A scene from "A Few Good Structural Engineers"
Engineer: ( Jack
Nicholson ): You want answers?
Architect: (Tom Cruise): I think I'm entitled to them.
Engineer: You want answers?
Architect: I want the truth!!
Engineer : You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has
FLOORS. And those FLOORS have to be SUPPORTED BY COLUMNS. Who's gonna DESIGN
THEM? You? You, MR. ARCHITECT? I have a greater responsibility than you can
possibly fathom. You weep for LOST FLOOR SPACE and you curse the COLUMNS. You
have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that THOSE
COLUMNS, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque
and incomprehensible to you, saves lives...
You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at
parties, you want me on that DESIGN TEAM. You need me on that DESIGN TEAM.
We use words like DESIGN, CODE, ANALYSIS...we use these words as the backbone
to a life spent SUPPORTING something. You use 'em as a punchline.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain my DESIGN to a man who
rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very STRUCTURES I provide, then
questions the manner in which I provide it! I'd rather you just said
thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a STEEL
MANUAL and DESIGN a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think
you're entitled to!
Architect : Did you SCHEDULE THE COLUMNS?
Engineer : (quietly) I did the job you HIRED me to do.
Architect : Did you SCHEDULE THE COLUMNS?!!
Engineer : You're goddamn right I did!!