The Color of Money (1986)

Tom Cruise: Vincent

Photos 

Quotes 

• Moselle : What you got in there?

  Vincent Lauria : In here?

  [Opens case; smiles widely] 

  Vincent Lauria : Doom.

  Moselle : Come on, boy. Let's play.

  Vincent Lauria : Yeah, let's play. We're gonna' have a lot of fun.

• Eddie Felson : You're some piece of work... You're also a natural character.

  Vincent Lauria : [to Carmen]  You see? I been tellin' her that. I got natural character.

  Eddie Felson : That's not what I said, kid. I said you *are* a natural character; you're an incredible flake.

  [Vincent's smile fades; Eddie continues] 

  Eddie Felson : But that's a *gift*. Some guys spend half their lives trying to invent something like that. You walk into a pool room with that go-go-go, the guys'll be *killing* each other, trying to get to you. You got that... But I'll tell you something, kiddo. You couldn't find Big Time if you had a road map.

• [last lines] 

  Vincent Lauria : Hey Eddie, what are you going to do when I kick your ass?

  Eddie Felson : Pick myself up and let you kick me again.

  Vincent Lauria : Oh yeah?

  Eddie Felson : Yeah.

  [pause] 

  Eddie Felson : Just don't put the money in the bank, kid. Because if I don't whip you now, I'm gonna whip you next month in Dallas.

  Carmen : You mean Houston - there's nothing coming up in Dallas.

  Eddie Felson : Houston, Dallas... And if not then, then the month after that, in New Orleans.

  Vincent Lauria : Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?

  Eddie Felson : [stares at Vincent for a second, then gets ready to break]  Hey - I'm back.

  [Eddie breaks] 

• Eddie Felson : How much did you take off Moselle? I heard a hundred...

  Vincent Lauria : One Fifty!

  Eddie Felson : [sarcastically]  A hundred and fifty?

  Vincent Lauria : That's right, a hundred and fifty.

  Vincent Lauria : You walk into a shoe store with a hundred and fifty bucks, you come out with one shoe! We were working on five thousand!

• Vincent Lauria : [Eddie is pushing to go on the road]  This is my job, Eddie.

  Eddie Felson : You think so? Hmmm. That's funny. I don't think so. I think it's your problem.

• Vincent Lauria : I think maybe the money's what's throwing you off here today.

• Eddie Felson : Do you smell that?

  Vincent Lauria : What, smoke?

  Carmen : No, Money...

• Vincent Lauria : [Eddie has just run the table]  Pretty damn good.

  Eddie Felson : Not bad for a blind man. Rack 'em.

  Vincent Lauria : Yes sir, boss. Rack 'em up for Mr. Fast Eddie!

  Eddie Felson : I haven't played serious pool since before you were born, and right off the bat, I'm layin' 'em to waste! Watch this. Nine on the break...

• Eddie Felson : You know what this is turning into?

  Vincent Lauria : What?

  Eddie Felson : A waste of my time, and a waste of my money.

  [Slams car door] 

  Vincent Lauria : What? You're just gonna' leave me here?

  [Eddie drives off] 

  Vincent Lauria : I don't believe this guy!

• Vincent Lauria : Hey Julian I just want your best game.

• Eddie Felson : Did you ever hear of a hustle called Two Brothers and a Stranger?

  Vincent Lauria : Yeah, uh, that's the guy in the Bible with the many colored coats, right?

  [grins widely; Eddie and Carmen look disgusted] 

  Vincent Lauria : Hey, what's wrong with you guys? It's a joke, okay?

  Eddie Felson : Did I get through to you last night, kiddo? 'Cause if I didn't, I'll run it by you another way. If you'd have kicked ass in any other place but Chalkie's, Atlantic City would be dead for us. The Guys Never Leave The Street. Otherwise, it'd be all around.

• [after challenging everyone in the bar to a game, offering to spot balls, give them break, pay if he loses but not be paid if he wins, etc] 

  Vincent Lauria : Cowards! Off with their heads.

• Vincent Lauria : Hey Grady. Up your ass with the spot. Is that OK with you?

  Grady Seasons : [laughs]  That's fine by me.

• Vincent Lauria : It's just a game, man. Some balls and a stick.

  Carmen : Balls and a stick.

• Vincent Lauria : Don't worry. I'm not going to lose often.

  Eddie Felson : Oh, yes, you will. That's what I'm gonna teach you. Sometimes if you lose, you win.

• Vincent Lauria : But the thing is, even if it is just for bangers, everybody's doing it. If everybody's doing it, there's a lot of guys doing it. A lot of guys doing it - but only one guy can be the best.

• Vincent Lauria : Maybe you should go back to the motel.

  Carmen : Why?

  Vincent Lauria : Why? Are you kidding' me? Look around this place. There got to be two dozen rape artists here. Why?

  Carmen : Maybe you should go back to the motel.

  Vincent Lauria : Me?

  Carmen : Pretty boy like you.

• Vincent Lauria : It's like a nightmare, isn't it?

  Grady Seasons : You got lucky, you lucky prick.

• Vincent Lauria : Come on, one more game here.

  Julian : I'm bust!

  Vincent Lauria : So let's just play play.

  Julian : What?

  Vincent Lauria : Let's just play for play, man. No money.

  Julian : Play play?

• Vincent Lauria : I'll tell you what I can do off Stalker. Ten years from now, I can go to West Point. That's what I can do off Stalker. It's all coming down to video-game reflexes. I mean, computerized tanks, "Star Wars" - you know that movie. I mean, tens years from now a guy who scores heavy on Stalker is a shoo-in at the Point.

• Vincent Lauria : How come you don't play pool any more?

  Eddie Felson : I quit. Actually, somebody retired me. Sometimes you get in with the wrong kind of people, you know. But, hey, that was a long time ago, back east. It's dead and buried. I don't even think about it. I won my share of medals.

• Eddie Felson : Carmen, what's to be learned from this?

  Carmen : Nice guys finish last.

  Vincent Lauria : Oh, is that original or did you just make that up?

• Eddie Felson : Vincent, you go in that place, you play your part. It's nuts. I put my hands on her, I'm playing. part. It's acting.

  Vincent Lauria : Your hands were all over her!

  Eddie Felson : It's acting! It's acting!

  Carmen : Hey, look, Vincent, when you go into movies and you see people kissing, what do you think? Do you think they go home together? They're professionals, Vincent.

  Eddie Felson : We're just trying to be professionals.

• Vincent Lauria : Stings like a bitch, don't it?

  Eddie Felson : Yes, it does.

• Eddie Felson : Don't you ever feel like picking it up again? I mean, you're always around those pool halls. You know, you see these guys...

  Vincent Lauria : Nah, I'm too old. My wheels are shot. It's a young man's game. Besides, there's drugs now. You know, kids are playing on coke, speed. I don't know, when I was younger, it was booze. Somehow it was more human.

  Vincent Lauria : Booze, huh?

  Eddie Felson : Booze. Yeah. Wine. It goes back to the Bible. The Bible never mentions amphetamines.