Josh Brolin credited as playing...
Bretton James
- Bretton James: "Saturno Devorando A Su Hijo". Goya painted 15 Black Paintings late in his life. Fourteen of them are on view in the Prado. That's the missing 15th. An early sketch for "Saturn Devouring His Son".
- Jacob Moore: Do you collect?
- Bretton James: No. Only the obsessive-compulsive and the insecurely egotistical feel the need to collect things.
- Jacob Moore: You killed Lew Zabel.
- Bretton James: Lew Zabel killed himself.
- Jacob Moore: But you set the rumors.
- Bretton James: The rumors were true.
- Jacob Moore: You made them true.
- Bretton James: No, Mr. Moore. Putting 50% leverage on toxic debt made them true. Look, Zabel once knew how to run money. Dying because of it was his choice. As far as I'm concerned, it's just money. But when you don't know what you're doing, it's fatal, Mr. Moore.
- Bretton James: Rollie Free, 1948. He set the world record at 150. And wanted it so bad he rode naked.
- Jacob Moore: Why me?
- Bretton James: Because your loyalty demanded revenge, your balls actually attempted it, and your skill pulled it off.
- Jacob Moore: What's your number?
- Bretton James: I'm sorry? Oh, we'd start you at 300, like everybody else. I mean, as a partner, I only pull in 600. And the bonuses...
- Jacob Moore: No, no, no. *Your* number. The amount of money you would need to just walk away from it and live. See, I find that everybody has a number, and it's usually an exact number. So what is yours?
- Bretton James: More.
- Jacob Moore: I used to go with Zabel to China. Their culture's as much about manners as it is about business.
- Bretton James: They're on the hook, Jake. That's all I care about.
- Jacob Moore: Good. I'll send him some bamboo flowers - symbolizing continued growth and prosperity.
- Winnie Gekko: We don't really want to go public. It would affect our credibility. We want to stay non-profit.
- Bretton James: Non-profit? What is that? I don't know what that is.
- Gordon Gekko: Brett, congratulations. I know how hard you worked for all of this.
- Bretton James: I go by "Bretton" these days. It's a beneficiary of a few bull markets. That's all it takes.
- Gordon Gekko: So easy, even a caveman can do it, right?
- Bretton James: That's right.
- Gordon Gekko: You make modesty a virtue, *Bretton*.
- Bretton James: We like insurance.
- Gordon Gekko: What's not to like? Easy selling crack to kids in a school playground.
- Bretton James: That's sad. Isn't it? That he can't just take his ball and go home. He has to piss on the whole game.
- Bretton James: This is too big to fail.
- Treasury Secretary: This is just an insane situation.
- Bretton James: This is now.
- Bretton James: The government's got to restore confidence. If we don't stop the bleeding, in three days, half the banks in this room are out of business. And in five days, we're all gone.
- Treasury Secretary: You men realize what you've done here? You are asking for the biggest bailout in the history of this country. You're talking nationalization, Bretton. Socialism. I have fought it - all - my - life.
- Bretton James: And if we don't get it, Bill, there won't be any history. Music stops. Ball's over.
- Bretton James: This is so disappointing. I really saw so much in you, Jacob.
- Jacob Moore: You should look in the mirror first. See yourself. It might scare you, Bretton.
- Bretton James: You're retiring, Julie. Why don't you step up in front of this? You can afford it. I can still run this place and make you more money than you ever dreamed.
- Julie Steinhardt: We both know that's not going to happen, *kid*.