Barton Fink (1991)

Michael Lerner: Jack Lipnick

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jack Lipnick : We're only interested in one thing, Bart. Can you tell a story? Can you make us laugh? Can you make us cry? Can you make us want to break out in joyous song? Is that more than one thing? Okay!

• Jack Lipnick : I run this dump, and I don't know the technical mumbo-jumbo. Why do I run it? Cause I got horse sense goddamit, SHOWMANSHIP! And also I hope Lou told you this, I am bigger and meaner and louder than any other kike in this town. Did you tell him that Lou? And I don't mean my dick is bigger than yours, it's not a sexual thing. You're a writer, you know more about that. Coffee?

• Jack Lipnick : Look Bart, barring a preference we're going to put you on a wrestling picture, Wallace Beery. I say this because they tell me you know the poetry of the streets, so that would rule out westerns, pirate pictures, screwball, Bible, Roman... look, I'm not one of those guys who thinks poetic has got to be fruity. We're together on that aren't we? I mean I'm from New York myself, well, Minsk if you want to go all the way back. Which we won't, if you don't mind and I ain't asking. Now people are going to say to you, Wallace Beery, wrestling, it's a B picture. You tell them: BULLSHIT! We do NOT make B pictures here at Capitol. Let's put a stop to that rumor RIGHT now!

• Jack Lipnick : It's supposed to be about big men! In tights! Both physically and mentally!

• Barton Fink : I'm sorry if I let you down.

  Jack Lipnick : You didn't let me down, Fink, or even Lou. We don't live or die by what you scribble. You let Ben Geisler down. He liked you, trusted you... and that's why he's gone, he's fired. That man had a heart as big as the all outdoors and you fucked him.

• Jack Lipnick : We're all expecting great things.

• Jack Lipnick : We don't put Wallace Beery in some fruity movie about suffering. I thought we were together on that.

• Jack Lipnick : Kiss this man's feet!

• Jack Lipnick : You ain't no writer, Fink, you're a goddamned write-off.

• Jack Lipnick : But you make it the carrot that wags the dog.

• Jack Lipnick : We all want that Barton Fink feeling, and since you're Barton Fink, I assume you have it in spades.