Firestarter (1984)

Martin Sheen: Captain Hollister

Photos 

Quotes 

• Captain Hollister : [referring to Charlie]  When we find out all we need to know from her...

  John Rainbird : ...when you give her to me.

  Captain Hollister : [after a pause]  What are you going to do with her?

  John Rainbird : John, the friendly orderly, will come in. He will greet her, talk to her, get her to smile... John, the friendly orderly, will make her happy because he's the only one who can. And when John feels she has reached the moment of her greatest happiness, he will strike her across the bridge of the nose, breaking it explosively and sending bone fragments into her brain. It'll be quick. And he'll be looking at her face at the time. He will *know* her power. And when he dies, which I hope is very soon, perhaps he can take that power with him... into the other world.

  Captain Hollister : [finishes off his drink and heads for the door]  You are crazy!

• Charlie McGee : What have you done to my father?

  Captain Hollister : He's resting, and he's fine, just like you. And he knows you're alright, and he sends his love, and he wants you to cooperate with us.

  Charlie McGee : You're a liar!

  Captain Hollister : Now, what kinda talk is that from a nice little girl like you?

  Charlie McGee : GO TO HELL!

  Captain Hollister : Oh. A very stubborn nice little girl. That's alright, I understand. I know you're tired, and you're not quite sure where you are, or why you're here, so I just wanna ease your mind, Charlie. Do you mind if I call you Charlie?

  Charlie McGee : [glares at Hollister with murderous hatred] 

  Captain Hollister : Alright, Charlene...

• Captain Hollister : Welcome back, Rainbird. How was Venice?

  John Rainbird : Hm. Sinking.

  Captain Hollister : Is our problem there solved?

  John Rainbird : Our problem there... is solved. Dr. Wanless is here.

  Captain Hollister : [Dr. Wanless enters the room]  Oh, Christ. There goes a beautiful day.

  [Rainbird chuckles] 

  Captain Hollister : Ah, the good doctor. What do you want, Joe?

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : Have you caught them yet?

  Captain Hollister : We'll catch 'em. What do you want?

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : What do I always want? Why do I stay alive? To try to persuade you to sanction them both, expunge them, wipe them from the face of the Earth. Andrew McGee and his daughter constitute the greatest threat that's ever confronted this nation.

  Captain Hollister : That's a lot of crap.

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : You feel guilt! Because eight out of ten of our young volunteers have died, committed suicide! You want to justify your participation!

  Captain Hollister : You were all in favor of it at the time.

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : I know. I didn't realize. None of us did. Lot Six was nothing more than a synthetic copy of pituitary extract. A powerful painkiller hallucinogen.

  Captain Hollister : For God sakes, Joe. Don't start again. Come on.

  [gives Dr. Wanless a drink] 

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : [after finishing his drink]  You see... You see, uh... this pituitary extract is responsible for the occasional flashes of psi ability which most human beings demonstrate from time to time. Precognition, telekinesis, mental domination. The kind of domination that this experiment brought out in Andrew McGee.

  John Rainbird : What is the point, Doctor?

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : Ever since this child was born, her father has been trying to inhibit her use of those powers, but, but, what if... his control had weakened now?

  Captain Hollister : Why would he lose control now after all these years?

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : Ask yourself this question: How exhausting must it have been for Victoria... and Andrew McGee when this child was an infant? The bottle is late, the baby cries, and, at that moment, one of her stuffed toys right there in the crib beside her bursts into smoky flame.

  Captain Hollister : Joe, she's just a little girl. She can light fires, yes, but you're making her sound like Armageddon.

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : Yes, and that's what it might well be. Suppose lighting fires is merely the tip of the iceberg?

  Captain Hollister : I don't know what you're talking about.

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : I am talking about a talent that is directly linked to this child's pituitary gland, undeveloped pituitary gland. What happens when she becomes adolescent and that sleeping gland wakes, and, becomes for twenty months, the most powerful force in the human body? Suppose we have a child here, who someday, is capable of creating a nuclear explosion simply by the power of her will?

  Captain Hollister : [laughs]  That's insane.

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : Is it? Is it? Then allow me to progress from insanity to utter lunacy. Suppose there is a little girl out there, somewhere today this morning, who has within her, lying dormant at present... the power someday to crack the very planet in two like a China plate in a shooting gallery?

  Captain Hollister : [after a brief moment of silence]  What if we could train this little girl and others as well? Could we ever have more powerful weapons?

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : No! No more experiments! Don't force me to go above your head because I swear to you, I will if I have to! I'll have you and this entire establishment eliminated!

  [storms out of the room in anger] 

  John Rainbird : [after Dr. Wanless leaves]  An excitable man.

• Captain Hollister : What's to stop me from having you erased right here and now?

  John Rainbird : My word - that I've already made certain provisions that should I "disappear", The Shop will cease to exist within six weeks. And within six months, you will stand in front of a judge awaiting sentence for crimes serious enough to keep you behind bars for the rest of your life.

• Doctor Joseph Wanless : Ever since this child was born, her father has been trying to inhibit her use of those powers. But what if his control had weakened now?

  Captain Hollister : Why would he lose control, now, after all those years?

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : Ask yourself this question. How exhausting must it have been for Victoria and Andrew McGee when this child was an infant? The bottle is late, the baby cries, and at that moment, one of her toys right there in the crib beside her bursts into smokey flame.

  Captain Hollister : Joe, she's just a little girl. She can light fires, yes. But you're making her sound like Armageddon!

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : Yes!... and that's what it might well be. Suppose lighting fires is just the tip of the iceberg?

  Captain Hollister : I don't know what your talking about.

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : I am talking about a talent that is directly linked to this child's pituitary gland; UNDEVELOPED pituitary gland. What happens when she becomes adolescent and that sleeping gland wakes and becomes, for 20 months, the most powerful force in the human body? Suppose we have a child here who, someday, is capable of creating a nuclear explosion simply by the power of her will?

  Captain Hollister : [Laughs]  That's insane.

  Doctor Joseph Wanless : Is it? Is it? Then allow me to progress from insanity to utter lunacy. Suppose there is a little girl out there, somwhere today... this morning!... who has within her, lying dormant at present... the power someday to crack the very planet in two like a china plate in a shooting gallery?

  Captain Hollister : [Falls silent]