Jaws

Mayor Vaughn: We're really a little anxious that you're, uh, you're rushing into something serious here. It's your first summer, you know. Chief Brody: What does that mean? Mayor Vaughn: I'm only trying to say that Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars. If people can't swim here, they'll be glad to swim in the beaches of Cape Cod, the Hamptons, Long Island. Chief Brody: That doesn't mean we have to serve them up as smorgasbord. Harry Meadows: We've never had that kind of trouble in these waters.

Jaws (film), CC BY-SA 4.0

Chief Brody: Why don't we show Mr. Hooper our accident? Hooper: Uh, victim's name is Christine Watkins, female caucasian...probable boating accident. The height and weight of the victim can only be estimated from the partial remains. [uncovers the tray of the remains, panting in nausea and shock] The torso has been severed in mid-thorax. There are no major organs remaining. May I have a glass of water please? Medical Examiner: Sure. Hooper: Right arm has been severed with massive tissue loss in the upper musculature. Thank you very much. [sips his water] Partially denuded bone remaining. [to inspector] This was no boating accident. [to Brody] Did you notify the Coast Guard about this? Chief Brody: No. It was only local jurisdiction. Hooper: The left arm, head, shoulder, sternum, and portions of the rib cage are intact. [to Brody, who he notices is about to light a cigarette] Do not smoke in here! Thank you very much. [holds up a severed arm] This is what happens. It indicates the non-f

Jaws (film), CC BY-SA 4.0

Hooper: Martin, there's all kinds of sharks in the water, you know? Hammerheads, whitetips, blues, makos, and the possibility that these bozos caught the exact shark that- Chief Brody: Oh, there's no other shark like this in these waters! Hooper: Martin, Martin, it's a hundred to one. A hundred to one. Now, I'm not saying it's not the shark. It probably is, Martin, it probably is! It's a man-eater, it's extremely rare for these waters. But the fact is, the bite radius on this animal is different than the wounds on the victim. I just- I wanna be sure. You wanna be sure, we all wanna be sure, okay? Now, what I wanna do is very simple; the digestive system on this animal is very, very slow. Let's cut it open, whatever it's eaten in the past 24 hours is bound to still be in there, and then we'll be sure. Chief Brody: ...Well, I guess it would be the only way to confirm it, huh? Mayor Vaughn: Look, fellas, let's be reasonable. This is not the time or the place, to perform some half-assed au

Jaws (film), CC BY-SA 4.0

Mrs. Kintner: Chief Brody? Chief Brody: Yes? Mrs. Kintner: [slaps Brody and sobs] I just found out, that a girl got killed here last week, and you knew it! You knew there was a shark out there! You knew it was dangerous! But you let people go swimming anyway? You knew all those things! But still my boy is dead now. And there's nothing you can do about it. My boy is dead. I wanted you to know that. [walks away] Mayor Vaughn: I'm sorry, Martin. She's wrong. Chief Brody: [heartbroken] No, she's not.

Jaws (film), CC BY-SA 4.0

Ellen: Martin hates boats. Martin hates water. Martin - Martin sits in his car when we go on the ferry to the mainland. I guess it's a childhood thing. It's a - there's a clinical name for it, isn't there? Chief Brody: Drowning! Isn't it true that most people are attacked by sharks in three feet of water and about ten feet from the beach. Hooper: Yes, that's true. Chief Brody: And that...and that before people started to swim for recreation - I mean before sharks knew what they were missing - that a lot of these attacks weren't reported? Hooper: That's right. Chief Brody: Now this shark that, that swims alone... Hooper: A rogue. Chief Brody: Rogue, yeah, now this guy, he - he keeps swimming around in a place where the feeding is good until the food supply is gone, right? Hooper: It's called "territoriality". It's just a theory that I happen to...agree with. Chief Brody: Then why don't we have one more drink and go down and cut that shark open. Ellen: Martin? Can you do that? Chief Brod

Jaws (film), CC BY-SA 4.0

Hooper: [he and Martin have just taken the recently caught tiger shark to a boathouse for an autopsy] We start in the alimentary canal, and open the digestive tract. [stomach fluid pours out as Hooper cuts the shark open, and throws out 2 dead fish and a can] Ah! Just like I thought. Chief Brody: What? Hooper: Came up in the Gulf stream, from southern waters. [throws out a Louisiana license plate; Chief Brody picks it up and examines it] Chief Brody: He didn't eat a car, did he? Hooper: No. [laughs] Tiger shark's like a garbage can, it'll eat anything. Someone probably threw that in the river. [slides over to Chief Brody] Hoo, that's it. Chief Brody: [now knowing the crisis hasn't been resolved yet] I've got to close the beach, call the mayor. Hooper: You've got a bigger problem than that, Martin. You still got a hell of a fish out there, with a mouth about this big. [gestures with his hands demonstrating the width of a big mouth]

Jaws (film), CC BY-SA 4.0