American Rhetoric: Movie Speech

"Ransom" (1996)

Tom Mullen Ransoms the Ransomers During Televised Public Address

Audio mp3 delivered by Mel Gibson

Male Newscaster: Good afternoon, we are interrupting this program to bring you an exclusive report. As you know, we've been following the Mullen kidnapping for about a day or so.

Female Newscaster: We will get back to our regular program, but right now we're going to show you something that you will only see right here: Tom Mullen, Sean Mullen's father. Mr. Mullen?

Mullen: The whole world now knows my son, Sean Mullen, was kidnapped for ransom three days ago. This is a recent photograph of him. Sean, if you're watching, we love you. And this [2 million dollars in cash], well this is what waits for the man that took him. This is your ransom. Two million dollars in unmarked bills, just like you wanted.

But this is as close as you'll ever get to it. You'll never see one dollar of this money, because no ransom will ever be paid for my son. Not one dime. Not one penny.

  Instead, I'm offering this money as a reward on your head. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter. So, congratulations. You've just become a two million dollar lottery ticket, except the odds are much, much better. Do you know anyone that wouldn't turn you in for two million dollars? I don't think you do. I doubt it. So, wherever you go and whatever you do, this money will be tracking you down for all time.

And to insure that it does, to keep interest alive, I'm running a full-page add in every major newspaper, every Sunday for as long as it takes. But -- and this is your last chance -- you return my son, alive, uninjured, I'll withdraw the bounty. With any luck, you can simply disappear. Understand? You will never see this money. Not one dollar.

So, you still have a chance to do the right thing. If you don't, well, then, God be with you, because nobody else on this earth will be.