Jack Reacher (2012)

Rosamund Pike: Helen

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jack Reacher : Look out the window.

  Helen : No, I've work to do.

  Jack Reacher : Just humor me.

  Helen : And you need to leave.

  Jack Reacher : Okay.

  [Grabs Helen's arm and starts to pull her to the window] 

  Helen : Let, let go of me.

  Jack Reacher : Would you tell me what you see?

  Helen : I see the same... things I see every day.

  Jack Reacher : Well, imagine you've never seen it. Imagine you've spent your whole life in other parts of the world being told every day you're defending freedom. And finally you decide you've had enough. Time to see what you've given up your whole life for. Maybe get some of that freedom for yourself. Look at the people. Now tell me which ones are free. Free from debt. Anxiety. Stress. Fear. Failure. Indignity. Betrayal. How many wish that they were born knowing what they know now? Ask yourself how many would do things the same way over again? And how many would live their lives like me.

• Helen : So why are you so hard to find?

  Jack Reacher : I'm impossible to find.

  Helen : Why is that?

  Jack Reacher : Well, you could say it started out as an exercise and became an addiction.

  Helen : Are you on the run?

  Jack Reacher : [beat]  My bus is leaving. You better hurry, counsellor.

  Helen : How do you know James Barr?

  Jack Reacher : Why are you representing him?

  Helen : I'm a lawyer.

  Jack Reacher : So is a public defender, with just as much a chance as clearing Barr.

  Helen : I am not trying to clear him, I am just trying to keep him off death row.

  Jack Reacher : By proving he's insane?

  Helen : Well, that's one option.

• Helen : What about the truth? What about getting the guys who really did this? What about bringing him to justice?

  Jack Reacher : I just did.

• Helen : Were you really going to shoot him?

  Jack Reacher : I knew I wouldn't have to. One look at this guy and you know he'll do anything to survive. One look at me and you know I'm not bluffing.

• Jack Reacher : And sticking it to your father because...

  Helen : No. Not my father. The Office of the District Attorney.

  Jack Reacher : ...because the Office of the District Attorney never bought you a pony.

  Helen : D.A. Rodin's never lost a capitol case. You know why?

  Jack Reacher : Impeccable tailoring.

  Helen : He never picks a fight he can't win.

  Jack Reacher : Worked for the Red Baron.

  Helen : Every murder suspect in this town is given a choice: confess or face death. Against a D.A. who never loses. My firm has reason to believe more than one innocent man has gone down without a fight.

  Jack Reacher : Oh, I get it. You're an idealist.

  Helen : No, I'm a pacifist.

  Jack Reacher : It's a noble crusade. But this is not the fight, trust me. James Barr's guilty.

  Helen : You haven't even seen the evidence.

• Cash : This the lady?

  Jack Reacher : Helen Rodin, Martin Cash.

  Cash : A pleasure. You look like hell there, Army.

  Jack Reacher : You asked if I was afraid I'd end up like Barr. I'm not. I'm afraid I'll end up like this guy.

  Cash : There's a lot of dead bodies out here. So let's get to it.

  Jack Reacher : We should probably go.

  Helen : Wait. That's it? It's just over?

  Jack Reacher : You'll be all right, counselor.

  Helen : No. What if I need you? How will I find you?

  Jack Reacher : You don't need me. Not anymore.

  Cash : Get her number. Let's go!

• Jack Reacher : Who is he?

  Helen : That's John Doe Number Two. The man on the grassy knoll. The thing under the bed. They call him the Zec.

• Helen : You want me to wait?

  Jack Reacher : No, I'll meet you back at the office later.

  Helen : How will you get there?

  Jack Reacher : I'll hitch a ride.

• Jack Reacher : You understand you're not just asking me to look at the evidence. You're asking me to look at a cold-blooded killer. A man I know to be guilty. A man you want to keep off death row. You're asking me to look at him objectively.

  Helen : Yes, that is what I'm asking.

  Jack Reacher : I'll do it. On one condition.

  Helen : Name it.

  Jack Reacher : You have to look at the victims objectively.

• Helen : You said on the phone you wanted to submit your findings.

  Reacher : James Barr was a sniper. Not the best, not the worst. But he trained non-stop for two years. What does training like that do?

  Helen : What does any training do? Skills become reflex. Muscle memory. You do without thinking.

  Reacher : It also makes people who aren't necessarily smart seem smart by beating some tactical awareness into them. Now, 99% of the evidence your father has against Barr didn't exist in Baghdad; not because Barr was smart, but because he was trained. See, from that garage, the shooter had the sun in his eyes. Targets moving left and right. It's difficult conditions for any sniper.

  Helen : But Baghdad -- you said Barr was in a parking garage then.

  Reacher : Because in Baghdad, the sun's behind him. Targets coming straight ahead, single file. Ideal conditions for even an average shooter... and the exact same conditions he would've had up on that highway bridge. Up there, he would never even have to get out of the van. No parking meter. No camera. No trace evidence left behind. And his escape is assured. Now I'm not saying he couldn't have killed those people at the river, but he wouldn't have. Not that way.

  Helen : So you're saying he's crazy.

  Reacher : No.

  Helen : Well, what exactly are you saying?

  Reacher : Any single piece of evidence I'd buy. But all of it? Fibers, fingerprints, stray brass, I mean... and who the hell pays for parking? Sane or crazy, that just doesn't make sense.

  Helen : Okay. So Barr, he wanted to get caught and he wanted you to catch him.

  Reacher : That would not explain how Barr, an average shooter firing in poor conditions, never missed.

  Helen : He did miss. He did.

  Reacher : A pristine bullet, conveniently trapped by a liquid backstop. The same bullet that tied Barr's gun to the killings. And arguably the prosecution's most important piece of evidence. If Barr wanted to get caught, he didn't miss. If he wanted to get away with it, he likely would have and if he wanted to get caught, Barr was incapable of such perfection.

  Helen : Or maybe he just got lucky, six shots out of six.

  Reacher : That's what I was willing to accept; then those guys took a run at me. Whoever sent them made a mistake.

  Helen : It was just a bar fight.

  Reacher : Maybe. Or maybe somebody got nervous; tried to run me off. Or put me in a coma, right next to their patsy.

  Helen : Patsy?

  Reacher : It was such a great crime scene. Nobody ever stopped to think it might be too great. Not Emerson. Not your father. Not even Barr's own defense attorney. But Barr knew I would, no matter how much I wanted it to be true. That's why he asked for me.

  Helen : Wait. Are you suggesting-- ?

  Reacher : James Barr is innocent.

• [Reacher is visited in jail by Helen and Emerson after the bar fight; he is facing away from them] 

  Jack Reacher : Hello, Helen.

  Helen : Am I wearing too much perfume?

  Jack Reacher : Breathing too sternly. Detective Emerson. Somebody dead?

  Emerson : And if someone is?

  Jack Reacher : Then they died of shame, because I was being gentle.

  Emerson : I'm starting to understand why you move around a lot, Reacher.

  Jack Reacher : So no one's dead.

  Emerson : One guy likely won't ever walk right again.

  Jack Reacher : You want to charge me.

  Emerson : Very much.

  Jack Reacher : But no one's pressing.

  Emerson : Sadly, no.

  Jack Reacher : [finally looks over at them]  Am I free to go?

  [Emerson nods and then turns to leave] 

  Jack Reacher : Hey, Emerson!

  [Emerson turns back around] 

  Jack Reacher : 4862681.

  Emerson : What's that?

  Jack Reacher : It's the serial number on Barr's rifle.

  [Emerson leaves, Helen steps to the bars] 

  Helen : [quietly furious]  You're working for me, do you understand that? So everything you do is a reflection on my firm. On me.

  Jack Reacher : I was set up.

  Helen : You're talking to a lawyer.

  Jack Reacher : There was this girl. She came onto me. Picked a fight.

  Helen : Which never happens in a bar.

  Jack Reacher : She was thrown when I told her my name.

  Helen : She was expecting "Mike Tyson"?

  Jack Reacher : She wasn't expecting Jimmie Reese.

  [beat] 

  Jack Reacher : Yankees second baseman.

  Helen : Why did you say you were a Yankees second baseman?

  Jack Reacher : I always use Yankees second basemen. I didn't say I was a Yankees second baseman, I just said --

  [stops, realizing he's getting nowhere] 

  Jack Reacher : Look, the point is, she was expecting to hear Jack Reacher. She knew who I was. And the cops were rolling before the fight even started. And those five guys are her brothers? Come on. Somebody sent those boys to put me down.

• Jack Reacher : I need some sleep. You too.

  Helen : You don't really think I'm gonna...

• [Helen answers her phone while her father and Emerson are in the room] 

  Helen : This is Helen.

  Jack Reacher : [on the other end]  I'm guessing the police are there?

  Helen : [quietly angry]  Yep.

  Jack Reacher : By your response, I'm guessing I have about 30 seconds before you hand them the phone.

  Helen : If that.

  Jack Reacher : If you believe someone could frame Barr, you have to believe they could do the same to me.

  Helen : I suppose that's possible.

  Jack Reacher : She was a sweet kid, Helen. And they killed her because of me. They want me to run. But I won't. I'm gonna finish this.

  Helen : No, that's not a good idea.

  Jack Reacher : Listen, two things. One, I... I stole your car.

  [Helen makes a "Seriously?" face] 

  Jack Reacher : If you want to end this, just hang up the phone and report it missing. And I'll understand.

  Helen : And anything else?

  Jack Reacher : I thought I'd be pushing it if I mentioned this earlier. Now I guess all bets are off. You need to watch what you say to Emerson and your father. I think one of them might be in on it.

  [Emerson and Helen's father both now realize Helen's been on the phone for a while] 

  Helen : [trying to end the call]  All right. Thanks for calling. I have to go.

  Jack Reacher : Wait. I've been followed from day one. Only three people knew I was here. Emerson, your father and you. You need to ask yourself, "Who has the most to lose if we clear Barr?" Who tried to warn you off me? Of course, I could be wrong. If you think I am, just hand over the phone. There's no sense in getting any deeper.