American Rhetoric: Movie Speech

"Meet Joe Black" (1998)

William Parrish Addresses the Board of Parrish Communications

Audio mp3 of Address delivered by Anthony Hopkins

Drew: To review -- we're really crossing the 't's and dotting the 'i's here. Bill had a great and conclusive meeting yesterday with John Bontecou. And all that remains for us is to put it to a vote.

Parrish: Thank you, Drew. Yeah. I did enjoy -- or rather I was interested in meeting John Bontecou, yesterday. And -- impressive, I suppose. But... But, it did get me to thinking. See, I started in this business because this is what I wanted to do. I knew I wasn't going to write the great American novel, but I also knew there was more to life than buying something for a dollar and selling it for two. I'd hoped to create something, something which could be held to the highest standards. And what I realized was I wanted to give the news to the world, and I wanted to give it unvarnished. The more we all know about each other, the greater the chance we will survive.

Sure, I want to make a profit. You can't exist without one. But John Bontecou is all profit.  Now if we give him license to absorb Parrish Communications, and he has his eye on a few others after us, in order to reach the world you will have to go through John Bontecou. And not only will you have to pay him to do this, far more important, you'll have to agree with him.

Reporting the news is a privilege and a responsibility, and it is not exploitable. Parrish Communications has earned this privilege. John Bontecou wants to buy it. As your Chairman, I urge you to agree this company is not for sale.