Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)

Tom Hulce: Henry

Quotes 

• Victor Frankenstein : No I'm serious. You take vaccine for instance. 30 years ago the entire concept of vaccine was unheard of, and now we save lives every day. But that isn't the whole answer.

  Henry Clerval : What do you mean?

  Victor Frankenstein : That sooner or later the best way to cheat death, will be to create life.

  Henry Clerval : Now you've gone too far. There's only one God, Victor.

  Victor Frankenstein : No. Leave God out of this. Listen. You love someone they have a sick heart. Wouldn't you give them a healthy one.

  Henry Clerval : Impossible!

  Victor Frankenstein : No, it's not impossible. We can do it. We're steps away. If we can do that if we can replace one part of a human being. We can replace every part. And if we can do that we can design a life. We can create a being that will not grow old or sicken. One that will be stronger than us, better than us, one that will be more intelligent than us, more civilized than us.

  Henry Clerval : In our lifetime?

  Professor Waldman : No!

  Victor Frankenstein : How close did you get, Professor?

  Professor Waldman : Too close.

  Victor Frankenstein : Professor, I beg you, let me see these notes!

  Professor Waldman : No! My work now and it's application, lies exclusively in the preservation of life. I abandoned my researches many years ago.

  Victor Frankenstein : Why?

  Professor Waldman : Because they resulted in abomination.

• Henry Clerval : Nice coat.

  Victor Frankenstein : Thank you.

  Henry Clerval : Don't take it too hard. It's just that Krempe doesn't approve of public humiliation.

  Victor Frankenstein : I am not mad!

  Henry Clerval : My dear fellow, of course you're not. In fact that's just the sort of thing I'd expect a perfectly rational person to say to a complete stranger. Henry Clerval, by the way and I'm completely crazy.

  Victor Frankenstein : Victor Frankenstein.

  Henry Clerval : Of Geneva

  Victor Frankenstein : Of Geneva

  Henry Clerval : Yes I...

  Schiller : [bumping into them]  Why don't you look where I'm going?

  Henry Clerval : That's Schiller. Ornament to the playing field.

  Victor Frankenstein : Really?

  Henry Clerval : He's new as well. You can tell because he goes around looking at things with his mouth open. What are you here for?

  Victor Frankenstein : Research.

  Henry Clerval : Very grand. I'm here to become a mere doctor. I'm told that has something to do with healing the sick, which is a pity really, because I find sick people rather revolting.

  Victor Frankenstein : Uh-huh.

  Henry Clerval : Still, I'll have a good time, get my degree if I can stop failing anatomy, and settle down to relieve rich old ladies of imaginary ailments. And then relieve their very real and beautiful daughters.

  Victor Frankenstein : Who was that? He was at the lecture.

  Henry Clerval : Ah, that's Waldman.

  Victor Frankenstein : Oh, that's Waldman?

  Henry Clerval : Yes, interesting case. They say, in his youth, he could break into heaven and lecture God on science. Ran into trouble with the authorities a few years back. Something to do with illegal experiments.

  Victor Frankenstein : What kind of experiments, I wonder? So what was it you were saying about rich old ladies and their daughters?

  Henry Clerval : Yes, it's a life of sacrifice, I know. But someone's got to do it.

• Henry Clerval : [from trailer; somewhat sternly]  No, you can't cheat death.

  Victor Frankenstein : [whispers]  We won't know unless we try.

• Henry Clerval : Even if it were possible - and even if you had the right, which you don't - to make this decision for us, can you imagine for one second that there wouldn't there be a terrible price to pay?

  Victor Frankenstein : I think for the chance to defeat death and disease, to let everyone on this earth have the chance of life - sustained, healthy life - to allow people who love each other to be together forever - for all of that, I think it's a risk worth taking.

• Elizabeth : Who is this man? I mean, how do you know he's responsible?

  Victor Frankenstein : I'll tell you everything after I destroyed him.

  Henry Clerval : If what you say is true then surely this is a matter for the police!

  Victor Frankenstein : They wouldn't understand.

  Elizabeth : Well, neither do I.

  Victor Frankenstein : Then just accept it.