Primal Fear

Primal Fear (1996)

18 quotes

(8 votes)

Movie Quote Quiz

Janet Venable: I've got to admit, that face is great. Are you prepping him to take the stand? That stutter, it's p-p-p-p-priceless.

Martin Vail: I also need case histories on murder by stabbing, murder by mutilation, murder by religion. Also, I'm gonna need a psychiatrist.
Naomi Chance: You're telling me.

Janet Venable: What's the matter, Marty, you nervous? Been a while since you rubbed up against a woman with a brain?

Martin Vail: Let me just take you back now. Let's go back to June 1985. Do you recall any allegations of sexual misconduct?

John Shaughnessy: I have some advice for you. My advice for you, if you really have aspirations beyond this particular office, is to pick up that little handbag of yours, go home right now and destroy this tape you should've destroyed, like I did, the minute you received it.

Naomi Chance: What does he look like - in person?
Martin Vail: The Butcher Boy? Like a Boy Scout.
Tommy Goodman: A Boy Scout - with a merit badge in carving.

Martin Vail: They assume they're guilty. You know, they assume they did it, and, like, we know or something. You don't know. You don't ask. You don't care. You do the goddamn job.

Martin Vail: My name is Martin Vail. I'm what you call a big-shot attorney.

Janet Venable: How can your timing be so good in a courtroom and so bad in real life?

Jack Connerman: So, why'd you leave the State's Attorney's Office?
Martin Vail: Dead-end job. You either - you either run for office, or you end up a judge. Why become an umpire when you can play ball?

Janet Venable: You think you've got me. You think because you know me as well as you do, you know how I think. Well, I know how you think.
Martin Vail: You know what I'm thinking?

Alex: She freaked out! She panicked. She split. I don't know. I'm not expecting any postcards.

Molly: Were you sleeping together?
Aaron: Well, that's private.
Molly: I know. I have to ask the question. Were you having a sexual relationship, Aaron?

Naomi Chance: So how are you gonna get him off?

Joey Pinero: The Archbishop was a close personal friend of Mr. Shaughnessy. He came to me earlier this morning and asked me who was my best man, I said you.
Janet Venable: Thank you. I trust, Mr. Shaughnessy, if I am to prosecute this case, I'll be given the authority which comes with the assignment.
John Shaughnessy: You're the one trying the case, but let's establish one thing at the outset. I want the death penalty.

Continuity mistake: In the scene in the bar when Martin is talking to the reporter and drinking, the napkin with the slice of lime on the counter in front of the liquor bottle moves from place to place in the shots, and to start with the reporter is on Martin's right (viewed from behind the bar) and then on his left (from the bar side).

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Trivia: In the book, Aaron does not have a stutter - the stutter was introduced for the film because when Edward Norton auditioned for the part, he did the lines with a stutter and it won him the part.

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Question: At the end of the movie, it's discovered that "Aaron" was actually faking a split personality. What would have been the legal ramifications if Martin were to tell his superiors the truth?

Answer: Nothing if he is telling superiors within the law practice he is associated with. Outside it, he would be legally bound by attorney/client privilege. He could be disbarred if he ever shared that information.

raywest

I'm sorry. I forgot to add to the question of what would have happened if he had chosen to ignore attorney/client privilege. If he discarded attorney/client privilege, would there have been any legal actions against him and Roy?

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