Special (2006)

Michael Rapaport: Les

Photos 

Quotes 

• [first lines] 

  Les : [voice-over]  I used to dream about flying. It went the same way every night. I realized that I could fly. No that's not quite right, I realized that there was no reason I *couldn't* fly, and after that I'd float off the ground and soar above the city. But I haven't had that dream in a while now. Lately, I dream about more ordinary things, like doing my laundry, or shopping for groceries, or riding on elevators. I wonder why that is?

• Les : [has just run full-speed into a wall]  I'm, uh, I'm not like most people.

  Cop #1 : Yeah, I can see that.

• [last lines] 

  Les : [repeatedly]  You can't make me stop.

• Les : And these... these... these really work?

  Dr. Dobson : Our results have been remarkably promising.

• Les : [voice-over]  I once read about a monster called the Extracator, that lived off people's souls. Only, the thing was, the Extracator ate a person's soul in their sleep over a 16 year period. Like it would nibble off a crumb every night, until there wasn't anything left. So a person had no way to realize what was going on. They just had this vague sense that something was slowly disappearing.

• Les : [voice-over]  I'm not looking forward to returning to my old life; but, the truth is, with so many billions and billions of people on the planet, most of us can't be unique or important in any meaningful way. We go to sleep, we wake up, we go to work, we eat, we spend time with friends, we watch TV, maybe we even fall in love, but we don't have any magical powers and we don't have any great battles to fight, no evil forces to defeat, and no mysterious men in suits chasing after us. We just have reality - and believing anything else is just... well, believing anything else is just crazy, isn't it?

• Les : [quoting the department mantra]  I'm important, and I keep the city running.

  Steve : Good. Now, repeat.

  Les : I'm important, I'm important, I'm important.

• Les : [voice-over]  Most people never stop to think about the problems associated with being a superhero. Instead they tend to focus on the more glamorous aspects of our lives. They focus on the powers we have, the things we can do that no one else can. But the unfortunate truth is that, while being different from everyone else can be exciting at first, ultimately it can get a little lonely.

• Les : [as Future Les]  These are the men that convince the police that you did something wrong.

  Les : Of course.

  Jonas Exiler : Les. Earth to Les.

  Les : [as Future Les]  They designed the drug to build an army of unstoppable assassins. If you won't work for them, they'll try to strip you of your powers, or worse.

• Les : They must've... they must've already got to you.

  Joey : Who got to us, Les?

  Les : The suits. The suits. They know that you're my friends, so they must have put you in some sort of mind shield so that you can't see my powers. Mmm, it's genius.

• Les : I know exactly what kind of man you are. I've been dealing with guys like you my whole life. You think you're so much more important than everyone else, that you can do whatever you want to whoever you want. Who do you think would care if YOU disappeared? Who would care about that, huh? Who would care about that, huh? Do you think that anyone would actually care if YOU disappeared?

• Jonas Exiler : [beating Les with a 2x4]  You're a worthless piece of shit - SAY IT!

  Les : [whack]  Ow!

  Jonas Exiler : YOU'RE A NOBODY!

  Les : I'm a worthless...

  Jonas Exiler : [whack]  YOU'RE A NOBODY!

  Les : Ohh...

  Les : [whack]  Oh! I'm a nobody.

  Jonas Exiler : YOU'RE NOTHING!

  Les : [whack]  AW!

  Les : [whack]  Oh!

  Jonas Exiler : [whack]  YOU'RE NOTHING!

  Les : I'm nothing. I'm nothing.

  Jonas Exiler : You're a worthless piece of SHIT!

  Les : [whack]  Yeow! I'm a worthless piece of shit.

  Les : [whack]  Ow! I'm a worthless piece of shit. Ow.

  Les : [whack]  Oww! Stop it. Ow.

  Jonas Exiler : [as Les sobs from the pain]  I swear, if I ever see you again, if I ever hear from you again, you're a dead man, a fucking dead man.

• Les : [voice-over]  It turns out that being a superhero is like many other things in life: when you want to avoid it, crime seems like it's everywhere, but when you're lookin' for it, crime is nowhere to be found. That's why you have to learn to always trust your instincts.

• Les : Your force field is good; my teleporting is better.

• Les : I was thinking we could, uh, develop some sort of signal. Doesn't have to be as complicated as the "Bat Signal". In the meantime, here's my card. Take one of those. Pager number on it. You, uh, you give me a call anytime you need something, and I'll be right there.

  Cop #1 : Actually, I think I've got something for you right now...

  Les : Really?

  Cop #1 : There's this loon going around tackling innocent people... .

• Everett : You could have seriously messed yourself up, dude!

  Les : Why is it so hard to believe that I have special powers?