John Adams (TV Mini Series)
Unnecessary War (2008)
Laura Linney: Abigail Adams
Quotes
-
Abigail Adams : [reading The Federalist Papers] "The reign of Mr. Adams has hitherto been one continued tempest of malignant passions. As president, he has never opened his lips without threatening or scolding. He is a repulsive pedant, a gross hypocrite, one of the most egregious fools upon the continent, a hideous, hermaphroditical character which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman."
John Adams : It is beneath the President of the United States to take any notice of insinuations.
Abigail Adams : In any other country, such filth would have been silenced long ago.
John Adams : Mr. Hamilton takes equal pains to ensure that he Federalist Paper are filled with scurrilous attacks on Thomas Jefferson and his party.
Abigail Adams : Think of all the vile falsehoods written about you-continue to be written about you. You may have patiently borne all the slanders, but I have not. "Before it is too late to retrieve our deranged affairs-"
John Adams : For goodness sake.
Abigail Adams : "-the people must demand the immediate resignation of old, querulous, bald, blind, crippled, toothless Adams."
[long pause]
John Adams : I'm not crippled.
Abigail Adams : I find no amusement in this. Waste of paper and ink.
John Adams : Waste of time reading it, Abigail. Put it down.
Abigail Adams : They would not say such a thing about Washington. They would not call George Washington hermaphroditical!
John Adams : They could call him toothless, though.
[John and Abigail laugh]
-
Abigail Adams : He's dead, John. Our son is dead. Poor poor unhappy man.
John Adams : Let silence reign over his tomb... forever.
-
[John and Abigail Adams arrive at the unfinished White House for the first time and see that the workers ther consists of slaves]
Abigail Adams : Half-fed slaves building our nation's capitol. What possible good can come from such a place?
