The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)

Lane Smith: Dick Dodge

Photos 

Quotes 

• Thomas Jefferson Johnson : Oh, well, I'm very flattered, Mr Chairman.

  Dick Dodge : Dick.

  Thomas Jefferson Johnson : Well, I'm very flattered, Mr Dick.

  Dick Dodge : No, no, no, no.

  Thomas Jefferson Johnson : Oh, I'm sorry, Chairman Dick.

  Dick Dodge : No, Dick. Just Dick.

  Thomas Jefferson Johnson : Oh, Just Dick. Just Plain Old Dick.

  Dick Dodge : Yeah.

  Thomas Jefferson Johnson : Oh, fine.

• Dick Dodge : [to Thomas Johnson]  And you! You better be very, very quiet in there, my friend. I've got the goods on you, and it would be my pleasure to leave tire marks all over you.

• Dick Dodge : [after inviting them to join their conversation, referring to the controversy that electromagnetic fields from powerlines cause cancer]  Thomas and I were just talking about... powerlines

  Thomas Jefferson Johnson : [referring to including the EPA to investigate this controversy]  I think we ought to have those hearings

  Dick Dodge : well, now look Thomas, why don't we get Olaf's "take" on this?

  Olaf Andersen : well, it's tragic, I mean cancer's a terrible thing but there's no way you can "link" it to powerlines: now the "truth" is...

  Thomas Jefferson Johnson : [interrupts him]  wait a minute, there's been "studies" that shows...

  Zeke Bridges : [interrupts him]  every "study" that says "one thing", I'll show you a "study" saying another. We've "studied" this ourselves

  Thomas Jefferson Johnson : what if you guys are all wrong?

  Olaf Andersen : well, Thomas, do you want us to move the powerlines? I mean, do you know how much it'll cost to bury those things in Florida alone? We're talking five billion dollars

  Zeke Bridges : not counting the liability claims

  Terry Corrigan : how would you like it for the people in your district to think of you as the fella who tripled their electric bill?

  Thomas Jefferson Johnson : [after thinking it over]  I just thought that if we had the hearings...

  Terry Corrigan : [interrupts him]  think of it for a moment, son. You hold your hearings, overnight, everyone who lives near a substation will find the value of his home in the toilet: you'll "kill" the real estate market

  Zeke Bridges : you'll "kill" the insurance company

  Terry Corrigan : you'll "kill" the school district

  Olaf Andersen : you'll kill" the local economy

  Dick Dodge : [referring to these difficult decisions come with the job of holding political office]  son, the system ain't perfect but the "fleas" come with the dog"

  Thomas Jefferson Johnson : maybe I should think about it, huh?