You’re emotions, you’re memories, your entire personality will be expunged. You’re friends and family will think you’ve gone crazy. You? You won’t think anything. You understand? Not one word about us.
'I can go through this door alone. You'll never see me or the people chasing us again. Or you can come with me, and I don't know what's on the other side, but I'd know you'd be next to me.' - David Norris Click To Tweet
Richardson: You bumped into a woman this morning on the bus. Elise?
David Norris: What has that do with anything?
Richardson: Well, you were never supposed to see her again.
David Norris: What does that matter?
Richardson: Because it matters.
Charlie Traynor: Something’s wrong. A couple of hours ago you miraculously reunited with the girl of your dreams. Explain to me why you don’t have an ear to ear grin right now?
David Norris: I lost her number.
Charlie Traynor: What?
David Norris: The woman on the bus. I lost her phone number, and all I had was her first name, so. I’m never going to see her again.
Charlie Traynor: I’m sorry. Wow, I’m really sorry.
Trailer: