Directed by Brian De Palma and written by David Koepp and Robert Towne, based on the television series Mission Impossible, created by Bruce Geller.

Ethan Hunt

• Relax Luther, it's much worse than you think.

• You're worried about me. Why?

• [referring to CIA headquarters] This is the Mount Everest of hacks.

• [just before entering the vault] Krieger, from this point on... absolute silence!

• [to Claire] Wake up, Claire! Jim's dead! He's dead! They're all dead!

• If a man has crushed, shot, stabbed, and detonated five members of his own IMF team, how upset do you really think you're gonna make him by hauling Mom and Uncle Donald down to the county courthouse?

• [Holding the wad of explosive chewing gum before jumping off chopper in the Chunnel] Red Light! Green Light!

Eugene Kittridge

• I want him manning a radar tower in Alaska by the end of the day. Just mail him his clothes.

• Everyone has pressure points, Barnes. You find something that's personally important to someone and... you squeeze.

• These guys are trained to be ghosts. We taught them to do it for Christ's sake.

• What are we gonna do, Barnes? Put a guy at the airport?

• Good morning, Mr. Phelps.

Others

• Franz Krieger: While we're in Virginia let's stop by Fort Knox. I'll fly a helicopter through the lobby and land right inside the vault. And it would be a hell of a lot easier than breaking into the goddamn CIA.

• Franz Krieger: Try sleight of hand with me and I'll cut your throat.

• Jack Harmen: Hasta lasagna, don't get any on ya.

• Jack Harmen: [referring to a stick of exploding gum] Just don't chew it.

• Max: Anonimity... is like a warm blanket.

• Senator John Waltzer: We were living in a democracy the last time I checked.

• Luther Stickell: [about a previous computer hack] There was never any physical evidence I had anything to do with that... that... that wonderful piece of work.

• Tape Recorder: This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.

• Luther Stickell: Thinking Machine laptops, I'm talking about the 686 prototypes, with the artificial intelligence RISC chip.

Dialogue

Sarah Davies: Tell me, Senator, do you all have someone on your staff named Jack?

Ethan Hunt (disguised as Senator John Waltzer): Jack... I believe we did have a Jack. An unreliable fellow as I recall. Constantly late, and behind in his work. I was forced to tie him behind one of my best stallions and drag him around my barn for a few days.

Ethan Hunt: Saved your ass again, Jack.

Jack Harmen: Give me a break, Pops.

Sarah Davies: Such a nice ass.

Jack Harmen: And a lonely ass.

Jim Phelps: Any questions?

Ethan Hunt: Yeah. Could we get a capuccino machine in here? 'Cause I don't know what you call this.

Jack Harmen: I call it cruel and unusual.

Claire Phelps: Hey, I made that coffee.

Ethan Hunt: Exactly.

Ethan Hunt: [over the phone] They're dead.

Eugene Kittridge: What? Who's dead?

Ethan Hunt: My team. My team is DEAD. They knew we were coming, man. They knew we were coming and the disk is gone.

Eugene Kittridge: Wait a minute...

Ethan Hunt: Did you hear me? The list is in the open.

Eugene Kittridge: I think we've lost enough agents for one night.

Ethan Hunt: You mean, I've lost enough agents for one night.

Eugene Kittridge: You seem hell-bent on blaming yourself, Ethan.

Ethan Hunt: Who else is left?

Eugene Kittridge: Yeah. I see your point.

Eugene Kittridge: I can understand you're very upset.

Ethan: Kitridge, you've never seen me very upset.

Eugene Kittridge: All right, Hunt. Enough is enough. You have bribed, cajoled, and killed, and you have done it using loyalties on the inside. You want to shake hands with the devil, that's fine with me. I just want to make sure that you do it in hell!

Ethan Hunt: Zero bodycount.

Franz Krieger: We'll see.

Ethan Hunt: I thought I was going to see Max.

Matthias: You misunderstood. No one sees Max.

Ethan Hunt: Then what am I doing here?

Matthias: Allowing Max to see you and hear what you've got to say.

Ethan Hunt: I don't communicate very well through a shroud.

Matthias: If Max doesn't like what you have to say, you will be wearing that shroud indefinitely.

Eugene Kittridge: Hello, Max.

Max: My lawyers are going to have a field day with this. Entrapment, jurisdictional conflict...

Eugene Kittridge: Well, maybe we'll just leave the courts out of this one.

Max: I'm sure we can find something I have that you need.

Ethan Hunt: So, how does it feel to be a solid citizen again?

Luther Stickell: Man, I don't know. I'm gonna miss bein' disreputable.

Ethan Hunt: Well, Luther, if it makes you feel any better, I'll always think of you that way.

Luther Stickell: Reach your folks?

[Ethan nods]

Luther Stickell: How do they feel?

Ethan Hunt: About what?

Luther Stickell: The apology from the Justice Department, VIP treatment. You know, the whole nine yards.

Ethan Hunt: Well, my mom was a little confused how the DEA could mistake her and Uncle Donald for a couple of dope smugglers in the Florida Keys.

[Ethan describes the CIA's security system]

Ethan Hunt: [the scene goes to William Dunloe coming into the computer vault] The only certified technician has to pass a series of security scans. First one is voice activated.

CIA Analyst William Donloe: William Dunloe.

Ethan Hunt: Then, he has to put in a 6 digit code.

[Dunloe enters the first room]

Ethan Hunt: That only gets him into the outer room. In order to get in the vault, he first has to pass a retina scan. Then, the door will unlock by only by two electronic keycards, which we won't have.

[Dunloe then enters the vault]

Ethan Hunt: In the vault, there are three security sensors that will activate at anytime the technician is out of the room. First is voice sensitive, anything above a whisper, will set it off. The second one senses the temperature even the body heat of an unauthorized person in the room can set it off if the temperature rises by a single degree. The temperature is controlled by an air duct system 30 feet above the floor. The vent is guarded by a laser net.

[Dunloe leaves the vault]

Ethan Hunt: The third one is on the floor, and it's pressure sensitive. Just the slightest increase in weight will set it off. If any of these 3 sensors are set off will trigger an automatic lockdown. Let me tell you, gentlemen, that all three systems, are state of the art.

[a drop of water from Dunloe's drink drops to the floor, which sets off the alarm]

Luther Stickell: [After a stunned silence] And you really think we can do this?

[Pause]

Etahn Hunt:We're going to do it.

[last lines]

Flight Attendant: Excuse me. Mr. Hunt? Would you like to watch a movie?

Ethan Hunt: Oh, uh, no thank you.

Flight Attendant: Would you consider the cinema of the Caribbean? Aruba, perhaps?

Cast

• Tom Cruise - Ethan Hunt
• Jon Voight - Jim Phelps
• Emmanuelle Béart - Claire Phelps
• Henry Czerny - Eugene Kittridge
• Jean Reno - Franz Krieger
• Ving Rhames - Luther Stickell
• Kristin Scott Thomas - Sarah Davies
• Vanessa Redgrave - Max