Backdraft (1991)
William Baldwin: Brian McCaffrey
Photos
Quotes
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Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : You see that glow flashing in the corner of your eye? That's your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear.
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Ronald : I sent away for a copy of that Life magazine with your picture on the cover. It's a collectible.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Who's doing this, Ronald?
Ronald : Wrong question. Who isn't? It's not a spark because there's not enough damage. He wouldn't have had any fun. It's not an insurance scam because there isn't any profit.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Do you know who's doing this?
Ronald : Yes.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Then tell me.
Ronald : You want to know who?
[Shows front cover of magazine]
Ronald : I want to know if this kid really wanted to be just like his dad. Did he?
[Ronald is about to return to his cell]
Ronald : Okay, I'm out of here.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Alright. I wanted to be him. I wanted to be him more than anything.
Ronald : And you loved him?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Yeah.
Ronald : And you watched him dance with the animal. You saw your dad burn.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Hey, fuck you Ronald! Who the hell's doing this, huh?
Ronald : Did it look at you? Did the fire look at you? It did. Whoa. Wow. Our worlds aren't that far apart after all, are they? So, whoever is doing this knows the animal well, doesn't he? He knows him real well, but he won't let him loose. He won't let him have any fun, so he does not love him. Now who doesn't love fire and is around trychtichlorate all day long?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : [realizes who it might be] Oh my God!
Ronald : [laughs] See... that wasn't such a long trip after all.
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Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale : In a word, Brian, what is this job all about?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Fire.
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale : It's a living thing, Brian. It breathes, it eats, and it hates. The only way to beat it is to think like it. To know that this flame will spread this way across the door and up across the ceiling, not because of the physics of flammable liquids, but because it wants to. Some guys on this job, the fire owns them, makes 'em fight it on it's level, but the only way to truly kill it is to love it a little. Just like Ronald.
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Schmidt : Hey, Axe, you know this rug rat?
John 'Axe' Adcox : Know him? I practically raised him.
John 'Axe' Adcox : He never calls. He never writes.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : [introducing himself] I'm Brian.
Grindle : I'm sorry.
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Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : You had to do it, didn't you? You had to be myth man again, taking another fire bare-handed instead of looking out for your probie?
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : I had that fire! He just didn't listen to me!
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : He's a *candidate*! YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! You shouldn't have had him up there in the first place!
[Steven walks away]
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : YOU BURNED HIM, STEVEN!
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : FUCK YOU!
[keeps walking away]
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Don't you walk away from me!
[Steven turns aroung and slugs Brian. Brian goes after Steven, resulting in a brawl]
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Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Who's your brother Brian?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : You are Steven.
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Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : [after looking at the fire station's muddy swamp creature looking dog] You guys got something against Dalmatians?
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[Rimgale and Brian McCaffrey in the morgue with the medical examiner]
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale : McCaffrey, come on over and give us a hand.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : No, I don't think so. Not in my contract.
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale : [Throwing medical gloves at him] I just rewrote your contract. Come give us a hand.
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Lt. Steven McCaffrey : [Steven enters after having saved a child from the fire] Man, that was pretty crazy, huh?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : I waited. I woulda waited.
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Come on, don't worry about it.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : But you did it man. You did it all the way Steven, you were really a hero today.
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Brian... its not about being a hero. I went in because there was a kid up there. You know, I just, I do what I do because that's my way. And it was Dad's way. Maybe it's not everybody's way.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Dad's way? What? Did he tell you that in a fucking séance, Steven? Huh?
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Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale : Let's go.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Where we going?
Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale : Pest control.
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Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Who's your brother, Brian?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : You are, Steven.
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Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Jesus Christ, Axe!
John 'Axe' Adcox : You don't understand. My cousin, my cousin Sally used to work in Swayzak's office. She saw the files, Stephen. She saw what he did!
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : You set me up with those chemicals on the boat?
John 'Axe' Adcox : I'm trying to explain! I'm trying to explain to you, Stephen!
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Stephen!
John 'Axe' Adcox : You back off!
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Axe!
John 'Axe' Adcox : Somebody had to stop these pricks, Stephen!
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Look at me, Axe.
John 'Axe' Adcox : Will you please listen to me?
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : What were you thinking? You burned people! You're a fireman!
John 'Axe' Adcox : When Sally showed me what was in Swayzak's files...
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : You saw Swayzak's files?
John 'Axe' Adcox : I should've told you. I should've let you in on it.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Let him in on what, John? Murder?
John 'Axe' Adcox : Swayzak and those assholes were clamping firehouses! They were getting our friends killed for money! I had to, Stephen! I had to do it for the department!
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Did you do it for Tim, John?
John 'Axe' Adcox : That was an accident!
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Did you start that fire?
John 'Axe' Adcox : Jesus Christ! Why did you have to go in there so fucking early?
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : That's why you wanted me to wait!
John 'Axe' Adcox : Let me finish Swayzak!
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : No, John! It's over!
John 'Axe' Adcox : You shut up! Your dad would fucking puke if he saw how you shit on his department!
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : What would he say about what you're doing, John?
John 'Axe' Adcox : Your dad died saving my life. He died saving my life and these people were killing firemen for money!
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Swayzak.
John 'Axe' Adcox : He killed our friends for money! What the fuck would you do?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Look, you're his lieutenant, Stephen! You've gotta handle this!
[the roof starts weakening]
John 'Axe' Adcox : It's going!
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Get to the side, Brian! It's gonna go!
[Brian runs to the side roof ladder]
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[last lines]
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : You're doing it wrong!
[adjusts the probie's collar as Grindle looks on and smiles]
Nervous Probie : Thanks!
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Alright!
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Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : [tries to start his car, to no avail] Give me a break, huh! Shit! Come on, damn it!
[abandons his car and races to the firehouse. As he turns the corner, Truck 46 and Engine 17 leave the firehouse]
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Oh, shit! My car wouldn't start.
Tim Kizminski : What are you doing, man?
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Attaboy!
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Damn!
[races after Engine 17]
John 'Axe' Adcox : Come on, man, you can make it.
[Brian jumps into Engine 17]
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Lt. Steven McCaffrey : Look at you. Look at your face! All the things you must be thinkin'. You really hate my guts, don't you? You know something, Brian? That's all right.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Maybe we should talk about it.
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : You don't like me... because of what? Because I was no genius in the way I raised you. Is that it? Dad was gone! So, what was I supposed to do? You tell me.
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Forget it, Stephen. It's okay.
Lt. Steven McCaffrey : I tried. I wanted so many things for you... that I couldn't even hope for. Because after that, I had no choices! Well, I'm not your father. You got somewhere to go? Go. People change, huh, Brian?
Firefighter Brian McCaffrey : Sometimes right when you're lookin' at 'em.