40. Ulysses Everett McGill
Film: "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000)
Defining moment: A fugitive from the law, on the
lamb with two nimrods, surrounded by cops, in a barn that's on
fire. Everett's response? "Dang, we in a tight spot."
By far the most brilliant thing Clooney ever has or ever will
create.
Memorable quote: "I'm the damn
paterfamilias!"
39. Ivan Drago
Film: "Rocky IV" (1985)
Defining moment: The ultimate Rocky villain, in
the cheesiest ways possible. Unnecessarily large and probably a
commie robot, Drago did situps on a nuclear situp machine and
punched holes in space and time, but the pressure of his nation
and their expectations drives him to make one of the most
realistic giant Russian boxer face turns in movie history.
"I fight to win for me... For me!!!"
Memorable quote: "I must break
you."
38. Celie
Film: "The Color Purple" (1985)
Defining moment: What happened to Whoopi
Goldberg? This was her film debut and she acts visable rings
around several other very talented actors, and what's she doing
now? A television show where she yells "WHITE PEOPLE,"
pauses, and then yells "GEORGE W. BUSH?" Whoopi, if you
ever read this, do me a favor: Watch this movie again. Watch the
scene where Celie finally tells Albert how she feels about so
many years of mistreatment. Watch Danny Glover act like there is
nobody fucking better, and then watch and see how you are JUST AS
GOOD. Then explain to me why you're most currently famous for
having no eyebrows and two singing-nun movies.
Memorable quote: (to Shug Avery) "He
beat me when you ain't here. He beat me for not being you."
37. Leonard Shelby
Film: "Memento" (2000)
Defining moment: It's at this point on the list
that I realize I shouldn't have picked so many characters just
because I had crushes on the actors. Don't get me wrong, Leonard
is a wonderful character, and Guy Pearce's acting is spot-on. But
because Shelby is, by nature, a blank slate, the scenes that
define the character are made definitive more by the other actors
involved; Natalie getting Leonard to hit her, only to return two
minutes later to claim she was hit by "Dodd." Teddy
constantly trying to help Leonard through the steps of what he
does or does not know, while at the same time abusing him as a
conversation piece. But, okay, I've wandered from topic. If I had
to pick a scene...the one where he hires a hooker to play with
his wife's stuff, then gets pissed when she actually tries to
brush her hair with the hairbrush.
Memorable quote: "I have this
condition."
36. Jerry Maguire
Film: "Jerry Maguire" (1996)
Defining moment: It's hard to like Tom Cruise
really. Too good looking, too smiley, to scientology-y. But damn
if he doesn't stumble into a brilliant performance every once in
a while. This is one of those times. The office scene, where
Maguire is going out of his way to draw attention to himself,
while at the same time now wanting to cause I scene worthy of
ridicule, is so brilliant and layered and. . . un-Cruise, that
you can't help but love it.
Memorable quote: "The fuckin' zoo is
closed, Ray."
35. Alvy Singer
Film: "Annie Hall" (1977)
Defining moment: "30-ish academic who
wishes to meet a woman who's interested in Mozart, James Joyce,
and sodomy." It's a shame that Woody Allen has become a
caricature for sexually depraved old men, because in the late
seventies he was as close to an inspired genius as a nervous
Jewish guy with no evident charisma could hope to be. "Annie
Hall" is a collection of defining moments, scene after scene
that builds the character of Alvy: From slapstick to sarcasm to
bittersweet love and regret.
Memorable quote: "I though of that old
joke, y'know, the, this, this guy goes to a psychiatrist and
says, 'Doc, uh, my brother's crazy. He thinks he's a chicken.'
And, uh, the doctor says, 'Well, why don't you turn him in?' And
the guy says, 'I would, but I need the eggs.' Well, I guess
that's pretty much how I feel about relationships. Y'know,
they're totally irrational and crazy and absurd and, but, uh, I
guess we keep going through it because, uh, most of us need the
eggs."
34. Charlie/Donald Kaufman
Film: "Adaptation" (2002)
Defining Moment: I debated giving each brother
his own defining moment. Their defining moment (in a movie
basically all about a man trying to define himself via his own
shortcomings) for me, was the scene in the writing lecture, when
Charlie has an extended voice over sequence, which ends when the
professor states what a crutch it is to use voice over narration
in your movies. He's right.
Memorable quote: "I got shot. Isn't
that fucked up?"
33. Ashley "Ash" Williams
Film: "The Evil Dead" (1981)
"Evil Dead II" (1987) "Army of Darkness" (1993)
Defining moment: Ash defeats the evil version of
himself and makes sure to chop said evil self up into a bunch of
pieces with a chainsaw before burial. In the grave, Evil Ash's
head comes to life. "You'll never retrieve the Necronomicon!
You'll die before ya get it!" Ash's response: "Hey!
What's that you got on your face?" "Huh?" (shovels
dirt into Evil Ash's face).
Memorable quote: "Sure, I could have
stayed in the past. I could have even been king. But in my own
way, I am king. Hail to the king, baby."
32. Marco/Porco Rosso
Film: "Porco Rosso" (1992)
Defining moment: In Marco's mystical near-death
experience, creator/director/alpha human Hayao Miyazaki pays
homage to the Roald Dahl story "They Shall Not Grow
Old." Marco, the only pilot from his squadron still
breathing, watches his fallen comrades fly past and up into the
sky. Awesome symbolism, beautiful art direction, and a good
example of a creative mind at the peak of his power. Miyazaki
makes an animated movie about a pig who flies an airplane over
the Adriatic Sea and makes it more human than anybody on
"The O.C." has ever had the capacity to be, despite
being actual humans.
Memorable quote: "It was at that time
that I saw the white sky."
31. Lloyd Dobler
Film: "Say Anything" (1989)
Defining moment: When Stan wanted to win back
Wendy, and was told to stand under her window holding a boom box
and playing Peter Gabriel. Cut to Stan, blaring "Shock the
Monkey."
Memorable quote: "I gave her my heart,
she gave me a pen."
30. Guido Orefice
Film: "Life is Beautiful" (1997)
Defining moment: Guido waits tables and helps an
affluent German man solve riddles. When Guido is a prisoner in a
Nazi concentration camp he meets up with the man again, who
proceeds to tell Guido to meet with him in secret. Guido does,
thinking that his past moments of kindness might earn him and his
family a way out of the camp. When they meet, the German man only
wants more help with his riddles. It is selfish and indicative of
the soured side of humanity, and the look on Roberto Benigni's
face alone won him the Best Actor Oscar.
Memorable quote: "That I want to make
love to you - not just once, but over and over again! But I'll
never tell you that. I'd have to be crazy to tell you. I'd even
make love to you now...right here for the rest of my life."
29. Teddy
Film: "A.I.-Artificial Intelligence" (2001)
Defining moment: I still say the ending sucked.
But if you don't think that an adorable robot bear, sitting down
forlornly on a bed to wait for his robot child playmate forever
isn't depressing and moving as hell, you've got no soul. Osment
did nothing for me, but Teddy ripped me to shreds.
Memorable quote: "I am NOT a toy!"
28. Carol Gerber
Film: "Hearts in Atlantis" (2001)
Defining moment: The goodbye scene between Carol
and Bobby. Carol herself as a character isn't what makes her
remarkable...what makes her remarkable is how she is portrayed.
She is an accurate representation not of a girl but of the girl
we first fall in love with. Flawed but perfect, unique yet the
same, beautiful in a way that only your eyes can see. The film
helps us see Carol as Bobby sees her. I think everybody should
have a Carol Gerber, for at least a moment in their life.
Memorable quote: "You're a strange
person."
27. Tyler Durden
Film: "Fight Club" (1999)
Defining moment: Okay, I still say that this
movie's beauty have been tarnished by the Palahniuk-worshipping
blockheads to live and die for this movie. But that doesn't
change how much I loved it when I saw it, or how much Pitt's
character owns. I've always said that, when carrying a movie he
sucks, but as a second banana, he rules. See also: Snatch. Okay,
defining moment: I'm gonna say it's that first fight, between
Pitt and Norton after a couple of beers. It's the set up for the
entire rest of the movie, and I think Pitt's delivery of
"you hit me in the ear!" is one of the best in movie
history.
Memorable quote: "You are not your
fucking khakis."
26. Pee-wee Herman
Film: "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (1985)
"Back to the Beach" (1987) "Big Top Pee-wee" (1988)
Defining moment: Convinced that evil fat rich
boy Francis Buxton has stolen his bike, Pee-wee goes to the
Buxton estate, basically breaks in, and then fucks Francis up
strong-style in the middle of his bath, complete with monster
movie noises and underwater shots. It's a shame that our society
has singled Paul Reubens out as a "creep" or whatever,
because "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" is still one of the
most brilliant, watchable comedies ever made. Very difficult to
pick a defining moment.
Memorable quote: "But what? Everyone I
know has a big but. C'mon, Simone, let's talk about YOUR big
but."
25. Fredo Corleone
Film: "The Godfather" (1972)
"The Godfather Part II" (1974)
Defining moment: Nostalgia and my own personal
tastes have dictated that Fredo be the only Godfather alumni to
make the list, and clear up in the twenties no less. Despite
that, with maybe one or two exceptions, I've never, EVER, been
more knocked on my ass by an acting performance as I was by John
Cazale's performance in the last few minutes of this film. The
sadness of a man who knows he was never as good as the rest of
his family, mixed with the resignation of knowing that you're
going to die, is relayed so pitch perfectly, I don't even think I
can do it, or him, justice. But he broke more hearts than
Michael's.
Memorable quote: "It ain't the way I
wanted it! I can handle things! I'm smart! Not like everybody
says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!"
24. Lawrence "Chunk" Cohen
Film: "The Goonies" (1985)
Defining moment: Truffle Shuffle be damned. The
defining Chunk moment is his long-winded story about how he once
took a bucket of fake puke to a movie theater, made a gagging
noise, and then dumped it onto the people below. So they get sick
and start puking everywhere, and then everybody's puking
everywhere, and he never felt so bad in his entire life. Chunk
makes the list for his pop culture significance, but rest assured
that every Goonie makes this list symbolically.
Memorable quote: "Okay, Brand. Michael
Jackson didn't come over to my house to use the bathroom. But his
sister did!"
23. Dr. Strangelove
Film: "Dr. Stranglove" (1964)
Defining moment: The scene towards the end, when
the doctor starts to flip the fuck out and can't keep his hand
from flying into a Nazi salute. God damn, Peter Sellers is a God
y'all.
Memorable quote: "Mein Furher! I can
walk!"
22. Agent Smith
Film: "The Matrices " (1999, 2003)
Defining Moment: As president and vice president
of the Matrix Trilogy fanclub, it's the belief of Bemily that
EVERY SECOND of EVERY FRAME that features Agent Smith is COMPLETE
GOLD. I loved the films regardless, but he MADE them. From his
speech from the original about not being able to get the stench
of humanity off of him, to his big entrance before the burly
brawl in Reloaded to that last moment when all the Agents Smith
explode from the inside in Revolutions . . . we're willing to
make human sacrifice to the alter of Weaving.
Memorable quote: "Cookies need love. .
. .like everything else does."
21. Travis Bickle
Film: "Taxi Driver" (1976)
Defining moment: Listen, you fuckers, you
screwheads. Here is a man who would not take it anymore. A man
who stood up against the scum, the cunts, the dogs, the filth,
the shit. Here is a man who stood up. HEY DENIRO STOP MAKING
JEWISH CULTURE-CENTRIC COMEDIES PLZ
Memorable quote: "The days go on and
on... they don't end. All my life needed was a sense of someplace
to go. I don't believe that one should devote his life to morbid
self-attention, I believe that one should become a person like
other people."
20. Inigo Montoya
Film: "The Princess Bride" (1987)
Defining moment: The wrestling geek in me said I
should go with the Andre character, but my heart lies with
Patinkin. Mostly for his mountain top duel with the Dred-Pirate
Roberts, during which he comes across very polite and
inquisitive, while informing the man that he must kill him. Inigo
was a character with one motivation: to kill the man with six
fingers. At all other times, you couldn't ask for a sweeter
Spaniard. He was just too endearing not to include.
Memorable quote: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You
killed my father. Prepare to die."
19. Inspector Zenigata
Film: "The Castle of Cagliostro" (1979)
Defining moment: Inspector Zenigata is one of my
favorite animated characters of all-time because he represents
the fundamental theorem of modern life: No matter how long you go
to school and no matter how hard you try you're going to fail.
Watching Zenigata maintain his cop persona and code of justice
despite being in a European death pit that nobody's ever escaped
from is both charming and sad at the same time.
Memorable quote: "Lupin! Don't you dare
die before I get to arrest you!"
18. Curt Wild
Film: "Velvet Goldmine" (1998)
Defining moment: His first appearance on stage,
when he douses himself in glitter and pulls down his pants. No, I
didn't include that scene solely for the viewing of Ewan wang.
It's McGregor's glam rock Kurt Cobain portrayal of Wild that
really makes the movie what it is. He makes every other actor
better with his performance. As much as I love Velvet Goldmine,
without Ewan, it just wouldn't be that good. But every second
Curt is on screen, he owns it. He has a sexy sleazy quality that
reaches out and grabs you. Then it covers you in sparkle and
sticks its tongue down your throat.
Memorable quote: "The world is changed
because you are made of ivory and gold. The curve of your lips
rewrite history."
17. Kikuchiyo
Film: "Seven Samurai" (1954)
Defining moment: The pose. Knees bent, sword
across the back of the shoulders, and a sneer. I've got a picture
of myself with Emily and her family on vacation where we posed on
a big fake alligator at a mini-golf place. Emily and her sister
are sitting on the alligator like normal people. I'm perched atop
it using my mini-golf club to strike the Kikuchiyo pose. Sadly I
found no raiding vandals to slay. But I did slay the shit out of
that alligator.
Memorable quote: "You fool! Damn you!
You call yourself a horse! For shame! Hey! Wait! Please! I
apologize! Forgive me!"
16. Brodie Bruce
Film: "Mallrats" (1995)
Defining moment: After stealing every scene in
the movie, it is the gameshow scene in which Jason Lee truly
cements his fate as having created one of the greatest characters
in movie history. Hell, just his little smile and shrug was
enough to ensure top 20 status.
Memorable quote: "Most of the time I'm
just talking out of my ass. Or sticking my hand in it."
15. Biggus Dickus
Film: "Life of Brian" (1979)
Defining moment: Brian tells Pontius Pilate that
his father's name was "Nottius Maximus." The guards
laugh, but Pilate doesn't get it. The guards explain that there's
no such man, and that "Nottius Maximus" is a joke name,
like Sillius Sodus, or Biggus Dickus. The guards laugh again.
Pilate doesn't understand why "Biggus Dickus" is a
funny name, because he has a very good friend with that name. AND
THEN BIGGUS DICKUS SHOWS UP. "Holy Grail" and
"Meaning of Life" are both wonderful and hilarious, but
"Life of Brian" just destroys them. The first time I
saw Biggus Dickus I laughed so hard that I actually lost my
breath, and I had to pause the movie, collect myself, and take
Advil for the chest pain.
Memorable quote: "Let me come with you,
Pontiuth. I may be of thome athithtanthe if there ith a thudden
crithith!"
14. Holly Golightly
Film: "Breakfast At Tiffany's" (1961)
Defining moment: Holly is made for me in those
first few moments, stumbling around her apartment, looking for
her shoe, and making friends with 'Fred.' She's so flaky and
worthless, it's really hard not to be charmed by her. Another
lovely scene is the party, when Holly yells,
"TIIM-BERRRR" as the drunken guest falls to the
floor."
Memorable quote: "Poor cat! Poor slob!
Poor slob without a name! The way I see it I haven't got the
right to give him one. We don't belong to each other. We just
took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until
I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure
where that is but I know what it is like. It's like
Tiffany's."
13. George Bailey
Film: "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946)
Defining moment: Every seen a Christmas episode
of any sitcom ever? Was it a parody of "A Christmas
Carol?" Because if it wasn't, chances are it was a parody of
one of the many, many great moments for George Bailey in
"It's a Wonderful Life." Don't let the fact that this
has been crammed down our throats fool you, this movie is
unbelievably great and a national treasure.
Memorable quote: "Merry Christmas,
movie house. Merry Christmas, Emporium. Merry Christmas, you
wonderful Building and Loan!"
12. Edward Scissorhands
Film: "Edward Scissorhands" (1990)
Defining Moment: That long continuous shot of
him cutting the slutty neighbor's hair, where the camera focuses
only on Edward and the movement of his hands, hair flying
everywhere. Then slutty neighbor almost has an orgasm 'cause
Edward make her look like Liv Tyler at the 2003 Oscars.
Memorable quote: "I can't."
11. Professor Henry Higgins
Film: "My Fair Lady" (1964)
Defining moment: Rex Harrison is a pop culture
icon for two reasons now; One, for being hilariously anal and
British as a Professor who gets royally pissed off because he
can't immediately get things his way, and two, because he, in
this role, is the inspiration for Family Guy's Stewie. So the
next time you yell out "BLAST, WOMAN" out of nowhere,
try to work in a "WHY CAN'T THE ENGLISH TEACH THEIR CHILDREN
HOW TO SPEAK" for street cred. And because I think that's
really funny.
Memorable quote: "The question is not
whether I've treated you rudely but whether you've ever heard me
treat anyone else better."
10. Charlotte A. Cavatica
Film: "Charlotte's Web" (1973)
Defining moment: Charlotte's speech to Wilbur at
the fair about how she can't go back to the farm is one of the
scenes taken verbatim from the book, which means that it's one of
the scenes in the movie that is good. It's also completely
heartbreaking, both because of the actual content and because to
me the book is the best book ever written. It always helps to not
splice up the emotion with ducks singing songs about friendship.
Memorable quote: "Salutations is my
fancy way of saying hello."
9. Jareth
Film: "Labyrinth" (1986)
Defining moment: In honor of our forum, I'm
going to pick the "Dance, Magic Dance" sequence. Not
only is it catchy, but it's (to my knowledge) the only musical
number in a children's film in which white tights make it
possible to see the package of an aging rock star in it's almost
entirety. Whoo!
Memorable quote: "It's a crystal.
Nothing more. But if you turn it this way and look into it, it
will show you your dreams."
8. Enid Coleslaw
Film: "Ghost World" (2000)
Defining moment: It's hard to pick a moment,
because it's Enid's facial expressions in various scenes that
make me love her so much. Another fun fact: I got hired to write
for Progressive Boink after Jon and B read an absolutely terrible
piece I did about the tertiary characters in Ghost World. None of
you will ever read it. Also, tampon in a teacup.
Memorable quote: "I think only stupid
people have good relationships."
7. Max Fisher
Film: "Rushmore" (1998)
Defining moment: At dinner with the teacher he's
obsessively in love with and her date (who she brought to one of
Max's plays), Max busts out "I like your nurse's uniform,
guy." "These are O.R. scrubs," the date replies.
Max: "Oh are they?" Bill Murray snorts into his drink,
and so does everybody watching. Max Fisher is such a strange film
anomaly of showing and not telling that it's hard to pick a
favorite moment. Max's school production of "Serpico"
comes in a close second.
Memorable quote: "I saved Latin. What
did you ever do?"
6. Setsuko
Film: "Grave of the Fireflies" (1988)
Defining Moment: Setsuko is beautiful because
she is real. Her tiny voice, her mannerisms, her stubbornness.
You KNOW her. So without question, the definitive Setsuko moment,
the thing that brings home all of the film's pain and heartbreak,
is the tiny girl, who lives as an orphan in a cave with no food,
burying the fireflies that had given her so much pleasure the
night before, and then asking why they have to die so young. I
started crying while I typed this. The movie is that good.
Memorable quote: "Seita."
5. Randal Graves
Film: "Clerks." (1994) Jay and
Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Defining moment: This exchange:
Customer: They say so much, but they never tell
you if it's any good... are either one of these any good?
Randal: What?
Customer: Are either one of these any good?
Randal: I don't watch movies.
Customer: Well, have you heard anything about
either one of them?
Randal: I find it's best to stay out of other
people's affairs.
Customer: You mean you've haven't heard anybody
say anything about either one of these?
Randal: Nope.
Customer: [Turns
around, then shows Randal the same movies] Well, what about these two?
Randal: Oh, they suck.
Customer: These are the same two movies! You
weren't paying any attention!
Randal: No, I wasn't.
Customer: I don't think your manager would
appreciate...
Randal: I don't appreciate your ruse, ma'am.
Customer: I beg your pardon?
Randal: Your ruse; your cunning attempt to trick
me.
Customer: I was only pointing out that you
weren't paying any attention to what I was saying!
Randal: And, I hope it feels good.
Customer: You hope WHAT feels good?
Randal: I hope it feels so good to be right.
There's nothing more exhilarating than pointing out the
shortcomings of others, is there?
Customer: Well, this is the last time I rent
here!
Randal: You'll be missed.
Customer: Screw you!
Randal: Hey! (chasing after her) You're not
allowed to rent here anymore!
The first rule of the goodness of Clerks is that you do not talk
about how good Clerks is. It's impossible. You come off like a
bad high school journalist. It's just good. That's it. In
conclusion Clerks is QUIET A GREAT MOVIE.
Memorable quote: "This job would be
great if it wasn't for the fucking customers."
4. Amelie Poulain
Film: "Le Fableux Destin de Amelie
Poulain" (2001)
Defining Moment: Amelie is a very sad and lonely
girl. Which makes it all the more poignant that she spends all
her time trying to be a "do gooder." When her oddly
manifested tryst with Nino finally reaches it's climax, there's
nothing sweeter than that last image of Amelie in bed, her arms
around her man, finally happy. She is a character most truly
deserving of love.
Memorable quote: "Even artichokes have
hearts."
3. Kanji Watanabe
Film: "Ikiru" (1952)
Defining moment: Kanji: "I have less than a
year to live. When I found that out... somehow I was drawn to
you. Once when I was a child, I almost drowned. It's just like
that feeling. Darkness everywhere, and nothing for me to hold
onto, no matter how hard I try. There's just you." Takashi
Shimura gives an acting performance here in a very specific way.
I saw the movie when I was 15 and didn't enjoy it. I saw it again
at age 24 and it moved me to the point of wanting to change my
own life. Akira Kurosawa is the greatest artist in the history of
film, and "Ikiru" manages to end each scene with an
image that burns itself into your face and brain, largely thanks
to Shimura's character acting.
Memorable quote: "Life is so short /
Fall in love, dear maiden / While your lips are still red / And
before you are cold, / For there will be no tomorrow."
2. Verbal Kint
Film: "The Usual Suspects" (1995)
Defining Moment: It's gotta be that last walk
down the street, juxtaposed with Kujan finally solving the puzzle
(we think). The nonchalant loss of the limp, the stretching of
the hands, it's so perfect it kills me. All the while we hear the
story being explained to us, while we try to grasp what we're
seeing. Then Kint (Soze?) hops into the car with Kobayashi, as
the narrative Kint says, "And like that? He's gone."
Memorable quote: "Keaton once said,
"I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of him." Well I
believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser
Soze."
1. Atticus Finch
Film: "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962)
Defining moment: From the "Our 40 Favorite
Movie Scenes" article, comments from B and Emily:
B: Atticus Finch sits on his front porch
listening to his children talk about their late mother as they go
to sleep. Heart wrenching, poignant, and telling: without Atticus
moving or saying a word. You can see the desperation in his face.
You know how he feels by his body language. You can see his heart
breaking into a thousand pieces on his front porch swing, because
he is the hero that fights for lost causes -- and his wife is
lost. He can never bring her back. He can't give his children a
mother, and it kills him. It just rips him apart. He fights for
those who can't fight for themselves, because he wants to show
his children life, love, honesty, respect, and dignity without
looking down at them or bringing them pain. He wants to set them
free and protect them at the same time. He wants to open up to
them but never will. He says so much without saying a word. The
greatest example ever recorded of showing something without
telling it. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. It will never be
topped.
Emily: After taking up a lost cause in defending
a black man in a white South, the African-American men and women
sitting in the balcony of the courthouse stand up as Atticus
Finch leaves the room. God, this scene is so moving in context.
The entire city is so wrong, it's such a mishandling of justice,
and to see how much respect is given to Atticus by the black
people in just that one gesture is amazing, in text or on film.
The whole movie is good, but the really small subtle things make
the most impact. It's not a matter of big drama. People stand up
and I bawl my eyes out. Humanity can be incredible sometimes.
Memorable quote: "Now gentlemen, in
this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts
all men are created equal. I'm no idealist to believe firmly in
the integrity of our courts and of our jury system. That's no
ideal to me. That is a living, working reality. Now I am
confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the
evidence that you have heard, come to a decision, and restore
this man to his family. In the name of God, do your duty. In the
name of God, believe Tom Robinson."