Damages (TV Series)

Sort of Like a Family (2007)

Tate Donovan: Tom Shayes

Quotes 

• [last lines] 

  Tom Shayes : Patty is a lot of things, but she's not a murderer.

  Ellen Parsons : I know things, Tom. Things that could destroy her.

  Tom Shayes : You think Patty tried to kill you to protect herself?

  Ellen Parsons : Well, the only way that I'm going to find out is if I talk to her. Face-to-face. So call her. Tell her I know she wants me dead.

• Patty Hewes : Mr. Frobisher, two days after you returned from your trip to Florida, you gave a speech to your employees.

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, that's correct.

  Tom Shayes : Exhibit 67.

  Patty Hewes : It's a transcript of Mr. Frobisher's remarks dated... June 21, 2002. Were you aware that your company was being investigated by the SEC at the time?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, I was.

  Patty Hewes : And yet you still told your employees that the company was on sound financial ground?

  Arthur Frobisher : I was confident that we were. I firmly believed that the SEC investigation would turn up no financial irregularities whatsoever.

  Tom Shayes : Exhibit 68.

  Patty Hewes : This is an e-mail you sent your CFO, is that correct?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, it is.

  Patty Hewes : It's a rough draft of the... speech you wrote, the one you intended to give your employees?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, it appears to be that.

  Patty Hewes : In the margin, you wrote the words, too rosy, followed by a question mark.

  Arthur Frobisher : Too rosy. I think I was... wondering about the tone of the speech. I was debating whether or not to acknowledge the... the climate that we were in at the time.

  Patty Hewes : By climate, you mean the SEC was about to expose your accounting fraud.

  Ray Fiske : Objection.

  Arthur Frobisher : For me to ignore the pending SEC report would have threatened my credibility, so in my final speech, I decided to mention the investigation and even a... possible action against us by the SEC.

  Patty Hewes : But... you also continued to insist that your company was financially sound?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes

  Patty Hewes : And your employees trusted you?

  Arthur Frobisher : Absolutely. For almost 35 years, they knew that I was fully committed to them. There's nothing more important to the well-being of a company than the relationship between its workers... and its management.

  Patty Hewes : That's... sort of like a family, isn't it?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, it's very much like a family.

  Patty Hewes : And you were the head of the household? You might say you were both husband and father to your employees.

  Ray Fiske : Objection.

  Arthur Frobisher : You could say that, yes.

  Patty Hewes : And was it your job to hold the family together?

  Arthur Frobisher : Yes, it was.

  Patty Hewes : And you failed.

  Ray Fiske : Objection.

  Patty Hewes : I'll rephrase. I mean... was it... very painful for you when you failed?

  Ray Fiske : Objection. I'm warning you...

  Patty Hewes : I'm merely asking Mr. Frobisher...

  Ray Fiske : Counselor.

  Patty Hewes : about his commitment to his company. Would you agree... that the crumbling of that relationship is nothing less, really, than the dissolution of a marriage?

  Ray Fiske : You watch what you say.

  Patty Hewes : Your position... is that the collapse of your company wasn't your fault, is that right?

  Patty Hewes : Yes, that's correct. I was misled by the accountants. I take full responsibility but not the blame.

  Patty Hewes : I understand, it's like marriages. Companies just fail sometime. Irreconcilable differences. No one is to blame. Is that your position?