Loy Cannon quotes from Fargo

Loy Cannon

Now, you can say your whole life is just a series of mistakes. No big deal. But Doctor Senator? Now that's the one that got you killed.

Loy Cannon

You know what I think? Every country has its own type of criminal. In America, we got the confidence man. Snake oil salesman, grifter. He don't rob you as much as trick you into robbing yourself. See, 'cause in America, people want to believe. They got that dream. And a dreamer, you can fleece.

Loy Cannon

This is my associate, Doctor Senator.

You're a doctor?

Doctor Senator

No, sir. Name's Doctor. Doctor Senator. It was my mother's idea.

And what was her name?

Doctor Senator

Ma'am.

Loy Cannon

You seeing to his education?

Rabbi Milligan

I'm teaching him how the world works.

Loy Cannon

And how's that?

Rabbi Milligan

It's dog eat dog.

Loy Cannon

That's how dogs work. Men are more complicated.

Rabbi Milligan

Not in my experience.

Loy Cannon

What you need, son?

Just rub some coins together, that's all. Just a cup of joe.

Loy Cannon

Cup of joe? That's why your eyes so runny? Too much Sanka? Let me see what I got for you. [Loy pulls out a roll of cash which Dwayne stares at in awe; Loy turns to Lemuel] You see that? What happened to his face when I pull out my roll? What do we call that, Doctor?

Doctor Senator

We call that the blight.

Loy Cannon

The blight. See, five seconds ago this young hustler was fingering the holes in his pocket, living the now. But then he sees this and he starts to dream. "With that much cash, I can make plans! Turn my shit around!" Right? So now he's planning months into the future, sees himself all cleaned up, fine girl on his arm. Then what do you know? He ain't even colored no more. He's J.P. fucking Morgan. An American success story. But watch this.

[lunging for the money] Hey, hey, hey!

Loy Cannon

You see that? I just stole from that man. Forget it weren't his money. Just seeing that much scratch, he made a future for himself. And I took that from him.

Loy Cannon

How many?

Doctor Senator

300 semiautomatic. Out of New York. So either the Faddas are going into the gun business now or they're going to war with us.

Loy Cannon

Sell 200 to Mort Kellerman.

Doctor Senator

Out of Fargo?

Loy Cannon

Tell him he can have them at cost, but he owes us devotion.

Loy Cannon

That's a lot of greenbacks, Thurman.

Yes, sir, it is.

Loy Cannon

Where'd you get it?

Well, sir, I'd rather not say. [Loy stares at him] It was, uh, the loss of a loved one, if you must know. My dear Uncle Boolie. He passed last week, left me this money, and since you were nice enough to give us that loan, I figured I should bring it you straight away.

Loy Cannon

So he left you this bag of cash. Your uncle...what was it?

Boolie. No, sir. His bequeathment came in check form. Uh, I just figured cash should be easier for you.

Loy Cannon

Thurman, Thurman. Always thinking. I got to tell you, I can't remember the last time a white man tried to make my life easier.

Well, here's me, then.

Loy Cannon

Here's you. [Loy takes a long, suspicious stare at Thurman, making Thurman nervous] Well, okay! Thanks for stopping by.

Okay then. [Thurman stands up] That's...hoo! I got to say, I really thought you were gonna shoot me there, money or no.

Loy Cannon

I thought about it.

[chuckling nervously] I'm gonna go now.

Loy Cannon

Good choice.

You have a lovely home. Uh...

Loy Cannon

Leave now.

Loy Cannon

I just came home to change my shirt.

Mmhmm.

Loy Cannon

What? [to Buel] What's wrong with her? Where you off to?

They arrested your son.

Loy Cannon

I know. I'm handling it.

The same way you're handling your other son, lives in an attic with an Irishman?

Loy Cannon

Come on now, we talked about that.

We did, and there he is, eating someone else's food still.

Mmhmm.

Loy Cannon

Doc's gonna bail the boy out this morning. He got his bell rung pretty good, but he's alright.

I'll get him.

Loy Cannon

He's not the only boy I got in there. They all need bailing out. Now, Doc's gonna sort it.

You best get out of my way.

Mmhmm.

Loy Cannon

[to Narcissa] You got something to say to me?

Don't take this out on mama.

Loy Cannon

You ain't going down there.

Loy Cannon, you know better than to come between a mother and her child.

Loy Cannon

I'm handling it.

Oh, you handling it. Well, send a letter to the Pope! You hear that, mama? Daddy's handling it!

Mmhmm.

I got two baby girls upstairs sleeping. You're gonna handle them, too? Maybe into the hospital or the cemetery? Pretty soon, all we're gonna have around here is a house full of clothes.

Loy Cannon

I said I'm....You like that coat you're wearing? The food you're eating? [to Narcissa] How about you, your majesty? You like the view from your room? Your fancy blankets? Where do you think all that comes from? [to Buel] The razor's edge! What, we're supposed to get rich and stay rich? How? By saying our prayers? The boy went to the club and the bulls lit him up. You act like that can't happen just walking down the street. Acting like the I'm the villain when all I do is fight for this family! You don't like how it's going? You scared to take the risk? Too bad. We're on the ride now, and we can't get off until the roller coaster stops! Now take off your damn coat and get me some fucking coffee! [Buel takes off her coat and slowly walks away. Loy turns to Narcissa] Can I get a "mmhmm?"

Hmph.

Loy Cannon

I'm losing this war, Odis. People are being taken from me. People I trust. Things I've earned. You see, I'm not just fighting a few Italians. I'm fighting 400 years of history. I'm fighting a mindset. [Loy notices a large set of Hummel figurines] You like those dolls, huh? You collect 'em?

Odis Weff

I, uh...

Loy Cannon

How do you think they feel, being owned? Imagine if these dolls rose up and became citizens of this apartment. Imagine if they asked for equal rights? You might say, "Man, fuck these dolls. I'm gonna crush these dolls, thinking they all human, thinking they equal." 'Cause that's your mindset. And look, maybe you feel like these Italians own you, but you got no idea what it feels like to be actual owned, to be property. Until now. 'Cause I own you. You're gonna help me win this war or I'm gonna put you in the ground, you hear me?

Odis Weff

Yeah, yes, I hear you.

Loy Cannon

Good. We'll be in touch.

Ebal Violante

First, we recognize things have gotten out of hand. Our two families. We recognize this and, uh, we apologize.

Loy Cannon

You apologize?

Ebal Violante

Doctor Senator-

Loy Cannon

Don't...say his name.

Ebal Violante

He was a friend of mine. His death should not have happened, but Gaetano Fadda is the son of Donatello Fadda, chosen by New York. His death is not allowed.

Loy Cannon

Not allowed?

Ebal Violante

I'm simply telling you how it is. There are people you can kill, people you can't.

Josto Fadda

Eh, well... [Ebal looks at Josto] No, I'm just saying he's more animal than people.

Ebal Violante

Hey... [in Italian] He's your bother.

Josto Fadda

Cain was Abel's brother. [in Italian] How'd that turn out?

Loy Cannon

Elevate, don't denigrate. That's what I tell 'em. My kids. What do you think the Italians tell their kids?

Odis Weff

I-I don't know

Loy Cannon

Yeah, yeah, but you see it, though, right? What they're doing? Call a man an animal, keep him in the dirt. But what if he don't grunt? What if he don't honk? What if he walks tall and stays a man? C'mon, you know what that is. You boys do it all the time.

Odis Weff

No, not me.

Loy Cannon

You get in the dirt yourself and you show him how to be an animal! You show him how to hate! You show him how to be cruel! You kill his friends! You murder his child.

Odis Weff

Boss...I didn't know.

Loy Cannon

They can't rise to our level, so they got to drag us down to theirs. But it's a trap. It's a trap, 'cause if I get in the dirt like them, that means they were right the whole time.

Loy Cannon

Tell me.

It didn't work. They're a team now, the brothers. So what do we do?

Loy Cannon

Fargo.

Loy Cannon

I told those ladies no harm would come to them. That makes me accountable.

Should I tell you what I've learned about the criminal mindset? By definition, the criminal rejects accountability, as their identity is based on getting away with things. Similarly, the criminal - you - rejects morality and ethics, for if there is a larger right, then the criminal himself is always wrong. And you don't strike me as the type of man thinks himself wrong.

Loy Cannon

Rarely.

So there goes morality out the window, but in that vacuum, what should rush but a code. A system of rules, mostly having to do with loyalty. And this way, the criminal detaches himself from the civilian world.

Loy Cannon

And yet, here I am. Family man, community leader, deacon in the church.

Oh, the criminal is capable of being all those things. But it's a ruse. For though you claim to share the values of your wife or preacher, the Lord knows it's a disguise. Ask me how I know for certain.

Loy Cannon

How do you know for certain?

Would a family man trade his youngest son to his enemy in exchange for power and monetary gain?

Loy Cannon

You need to leave.

And so we circle back, inevitably, to your original statement. To wit, I'm accountable for those ladies, murderers both, thieves and cheats. But now, since we both know the criminal is capable of love and loyalty only when it suits his own self-interest, I've come to the make the following point: It don't. Not no more. In summation, boy, if you could sacrifice your youngest, like Isaac in the Holy Book, well, then giving up two strangers to keep the might of the federal government off your back, well, now, that should be as facile as breathing.

Loy Cannon

It was blizzarding when Satchel was born. Middle of the night. Why do babies always come in the middle of the night?

It's the moon, my mama said. Babies come like the tide.

Loy Cannon

Buel birthed him in a tub with her mama. I was downstairs with the girls. I swear I couldn't hear a sound. My missus, passing a twelve inch head through a six inch hole. On my best day, I'm half as tough as that. And this ain't my best day. No, siree. That's behind me, I think.

Loy Cannon

Are you kidding? This is half our business. You want to take half our business? We had a deal, in the park. WE MADE A DEAL!

Ebal Violante

Please be calm. This is just part of the new plan. Our national plan for the nation. New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Miami, Texas, California. You too are a national outfit, yes? Mm, wait, no. You are one man in one city. What do they say? Big fish, small pond. But we are the sea. Mm, I can tell you are thinking you can just kill me the way you kill the men before. But this is a mistake because when you look at me, you don't see the man behind me and the man behind him and all the men that follow. Forever. Mmhmm? You see them now. The wave that never ends. We understand each other. Cheer up. Look at it this way: we are not taking half, we are leaving half. You work for us now. You do what we say or we kill you and find someone who will. [in Italian] End of story.