The Godfather (1972)
Al Pacino: Michael
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Quotes
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Michael : [speaking to Carlo] Only don't tell me you're innocent. Because it insults my intelligence and makes me very angry.
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Kay Adams : Michael, you never told me you knew Johnny Fontane!
Michael : Sure, you want to meet him?
Kay Adams : Well, yeah! Sure.
Michael : My father helped him with his career.
Kay Adams : How did he do that?
Michael : ...Let's listen to the song.
Kay Adams : [after listening to Johnny for a while] Tell me, Michael. Please.
Michael : Well, when Johnny was first starting out, he was signed to a personal services contract with this big-band leader. And as his career got better and better, he wanted to get out of it. But the band leader wouldn't let him. Now, Johnny is my father's godson. So my father went to see this bandleader and offered him $10,000 to let Johnny go, but the bandleader said no. So the next day, my father went back, only this time with Luca Brasi. Within an hour, he had a signed release for a certified check of $1000.
Kay Adams : How did he do that?
Michael : My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Kay Adams : What was that?
Michael : Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract.
Kay Adams : ...
Michael : ...That's a true story.
[cut to Johnny singing again for about 10 more seconds before going back to Michael]
Michael : That's my family Kay, that's not me.
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[last lines]
Michael : All right. This one time I'll let you ask me about my affairs.
Kay Adams : Is it true? Is it?
Michael : No.
[Kay smiles and walks into his arms]
Kay Adams : I guess we both need a drink, huh?
[Kay goes to the kitchen to fix a drink, but sees Peter Clemenza, Rocco Lampone and Al Neri enter Michael's office]
Clemenza : Don Corleone.
[Clemenza kisses Michael's hand, and Neri shuts the door in her face...]
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Michael : My credit good enough to buy you out?
Moe Greene : Buy me out?
[Fredo laughs nervously]
Michael : The hotel, the casino. The Corleone Family wants to buy you out.
Moe Greene : The Corleone Family wants to buy me out? No, I buy you out, you don't buy me out.
Michael : Your casino loses money, maybe we can do better.
Moe Greene : You think I'm skimmin off the top, Mike?
Michael : [Michael shakes his head] You're unlucky.
Moe Greene : You goddamn guineas you really make me laugh. I do you a favor and take Freddie in when you're having a bad time, and now you're gonna try and push me out!
Michael : You took Freddie in because the Corleone Family bankrolled your casino, and the Molinari Family on the Coast guaranteed his safety. Now we're talking business, let's talk business.
Moe Greene : Yeah, let's talk business, Mike. First of all, you're all done. The Corleone Family don't even have that kind of muscle anymore. The Godfather's sick, right? You're getting chased out of New York by Barzini and the other Families. What do you think is going on here? You think you can come to my hotel and take over? I talked to Barzini - I can make a deal with him, and still keep my hotel!
Michael : Is that why you slapped my brother around in public?
Fredo : Aw, now that, that was nothin', Mike. Moe didn't mean nothin' by that. Yeah, sure he flies off the handle every once in a while, but me and him, we're good friends, right Moe?
Moe Greene : I got a business to run. I gotta kick asses sometimes to make it run right. We had a little argument, Freddy and me, so I had to straighten him out.
Michael : You straightened my brother out?
Moe Greene : He was banging cocktail waitresses two at a time! Players couldn't get a drink at the table! What's the matter with you?
Michael : I leave for New York tomorrow, think about a price.
Moe Greene : Sonofabitch! Do you know who I am? I'm Moe Greene! I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders!
Fredo : Wait a minute, Moe, Moe, I got an idea. Tom, you're the Consiglieri and you can talk to the Don, you can explain...
Tom Hagen : Now hold it right there. The Don is semi-retired and Mike is in charge of the Family business now. If you have anything to say, say it to Michael.
Fredo : [Moe Greene leaves] Mike! You do not come to Las Vegas and talk to a man like Moe Greene like that!
Michael : Fredo, you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.
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[Michael sees a man dressed in black coming to Vito's hospital room]
Michael Corleone : Who are you?
Enzo the Baker : I am Enzo. The baker. Do you remember me?
Michael Corleone : Enzo...
Enzo the Baker : Yes, Enzo.
Michael Corleone : You better get out of here, Enzo, there's gonna be trouble.
Enzo the Baker : If there is trouble, I stay here to help you. For your father. For your father.
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Don Corleone : Oh, I want you to arrange to have a telephone man check all the calls going in and out of here because it could be anyone...
Michael : I did that already, Pop. I took care of that.
Don Corleone : Oh, that's right. I forgot.
Michael : What's the matter? What's bothering you? I'll handle it. I told you I can handle it, I'll handle it.
[the Don rises as if to leave, but changes his mind midway and seats himself closer to Michael]
Don Corleone : I knew Santino was going to have to go through all this and Fredo... well, Fredo was... But I, I never wanted this for you. I work my whole life, I don't apologize, to take care of my family. And I refused to be a fool dancing on the strings held by all of those big shots. That's my life, I don't apologize for that. But I always thought that when it was your time, that you would be the one to hold the strings. Senator Corleone, Governor Corleone, something.
Michael : Another pezzonovante.
Don Corleone : Well, there wasn't enough time, Michael. There just wasn't enough time.
Michael : We'll get there, Pop. We'll get there.
[the Don kisses his son on the forehead]
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Don Corleone : I hope you don't mind the way I keep going over this Barzini business.
Michael : No, not at all.
Don Corleone : It's an old habit. I spent my whole life trying not to be careless. Women and children can afford to be careless, but not men.
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[Clemenza prepares Michael for his meeting with Sollozzo]
Clemenza : [holding up a .22] It's as cold as they come, impossible to trace. So you don't have to worry about prints, Mike. I put a special tape on the trigger and the butt. Here, try it...
[Michael takes the gun, but can't seem to fire it]
Clemenza : What's the matter, trigger too tight?
[With a loud bang, Michael finally discharges the gun]
Michael : Ow! My ears.
Clemenza : Yeah, I left it noisy. That way it scares any pain-in-the-ass innocent bystanders away. All right, you shot them both, now what do you do?
Michael : Sit down and finish my dinner.
Clemenza : Come on, kid, don't fool around. Just let your hand drop to your side and the gun slip out. Everyone will still think you've got it. They're gonna be staring at your face, Mike. So walk out of the place real fast, but you don't run. Don't look nobody directly in the eye, hut don't look away either. They're gonna be scared of you, believe me, so don't worry about nothing.
[while talking, Clemenza takes the gun and begins working on it to fix the trigger]
Clemenza : You know, Mike, you're gonna turn out all right. You take a long vacation, nobody knows where, and we'll catch the hell.
Michael : How bad do you think it's gonna be?
Clemenza : Pretty goddam bad. Probably all the other Families will line up against us. That's all right. These things gotta happen every five years or so, ten years. Helps to get rid of the bad blood. Been ten years since the last one. You know, you gotta stop them at the beginning. Like they should have stopped Hitler at Munich, they should never let him get away with that, they was just asking for trouble.
[Clemenza now finishes working on the gun]
Clemenza : You know, Mike, we was all proud of you being a hero and all. Your father too.
[Clemenza hands the gun back to Michael]
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Michael : [to the Don, quietly] Just lie here, Pop. I'll take care of you now. I'm with you now. I'm with you.
[he takes the Don's hand and kisses it, the Don begins to cry]
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Michael Corleone : Where does it say that you can't kill a cop?
Tom Hagen : Come on, Mikey...
Michael Corleone : Tom, wait a minute. I'm talking about a cop that's mixed up in drugs. I'm talking about a - a - a dishonest cop - a crooked cop who got mixed up in the rackets and got what was coming to him. That's a terrific story. And we have newspaper people on the payroll, don't we, Tom?
[Tom nods]
Michael Corleone : And they might like a story like that.
Tom Hagen : They might, they just might.
Michael Corleone : [to Sonny] It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business.
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Michael : You have to answer for Santino, Carlo. You fingered Sonny for the Barzini people.
Carlo Rizzi : Mike, you got it all wrong.
Michael : Ah, that little farce you played with my sister. You think that would fool a Corleone?
Carlo Rizzi : Mike, I'm innocent. I swear on the kids.
Michael : Sit down.
Carlo Rizzi : Please don't do this to me, Mike. Please don't.
Michael : Barzini is dead. So is Phillip Tattaglia. Moe Greene. Stracci. Cuneo. Today I settled all family business so don't tell me that you're innocent. Admit what you did.
[Carlo starts sobbing]
Michael : Get him a drink. Don't be afraid, Carlo. Come on, you think I'd make my sister a widow? I'm Godfather to your son.
[Carlo get handed a drink]
Michael : Go ahead. Drink. Drink. No, you're out of the family business, that's your punishment. You're finished. I'm putting you on a plane to Vegas. Tom?
[Tom hands Michael an airplane ticket]
Michael : I want you to stay there, you understand?
[Carlo nods]
Michael : Only don't tell me that you're innocent. Because it insults my intelligence and it makes me very angry. Now, who approached you first? Barzini or Tattaglia?
Carlo Rizzi : It was Barzini.
Michael : Good. There's a car outside that will take you to the airport. I'll call your wife and tell her what flight you're on.
Carlo Rizzi : Listen, Mike...
Michael : Go on. Get out of my sight.
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Sonny : Tom-anuch! Hey, a hundred button men on the street twenty-four hours a day. That Turk shows one hair on his ass, he's dead. Believe me.
Sonny : [to Michael, whose face is bruised] Hey Michael, c'mere. Let me look at you. You look beautiful, just beautiful, you're gorgeous. Hey, listen to this. The Turk, he wants to talk. You imagine the nerve on this son of a bitch, hey? Craps out last night he wants a meetin' today.
Tom Hagen : What did he say?
Sonny : What did he say? Badda-beep, badda-bap, badda-boop, badda-beep, he wants us to send Michael to hear the proposition, and the promise is the deal is so good we can't refuse. Hey.
Tom Hagen : What about Bruno Tattaglia?
Sonny : That's part of the deal. Bruno cancels out what they did to my father.
Tom Hagen : Sonny, we ought to hear what they have to say.
Sonny : No, no, no! No more! Not this time, Consigliere! No more meetin's! No more discussions! No more Sollozzo tricks! You give 'em one message - I want Sollozzo. If not, it's all-out war, we go to the mattresses.
Tom Hagen : Some of the other families won't sit still for all-out war!
Sonny : Then they hand me Sollozzo!
Tom Hagen : Your father would want to hear this. This is business, not personal.
Sonny : They shot my father? It's business, your ass.
Tom Hagen : Even the shooting of your father was business, not personal, Sonny!
Sonny : Well then, business will have to suffer, all right? And listen, do me a favor, Tom. No more advice on how to patch things up, just help me win, please. All right?
Tom Hagen : I found out about this Captain McClusky who broke Mike's jaw.
Sonny : What about him?
Tom Hagen : Now, he's definitely on Sollozzo's payroll and for big money. McClusky has agreed to be the Turk's bodyguard. What you have to understand, Sonny, is that while Sollozzo's being guarded like this he is invulnerable. Now, nobody has ever gunned down a New York police captain. Never. It would be disastrous. All the five families would come after you, Sonny. The Corleone Family would be outcast. Even the old man's political protection would run for cover. So, do me a favor, take this into consideration.
Sonny : All right, we wait.
Michael : It can't wait.
Sonny : Huh?
Michael : It can't wait. I don't care what Sollozzo says about a deal, he's gonna kill Pop. That's it. That's a key for him. Gotta get Sollozzo.
Clemenza : Mikey's right.
Sonny : Let me ask you something, Professor. I mean, what about this McClusky, huh? What do we do with this cop here?
Michael : They want to have a meeting with me, right? It will be me, McClusky and Sollozzo. Let's set the meeting. Get our informants to find out where it's going to be held. Now we insist it's a public place - a bar or a restaurant, some place where there's people there so I'll feel safe. They're going to search me when I first meet them, right? So I can't have a weapon on me then. But if Clemenza can figure a way to have a weapon planted there for me, then I'll kill them both.
Sonny : [Clemenza, Tessio and Sonny laugh] Hey. What are you gonna do? Nice college boy, huh? Didn't want to get mixed up in the family business? Now you want to gun down a police captain, what, 'cause he slapped you in the face a little bit, huh? What do you think, this the Army where you shoot 'em a mile away? No, you gotta get up close like this - badda-bing! - you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit. C'mere.
[Kisses Michael on the head]
Sonny : You're taking this very personal. Tom, this is business and this man is taking it very, very personal.
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Sonny : Hey, whaddya gonna do, nice college boy, eh? Didn't want to get mixed up in the Family business, huh? Now you wanna gun down a police captain. Why? Because he slapped ya in the face a little bit? Hah? What do you think this is the Army, where you shoot 'em a mile away? You've gotta get up close like this and - bada-BING! - you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit. C'mere...
[kisses Michael's head]
Michael : Sonny...
Sonny : You're taking this very personal. Tom, this is business and this man is taking it very, very personal.
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Tessio : Barzini's people chisle my territory and we do nothing about it. Pretty soon there won't be anyplace in Brooklyn that I can hang my hat.
Michael : Try and be patient.
Clemenza : I'm not asking for help, Mike, just take off the handcuffs.
Michael : Be patient.
Clemenza : We gotta protect ourselves. At least give me the chance to recruit some new men.
Michael : No. I don't want to give Barzini any excuse to start fighting.
Tessio : Mike, you're wrong.
Clemenza : Don Corleone, you once said the day would come when me and Tessio could form our own families. Until today I would never think of such a thing but now I must ask your permission.
Don Corleone : Well, Michael's head of the family now and if give his permission then you have my blessing.
Michael : After we make the move to Nevada you can break off from the Corleone Family and go off on your own. After we make the move to Nevada.
Clemenza : How long will that take?
Michael : Six months.
Tessio : Forgive me, Godfather, but with you gone me and Pete will come under Barzini's thumb sooner or later.
Clemenza : And I hate that Goddamn Barzini. In six months time there won't be nothin' left to build on.
Don Corleone : Do you have faith in my judgement?
Clemenza : Yes.
Don Corleone : Do I have your loyalty?
Clemenza : Yes, always Godfather.
Don Corleone : Then be a friend to Michael. Do as he says.
Michael : There are negotiations being made that are going to answer all of your questions and solve all of your problems. That's all I can tell you right now. Carlo, you grew up in Nevada. When we make our move there you're going to be my right hand man. Tom Hagen is no longer Consigliari. He's going to be our lawyer in Vegas. That's no reflection on Tom it's just the way I want it. Besides, if I ever help who's a better Consigliari than my father. That's it.
[Everyone except Hagen leaves]
Tom Hagen : Mike, why am I out?
Michael : You're not a wartime Consigliari, Tom. Things could get rough with the move we're making.
Don Corleone : Tom, I advised Michael. I never thought you were a bad Consigliari. I thought Santino was a bad Don, rest in peace. Michael has all my confidence as do you. But there are reasons why you must have nothing to do with what's going to happen.
Tom Hagen : Maybe I could help.
Michael : You're out, Tom.
-
[speaking with the father of the girl he plans to marry, and after telling him that he's in hiding from some gangsters]
Michael : Some people will pay a lot of money for that information; but then your daughter would lose a father, instead of gaining a husband.
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Connie : [shrieking at Michael] You killed my husband! You waited until our father died so nobody could stop you and you killed him! You killed him! You blamed him for Sonny, you always did, everybody did. But you never thought about me. You never gave a dam about me. What am I going to do now?
Kay Adams : [taking Connie in her arms] Connie...
Connie : Why do you think he kept Carlo at the mall? All the time he knew he was going to kill him. And then he stood Godfather to our baby. You think you know your husband? You know how many men he had killed! Read the papers. Read the papers! That's your husband!
[Michael takes Connie into her arms, but she goes wild again and tries to attack him]
Michael Corleone : Take her upstairs. Get her a doctor.
[Michael's bodyguards grab Connie and pull her out of the office]
Michael Corleone : [to Kay] She's hysterical.
Kay Adams : Is it true?
Michael Corleone : Don't ask me about my business, Kay.
Kay Adams : Is it true?
Michael Corleone : Don't ask me about my business...
Kay Adams : No...
Michael Corleone : [slams the desk] ENOUGH!
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Capt. McCluskey : I thought I got all you Guinea hoods locked up! What the hell are you doing here?
Michael : What happened to the men who were guarding my father, Captain?
Capt. McCluskey : I pulled them guys off of here, eh, now get away from this hospital!
Michael : I'm not leaving until you put some guards around my father's room.
Capt. McCluskey : Phil, take him in!
Cop with Capt. McCluskey outside hospital : The kid's clean Captain, he's a war hero! He's never been mixed up with the rackets...
Capt. McCluskey : Goddamn it Phil, I said take him in!
Michael : What's the Turk paying you to set up my father, Captain?
Capt. McCluskey : [to Patrolmen] Take a hold of him. Stand him up. Stand him up straight.
[punches Michael and breaks his jaw]
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[Michael gets ready to leave the house]
Sonny : Where're you going?
Michael : To the City.
Sonny : [to Clemenza] Yeah? Well, send somebody with him.
Michael : No, I'm just gonna go see Pop.
Sonny : I don't care, send some bodyguards with him.
Clemenza : He'll be all right. Sollozzo knows he's a civilian.
Sonny : Yeah? Well take care, all right?
Michael : Yes, sir.
[Michael leaves]
Sonny : Send someone with him anyway...
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Sollozzo : [to Michael, in Sicilian] I am sorry. What happened to your father was business. I have much respect for your father. But your father, his thinking is old-fashioned. You must understand why I had to do that. Now let's work through where we go from here.
[Michael tries speaking in Sicilian, but can't express himself properly, so with a quick look at McCluskey they both switch to English]
Michael : What I want... what's most important to me is that I have a guarantee: no more attempts on my father's life.
Sollozzo : What guarantees could I give you, Mike? I'm the hunted one. I've missed my chance. You think too much of me, kid. I am not that clever. All I want is a truce.
Michael : I have to go to the bathroom. Is that all right?
Capt. McCluskey : You gotta go, you gotta go.
[Michael gets up, but a suspicious Sollozzo probes Michael's crotch, to Michael's offense]
Capt. McCluskey : I frisked him. He's clean.
Sollozzo : Don't take too long...
[Michael heads to the bathroom]
Capt. McCluskey : [to Sollozzo] I frisked a thousand young punks.
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Michael : [teaching Apollonia to drive] It's safer to teach you English!
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Michael : I have to see my father and his people so have dinner without me.
Kay Adams : Oh, Michael.
Michael : This weekend we'll go out. We'll go to the city, see a show and have dinner, I promise.
Kay Adams : Hmmmm. Michael. Michael, wait, your sister wants to ask you something.
Michael : Well, let her ask.
Kay Adams : No, she's afraid to. Connie and Carlo want you to be Godfather to their little boy.
Michael : We'll see.
Kay Adams : Will you?
Michael : Let me think about it. We'll see.
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Michael : You and I are going to move my father to another room, now can you disconnect those tubes so we can move the bed out of here?
Night Nurse : That is out of the question.
Michael : You know my father? Men are coming here to kill him, now help me, please.
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Michael : Fredo, who are the girls?
Fredo : That's for you to find out.
Michael : Get rid of them, Fredo.
Fredo : Hey, Mike, uh...
Michael : I'm here on business I leave tomorrow now get rid of them. Come on, I'm tired. Get rid of the band, too.
[Fredo chases everyone out of the room]
Michael : What happened to Moe Greene?
Fredo : He had business. He said give him a call. Once the party started.
Michael : Well, give him a call. Hello, Johnny.
Johnny Fontane : Mike, it's nice to see you again.
Michael : We're all proud of you. Sit down, Johnny, I want to talk to you. The Don's proud of you, too.
Johnny Fontane : Well, I owe it all to him.
Michael : He knows how grateful you are. That's why he'd like to ask a favor.
Johnny Fontane : Mike, what can I do?
Michael : The Corleone family is thinking of giving up all of its interest in the olive oil business, settling out here. Now Moe Greene will sell us his share of the hotel and the casino so that it can be completely owned by the family. Tom.
[Hagen hands Michael some papers]
Fredo : Hey, Mike, are you sure about that? I mean, Moe, loves the business. He never said anything to me about sellin'.
Michael : I'll make him an offer he can't refuse. You see, Johnny, we feel that entertainment is going to be a big factor in drawing gamblers into the casinos. We're hoping that you'll sign a contract agreeing to appear 5 times a year. Perhaps convince some of your friends in the movies to do the same. We're counting on you, Johnny.
Johnny Fontane : Sure, Mike, I'll do anything for my Godfather. You know that.
Michael : Good.
Moe Greene : Hey, Mike! Everybody's here. There's Tom. Freddie. Good to see you, Mike.
Michael : How are you, Moe?
Moe Greene : You got everything you need? The chef cooked for you special, the dancers will kick your tongue out and your credit is good. Draw chips for everyone in the room so they can play on the house.
-
Tom Hagen : You know how they're going to come at you?
Michael : They want to arrange a meeting between me and Barzini. On Tessio's ground. Where I'll be safe.
[Hagen is silent for a long moment]
Tom Hagen : Tessio. I always thought it would be Clemenza.
Michael : It's the smart move. Tessio was always smarter.
-
Don Corleone : How's your boy?
Michael : He's good.
Don Corleone : You know, he looks more like you every day.
Michael : He's smarter than I am. Three years old, and he can already read the funny papers.
Don Corleone : [laughs] Read the funny papers...
-
Sollozzo : I'm glad you came, Mike. I hope we can straighten everything out. I mean, this is terrible... it's not the way I wanted things to go at all. It should've never happened.
Michael : We'll straighten everything out tonight. I don't want my father bothered anymore.
Sollozzo : He won't be, Mike. I swear on my children he won't be. But you gotta keep an open mind when we talk. I mean, I hope you're not a hothead like your brother Sonny. You can't talk business with him.
Capt. McCluskey : Ahh, he's a good kid. I'm sorry about the other night, Mike.
[Shakes Michael's hand]
Capt. McCluskey : I gotta frisk you, so turn around, on your knees facing me.
[Michael turns around, McCluskey frisks him]
Capt. McCluskey : I guess I'm getting too old for my job. Too grouchy... can't stand the aggravation. You know how it is.
[to Sollozzo]
Capt. McCluskey : He's clean.
-
Michael Corleone : I'm working for my father now, Kay. He's been sick -- very sick.
Kay Adams : But you are not like him, Michael. I thought you weren't going to become a man like your father. That's what you told me.
Michael Corleone : My father's no different than any other powerful man - any man who's responsible for other people, like a senator or a president...
Kay Adams : You know how naïve you sound?
Michael Corleone : Why?
Kay Adams : Senators and presidents don't have men killed.
Michael Corleone : Oh, who's being naïve, Kay?
-
Don Corleone : I like to drink wine more than I used to...
[pause]
Don Corleone : Anyway, I'm drinking more.
Michael : It's good for you, Pop.
Don Corleone : Ah, I don't know...
-
Michael : An attractive man and a professional lover.
