Prancer (1989)
Sam Elliott: John Riggs
Photos
Quotes
-
John Riggs : [to Steve at the dinner table] If you're gonna eat like an animal, take your food out to the barn.
-
[last lines]
Jessica Riggs : I wish I could keep you for just my own pet. I'll always remember you, Prancer. I love you. Thanks, Prancer, for everything.
[Prancer runs through the forest, and Jessica follows him to Antler Ridge]
John Riggs : [joining his daughter on the cliff] Look.
Jessica Riggs : [seeing Prancer's tracks on the ledge] Where did he go?
John Riggs : I don't know. He just disappeared.
Jessica Riggs : He couldn't have jumped and live.
John Riggs : Maybe he flew. This would be a good place for Santa to come and get him.
Jessica Riggs : The moon is full.
John Riggs : And it is Christmas Eve. Listen. Maybe you'll hear his bells.
Jessica Riggs : [bells ring in the distance] I hear them. I hear them, daddy, I do.
[notices the presence of Prancer]
Jessica Riggs : Goodbye, Prancer. Good bye. Remember me.
[as Jessica waves goodbye, Prancer appears in a streak of light as Santa's sleigh flies by; Prancer joins it, and flies away into the night]
-
Jessica Riggs : [tearfully] I didn't really want to run away. I just... I just wanted you to find me and... bring me back here, and tell me things were gonna be okay. Like they used to be.
John Riggs : Oh, Jessie. I can't tell ya everything's gonna be alright. I wish I could. But I know things are always gonna be hard around here. Could even be we'll lose this farm one day. I can bear that. What I can't bear is...
[begins to tear up himself]
John Riggs : when you were gone last night, I saw what it'd be like around here not to have you around. I love you, Jessie.
Jessica Riggs : [whispers] Sorry. I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm sorry.
Jessica Riggs : [hugs John as she cries] I love you, too, Dad.
John Riggs : Oh, baby.
[cries as he holds her]
John Riggs : It's okay, don't cry. You're home, honey. And that's where you're gonna stay.
-
Jessica Riggs : [as John finds out about Prancer] Oh, no. He's gone. Daddy, where is he? Did you kill him?
John Riggs : You had that deer out in that shed all week, didn't you?
Jessica Riggs : Tell us, daddy.
John Riggs : That's why you skipped school. You gave him food from the barn, telling lies. Then I find a 40 pound sack of oats out there with a Christmas bow on it! Do you wanna tell me where that came from? Did you steal that, too?
Steve Riggs : No, she bought it with...
John Riggs : You were in on this, too, huh? I'll get to you later.
[Steve leaves]
Jessica Riggs : Daddy!
John Riggs : Sit down to read the newspaper for a change and all heck breaks loose. Darned deer lets the stock out then comes into the house! I got too much on my mind for all this. You kids are making me nuts.
Jessica Riggs : Daddy, you didn't shoot him. Tell me you didn't shoot him.
John Riggs : I didn't shoot it.
Jessica Riggs : You didn't?
John Riggs : No, I didn't.
Jessica Riggs : Really?
John Riggs : No, I didn't.
Jessica Riggs : Oh, thank you, daddy. Did he run away? Which way did he go? Did he go to Antler Ridge?
John Riggs : Down at Three Oaks. I sold him.
Jessica Riggs : Sold him?
John Riggs : To Herb Drier. He offered me $200 to take him off my hands.
Jessica Riggs : Mister Drier, the butcher? Daddy, he'll eat him!
John Riggs : No, he won't.
Jessica Riggs : He's a butcher, daddy. He'll cut him up and sell the pieces.
John Riggs : Now stop it.
Jessica Riggs : No, I won't. You don't understand what you've done. He's one of Santa's.
John Riggs : Oh, come on, Jessie!
Jessica Riggs : Mom would've never done this.
John Riggs : Look, a reindeer don't fly, okay? I hate to be the one to tell you that, but they don't.
Jessica Riggs : I'll shoot her instead of you.
[collapses on her bed in tears, having had enough of her father's racism]
Jessica Riggs : Die, I'm gonna die.
Aunt Sarah : [feeling sorry for Jessica] Oh, John, you really didn't do that, did you?