In this 2001 movie, which I watched some time back, a junkie facing a murder rap (played by James Franco) saves his cop father (played by Robert De Niro) from certain death at the hands of a hoodlum. What follows is the dialogue between father and son.

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"So, what now, Joey? This is enough. Gimme the gun. This is no game, son. Please. You saved my life. That doesn't matter to them. They didn't see it. They don't care."

"I'm not going to jail."

"I know. I understand that. I want to help you. Just give me the gun."

(But Joey shoots at the window outside which cops are swarming.)

"All right. Go ahead. Talk," says De Niro.

"Talk? Who are you? Fucking Oprah?"

"Look, we can stop all this. You got a son and a woman who loves you. You don't want to walk away from that."

"You did."

"Yeah. I did. I'm sorry. I regretted it ever since."

"Well. We all got to pay one way or another, right?"

"Which one, Joey?" "It's called suicide by a cop. Quite easy. No pills. No fucking around. Gotta try."

"How did we get this way, son? I remember the day you were born."

"Yeah? Well I remember the day you left. So we are even."

"I'm not going to kill you, son."

"Well, your friends down there will. You know it."

"Gimme your gun, Joey."

"Stay back. I don't want to shoot you."

"Yes, you do. You think I deserve it for what I did to you."

"Stay the fucking back. Or I'll shoot you."

"You won't. You know why? Because this is not the real you."

"You don't know the real me. You know nothing about me."

"Yes, I do. You are my kid. You are not a bad kid. You are just a scared kid whose old man left him. You didn't have a choice. I am a motherfucker. I know. But Joey, you are still my son. And you always will be."

"Why did you leave me?" "Because I was stupid and afraid like a coward. You don't want to do this to Angelo. You don't want to do to him what I did to you. What my old man did to me. You can't do that."

"Who needs a junkie for a father?"

"You are not a junkie to him. You are just his Dad. Same as me. My old man was not a killer. He was just my Dad. When my old man left me I hated him. I hated him all my life what he did to me. I hated him. But you know what? Honest. I really wanted him to walk through the door. Because I missed him. I missed him. I didn't want to be left alone. We all pay a price for what we do. That's right. But when's enough is enough? When's enough? Because I paid. And you paid. And what now? Angelo has got to pay? You can't. We got a second chance, me and you. I swear. I will stay with you. You need to choose it. That's all. You know how many people get a second chance?"

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I posted this dialogue for two reasons.  First, to share with you the utter simplicity yet ramming effect of the conversation. It's a kind of summing up as it were for the audience to show the kind of tensions the characters are under.  Second, I liked the way it's brought about that violence is such a waste for everyone involved, especially for loved ones.  This movie was based on a creative nonfiction article by Pulitzer prize winner, Mike McAlary, titled "Mark of a Murderer" published in Esquire magazine. Mike McAlary was born in 1957 and died in 1998 due to cancer.