Cape Fear

Cape Fear (1991)

17 quotes

(7 votes)

Movie Quote Quiz

Prison Guard: What about your books?
Max Cady: Already read 'em.

Max Cady: Every man... every man has to go through hell to reach paradise.

Lieutenant Elgart: Well, pardon me all over the place.

Max Cady: You ready to be born again, Miss Bowden?

Max Cady: It's not necessary to lay a foul tongue on me my friend. I could get upset. Things could get out of hand. Then in self defense, I could do something to you that you would not like, right here.

Sam Bowden: He says we're fugitives.
Danielle: What does that mean?
Sam Bowden: That means we're doing something right.

Danielle: If you hold on to the past, you die a little each day.

Leigh Bowden: I'd like to know just how strong we are. Or How weak. But I guess the only way we're gonna find that out is just by going through this.

Claude Kersek: Anytime you feel squirrelly, you just jump.

Leigh Bowden: You don't know Danny. If she finds a palmetto bug in her bedroom, she takes it outside. She could never kill anything.
Claude Kersek: Even a six-foot palmetto bug?

Max Cady: I ain't no white trash piece of shit. I'm better than you all! I can out-learn you. I can out-read you. I can out-think you. And I can out-philosophize you. And I'm gonna outlast you. You think a couple whacks to my guts is gonna get me down? It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than that, Counselor, to prove you're better than me.

Max Cady: So, here we are, two lawyers for all practical purposes talking shop.
Sam Bowden: How much do you want Mr. Cady?
Max Cady: How much do I want what?
Sam Bowden: How much money do you want?
Max Cady: Money? Counselor, do I look destitute you.
Sam Bowden: Well I'm open to discussion within reasonable limits.
Max Cady: You ever been a woman.
Sam Bowden: What?
Max Cady: A woman... some fat, hairy hillbilly's wet dream.

Max Cady: Are you my friend? Are you my friend?
Claude Kersek: No I'm not your friend.
Max Cady: Well, see, I like to plan my comings and goings with friends, so if you're planning my comings and goings I'd call that presumptuous, in fact I'd call it downright rude.

Max Cady: I understand, I'm not your type, too many tattoos. Thing is, there isn't much to do in prison except desecrate your flesh.

Claude Kersek: Well, gee golly gosh. I sure am sorry I offended you, you white trash piece of shit.

Max Cady: Counselor! Come out, come out, wherever you are.

Sam Bowden: My wife found some marijuana in one of Danni's schoolbooks, we don't know if Cady gave it to her, but she's scared and won't talk to us, now this has gone far enough.
Claude Kersek: Did you call the police?
Sam Bowden: No I didn't call the police, what did you call them? Slow, slobbery, skeptical.

Cape Fear mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When De Niro first meets Nolte's lady-friend, they are having a conversation in a bar or restaurant. As the camera goes from De Niro to the woman, the woman's top blouse button is open in one shot, then closed, then open, etc.

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Question: So how exactly did Max Cady slip past Kersec's security system and get into the house? Did he kill the maid outside and then just walk in disguised as her?

Phaneron

Answer: He snuck in during the day and hid, before Kersec's teddy bear security system was set up. Sam Bowden realises this when he wakes from a nightmare. Its how he was able to poison the dog which hadnt been let outside. Max Cady killed the maid in the pantry with the same piano wire he later attacks Kersec with.

Answer: Kersec suspected that Cady might attempt to break into the Bowden house if he thought it was empty. His plan was for Cady to break in and then be shot dead as an intruder. He likely lessened the security to allow Cady to break in. Cady killed and then impersonated the housekeeper to get in.

raywest

I like your answer but I'm a little confused by the "lessened the security" part. If I'm not mistaken, every possible point of entry into the house at least from the ground floor was connected to the bear via the fishing line, so Kersec would know if a point of entry was disturbed by the bear moving. Where would Kersec lessen the security from that standpoint, especially since his setup was supposed to be foolproof?

Phaneron

Kersec wanted Cady to be able to break in so that there would be a plausible reason to shoot him dead. The idea is to make it look like his death was a result of self defense. I'm only speculating that Kersec made it easier for Cady to break in into the house. Being as it was his security system, he would know how to make it possible for Cady to get in.

raywest

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