# Dante's Peak

Dante's Peak is a 1997 disaster/action-adventure film about the effects of a volcano erupting near a small town in the Northern Cascades.
    Directed by Roger Donaldson. Written by Leslie Bohem.

## Harry Dalton

* Paul, I think we should monitor the entire area. Get the whole shooting match in here. I don't know, but the acidity in the lake is high enough to bother me. There's enough carbon dioxide coming out of the soil to start killing trees and wildlife…Paul. Paul, you sent me up here to check. I'm doing that. I think attention should be paid.
* I've always been better at figuring out volcanoes than people & politics.
* This rig can take it. The engine's got a snorkel.
* [While attempting to outrun the pyroclastic cloud] Oh, my God! Don't look back, kids! Don't look back!
* When we get out of here… and we will get out of here…what do you say we go down to Florida, we get ourselves a boat, and we stock it with all the nicest, yummiest things…we can possibly get our hands on, and we go out there and we catch ourselves a big, old, fat fish?

## Rachel Wando

* I'd like to thank Karen from Money magazine for this wonderful award. It's…oh, what is it, Lauren, is it Karen or Kathy?
* Thank you, Karen. Thank you, Lauren. This award means a lot to us. We've been proud of our town for a long time. It's beautiful. It's safe. It's a wonderful place in which to raise a family. And now with the prospect of a major investment in our economic future…by Mr. Elliot Blair of Blair Industries…Will you stand up, Elliot? Next year we're gonna be number one.
* A man who stares at a rock must have a lot on his mind. Or nothing.
* Fun is what you have when you don't have two children, a business, and a town to run.
* Eight years it took us to get this town on its feet. You wouldn't believe the struggle.

## Others

* Paul Dreyfus: How about a nice adult beverage?
* Greg: [seeing Rachel get out of her car with the coffees] Yes! It's coffee time! Coffee! Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee! Cappuccino! Java! Yes!
* Harry: This little puppy's called Spider Legs. She goes in when it's too dangerous for us. Boldly goes, I might add.
* Terry: You guys see this? Do you see this? I expect apologies and six-packs from each one of ya.
* Paul: That's Terry's answer to everything. Kick it if it doesn't work.
* Sheriff Turner: Attention all citizens. There will be a meeting held…in the high school gymnasium at 6 PM to discuss the evacuation of Dante's Peak. To repeat: All citizens are urged to attend the meeting…that will be held in the high school gymnasium…
* Nancy: Why look at computers when you can look at the real thing?

## Dialogue

    Harry: Any idea where I might find Mayor Wando?
    Cluster: She should be right around the corner, accepting some award. Dante's Peak was just named the best... well, the second-best place to live... in the United States, population under 20,000.
    Harry: Good for you. What was number one?
    Cluster: I don't know. Some piece of crap town out in Montana. Who cares?
    Karen: Thank you. Thank you very much, Les. Mayor Wando, it gives me great pleasure to present to you…a Money magazine award: Dante's Peak, the second most desirable place to live in the United States, population under 20,000. Congratulations.
    Rachel: Thank you…
    Lauren: It's Karen!
    Rachel: Thank you, Karen. Thank you, Lauren. This award means a lot to us. We've been proud of our town for a long time. It's beautiful. It's safe. It's a wonderful place in which to raise a family. And now with the prospect of a major investment in our economic future…by Mr. Elliot Blair of Blair Industries…Will you stand up, Elliot? Next year we're gonna be number one.
    Ruth: Hi, Rachel…You Rachel's boyfriend?
    Harry: Uh, no, no. Harry Dalton, United States Geological Survey. Just up here to check on your mountain. That's all.
    Ruth: Bunch of you people came up here right after Mount St. Helens went nuts. There was nothing going on then. There's nothing going on here now.
    Harry: Yes, well, um…
    Rachel: I need to take Dr. Dalton up to the high lake and wondered if the kids could stay here for a little while.
    Ruth: Sure. But why don't we all go? We can go swimming.
    Lauren: Yeah!
    Ruth: Mess around in the hot springs on the way back.
    Sheriff: I thought this was supposed to be an extinct volcano.
    Harry: Not extinct, just dormant…as in sleeping. And your volcano might just be waking up.
    Les: You're talking about the evacuation of 7,400 people. You don't think that's extreme?
    Harry: All I'm talking about…is you consider alerting the town to the possibility of an evacuation.
    Les: What Mr. Dalton here doesn't realize…is that if Elliot Blair gets the idea there is some kind of problem here, he's gonna take his $18 million, his 800 jobs, and he's gonna evacuate.
    Jane Fox: Les, two people are dead, and we don't know…
    Les: This is the first time in 4 years that we have the opportunity…
    Rachel: Look, look! It's been a very long day. Let's try to treat each other nicely. Norman, why don't you pull out the town's emergency evacuation plans? We should at least have a look at them.
    Norman: If I can find them.
    Stan: Look at this nice little town. Nestled all snug and cozy right against the mountain.
    Nancy: Yeah, just like Pompeii.
    Rachel: How about you, you ever been married?
    Harry: No, never.
    Rachel: Why not?
    Harry: Well, for one thing, I move around a lot. Colombia, Guatemala, the Philippines, Mexico, New Zealand, New Guinea. Wherever there's a volcano with an attitude. …Makes it hard to settle down.
    Rachel: You ever come close?
    Harry: Yes…Once…
    Rachel: Touchy subject.
    Harry: Her name was Marianne. We worked together. She loved volcanoes…Fascinated by them…Loved the life…4 years ago, a volcano erupted in Colombia. Marianne and I thought we had enough time to get out. Unfortunately, we were wrong. We got too close to the show. Marianne was killed. If this thing blows, and if she does a Mount St. Helens, the blast will get here within a minute.
    Rachel: Well, I hope you're wrong about our volcano, Harry. But if not, I'm glad you're here.
    Terry: I'm okay. My doc says I can leave as soon as they make sure my head's okay.
    Nancy: Okay. See ya in ten years then.
    Terry: Ow. Ow.
    Nancy: I think Spider Legs was just…getting even with you for all those kicks in the butt you gave it!
    Harry: Paul! I've got that scientific evidence you need.
    Paul: Harry, what are you doing?
    Harry: [fills a glass with sulfur-contaminated water] I've just come from the town's water supply. It's the same.
    Paul: Oh, my God.
    [Graham and Lauren steal Rachel's car to drive up the mountain to save their grandmother]
    Graham: I can't see through the ash.
    Lauren: Maybe you ought to turn the lights on.
    Graham: They are on.
    Lauren: Make the windshield wipers go faster?
    Graham: I don't know how.
    Lauren: It's that thing there.
    Graham: Don't touch things! You're gonna mess something up.
    Lauren: Like what?
    Graham: I don't know. Something!
    Nancy: Uh-oh. Looks like our asshole pilot plans on flying people outta here.
    Paul: If he gets any of that ash sucked up into his engine, he's had it.
    Cluster: He's gettin' $15,000 bucks cold cash.
    Paul: Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! No, no, no! Wait! Wait! Stop! Stop! Stop! [the helicopter takes off]
    Greg: We've had plenty of minor eruptions. Maybe we're over the hump.
    Stan: Yeah, I hope.
    Nancy: Get real, Beavis. She's just clearing her throat. She hasn't even started to sing yet.
    Harry, Rachel, Graham, Lauren, and Ruth [singing while sailing across the acidic lake]: Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream…Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily…Life is but a dream… Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream…Merrily, merrily…Row, row, row your boat…Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily…Row, row, row your boat…Life is but a dream…Gently down the stream…Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily…Life is but a dream…Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily…Life is but a dream…Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily…Life is but a dream…Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily…
    Rachel: Oh, God, Ruth. I'm so sorry for what I said to you up there. I really didn't mean it. I just…
    Ruth: You're right what you said. I am a fool.
    Rachel: No, you're not.
    Ruth: My son's the biggest fool of all. He never should've run off and hurt you all like that.
    Rachel: If anybody's a fool, Ruth, it's me, 'cause I don't think I ever really gave you a chance.
    Graham: Hang on, Grandma. It's just another two miles to the ranger station.
    Ruth: I don't think I have another two miles left in me, Ace.
    Harry: Come here. Come here. Just sit down a second. Sit down a second. All right, listen, now. Have you ever been deep-sea fishing?
    Graham: No.
    Harry: Good. Neither have I. So, when we get out of here… and we will get out of here…what do you say we go down to Florida, we get ourselves a boat, and we stock it with all the nicest, yummiest things…we can possibly get our hands on, and we go out there and we catch ourselves a big, old, fat fish? …Hmm? Does that sound good?
    Rachel: It sounds good, Harry.
    Graham: Yeah, Harry, it sounds great.
    Graham: Did you really mean what you said about taking us fishing?
    Harry: I sure did.
    Lauren: That's great.
    Soldier: You guys ready to go?
    Harry: Let's go.

## Taglines

* The pressure is building.
* Whatever you do, don't look back!
* Without warning, day becomes night, air turns to fire, and solid ground gives way to white-hot, molten terror.

## Cast

* Pierce Brosnan - Dr. Harry Dalton
* Linda Hamilton - Mayor Rachel Wando
* Charles Hallahan - Dr. Pauljoseph "Paul" Dreyfus
* Elizabeth Hoffman - Grandma Ruthleen "Ruth"
* Jamie Renée Smith - Lauren Wando
* Jeremy Foley - Graham Wando
* Grant Heslov - Gregory "Greg"
* Arabella Field - Nancy
* Tzi Ma - Stanley
* Bill Bolender - Sheriff Turner
* Peter Jason - Norman Gates

## External links

* Dante's Peak quotes at the Internet Movie Database