Daily Dialogue — June 18, 2018

Dalton Russell: What’s your name?
Peter Hammond: Peter.
Dalton Russell: Peter what?
Peter Hammond: Peter Hammond.
Dalton Russell: Where’s your cell phone, Peter Hammond?
Peter Hammond: I left it at home.
Dalton Russell: [Putting his arm around Peter’s shoulder] Peter, think very carefully about how you answer the next question, because if you get it wrong, your headstone will read, “Here lies Peter Hammond, hero, who valiantly attempted to prevent a brilliant bank robbery by trying to hide his cellular phone, but wound up”… [presses gun muzzle into Peter’s cheek] “getting shot in the fucking head.” Now, Peter Hammond, where’s your cell phone?

— Inside Man (2006), written by Russell Gewirtz

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Heist. Today’s suggestion by Drew Dellinger.

Trivia: According to Spike Lee, he and Willem Dafoe met in the men’s room during the intermission of the play ‘Julius Caesar’, in which Denzel Washington appeared. As they were standing side by side in the men’s room, Spike said: “We should work together” and Dafoe replied: “Yeah, Spike, we should” and that was it. Later on, Spike sent him the script.

Dialogue On Dialogue: The interaction between criminal mastermind and hostage can reveal much in the way of character, as it does here in this heist movie. What do you think Russell said to himself inside Hammond’s office before coming back outside and grabbing the man?