Gus Grimly quotes from Fargo

Lorne Malvo

Evening, Officer.

Gus Grimly

Evening. License and registration, please.

Lorne Malvo

We could do it that way. You ask me for my papers. I tell you it's not my car, that I borrowed it. See where things go from there. We could do that. Or you could go get in your car and drive away.

Gus Grimly

Now, why would I do that?

Lorne Malvo

Because some roads you shouldn't go down. Because maps used to say, "there be dragons here." Now they don't. But that don't mean the dragons aren't there.

Greta Grimly

[over the radio] Dad. Come in, Dad. Over.

Gus Grimly

[to Malvo] You step out of the car, please, sir.

Lorne Malvo

How old's your kid?

Gus Grimly

I said step out of the car.

Greta Grimly

Dad, come in. Dad, over.

Lorne Malvo

Let me tell you what's gonna happen, Officer Grimly. I'm going to roll my window up, then I'm going to drive away, and you're gonna go home to your daughter, and every few years, you're gonna look at her face and know that you're alive because you chose not to go down a certain road on a certain night. That you chose to walk into the light instead of into the darkness.

Gus Grimly

Well, you know, sometimes there's more than one right thing.

Greta Grimly

What does that mean?

Gus Grimly

It means I got you, and I am responsible for you, and sometimes I might be in a situation where-- and this hasn't happened, and it won't-- but a situation where if I try to stop a guy from doing a bad thing, I could get hurt. Or worse. And then who would take care of you?

Greta Grimly

But it's your job.

Gus Grimly

Well, I got two jobs, and the first, the most important, is being your dad.

Greta Grimly

Well, if I saw somebody doing something, I would stop 'em.

Gus Grimly

How do you do that, just lie like that?

Lorne Malvo

Did you know the human eye can see more shades of green than any other color?

Gus Grimly

What?

Lorne Malvo

I said, "Did you know that the human eye can see more shades of green than any other color?" My question for you is, why?

Gus Grimly

No, no, no, just h-hold on.

Lorne Malvo

When you figure out the answer to my question, then you'll have the answer to yours.

Molly Solverson

What happened?

Gus Grimly

Well, they, uh-- they let him go, Malvo. Yeah, he had an alibi, it checked out, but it's him.

Molly Solverson

How do you know?

Gus Grimly

'Cause I said the name Lorne Malvo, and he stopped, and he looked at me real funny. And then he said, like, a riddle.

Molly Solverson

What's that about a riddle?

Gus Grimly

Like, um, how come the human eye can see more shades of green than any other color?

Molly Solverson

'Cause of predators. Used to be, we were monkeys, right? And in the woods, in the jungle, everything's green. So, in order to not get eaten by panthers and bears and the like, we had to be able to see them, you know, in the grass and trees and such. Predators.

A rich man opens the paper one day. He sees the world is full of misery. He says, "I have money. I can help." So he gives away all of his money. But it's not enough. The people are still suffering. One day, the man sees another article. He decides he was foolish to think just giving money was enough. So he goes to the doctor and says, "Doctor, I want to donate a kidney." The doctors do the surgery. It's a complete success. After, he knows he should feel good, but he doesn't, for people are still suffering. So he goes back to the doctor. He says, "Doctor, this time I want to give it all." The doctor says, "What does that mean, 'Give it all'?" He says, "This time I want to donate my liver. But not just my liver. I want to donate my heart, but not just my heart. I want to donate my corneas, but not just my corneas. I want to give it all away. Everything I am. All that I have." The doctor says, "A kidney is one thing, but you can't give away your whole body piece by piece. That's suicide." And he sends the man home. But the man cannot live knowing that the people are suffering and he could help. So he gives the one thing he has left: his life.

Gus Grimly

And does it work? Does it stop the suffering?

You live in the world. What do you think?

Gus Grimly

So he killed himself for nothing?

Did he?

Gus Grimly

Well, I mean... what are you saying?

Only a fool thinks he can solve the world's problems.

Gus Grimly

Yeah, but you gotta try, don't you?

Gus Grimly

When a dog goes rabid, right, there's no mistaking it for a normal dog. And here we are, we're supposed to be, us people, we're supposed to know better. To be better, you know?

Molly Solverson

Must be hard to live in this world if you believe that.

Gus Grimly

You have no idea.

Molly Solverson

What did I lose?

Gus Grimly

A spleen. Look, I'll get you a new one, I swear.

Molly Solverson

Yeah, you'd better.

Gus Grimly

You want some pop or something?

Molly Solverson

No, I want a new spleen, that's what I want, so you know, better get cracking, mister.

Gus Grimly

I figured it out.

Lorne Malvo

Good for you.

Gus Grimly

Your riddle-- shades of green. I figured it out.

Lorne Malvo

[irritated] And?

Gus Grimly

They're gonna give me a citation for bravery.

Greta Grimly

You? Come on, you're afraid of spiders.

Gus Grimly

Buzz Aldrin was afraid of spiders, and he went into space.

Molly Solverson

Proud of you, hon.

Gus Grimly

They really should be giving it to you.

Molly Solverson

No. No, this is your deal. I get to be chief.