"And so it went, Jesse was increasingly cavalier. Merry, moody, fey, unpredictable. He camouflaged his depressions and derangements with masquerades of extreme cordiality, courtesy, and goodwill towards others. But even as he jested or tickled his boy in the ribs, Jesse would look over at Bob with melancholy eyes as if the two were meshed in an intimate communication. Bob was certain that the man had unriddled him; had seen through his reasons for coming along; that Jesse could forecast each of Bob's possible moves and inclinations and was only acting the innocent in order to lull Bob into a stupid tranquility and miscalculation."

"Sam Shepard as Frank James"

"[to Jefferson] Do you have no son?"

"You roast it, then you eats it on the cob. And it's the sweetest stuff you ever eaten in your life."

"He is the best master in all of Virginia, but he is the master, and they're the servants. Slaves! And I am certain that they hate us—yes, I know they do."

"[to James Hemings] Won't be no field nigger if it's his own child I's carryin'."

"Sally, this is your money. It'll be right here in the corner."

"[on the verge of tears] There's something in my eye."

"Sal, if we stays in Paris, we's free."

"He will never marry again because that is what he vowed to my mama on her deathbed."

"Our heart is pleased because she is pleased."

"We joined the crowd admitted, according to some ancient custom, to view the king and queen on their way to Mass. I meant to impress upon my daughter the vainglory of these spectacles. May we Americans never emulate them, nor burden our taxpayers with such useless splendors."

"A wise man will only depend upon himself."

"You and I are alive, and the Earth belongs to us, the living."

"[referring to Franz Mesmer's animal magnetism practice] Sir, this is just trash and tricks for the weak mind."

"God Almighty never meant to human beings to be like animals. We has a soul, and a head and a mind!"

"You will forgive my perhaps somewhat exaggerated anxiety. For an American, freedom of religious conscience is one of our great principles."

"Don't you wanna see what it's like to own your own body?"

"The film is lavishly produced and visually splendid, like all the Merchant-Ivory productions ("Howards End," "The Remains of the Day"). But what is it about? Revolution? History? Slavery? Romance? No doubt a lot of research and speculation went into Jhabvala's screenplay, but I wish she had finally decided to jump one way or the other. The movie tells no clear story and has no clear ideas; it is all elaborate glimpses of a private man who, as the architect of his own home, did not see why anyone would ever want to walk upstairs side-by-side."

"Casting Nick Nolte as a Founding Father may sound like this film's riskiest choice, but in fact it makes solid sense. Beyond having the right physical stature for the imposing, sandy-haired Jefferson, Mr. Nolte captures the man's vigor and his stiff sense of propriety. He may not adapt effortlessly to the role of an intellectual giant, but his performance is thoroughly creditable, despite lines like "My poor head was simply whirled about by my unruly heart." His intensely masculine presence goes a long way toward explaining Jefferson's deep, overlapping involvements with women at this stage of his life."

"Beatrice Winde as Mary Hemings"

"Tim Choate as Reporter"

"James Earl Jones as Madison Hemings"

"Vincent Cassel as Camille Desmoulins"

"Nancy Marchand as Madame Abbesse"

"Jessica Lloyd as Julia"

"Vernon Dobtcheff as King's Translator"

"Daniel Mesguich as Mesmer"

"Damien Groëlle as The Dauphin"

"Louise Balsan as Madame Royal"

"William Christie as Conductor"

"Valérie Toledano as Madame Elizabeth"

"Jean-Pierre Aumont as d'Hancarville"

"Anthony Valentine as British Ambassador"

"William Moseley as George Washington de Lafayette"

"Michael Lonsdale as Louis XVI"

"Lambert Wilson as Marquis de Lafayette"

"Charlotte de Turckheim as Marie-Antoinette"

"Jean-Paul Fouchécourt as Dardanus"

"Elsa Zylberstein as Adrienne de Lafayette"

"Nicolas Silberg as Monsieur Petit"

"Catherine Samie as Cook"

"Nigel Whitmey as John Trumbull"

"Lionel Robert as Cook's Helper"

"Thandie Newton as Sally Hemings"

"Seth Gilliam as James Hemings"

"Greta Scacchi as Maria Cosway"

"Todd Boyce as William Short"

"Nick Nolte as Thomas Jefferson"

"Gwyneth Paltrow as Patsy Jefferson"