Paycheck (2003)

Paul Giamatti: Shorty

Photos 

Quotes 

• Shorty : Maybe we should just find Decker.

  Michael Jennings : I can't talk to Decker.

  Shorty : Why not?

  Michael Jennings : He had an accident.

  Shorty : An accident?

  Michael Jennings : Yeah, he, uh, he fell out of his bedroom window.

  Shorty : He fell out of his... He *fell* out of his bedroom window!

• Shorty : Say one word about this hat, and I'm outta here.

• Shorty : But that's not the question you should be asking yourself.

  Michael Jennings : No?

  Shorty : The question that you should be asking yourself is, why did *you* give up all that money? That's the most bizarre part of this whole thing. 90 million dollars. Nobody changes that much in three years! Okay. All right, buddy. I wanna figure out what you built. All right, let's work backwards.

  Michael Jennings : They told me that I was working on a design by someone named Decker.

  Shorty : Decker?

  Michael Jennings : Yeah.

  Shorty : William Decker?

  Michael Jennings : I think so.

  Shorty : What I heard was, he was working on something Level 5 for the Feds when they came in one day and they just shot him down.

  Michael Jennings : What was it?

  Shorty : Consensus was a laser.

  Michael Jennings : Why was that?

  Shorty : Because Decker's drawings called for a mirror and a lens. Now, the only thing that uses those things is a laser. Some kind of satellite...

  [Jennings is distracted by a wall television announcing the Lotto numbers] 

  Shorty : The lens required perfect optics. Uh, the mirror and the neutrino count... I mean, word was, the thing was going to cost 500 billion dollars. Now, who's going to spend 500 billion dollars just to see something?

  [Shorty realizes Jennings has heard very little of his explanation] 

  Shorty : What?

  Michael Jennings : There's no way I got out of that Extraction Room without the cigarettes and the glasses. I would have never gotten on that bus without the bus ticket. If I didn't have the diamond ring, I wouldn't have followed that kid to Reddy Grant.

  Shorty : Right.

  Michael Jennings : [excited]  I gave up that money just to make sure that I would pay attention to these items.

  Shorty : Why?

  Michael Jennings : [whispering intensely]  Because I know what you'd spend 500 billion dollars to see. The future.

  [Astounded, Shorty looks at the winning Lotto numbers in Michael's hand, and then up at the TV] 

• [last lines] 

  Shorty : You know what? I think now's probably a good time to discuss my commission, 33%.

  Michael Jennings : I thought it was 5.

  Shorty : No, 33 percent.

  Michael Jennings : 33 percent!

  Rachel Porter : He deserves it.

  Shorty : It was found on my premises.

  Michael Jennings : I'll get back to you. I'm gonna cash this in.

  [arguing continues, indistinctly] 

• [Shorty enters with a pair of caged birds] 

  Michael Jennings : I think I remember - are those OUR birds?

  Rachel Porter : Yes, of course they are! We bought them together.

  Shorty : Oh, you remember the birds! Well done! You could see into the future, and all you remember are, are Polly and Tweety over there. Why don't you remember something that would make us rich?

• Shorty : You never once asked me what I see when I erase your memory. Basically, the last two months just never happened for you.

  Michael Jennings : So, what's to know? Twenty hours a day in a clean room, ripping off one guy's idea for a computer, selling it to somebody. You know. What'd you do, the last two months? You know what the last thing I remember is? Driving in Spain in the Aston Martin, learning to dive in Belize with, uh, what's her name. The Seven Stadiums in Seven Days trip; it's great! I mean, uh, my memories are basically highlights. It's good. It's a good life. The stuff you erase? I, uh, it doesn't matter.

• Shorty : Look, if we know anything, we know that time travel's not possible. Einstein proved that. Right?

  Michael Jennings : Time *travel*, yes. But Einstein was very clear that he believed time viewing, theoretically, could be accomplished.

• Shorty : C'mon, don't be mean to the one that does everything for you.

• Shorty : Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't leave me alone.

  Michael Jennings : What? You'll be okay. Talk. Mingle.

  [leaves] 

  Shorty : [looks around]  I don't want to mingle.

• [as Michael and Rachel are kissing] 

  Shorty : Break it up! Break it up! The bird man cometh!

• Shorty : [after being shot at]  Great seein' ya again Mike!