The Player (1992)

Tim Robbins: Griffin Mill

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Griffin Mill : It lacked certain elements that we need to market a film successfully.

  June : What elements?

  Griffin Mill : Suspense, laughter, violence. Hope, heart, nudity, sex. Happy endings. Mainly happy endings.

  June : What about reality?

• Griffin Mill : I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we've got something here.

• [Last lines] 

  June : What took you so long?

  Griffin Mill : Traffic was a bitch.

• Larry Levy : I'll be there right after my AA meeting.

  Griffin Mill : Oh Larry, I didn't realise you had a drinking problem.

  Larry Levy : Well I don't really, but that's where all the deals are being made these days.

• Detective Susan Avery : Mr. Mill, have you been going to detective school?

  Griffin Mill : No, actually, we're doing a... a movie right now, called Lonely Room, and Scott Glenn plays a detective much like yourself.

  Detective Susan Avery : Is he a black woman?

• Griffin Mill : So, what's the story?

  Walter Stuckel : Twenty-five words or less? Okay. Movie exec calls writer. Writer's girlfriend says he's at the movies. Exec goes to the movies, meets writer, drinks with writer. Writer gets conked and dies in four inches of dirty water. Movie exec is in deep shit. What do you think?

  Griffin Mill : That's more than 25 words and it's bullshit.

• Griffin Mill : Can we talk about something other than Hollywood for a change? We're educated people.

• Griffin Mill : Let's go to Acapulco.

  June : Is that the thing to do?

  Griffin Mill : It's *a* thing to do.

• Griffin Mill : No stars, just talent.

• Griffin Mill : Just... stop with the postcards...

  David Kahane : [enraged]  I don't WRITE POSTCARDS! I WRITE SCRIPTS!

• [Asked to look at police mug shots] 

  Griffin Mill : Um, no. I - I mean, I - You're putting me in a terrible position here. I would - I would hate to get the wrong person arrested.

  Detective Susan Avery : Oh, please! This is Pasadena. We do not arrest the wrong person. That's L.A.!

• [after watching The Bicycle Thief] 

  Griffin Mill : Great movie, huh? So refreshing to see something like this after all these... cop movies and, you know, things we do. Maybe we'll do a remake of this!

• June : I don't go to movies.

  Griffin Mill : Why not?

  June : Life is too short.

• Detective Susan Avery : So you're saying if you drove a shitty car, you would park in the parking lot.

  Griffin Mill : No, I'm saying if I were driving a shitty car, I would be a dead man.

• June : Do places like this really exist?

  Griffin Mill : Only in the movies.

• Griffin Mill : Who's the D.A.?

  Tom Oakley : Ah! No one.

  Griffin Mill : No one?

  Tom Oakley : No stars on this project. We're going out on a limb on one.

  Andy Civelli : You know, uh, like unknown stage actors or maybe somebody English like what's-his-name.

• Griffin Mill : [looking at June's paintings]  These are very interesting. I like them... Where do you show?

  June : Hmm?

  Griffin Mill : Gallery - - what gallery? Who's your dealer?

  June : [chuckles]  I don't have a "dealer." I couldn't sell these. They're never finished.

  Griffin Mill : They're never finished?

  June : No, they're just... what I do. For myself. What I feel.

• Detective Susan Avery : Paul went and saw a movie the other night and he keeps talking about it. What was that movie, Paul?

  Detective DeLongpre : Freaks.

  Griffin Mill : Oh yeah, Freaks, Tod Browning, It's a classic.

  Detective DeLongpre : One of us. One of us. One of us.

  Detective Susan Avery : He keeps saying that.

• Griffin Mill : This is a red wine glass. Can I have my water in a water glass?

• Detective DeLongpre : [stopping Mill just as he's exiting his gated driveway]  Mr. Mill, I'm Detective DeLongpre, Pasadena police.

  Griffin Mill : Yes, I recognize you. Did you have a good time at the party last night?

  Detective DeLongpre : No, I didn't. I'm not supposed to have a good time when I'm on duty.

• Walter Stuckel : How many meetings did you have with this guy?

  Griffin Mill : One.

  Walter Stuckel : Not counting last night.

  Griffin Mill : Not counting last night.

  Walter Stuckel : Why'd you go all the way to Pasadena to meet him?

  Griffin Mill : He had an idea I was interested in, I wanted to talk to him right away.

  Walter Stuckel : His girlfriend, I guess she was a friend of yours, too? Think fast!

  [He throws a ball at Griffin who barely catches it] 

  Griffin Mill : Jesus Christ, Walter! What is this?

  Walter Stuckel : It's called the third degree. Don't like it? Wait till the police are asking questions.

• Jan : A guy named Joe Gillis called. He wants you to meet him at the St. James Club at 10:00 on the patio. Know who this is?

  Griffin Mill : Never heard of him.

  Jan : He said you'd know him.

  Griffin Mill : Anybody know who Joe Gillis is?

  Joel Levison : He's a character William Holden played in "Sunset Boulevard." The writer killed by a movie star.

  Bonnie Sherow : Gloria Swanson.

  Griffin Mill : [starts to laugh]  Oh, that guy. Last week he said he was Charles Foster Kane. A week before that it was Rhett Butler.

• Griffin Mill : Movies are art, now more than ever.

• June : [on the phone with Griffin]  David's gone to the cinema.

  Griffin Mill : Oh. When will he be back?

  June : When the film's over, I presume.

  Griffin Mill : And you are?

  June : June.

  Griffin Mill : June...?

  June : Here we go. You want to know my last name. Well, you're not going to pronounce it - no one can.

  Griffin Mill : Try me.

  June : Gudmundsdottir.

  Griffin Mill : [saying it a few times, pronouncing it fairly accurately]  Gudmundsdottir... Gudmundsdottir - - How's that?

  June : Eh, very good!

  Griffin Mill : Thanks. What do people usually say?

  June : Oh, don't ask. Like, anything from Good Dog's Water to Goulash Wallop.

• Griffin Mill : Hiya, Burt. Griffin Mill. Good to see you.

  Burt Reynolds : Oh, hi, good to see you.

  Griffin Mill : Hi, Charles. How are you?

  Charles Champlin : Griffin, nice to see you this morning.

  Burt Reynolds : [as Mill walks away]  Asshole.

  Charles Champlin : One of a breed.

  Burt Reynolds : No, actually not one of a breed, there's a whole breed of them. They're breeding them actually.

• Bonnie Sherow : What is going on?

  Griffin Mill : What do you mean?

  Bonnie Sherow : I mean handing Larry Levy your project like that.

  Griffin Mill : Well, I just thought Larry had a firm grip on the style of the piece. That's all.

  Bonnie Sherow : The only thing Larry Levy has a firm grip on is his dick, and you know it.

• Griffin Mill : I will not work for Larry Levy.

  Joel Levison : I'm not asking you to.

  Griffin Mill : I report to you. If I have to report to Larry Levy, I quit.

  Joel Levison : Can't quit. I wont let you quit. You have a year and a half left on your contract and I will sue you for breach if you don't show up in the office every day. With a smile.

  Griffin Mill : Why Levy?

  Joel Levison : Levy was available. He's good on material, you're good with writers. We're a team. He's a new member of the team, that's all. He can make us all look good.

  Griffin Mill : [to the waitress, annoyed]  This is a red wine glass. Can I have my water in water glass, please?

  Joel Levison : Well?

  Griffin Mill : I'll have to think about it, Joel.

  Joel Levison : I want an answer this afternoon.

  Griffin Mill : Well, I have to go out to Palmdale. The director of Lonely Room is giving Lily a hard time. I'll be back around 5.

  Joel Levison : Well, call after 5.

  Griffin Mill : [brusquely]  I'll get back to you.