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 story 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 Quote:
'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 (Total Quotes: 117)
[first lines]
Voice of announcer: Let’s welcome our favorite alumnus and the next senator of the state of New York, David Norris.
[speaking in front of a crowd at a political rally]
David Norris: Thank you!
[a woman in the crowd shouts his name]
Voice of woman in crowd: David!
David Norris: Thank you! Well, hi there.
[the crowd cheers]
David Norris: My name is David Norris and I’d like to be the next senator of the great state of New York.
[speaking at a press conference with David standing beside him]
Michael Bloomberg: For the last eight years, David Norris has represented Brooklyn, New York city and America.
[speaking in front of a crowd at a political rally]
David Norris: This is not going to be easy getting there, I have some real opposition. And what they’re saying about me is that I’m too young to hold this office.
[speaking in front of a crowd at a political rally]
David Norris: But that’s okay, cause even the same people who say that young people don’t vote, young people don’t care about politics, but I’m here to tell you, you’re future is about you’re choices, not theirs. So today I’d like to put them on notice, because come November I want them to know that it was young people like you who kicked their asses.
[the crowd cheers]
[answering his cell phone]
Harry Mitchell: Yeah.
Richardson: Any ideas?
Harry Mitchell: I’m working on it.
Richardson: Keep me posted.
Harry Mitchell: Yeah.
[in his hotel David watches the CNN news show TV as they discuss him]
CNN News Presenter: David Norris, until recently he was way ahead of the polls. Mary Matalin and James Carville are here. Uh, Mary, this is a surprise still.
Mary Matalin: It is a surprise. Such political promise, his compelling story. He grew up in a rough neighborhood in Brooklyn, he overcame the loss of his entire family. His mother and his brother when he was ten, his father before he got to high school. He got over that. He had such promise.
CNN News Presenter: And he was what, the youngest person ever elected to the house of representatives, James?
James Carville: Yeah, he was elected when was actually twenty four. But he gets into a bar room fight the night that he’s elected! I kind of like this, all right. Then you have this photo coming out in The Post. I think that the cretion of this stuff was just too much for the voters. I, there, there, was su, there kind of reeked of some level of, of imaturity here, of impulsiveness.
Mary Matalin: People want maturity, they want adults in congress.
[four men in dark suits and hats walk on the rooftop of a building and stand at it’s edge]
Richardson: Big night for us, gentlemen. Everybody ready?
[the men nod in agreement. Richardson looks at Mitchell]
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. All right, let’s get him back on track.
[after losing the votes in Suffolk County]
Kar: NBC has us up next.
David Norris: I’m going to go work on my speech.
[he starts walking away]
Charlie Traynor: David? David? Hey?
David Norris: I’m sorry I wasted your time, Charlie.
NBC News Presenter: NBC is now calling the election for Roger Lynnfield. After a shockingly a poor showing at Suffolk County and his home county Kings, it now appears David Norris will lose this election badly.
[David is in the men’s bathroom practicing his speech when he hears a noise]
David Norris: Hello?
[Elise comes out from one of the booths]
David Norris: It’s the mens.
Elise Sellas: Yep. 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 say hi, but then I thought that would be weird, cause it’s the mens. Um, and then you started talking to yourself and, and it was obviously very personal, so I was kind of stuck in no mans land. And, uh, then it all got it 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.
David Norris: Oh! I crashed a wedding once.
Elise Sellas: Did you?
David Norris: Yeah. In high school.
Elise Sellas: Oh!
[they both start laughing]
David Norris: But I got caught, I spent the night in jail.
Elise Sellas: I think that happened more that once from what I heard.
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:[laughing] He is a tool! I wish I could have made that clearer in the campaign ads.
Elise Sellas: Yeah, I mean personally I think mooning your friends at a college reunion is no big deal.
David Norris: The Post did not have to run the photo.
Elise Sellas: Oooph, what a page!
David Norris: Yeah, I know.
[they both laugh]
Elise Sellas: It’s my favorite moment of your whole campaign.
David Norris: Really? I could have used you on my team a couple months ago.
Elise Sellas: Yeah, I could help poll test every word that comes out of your mouth before you say it.
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.
[they laugh]
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: Do you still have a chance? Is it over?
David Norris: He crushed me.
Elise Sellas: Sorry.
David Norris: Well, losing has it’s advantages.
Elise Sellas: Like what?
David Norris: Uh, for one thing as a politician you’re never really alone unless you’re asleep or in the bathroom, usually. Uh, that gets, that gets old.
Elise Sellas: Really?
David Norris: Yeah, I mean I guess I’m mostly just looking forward to having sometime by myself.
Elise Sellas: I don’t buy it. I think you’ll love it.
David Norris: It, do I know you?
[they start to laugh]
David Norris: Yeah, I guess I could have been more convincing.
Elise Sellas: Okay, you don’t have to worry about being convincing till the next election.
David Norris: Are you a registered New York voter?
Elise Sellas: Do I sound like I am?
[they look at each other and suddenly start kissing passionately]
David Norris: Holy shit!
Elise Sellas: I got to go. Sorry.
[she runs out of the bathroom]
Charlie Traynor: Wow!
[to Charlie]
David Norris: Hang on.
Are you going to do your speech?
David Norris: Hang on.
[David goes after Elise]
David Norris: Hey? Hey?
[she stops and two security guards call out to her from down the corridor]
McCrady: Ma’am?
Elise Sellas: I got to go.
McCrady: Ma’am?
[she loosens David tie]
Elise Sellas: That is so much better.
McCrady: She’s on the move.
[she turns and runs to get away]
[giving his concession speech in front of his campaign supporters]
David Norris: 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.
[the crowd cheers]
David Norris: And I came here to tell you tonight that I will get back up!
[the crowd cheers again but David goes quite]
David Norris: Um, that’s bullshit! We didn’t have that saying in my neighborhood. It’s just one of those phrases that, uh, that has some attraction with a focus group and so we kept using it. That’s not true. You know nineteen ninety eight I did a cover for GQ, the title was ‘Youngest Congressmen Ever’, and since then every story I tried to explain how I got here so fast. And the word that people kept, uh, using was authentic and…
[the crowd cheers and claps]
[continuing his speech in front of his campaign supporters]
David Norris: But here’s the problem, this isn’t even my tie. This tie was selected for me by a group of specialists, in Tenafly New Jersey, who chose it over fifty six other ties we tested. In fact, our data suggests that I have to stick to either a tie that is red or a tie that is blue. A yellow tie made it look as if I was taking my situation lightly and I may in fact pull my pants down at any moment.
[the crowd laughs]
David Norris: A silver tie meant that I’d forgotten my roots. My shoes, you know shiny shoes we associate with a high priced lawyers and bankers. If you want to get a working mans vote you need to scuff up your shoes a little bit, but you can’t scuff ’em so much that you alienate the lawyers and the bankers, cause you need them to pay for the specialist back in Tenafly.
[continuing his concession speech]
David Norris: So what is the proper scuffing amount? Do you know we actually paid a consultant seventy three hundred dollars…
[he turns to his campaign aids standing in the stage wings]
David Norris: Was it seventy three hundred dollars, Charlie?
[Charlie whispers something to the other campaign aids]
David Norris: Seventy three hundred dollars for a consultant to tell us that…
[he takes off his shoe and brings it up to show everyone]
David Norris: …this is the perfect amount of scuffing.
[sits down next to Mitchell on a park bench]
Richardson: He is to spill his coffee on his shirt by seven oh five. Seven oh five at the latest.
Harry Mitchell: I’ll get him as soon as he enters the park.
[Richardson gets up to leave]
Richardson: Can’t imagine being on this guy as long as you have.
[David watches the morning news on TV]
Female News Presenter: RSR Venture Capital announced yesterday that former Congressman, David Norris would become a senior partner. Norris led an unsuccessful bid for senate last month, but his concession speech was considered by many to be electrifying and has made him the obvious front runner in the two thousand ten senate race. Investment banker Charles Traynor founded RSR under the countries most successful venture capital firm. Traynor is a childhood friend of Norris and was the Chairmen of his senate campaign.
[talking on the phone to Charlie]
David Norris: Hey, I just saw you on TV.
Charlie Traynor: Really?
David Norris: Mmm.
Charlie Traynor: What did I say?
David Norris: You’re bald.
[Charlie laughs]
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.
Charlie Traynor: I got to go, you jackass!
David Norris: [laughing] Bye.
[man in the park calls out to Norris]
Man in Madison Square Park: Congressman? I have to tell you, I really admire what you did last month.
David Norris: Oh, thank you. I appreciate it.
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.
David Norris: Thank you.
[Norris notices Elise asleep on the bus he’s just got on and takes the sit next to her, she wakes up and sees him]
Elise Sellas: Oh my God!
David Norris: [jokingly] Have we met?
Elise Sellas: You look vaguely familiar, yeah.
David Norris: Yeah. Waldorf, men’s room.
Elise Sellas: You got it. 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 or…?
David Norris: No team. Team is gone.
Elise Sellas: Wow!
David Norris: I did it all by myself.
Elise Sellas: I saw your speech.
David Norris: Yeah, the speech. Something must have got into me.
[his cell phone rings loudly]
Elise Sellas: Wow! That is something.
David Norris: Really, up against the moment.
[he takes out his cell phone from his pocket and answers it]
David Norris: Hello? Hello?
[he gets no reply]
David Norris: Doesn’t even work.
Elise Sellas: Could that ring any louder? You pretty much had that maxed out.
David Norris: [laughing] It’s a new phone.
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’ll end up being run by tools like Lynnfiled.
David Norris: kind of is.
[the coffee in Norris’s hand spills on Elise’s skirt]
Elise Sellas: Wow!
David Norris: Oh, sorry! I don’t know what just happened.
David Norris: Here, I’ll pay for the dry cleaning.
Elise Sellas: No. It’s really fine. Please don’t.
[she counts the money in his wallet]
Elise Sellas: Wow!
David Norris: Seven bucks will probably cover it.
[the both laugh]
Elise Sellas: You keep that. You might need it.
David Norris: You know what, here?
[he gives her a card]
David Norris: 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.
[referring to the coffee he just spilt on her]
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? Cause that’s not fair
David Norris: You actually are crazy!
Elise Sellas: Just a little spill, right before…
David Norris: Now it all makes sense.
[his cell phone ring again]
David Norris: Okay, hang on.
[she takes the phone from him and answers it]
Elise Sellas: He’s not here. I know, I’m sorry.
[she ends the call]
David Norris: Who was that?
Elise Sellas: I don’t know. Who cares!
David Norris: It’ll be on the ID. Can you, just…
Elise Sellas: No.
[she hides the phone from him]
David Norris: Okay, now we’re in the third grade. This is great.
[the phone rings again and she puts it in his coffee]
Elise Sellas: It’s a sturdy little fucker, isn’t it?
[the phone keeps on ringing in his coffee cup]
Elise Sellas: I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. It just happened.
[he takes the phone out of the coffee]
David Norris: Okay. Okay, that was new phone.
Elise Sellas: Let’s wipe it off.
[she takes the phone from him and wipes it clean on her skirt]
Elise Sellas: I’m Elise, by the way.
David Norris: I’ll remember that.
[she hands him the card where she’s written her number]
Elise Sellas: That’s my number.
David Norris: Terrific. Thank you.
[she steps out of the bus as it stops]
David Norris: I’ll call you.
[she turns and looks at him]
David Norris: The morning after the election I woke up thinking about you.
[the bus door closes, she smiles at him and then give him the finger and walks away]
[talking on his cell phone to Traynor after his meeting with Elise on the bus]
Charlie Traynor: Hey, man. What’s up?
David Norris: 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!
[continuing his conversation about Elise over his cell phone]
David Norris: What are the odds, it’s amazing!
Charlie Traynor: That’s great, man. Just don’t take her advice on speeches anymore. First time works, it’s not going to work again.
David Norris: You’re just jealous cause it’s the best speech I ever gave, and you didn’t write it.
Charlie Traynor: Just so you know, I think I’m coming down to get your solar panel thing.
David Norris: Why?
Charlie Traynor: Well, I just don’t think the research is there and the price points too high on these things.
David Norris: Of course it’s too high. But if our company doesn’t get involved with stuff like this, who will?
Charlie Traynor: Well convince me in the meeting.
David Norris: I will. See you, buddy.
[David enters the meeting room he sees the people in the meeting room frozen and men in dark uniforms scanning them with lasers]
David Norris: Hey! What the hell are you doing?!
Richardson: Grab him.
[David suddenly grabs the door open and makes a run for it]
[to David, who’s locked himself in an office]
Richardson: David, you’re really making this harder than it has to be.
[after he’s finished talking on his cell phone]
Richardson: What a God damn mess!
McCrady: Thompson?
Richardson: Yes.
McCrady: What do you want to do?
Richardson: We have to reset him. Call for a brief case.
McCrady: You kidding? It’s going to take a signed order from the Chairman.
Richardson: Well, then get legal on it.
Burdensky: Legal just arrived. There’s no way that the Chairman will approve a reset. This your fault. There’s no way you’ll get a brief case.
[listening to them as he comes round to find himself handcuffed and sitting in chair]
David Norris: Hey?
Richardson: What are my options?
David Norris: Hey?
Burdensky: Just bullshit him.
[referring to David]
Richardson: Bullshit this guy?
David Norris: Hey? What’s going on here?
[they all ignore him]
[shows Burdensky a hardback note book, referring to David]
Richardson: Look at this. 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.
Burdensky: Remember the Toraz case forty years ago?
Richardson: It’s not that bad. Is it?
Burdensky: In the end they just leveled with him.
Richardson: Completely?
Burdensky: Looking at that, I don’t see you have a choice.
David Norris: Who the hell are you guys?
Richardson: We are the people who make sure things happen according to plan. My name’s Richardson
David Norris: Oh!
[he suddenly bolts out of his chair and makes a run for it]
[after he’s stopped David from running away]
Richardson: You really think I couldn’t see that coming? I can read your mind.
[David just looks at him]
Richardson: Yeah, really. Pick a color?
[David doesn’t say anything and continues to look at him]
Richardson: Blue. Pick a number? Seventeen. Now, why are you still thinking about running?
[David put his hands to his head as if in pain]
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.
[he looks at Mitchell who looks downs looking guilty for his mistake]
Richardson: You were supposed to spill your coffee as you entered the park this morning. You would have gone upstairs to change, you would have missed the bus, and you would have arrived at work ten minutes later than you did and we would have been gone.
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, or they misplaced their keys, they think it’s chance. Well 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: Now, there’s something I need you to understand if I’m going to let you go?
David Norris: Okay.
Richardson: 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.
[David just looks at him]
Richardson: You understand? Not one word about us.
[David nods his head in agreement]
Richardson: Okay. Oh, one more thing. You, uh, 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 is, what does that matter?
Richardson: Because it matters.
[to his men who grab hold of David]
Richardson: It’s in his wallet.
[the men search for his wallet]
David Norris: Hey! Hey! Ahhh! God! Hey! What’s with you guys? Jesus!
[McCrady grabs his wallet and takes out the card with Elise’s number on it]
David Norris: Oh, com on! No! No!
[Richardson hold the card and lights a lighter underneath it and it starts to burn]
David Norris: What the hell! Really? What the hell!
Richardson: Okay.
David Norris: Okay.
[to his men]
Richardson: Take him back.
[to David]
Richardson: Enjoy the rest of you day.
[after Richardson has released him]
Charlie Traynor: You sure you’re okay?
David Norris: Yeah. You?
Charlie Traynor: I’m good. Why?
David Norris: You don’t, uh, have a headache maybe?
Charlie Traynor: No, I feel fantastic, man, Is it me or is this some odd conversation?
[after their meeting]
Charlie Traynor: Come into my office for a second.
[they walk into his office]
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.
[David is sitting at a bar writing on a napkin telephone number combinations]
Harry Mitchell: You’re entire world has turned upside down and you’re thinking about a woman. Even if you could remember the number, you’ll never get through. Lost cell phone, changed numbers, whatever creates defused ripples. My name’s Harry by the way.
David Norris: Defused ripples. You freeze people. You froze my friend!
Harry Mitchell: We need special authorization to do…
David Norris: You poke around in people’s brains to make them think whatever you want!
Harry Mitchell: Be quite, David.
Harry Mitchell: You’re friend will be fine. Recalibrations make tiny changes in the way people reason. It doesn’t work on emotional personality. That’s too intrusive.
David Norris: You said authorization. Authorization from who?
Harry Mitchell: The Chairman.
David Norris: The Chairman?!
Harry Mitchell: Shh! That’s just a name we use. You use many other names. We can’t talk here. Meet me on the four pm boat and I’ll answer what I can.
[he gets up to leave]
Harry Mitchell: If you reveal us, even if it’s unintentional…
David Norris: I know, I know. You’ll bump me on the head.
Harry Mitchell: Richardson has automatic authority to rest you.
David Norris: You mean lobotomies me.
Harry Mitchell: Try not to forget it. Be on the four pm boat.
[Mitchell leaves]
[David meets Mitchell on the boat]
Harry Mitchell: Ask your questions, I’ll tell you what I can.
David Norris: Well what, what were they doing to Charlie?
Harry Mitchell: Just changing the way he weighs investment risks, which are subtly shift the direction of his company in the way upstairs wants.
David Norris: So Richardson can read my mind?
Harry Mitchell: Richardson was trying to scare you.
David Norris: No, he knew the number I was thinking of, the color.
Harry Mitchell: Because he set it up as a choice. Choose a color, choose a number? We can’t read your mind or hear your thoughts. When you make a decision your mind weighs options. We can precede that. We know when you’re going to go off the plan or not, because if we’re close enough we can sense when it’s going to happen. We’re just here to keep you on plan, that’s all we’re authorized to do.
David Norris: Are you allowed to be telling me this? I mean are they following me now?
Harry Mitchell: We have to monitor the entire world. We don’t have the manpower to follow everyone all the time. And there’s something about water, it blocks our ability to read your decision trail.
David Norris: Are you an angel?
Harry Mitchell: We’ve been called that. We’re more like case officers, who live a lot longer than humans.
David Norris: Why are you helping me?
Harry Mitchell: I have my reasons.
David Norris: And why won’t they let me be with Elise?
Harry Mitchell: All I know is, the amount of resources they’ve used, keeping you from her is pretty damn important to them. You’re going to look for her, aren’t you?
[David doesn’t answer]
Harry Mitchell: You won’t find her. They’ll make sure of it. Even if they weren’t trying to stop you, they’re nine million people in this city. You’ll never find her. Forget about her. Move on with your life.
[after spotting Elise walking in the street, 3 years later]
David Norris: Elise? Elise? Hi.
[she turns around surprised to see him]
Elise Sellas: David!
David Norris: Yeah, I rode the M6 to work everyday for three years, hoping that I’d bump into you. Oh, uh, listen, is there a place where we could go and, um, and talk?
Elise Sellas: Don’t you have to get to work or something?
David Norris:I just got sick.
Elise Sellas: I haven’t seen you in three years, you make me sick. That’s not an ideal company, just so you know.
[David cell phone starts ringing and he keeps looking around him]
Elise Sellas: What are you looking for?
David Norris: I just, uh, felt like someone was watching me.
[he answers his cell phone]
[after quickly talking to Charlie on the phone and hanging up on him]
Elise Sellas: You just hung up on your friend.
David Norris: Yeah, but we’ve known each other since we were kids. We have a sure thing.
Elise Sellas: What speech?
David Norris: Doesn’t matter. You want to take a walk?
Elise Sellas: No.
David Norris: We have a lot to catch up on.
Elise Sellas: I don’t think you should cancel your speech. What if I don’t like you at the end of our walk?
David Norris: I’ll take my chances.
Elise Sellas: Right, seriously, my number hasn’t changed. Just call me like you didn’t last time.
David Norris: Look, if you take a walk with me I’ll explain why.
Elise Sellas: It’s been years! How do you know I don’t have a nice boyfriend?
David Norris: Uh, do you have a nice boyfriend?
Elise Sellas: Would it matter if I did?
David Norris: Yeah.
Elise Sellas: Oh, so you don’t have any real conviction then?
David Norris: Okay, it wouldn’t matter at all.
Elise Sellas: Oh, so you do, do you don’t mind being a home wrecker?
David Norris: Okay, if you were married, then it would bother me.
Elise Sellas: But now you’re just saying what you think I want to hear. I’m single. Now, let’s see you bullshit excuse for not calling me.
David Norris: I didn’t have your number.
Elise Sellas: I gave it to you on the bus. I handed it to you.
David Norris: I was mugged. It was taken from me.
Elise Sellas: No, come on!
David Norris: No I, it, I, my wallet was taken, they took it.
Elise Sellas: Come on!
David Norris: Look, why else would I fawn all over you on the bus three years ago and then never call you?
Elise Sellas: Cause I don’t know. You have a girlfriend, you felt terrible and…
David Norris: Okay, listen I swear to you that I did not have a girlfriend.
Elise Sellas: All right.
David Norris: Okay, listen. No, I, on my parents graves.
Elise Sellas: That’s heavy.
David Norris: That’s too heavy, I know. But it’s true. I didn’t have, I didn’t your number. And I didn’t even have a last name to go by. You know, if you Google just Elise you get seven hundred and…
Elise Sellas: You did not!
David Norris: …fifty seven thousand hits. And none of ’em were you.
[McCrady runs into Richardson’s office]
McCrady: We have a problem.
Richardson: What?
[he puts down a notebook showing map on Richardson’s desk]
McCrady: David Norris is off plan.
Richardson: Son of a bitch! How did he find her?
McCrady: Chance. Just spotted her on the street.
Richardson: We never should have let him meet her in the first place.
McCrady: We followed protocol to the letter.
Richardson: The guy rides the same bus everyday for three years. Who does that?
[to Mitchell when Richardson runs into him in the corridor of their offices]
Richardson: Three years later, I’m still cleaning up your mess.
Elise Sellas: Uh, I’m a dancer.
David Norris:Oh!
Elise Sellas: Oh, not like that! You pervert! I’m in a contemporary ballet company.
David Norris: I’m not, I think you have the wrong idea about me.
Elise Sellas: No, I think that was the first thing that crossed your mind, actually.
David Norris: I think you should invite me to one of your performances
Elise Sellas: Uh, the company is called, Cedar Lake. And and there’s actually a show tomorrow night, if you want.
David Norris: Was that an invitation?
Elise Sellas: No, that’s information.
[watching as Elise and David enter a cafe]
Richardson: Thirty six hours without contact, she’ll never speak to him again. Look at her file. What’s the last thing in the world she’ll put up with?
[looking at the notebook with the map of Elise’s decisions]
McCrady: No, something’s wrong. I’m already seeing deflection points.
Elise Sellas: You have to be born with the right body. Like, very flexible hips and shoulders and long neck.
David Norris: And you were?
Elise Sellas: No, I was. I was lucky. But, you know, after fifteen years of that precision and training it’s just…
[a waitress interrupts their conversation]
McCrady: Look.
[he sees a flashing red dot on Elise’s map of decisions]
Richardson: What’s this?
McCrady: If they kiss.
Richardson: A kiss! That’s all it takes?
McCrady: A real kiss. If that happens, every possible adjustment strong enough to break them up will cause ripples over your limit.
Elise Sellas: I think that everything that you go through in life should come out in the way that you dance.
David Norris: I haven’t found that to be the case with my dancing.
[Elise laughs]
Elise Sellas: That’s a shame.
[Charlie shows up unexpectedly at the cafe]
Charlie Traynor: David, there’s a crowd of people waiting for you to give the announcement speech at the Brooklyn Bridge right now.
David Norris: I know. I know.
Elise Sellas: What, you’re announcing today? You can’t sit this for a minute.
David Norris: I know. I know. I told you I’m not going to let you out of my sight. I…
Charlie Traynor: David, what the hell?
David Norris: Do you, do you want to come? Do you want to watch?
Elise Sellas: Yeah. No! I mean I can’t I have to go and rehearse. Actually, I just found out that they’re moving my rehearsal to Pier 17, right next to the bridge.
David Norris: You know what, why don’t we just, we’ll postpone it? We’ll do the speech another time.
Elise Sellas: No! David, come on! You can’t do that.
Charlie Traynor: Thank you.
Elise Sellas: You can’t do that. You have to go!
Charlie Traynor: David, she’s rehearsing so close. It’ll take you three minutes to get there after the speech.
David Norris: All right. Well…
Elise Sellas: Just go on with your plan.
[they get up to leave the cafe]
McCrady: Shifting her rehearsal to location seventeen was a genius move.
Richardson: We’re not out of the woods yet.
[after Richardson from afar interrupts them from having a real kiss, David kisses Elise on the cheek]
McCrady: We’re okay.
[Richardson gives a sigh of relief]
[as he’s about to leave]
David Norris: Look, whatever happens, I’m not going to let anything come between us again.
Elise Sellas: Okay.
David Norris: I’ll see you soon.
[giving his announcement speech on Brooklyn Bridge]
David Norris: Well, I have to say it’s good to be back in Brooklyn.
[the crowd cheers]
David Norris: There’s been a lot of speculation as to whether or not I would run for a senate seat here in the state of New York. I came her today to put an end to that speculation and to tell you unequivocally, I will seek the senate seat for the great state of New York.
[the crowd cheers]
[after his speech ends David notices Richardson and McCrady in a building nearby]
David Norris: Uh, okay. I got to get to Pier 17.
Charlie Traynor: Hey, do the interview and you can do whatever the hell you want with the rest of your day.
David Norris: Just, just handle the interviews for me. I’ll talk to those guys tomorrow.
Charlie Traynor: David, this is got to go in tonight’s news.
David Norris: I got to go see Elise right now!
Charlie Traynor: David! Everytime you get close, you do something to mess this up.
David Norris: This is different.
[as they watch David frantically trying to find a connecting phone line]
Richardson: I took out everything for three blocks.
McCrady: This guy’s a pain in the ass.
Richardson: Come on, let’s go talk to him.
[they stop David in the street]
Richardson: It’s whole world of women out there. Thought we established this one was off limits?
David Norris: It’s been a while, I must have forgotten.
Richardson: Doesn’t change the fact.
David Norris: You put us together three times.
Richardson: That wasn’t us. That was just chance.
David Norris: Why do you want to keep us apart?
Richardson: Because the plan says so.
David Norris: Well, then you misread the plan.
Richardson: No. There’s no misreading the plan when it comes to you and Elise.
David Norris: The plan’s wrong!
Richardson: You know who wrote it?
David Norris: I don’t care.
Richardson: You should really show a little respect.
David Norris: If I’m not supposed to be with her, how come I feel like this?
Richardson: It doesn’t matter how you feel. What matters is what’s in black and white.
David Norris: What? You don’t know why I’m not supposed to be with her do you? That’s why you can’t tell me. You don’t know.
[he walks away from them]
Richardson: Who is this guy?
[after he’s found out where Cedar Lake is and failing to stop a taxi to get him there]
Richardson: Maybe you should try the subway?
David Norris: Don’t all these taxis you’re diverting have plans too? huh? How long are you going to keep that up? Twenty minutes? An hour? Wow, the ripples must just be endless! I don’t care what you put in my way, I’m not giving up!
[after noticing David in a taxi speeding away to get to Elise]
Richardson: Set a traffic jam on Broadway.
McCrady: Too many ripples.
Richardson: He’s getting out of range!
McCrady: I don’t know what to do, you’re reaching your limit!
[as David sees Elise rehearsing in the Cedar Lake dance studio]
Richardson: It’s too late! He’s already seen her!
[David turns and sees Richardson]
Richardson: You hit your ripple limit. You can celebrate now. This is going to get upstairs.
[McCrady’s cell phone rings]
McCrady: It’s Thompson. He has no idea what he’s up against.
[to Richardson]
Donaldson: The intense chemistry between them. Constant deflection points and the kicker. You pulled them away twice, only to have chance put them back together again. All that seems a little much, so I asked Burdensky to do some research this morning. Have you been in here before?
[Richardson doesn’t answer]
Donaldson: No, of course not.
Burdensky: It seems like David Norris and Elise Sellas were meant to be together, because they were meant to be together.
Richardson: Wait, what?
Donaldson: In the seventies, when he was born, they were meant to be together. The same thing in the eighties, nineties.
Burdensky: Wasn’t until two thousand five that the plan changed and she was supposed to stay with Adrian.
[as Elise and David are out walking in the streets of New York]
Burdensky: [voice over] The problem here is there are remnants from all those old plans that keep pushing them together. They still feel like they belong with each other, even though they don’t. And we’re about to tear them apart again.
Richardson: You spend your whole career hoping someday you’ll get a red letter case, something you’ll really make a name for yourself with. Finally you get one, it’s booby trapped.
Harry Mitchell: What?
Richardson: I’m saying, it wasn’t your fault. They were meant to be together.
Harry Mitchell: What?
Richardson: Were, in an earlier version of the plan. Actually a dozen earlier versions. I always wondered how we had such bad luck? That she was on that particular bus, on that particular day.
Harry Mitchell: How could a plan just change like that?
Richardson: I don’t know. It’s above my pay grade.
Donaldson’s Aide: So we’re going operational. This is exciting, it’s been a while.
Donaldson: We’re not going operational. No one ever made it to my job by taking stupid risks.
Donaldson’s Aide: So, what are we going to do?
Donaldson: We’re going to keep this case upstairs, to use someone with the latitude to clean up this mess without breaking into a sweat. We’re going to bring in Mr Thompson.
Donaldson’s Aide: Thompson. When he was in the field, his nickname was..
Donaldson: The Hammer. Yes. He’ll crush this little romance with a flick of his hand and force them back on plan again.
David Norris: Oh, why ruin a really nice day?
Elise Sellas: Come on!
David Norris: No, I don’t dance.
Elise Sellas: Oh, come on! Everyone can dance. You just feel the music.
David Norris: Huh. Well, I’ve been told that I have trouble feeling.
Elise Sellas: Who told you that?
David Norris: A long list of women.
Elise Sellas: Oh, that’s gross! Okay, you know what? Let’s race to that lamp post. You win, I dance for you. I win, you dance for me.
David Norris: On the pole?
Elise Sellas: If you like, yes.
David Norris: All right. This is serious, what are the rules?
Elise Sellas: There are no rules.
[he suddenly starts running]
Elise Sellas: Oh! You bastard! Oh, my gosh!
[she starts running after him]
[dancing at a club]
David Norris: Let me go home and get my tux?
Elise Sellas: Definitely don’t do that.
[she takes off his tie]
Elise Sellas: It’s good. It’s good.
David Norris: I should never have come back here again without my backup dancers.
[Elise laughs]
Elise Sellas: Did you grown up over here?
David Norris: Yeah. Yeah. Three blocks over that way, behind New Street. My whole childhood.
Elise Sellas: What were you like as a kid?
David Norris: Oh, I’ve spent about half my time in the principles office up until the sixth grade.
Elise Sellas: [laughing] Wow!
David Norris: Yeah, that was when my, my mother and my brother died within a month of each other, so.
Elise Sellas: I’m sorry.
David Norris: No, it’s all right. You know, I always tell that story about how I got inspired to go into politics, because my dad took me to the senate gallery and we sat together, and that’s true. Um, but what I leave out is the, uh, he did that right after they died and I was bottoming out. So he wanted to get me out of here for a little while, and he planned this road trip to DC. And I think it’s cause JFK was his idol. Um, and we went and sat in the gallery and I remember watching him watch them. And I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wish they were here to see all this.
[he looks at]
David Norris: I was, I didn’t expect to tell you any of that.
[Elise leans in to kiss him]
[after she ends the call with Adrian, the morning after she’s slept with David]
Elise Sellas: I’m so sorry.
David Norris: That’s all right. Everything okay?
Elise Sellas: Yeah. Oh my God! That was so weird. I woke up and you weren’t here, and then the phone rang and it was my ex, which is just so strange.
David Norris: Yeah, sorry. I guess we hadn’t gone into any of that stuff yet.
Elise Sellas: Right. You know we broke up a while ago and, and it’s over. And then he calls four times in one morning.
David Norris: He called you four times this morning?
Elise Sellas: Um-hmm.
David Norris: How long have you guys been broken up?
Elise Sellas: Um, three months. It’s like he knew I was with someone else.
[referring to her relationship with her ex, Adrian]
David Norris: Was it serious?
Elise Sellas: We were engaged.
David Norris: So, not really that serious?
[she laughs]
Elise Sellas: Right.
David Norris: Well, what happened?
Elise Sellas: Do you want to know this?
David Norris: Yeah.
Elise Sellas: Um, he was a great guy. Brilliant choreographer and dancer, and we had the same group of friends. We’d known each other a long time.
David Norris: He sounds great. Why didn’t you marry him?
Elise Sellas: Because of you. I’m not a hopeless romantic. I’d never allow 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.
David Norris: I know the feeling.
Elise Sellas: Scares the shit out of me.
David Norris: I’m not going to hurt you.
Elise Sellas: You don’t need to say that.
David Norris: I’m not going to hurt you. This is the first time in twenty five years that I don’t feel like I’m by myself.
Elise Sellas: Ooph! That’s an awful lot of responsibility for me. I don’t know if I’m quite comfortable with that.
[they both laugh]
David Norris: Too late.
David Norris: You know I’m supposed to go to a, uh, an interview right now. What if I told you I wasn’t ready to let you out of my sight quit yet?
Elise Sellas: Sounds good.
David Norris: You want to go?
Elise Sellas: Yes.
[after David’s TV interview is finished]
Thompson’s Aide: Excuse me, Ma’am?
[we see one of Thompson’s aide dressed up as a TV backstage employee]
Elise Sellas: Yes.
Thompson’s Aide: Congressman Norris asked me to give you a message. He was just called into a meeting, he says it’s urgent.
Elise Sellas: Oh, okay.
Thompson’s Aide: He said he’ll call you as soon as he’s out and I’ll see you at the show tonight.
Elise Sellas: Okay, thank you. Thanks.
[after being locked up in am empty studio]
Thompson: Frustrating, isn’t it? My name is Thompson.
David Norris: Whatever happened to free will?
Thompson: We actually tried free will before. After taking you from hunting and gathering to the height of the Roman empire, we stepped back to see how you’d do on your own. You gave us the dark ages for five centuries until finally we decided we should come back in. The Chairman thought that maybe we just needed to do a better job with teaching you how to ride a bike before taking the training wheels off again. So we gave you raised hopes, enlightment, scientific revolution. For six hundred years we taught you to control your impulses with reason. Then in nineteen ten, we stepped back. Within fifty years you’d brought us world war one, the depression, fascism, the holocaust and capped it off by bringing the entire planet to the brink of destruction in the Cuba missile crisis. At that point the decision was taken to step back in again before you did something that even we couldn’t fix.
Thompson: You don’t have free will, David. You have the appearance of free will.
David Norris: You expect me to believe that. I make decisions everyday.
Thompson: You have free will over which toothpaste you use, or which beverage to order at lunch. But humanity just isn’t mature enough to control the important things.
David Norris: So you handle the important things? Well, the last time I checked the world’s a pretty screwed up place.
Thompson: It’s still here. If we’d left things in your hands it wouldn’t be.
David Norris: Tell me why I can’t be with Elise? Because the last guy didn’t know.
Thompson: Meeting Elise at The Waldorf wasn’t chance. That was us. We knew she’d inspire you to give that speech. That speech that brought you back from the edge of oblivion and over night made you the front runner in this coming election.
David Norris: Are you just saying you want me to win the election?
Thompson: This one. And four more after it. And I’m not just talking about elections for senate. You can matter, David. Really matter. What your father wanted when he took you to the senate gallery when you were ten. What your brother wanted when he made you promise the day before he overdosed, that you wouldn’t be like him. Why do you think you have that yearning to be in front of people? That terrible emptiness when you’re not?
David Norris: Don’t do that.
Thompson: David, you can change the world. But that doesn’t happen if you stay with her.
David Norris: Why do you people care who I love?
Thompson: It’s not about her. It’s about you. What being with her does to you?
David Norris: What it does to me? I’m better when I’m with her. Even you said it, the speech.
Thompson: In small doses, Elise was the cure. But in large doses she rubs off on you.
David Norris: Stop.
Thompson: David, the president can’t be a loose cannon.
David Norris: Stop talking. It’s not working.
Thompson: Why do you refuse to accept what should be completely obvious by now? You’ve seen what we can do. You can’t doubt we are who we say we are.
David Norris: Look, it’s not about who you are. It’s about who I am.
Thompson: Can’t outrun your fate, David.
David Norris: I’m just disagreeing with you about what my fate is. I know what I feel for her and it’s not going to change. All I have are the choices that I make, and I choose her. Come what may.
Thompson: In six twenty, if you leave now you can make Elise’s show.
[the studio doors open and David leaves]
[watching Elise dance in her show, Thompson comes up behind David]
Thompson: She’s a beautiful dancer.
David Norris: I thought I made myself clear.
Thompson: There’s one more piece to this I haven’t mentioned. I guess I just didn’t have the heart. If you stay with her, it not only kills your dreams, it kills hers.
David Norris: What?
Thompson: Elise is about to become one of the most famous dancers in the country. And eventually one of the worlds greatest choreographers. If she stays with you, she ends up teaching dance to six year olds.
Thompson: When you look back on all this, David, just remember we tried to reason with you.
[he turns to leave but as Elise is jumping in her dance Thompson makes her fall]
[Thompson turns up as David is waiting in the hospital for Elise to be checked]
Thompson: I always hear people saying; ‘you can’t blame yourself’, for what happens to other people. But in this case, really, you can.
[David get up and punches Thompson in the face]
Thompson: This is what you do, David. This is what you did getting into a bar fight the night you first got elected. What you did to get that embarrassing photo in the New York Post. We give you opportunities other people would kill for and you squander them with impulse. It doesn’t take a genius to see Elise isn’t exactly helping you with this.
[referring to making Elise hurt herself during her dance]
Thompson: It’s a sprain, David. But if you stay with her, you’ll take away the only thing she ever cared about. It’s up to you.
[he walks away]
[Elise is lying on a hospital bed]
David Norris: It’s just a sprain?
Elise Sellas: Yeah. Yeah, the doctor said it’s going to be better in like a month or less.
David Norris:That’s totally unexpected.
Elise Sellas: Oh, I’m so relieved.
David Norris: Yeah, great! Great! You’re such a great dancer. And, uh, you’ll heal up and just get better and better.
[he hugs her]
David Norris: I’m going to go make a couple of phone calls.
Elise Sellas: Okay.
David Norris: Okay. I’m so happy for you.
[he walks away from her]
Richardson: It’s done. Thompson finished it.
Harry Mitchell: I know.
Richardson: Can’t let it get to you, like it did with his family. This is the job.
Harry Mitchell: You ever wonder, if it’s right? I mean, if it’s always right?
Richardson: Not like I used to. Look, Chairman has the plan, we only see part of it.
[11 months after David has left Elise, Charlie shows David a newspaper report on Elise]
Charlie Traynor: She’s getting married to that guy she was engaged to.
[David reads the article]
Charlie Traynor: You okay?
David Norris: I think I’m going to uh..
Charlie Traynor: Take a day off. Take a couple, you’re still a few points up.
David Norris: Yeah, even I can’t blow a leap that big.
David Norris: Why do you want to see me?
Harry Mitchell: Thompson lied when he said you couldn’t be with Elise because she brings out your reckless side.
David Norris: Then why? Why do they care so much?
Harry Mitchell: Because she’s enough, David. If you have her you won’t need to fill that inside of you with applause and votes and dreams of one day making it to the White House.
Harry Mitchell: That’s important, but it’s not the only thing that matters.
David Norris: Why are you so different from them?
Harry Mitchell: You’re dad, was a very smart man. He could have been a lot more. Wanted to be. You’re brother too. But the plan didn’t call for it.
David Norris: What about my mother?
Harry Mitchell: That wasn’t me. That wasn’t us at all.
David Norris: It was just chance.
Harry Mitchell: I’m sorry.
David Norris: You know Thompson’s not lying. They’re already talking about me being a presidential candidate. I’m phoning in my speeches and I’m sixteen points up.
Harry Mitchell: The public loves you.
David Norris: Before I met Elise, that’s all I cared about. I don’t even notice it now. I can’t stop thinking about her.
David Norris: Do you know where she’s getting married?
Harry Mitchell: In front of a judge, tomorrow morning.
David Norris: Is she happy?
Harry Mitchell: Thompson won’t let you anywhere near her. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever.
David Norris: Harry! Is she happy?
[Mitchell doesn’t answer]
David Norris: I got to try and get her back. Will you help me? Will you just help me get to her?
Harry Mitchell: They’ll sense you coming a mile away.
David Norris: What if I could move as fast as you? Teach me about the doors.
Harry Mitchell: The rain will stop in the next hour. And that’s the only thing keeping them from seeing us right now. If we’re going to do this, we’ll need all night to do it in a place surrounded by water to do it in. Always turn the door knob clockwise.
David Norris: What happens if I turn it the other way?
Harry Mitchell: You don’t want to do that. That’s only for us. Put your hand on my shoulder and don’t let go until we cross the threshold.
[referring to the doors]
David Norris: Are these ever locked?
Harry Mitchell: Not when you’re wearing one of our hats.
[Harry’s teaching David how to get to the courthouse where Elise is getting married]
Harry Mitchell: Your destination, 60 Center Street, Court Room 300. There’s thousands of different ways to get to the courthouse using the doors. I want you to learn how to stay in the sub-streets so Thompson won’t be able to get a fix on you.
David Norris: Okay. Just south of the diner it’s a red door, I come out on Broadway, right by Leonard Street.
Harry Mitchell: That’s good. Keep going.
David Norris: Uh,through Leonard, uh, half a block down.
Harry Mitchell: Okay, suppose Thompson’s there?
David Norris: Okay, I go east to Lafayette’s.
Harry Mitchell: No, it’s Crosby Street there.
Harry Mitchell: Look I need you to understand, this has never done before. So the minute you go through that first door, all hell will break loose! Assume everyone with a hat on is a threat. I don’t care if it’s a Yankee cap, a bowler or even a Yamaka. Assume everyone in a hat is working with Thompson.
David Norris: Even you guys can’t get through the doors without your hats on, right?
Harry Mitchell: Right. It’s one of the ways The Chairman limits our power. Water is another way.
David Norris: You said before, what if Thompson’s in front of me on Crosby Street?
Harry Mitchell: Right.
David Norris: Why don’t I just knock the hat off his head and then run by before he has time to pick it up?
Harry Mitchell: That’s good. Improvisation, we have trouble with that.
Harry Mitchell: Come on, we have a lot more to get through.
David Norris: Whatever it takes.
Harry Mitchell: Your father used to say that.
David Norris: I guess you’re not supposed to identify with your subjects? You’re not supposed to feel guilt?
Harry Mitchell: We’re not built to lead with our emotions like you are, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have them.
David Norris: Some more than others.
Harry Mitchell: You’re lucky, it’s started raining again.
David Norris: We need to get going. The wedding’s in ten minutes!
Harry Mitchell: We have time. Being early is just as being late.
Harry Mitchell: This is it.
David Norris: Okay. I’m going to go through the blue door.
Harry Mitchell: Of course.
[he takes off his hat and gives it to David]
Harry Mitchell: Here’s your way through it. Don’t lose it.
David Norris: Thanks, Harry.
Harry Mitchell: Good luck.
Thompson’s Aide: It looks like Mr Norris is using the rain to make a run for it.
Thompson: Call the proctor at the wedding.
[David finds Elise in the lady’s bathroom in the courthouse]
David Norris: Elise! You’re not marrying that guy! I’m so sorry! I don’t know what you must think of me! But you can’t marry him! You don’t love him! I’ve been terrible, I know!
Elise Sellas: I’m going to marry him. I’m going to marry him tonight.
David Norris: No, you can’t!
[he goes to touch her she pushes him away]
Elise Sellas: Don’t touch me!
David Norris: I know!
Elise Sellas: What are you doing?
David Norris: You are…
Elise Sellas: Do you know that no one’s ever hurt me as much as you did!
David Norris: I know! I’m so sorry that I left you the way that I did!
Elise Sellas: Oh, David! You know what? You left me in a fucking hospital! What are you doing?
David Norris: I know it seems terrible but there was a reason!
Elise Sellas: You don’t know anything about me and what makes me happy!
David Norris: I’m sorry that I hurt you! I…
[one of Thompson’s aide’s comes in and David hits him]
David Norris: Look at me? I know that you love me.
[David picks up the notebook that Thompson’s aide dropped]
David Norris: Okay. This says that you love me and that I love you and that we’re not supposed to be together!
[he opens the book to show her and the map]
Elise Sellas: David!
David Norris: Because of this book.
Elise Sellas: What are you talking about?
David Norris: But I know that I’m supposed to be with you.
Elise Sellas: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
David Norris: Because of the way I feel.
Elise Sellas: What’s going on?
David Norris: I love you. And I don’t care what happens, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Even if it’s only a little while.
Thompson’s Aide: He just revealed us.
Thompson: Call the intervention team. Tell them it’s a square one reset.
Elise Sellas: Why are they chasing you?
David Norris: They’re, they’re going to, uh, reset me.
Elise Sellas: What are you talking about?
David Norris: I never lied to you.
[he can hear Thompson’s aide’s looking for him]
David Norris: I love you, Elise.
[he puts on his hat]
David Norris: Let me show you something. You deserve to know.
[he walks her towards a bathroom cubicle door]
David Norris: What’s going on?
[he opens the door and they go through to a football stadium]
[running through the streets of New York, Elise scared suddenly stops]
Elise Sellas: Oh my God! What’s happening to me? What’s happening to me?
David Norris: All you need to know, we’re being chased! I need you to trust me. I need you to trust me!
Elise Sellas: Okay.
David Norris: Okay. Come on.
[they start running]
[as they go through a door to find themselves by the statue of Liberty]
David Norris: Find another door?
Elise Sellas: What the hell is going on? What the hell is going on, David?!
David Norris: Okay. I’m sorry! I’m sorry!
Elise Sellas: How did we just do that?
David Norris: I’m so sorry!
Elise Sellas: How did we just do that?
David Norris: Okay. Okay, these door belong to the people who are chasing us.
Elise Sellas: Who are they?!
David Norris: I don’t know what to call them, but, uh, they want to take you away from me!
Elise Sellas: Why? Why do they care about us?
David Norris: Look, they, they hurt your ankle! Everything you’ve worked for your entire life, it doesn’t happen if you stay with me! That’s why I left you in the hospital.
Elise Sellas: I don’t understand! I don’t understand!
David Norris: This can’t be wrong. This can’t be wrong.
Elise Sellas: Why do they think it’s wrong?
David Norris: The book. Their book. But what if I can find who wrote it?
[Elise shakes her head not understanding]
David Norris: Okay, 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. And that’s all I wanted since the minute I met you.
Elise Sellas: I’m coming with you.
[to David and Elise after they’ve failed trying to find The Chairman and ended up at the top of the building of the suited men headquarters]
Thompson: Did you really think you could reach The Chairman? And change your fate if you did? Or write your own? It doesn’t work like that. And I told you why.
[Mitchell walks towards Thompson]
Harry Mitchell: I’ve got a message for you.
[he hands Thompson a letter and Thompson reads the message]
Thompson: I understand.
[he looks at David and Elise and then quietly walks away from them]
Harry Mitchell: Even Thompson has a boss.
David Norris: Harry? You’re The Chairman?
Harry Mitchell: No! You’ve met him though, or her. Everybody has. The Chairman comes in a different form to everyone, so people rarely realize when it happens.
David Norris: Is this some sort of test?
Harry Mitchell: In a way. It’s all a test, for everybody. Even the members of The Adjustment Bureau. David, you risked everything for Elise. And Elise, when you came through that door at the statue of Liberty, you risked everything too. But you inspired me. Seems like you inspired The Chairman too.
[referring to the paper Mitchell is holding in his hand]
David Norris: Is that about us?
Harry Mitchell: Yes.
David Norris: What does it say?
Harry Mitchell: It says that this situation between the two of you is a serious deviation from the plan. So The Chairman rewrote it.
[he hold up the paper, it shows lines of David and Elise’s life plan moving forward together]
David Norris: Okay. Now what?
Harry Mitchell: Now…
[he takes his hat off David’s head]
Harry Mitchell: …you can take the stairs.
[he smiles and walks away from them]
[last lines]
Harry Mitchell: [voice over] Most people live life on the path we set for them. Too afraid to explore any other. But once in a while people like you come along and knock down all the obstacles we put in your way. People who realize free will is a gift, you’ll never know how to use until you fight for it. I think that’s The Chairman’s real plan. And maybe, one day, we won’t write the plan. You will.
Total Quotes: 117
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