Right now we gotta get to that ceremony.My Fellow Americans · 1996 — Chapter 12 of 13 · 1'38" · B2
Tanner Corners Them in the Tunnel, Explained: the end of the world
Lost in the tunnels and bickering, the two ex-presidents are interrupted by the man they were just insulting. Tanner announces himself with dead calm — "No need for concern, it's only me" — then makes clear he intends to kill them and asks who wants to go first.
What happens
Trying to reach a ceremony and clear their names, the two ex-presidents get lost in a tunnel, trading jokes about how someone as unstable as Tanner ended up in the NSA. Then Tanner appears in person, calmly announces himself, and says he is going to kill them — asking which of them will go first.
Listen for
out of businessthe end of the worldtwisted psycholadies' man
00:00 / 01:38Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
the end of the world
a total disaster, something unbearable
一人抱怨走错路，另一人没好气地让他别大惊小怪，说又不是天塌下来。
Missing one bus is not the end of the world.
Also in this scene
- out of business
finished, no longer able to operate
- twisted psycho
心理扭曲的疯子；变态狂
- ladies' man
很有女人缘的男人；讨女性喜欢的男人（略带调侃）
Everything marked in this scene
31 notes across 27 lines
flap
Right now we gotta get to that ceremony.If we can get ourselves seen on TV, then everyone's gonna know we're not dead in North Carolina,conditional clause with if
If we can get ourselves seen on TV, then everyone's gonna know we're not dead in North Carolina,finished, no longer able to operate
and Tanner is out of business.Break it down.liaison
Come on!Where the hell are they?Come on. Hurry up.Be glad I'm not Gerry Ford.imperative plus a clause
Be glad I'm not Gerry Ford.We'd be lying in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.We'd be lying in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.It's been a while, but I think the way out is straight down and to the left.It's been a while, but I think the way out is straight down and to the left.This whole thing is crazy.You know what I can't figure?How does a twisted psycho like Tanner end up in the N.S.A?end up for a final outcome
How does a twisted psycho like Tanner end up in the N.S.A?How does a twisted psycho like Tanner end up in the N.S.A?I know. Why isn't he in the postal service where he belongs?Oh, cork it! It's not the end of the world, you know?a total disaster, something unbearable
Oh, cork it! It's not the end of the world, you know?No need for concern, it's only me.We're not gonna have a long chat.elision
We're not gonna have a long chat.In fact, I don't think I could stand to listen to either one of you another second.So, who goes first?The old man or the ladies' man?Nice work, Russell.I've got to change my shorts now.Tanner Corners Them in the Tunnel, explained
What's really going on
The scene plays as a chase turned standoff. The two ex-presidents bicker like an old married couple even while fleeing, which is the film's running joke: they cannot stop needling each other long enough to be afraid. Their talk about Tanner gives the villain his entrance, and he uses their own insult as a greeting — "No need for concern, it's only me," followed by "The twisted psycho." That calm is what makes him threatening; he does not shout, he just announces the plan and asks, "who goes first?" The choices he offers, the old man or the ladies' man, are also a jab at how the two see themselves. The scene ends the only way this movie can: the menace collapses into farce, and someone jokes about needing clean shorts.
Theme
Dark humorA killer introduces himself with the same insult used about him, turning a threat into a joke.
SurvivalThe two ex-presidents are cornered and have to act fast to get out alive.
Listen for
- get to — flap
- Come on — liaison
- not gonna — elision
No need for concern, it's only me.The villain's chillingly polite entrance, which borrows the exact tone of a host welcoming guests.
Be glad I'm not Gerry Ford.A joke about clumsiness: with a more accident-prone president, they would already have fallen down the stairs.
Oh, cork it! It's not the end of the world, you know?The attempt to calm a panicking partner by insisting the situation is not a catastrophe.
How does a twisted psycho like Tanner end up in the N.S.A?The running complaint that a man this unstable should never have been trusted with a security post.
Questions about this scene
Why does Tanner introduce himself that way?
He uses the insult the ex-presidents just aimed at him — the twisted psycho — as his own introduction, which makes his calm arrival more unsettling than a threat would be.
What does Tanner want?
He says he is not going to have a long chat and intends to kill them, then asks which one goes first, offering them the choice of the old man or the ladies' man.
Why is the 'Gerry Ford' line funny?
It jokes that a clumsy escape could be worse: if the speaker were Gerald Ford, they would already be lying in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.
How does the scene end for Tanner?
His confidence does not last. Someone turns the tables on him — a line calls it nice work, Russell — and the tension breaks as one of them jokes about having to change his shorts.
My Fellow Americans · 13 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 13a way aroundThe Presidents Confront Each Other
Chapter 1too little too lateGolf Talk Turns Awkward
Chapter 2shift the stinkThe Missing Appointment Log
Chapter 3skedaddleTanner Summons the Presidents
Chapter 4in the middle of nowherePresidents Hijacked in the Woods
Chapter 5get away with itWalking to Ohio for Evidence
Chapter 6stick a fork inPassengers Gossip About the Presidents
Chapter 7steams my clamsPresidents Trade a Watch for a Ride
Chapter 8live in the pastOld Rivals Almost Bond
Chapter 9shut your cake holeWayne Gets the History Wrong
Chapter 10put on a spreadKramer and Douglas Find the Fix
Chapter 11up to its knees inHaney Confesses to the Cover-Up
Watching · Chapter 12the end of the worldTanner Corners Them in the Tunnel
Chapter 13a way aroundThe Presidents Confront Each OtherChapter 12 of 13 · about 2 min to go