Life (I) (1999)

Martin Lawrence: Claude Banks

Photos 

Quotes 

• Goldmouth : Maybe I oughta eat *your* cornbread.

  Rayford Gibson : Motherfucker, you can't have my cornbread. That's for damn sure. Cause if you try and take my cornbread, Part 2 of my killing spree is gon' begin up in here on your ass, right now. You thinking about my cornbread, better get the taste out your mouth. That's for damn sure.

  Claude Banks : Ray, chill out...

  Rayford Gibson : No, fuck him. Fuck that, 'cause I'm from New York City, goddammit. Nobody take no cornbread from me. That goes for anyone of you motherfucking farmers who wanna start some shit. You fuck around with me, there's gonna be consequences and repercussions.

• Dexter Wilkins : You've been on this farm for quite a spell, haven't you?

  Claude Banks : Over 40 years now, me and Ray Gibson over there.

  Dexter Wilkins : 40 years... that's a long time for any crime, even murder.

  Claude Banks : It's a hell of a lot longer when you're innocent.

  Dexter Wilkins : Half the men in this prison swear they're innocent, Claude. Don't you think that's kind of funny?

  Claude Banks : Well, you have to forgive me if I don't laugh.

• Claude Banks : Don't touch this car.

  Rayford Gibson : 'Cause I piss on the motherfucker. I ain't gonna touch it, I piss on it.

  Claude Banks : Why you got to say nasty shit, Ray?

  Rayford Gibson : 'Cause I'm a nasty motherfucker.

• Claude Banks : You know, I'm finally starting to wrap my mind around this shit. We're in here for life. We're gonna die in here! We might as well go up to the cometary, picks out a plot and start digging.

  Rayford Gibson : Now, you listen to me. My daddy died in a place just like this cause of that shit you're talking about. He gave up hope and he hung hisself! And I'm not going out like that!

  Claude Banks : Well, maybe you're just a chip off the old block, Ray.

  Rayford Gibson : You take that back or we're no longer friends.

  Claude Banks : News flash, Ray! We ain't never been friends! We've just been stuck together for twelve years!

• Goldmouth : Hey, girl! You gon' eat yo' cornbread?

  Claude Banks : You talkin' to *me*?

  Rayford Gibson : Yeah, I think he's talkin' to you.

  Rayford Gibson : Uh, no. Not at all; I want you to have it. Uh, Willie, you mind passin' this down to...

  Rayford Gibson : Hey, no, don't pass your cornbread to him. That's your cornbread.

  Claude Banks : Ray, I'm a grown man, okay, I'm not gonna eat this cornbread, if he wants the cornbread, damn it, have the cornbread!

  Rayford Gibson : No no, if he wants some cornbread, let him go up to the front and get his own portion of cornbread, that's your cornbread, fuck him.

  [to Goldmouth] 

  Rayford Gibson : Hey, man he gonna eat his cornbread, all right? Fuck you.

  Claude Banks : Ray, look, I don't need you to take up for me, I'm all right, I'm a grown man, I can handle this.

  Rayford Gibson : If you let have your cornbread, you're gonna be ironin' hisdrawers and clippin' his toenails.

• Claude Banks : [Claude has just been punished for crossing the gun line and Ray shares the punishment, but he chuckles to himself]  What' you laughin' about, Ray?

  Rayford Gibson : Ah, just thinkin' about you runnin' with them bullets flying all over the top of your head, that's something to see there, that was a sight to see.

  Claude Banks : The bullets weren't the problem, ray. The pie was too hot! Burned my damn tongue.

• Claude Banks : [standing on a crate of bottles]  Damn, one of my toes in the bottle, damn it, Ray.

• Claude Banks : Oh yard boy Mrs. Myrtle could use some attention perhaps some fertilizer would restore its exuberance. Get yo ass to work!

• Claude Banks : [Ray and Claude have just found Winston Hancock's recently murdered body]  I think he's hurt pretty bad, man!

  Rayford Gibson : [feels Winston's head for signs]  This guy's dead.

  Claude Banks : I ain't, I ain't never seen no dead body before, Ray.

  [Ray is now searching through Winston's pockets] 

  Claude Banks : What are you doin'? The man's been dead two seconds and you're in his pockets? Don't you have any respect?

  Rayford Gibson : It ain't here!

  Claude Banks : What ain't there?

  Rayford Gibson : My daddy's watch, this is the guy that took my watch from. Motherfucker, you did fucked around with the wrong person, didn't you, didn't you? Now look at your ass bleedin'!

• Willie Long : [narrating]  Round about 1972, I got transferred to the infirmary and those two fools were still at it. But no matter how tough a man is, he spends enough time on this farm, he'll find his breaking point. It could be triggered by any little thing: a face, a voice, even a smell.

  Claude Banks : White-only pies...

• [the truth comes out] 

  Dexter Wilkins : [on learning Pike framed Ray Gibson and Claude Banks]  Is there any truth in what this man said?

  Older Sheriff Pike : What the hell difference does it make? At least the state of Mississippi got forty years of cheap labor out of the deal!

  Claude Banks : Motherfucker, you took our lives! Gimme the gun, I'm gonna kill this motherfucker myself!

• Claude Banks : [on seeing a body bag being wheeled past]  Looks like Jonesy got his walking papers.

• Pokerface : [on a break; Ray and Claude have just come in]  Either one of you new fellas know how to read?

  Rayford Gibson : I know how to read, why?

  Pokerface : I've been carrying this letter for four months now

  Claude Banks : You mean to tell me none of y'all can read?

  Willie Long : Last fella what could read made parole about, what, Christmas.

  Pokerface : [about his letter]  I don't even know who this come from.

  Rayford Gibson : [takes the letter]  Gimme that shit.

  [turns to old inmate sitting next to him] 

  Rayford Gibson : You can't read?

  [old inmate replies "no"] 

  Rayford Gibson : Almost sixty years old; motherfucker can't read. Here: look, it's from, it's from your mama's neighbor, Mrs. Tadwell, you know who that is, Mrs. Tadwell; she thought you ought to know that your second cousin Bo died, Bo died, and your, and your other cousin Sally on your daddy's side, she died. Oh, and apparently your sister died, too.

  Pokerface : Jenny?

  Rayford Gibson : No, it said Marlene here, Marlene died

  [reads on] 

  Rayford Gibson : ... no no no, Marlene, Jen-Jenny, Jenny died, too, Jenny and Marlene both dead. Then it goes on for a while about how the crop didn't come in on account of the frost, she finished up, there's been a big tornado in which your mama and your daddy were both killed, but don't worry because she's gonna take care of the dog, that is if he gets over the worms; dog had worms.

  Pokerface : Appreciate it.

  Rayford Gibson : Yeah, well you know, any time I can help.

• Claude Banks : [digging a hole]  I don't believe in this "before Abe" shit.

• Claude Banks : You know what I'm going to buy with my first paycheck?

  Daisy : What, baby?

  Claude Banks : Season tickets to the Yankees. Right there on the first baseline.

  [Daisy looks unhappy] 

  Claude Banks : What's wrong, baby?

  Daisy : I was hoping you were going to say an engagement ring, Claude?

  Claude Banks : An engagement ring?

  Daisy : That's what respectable folks do: get a job, get married, start having babies. That's what you want, isn't it?

• Rayford Gibson : [the two are now old men and Ray suspects Claude of having an escape plan]  I'ma go to sleep. Why for I can't sit here and look at yo' ass... and wonder what you got up your sleeve?

  Claude Banks : Yeah, I got somethin' brewin: I got a ass whuppin' brewin' for you here, Ray, if you don't stop fuckin' with me!

• Claude Banks : You know what you probably just slow me down.

  Rayford Gibson : How I'ma slow yo slow ass down!

• [Claude is punished by standing on a crate of bottles] 

  Sergeant Dillard : You comfortable?

  Claude Banks : As a pair of fur-lined bedroom slippers.

  Sergeant Dillard : That's very amusin'. We'll see how them slippers feel after about 10 hours.

  Sergeant Dillard : I need a volunteer! Gibson, stand up. I'll make you a trusty right now. If that pie-eatin' bastard step off them bottles, if so much as one toe hits that dirt, I want you to shoot him in his ass! I want you to kill him. I want you to shoot him dead. You do that, I swear to God, you're a free man. I'll walk you out the gate myself. What do you say?

  [pause] 

  Rayford Gibson : I got to be honest with you, boss: you don't wanna give me that gun, 'cause I'd probably shoot you with it.

  Sergeant Dillard : That was the wrong answer, boy.

  [cut to Ray next to Claude on a crate] 

• [last lines] 

  Claude Banks : It's a perfect plan. We're out.

  Rayford Gibson : What's so perfect? Took 20 years to come up with it.

  Claude Banks : Why can't you just say thank you?

  Rayford Gibson : You want me to say thank you, you can kiss my ass too.

• Rayford Gibson : Now you're sure it was him?

  Claude Banks : Some faces you just don't forget. Warren Pike is one of 'em.

• Claude Banks : I hope your ass piss the bed with that weak-ass bladder of yours.

  Rayford Gibson : If I do, then I'll put the sheets on you.

• Rayford Gibson : Hey we looking for Slim!

  Slim : You found him.

  Slim : That's it boys. 36 cases of Mississippi's finest. 5 bucks a case, that's $180

  Claude Banks : Come on pay the man pay the man

  Rayford Gibson : Oooooooooohhh that music is hot what goes on down there Slim?

  Slim : That there is Natchez under the hill.

  Rayford Gibson : Colored folk welcomed down there?

  Slim : Green's the only color that matters under the hill. They got gambling, girls... .you boys oughtta check it out.

  Rayford Gibson : Ok and nice doing business wit ya Slim.

  [to Claude] 

  Rayford Gibson : now let's go down there have ourselves a little reward see what's shaking.

  Claude Banks : A reward?

  Rayford Gibson : Yes a reward it's people down there having fun I wanna be one of em. Hell man I want you to be one of em. Now listen to me now. Listen, Monday you gon be a bank teller. But tonight you are a bootlegger with a truckload of Mississippi's finest and a fistful of cash.

  Claude Banks : That's gas money Ray. Come on think!

  Rayford Gibson : You are incredible. Look here's 2 dollars. You stay here and watch the truck. Imma go have myself a good time. And I got the keys in case you wanna leave a nigga down here in the woods because I know how you think. You motherfucker

  Rayford Gibson : Yeah! This look like something I can get into right here!

  Claude Banks : Hey Ray. Keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't do nothing stupid.

  Rayford Gibson : Yeah well put a lil something in yo step I don't want these farmers to think I'm from around here

  Claude Banks : Well they know from the way I walk I ain't from around here

  Rayford Gibson : What's up there ol country boy? Cock a doodle coo nigga!