I Have a Family: Difference between revisions

 

Often written as "I have a wife/kids."

 

* A sort of variation on this can be seen in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'', when Maes Hughes uses the line after he thinks he's killed one of the bad guys. He's not using it to beg for his life so much as to say why he can't afford to die. {{spoiler|He dies anyway.}}

{{quote|'''Mook''': I FOUND 'IM, BOSS, OVER HERE!!

'''Vash''': What are you doing?! You don't like pain, do you?

* In ''[[One Piece]]'', during the Marineford War arc, a [[Mook|Marine]] was trying to desert the battlefield (which by the way was involving forces so ridiculous that in no way he could've done anything other than getting killed) and was stopped by [[General Ripper|Admiral Akainu]] who told him to return to the battlefield. The Marine then invokes this trope, {{spoiler|which made the Admiral ''even angrier'' and [[Disproportionate Retribution|he melted him to death right on the spot]].}}

 

* Used quite brutally in ''[[Ultimate X-Men]]''. The X-Men had been captured by Weapon X and were being forced to work for them to take out some foreign guys who had captured Nick Fury and were in the middle of illegal genetic experiments. When confronting the lead scientist, Jean is ordered to kill him or watch Scott's head explode. As she agonizes over the decision, the lead scientist starts describing his family in an attempt to bargain for his life. {{spoiler|Jean kills him.}}

* In a bit of a subversion, in ''[[The Authority]]'', a guy pleads with Midnighter that he has kids, "somewhere." The implication is, as secret mutant soldier, that he's lead a promiscuous and nomadic life, probably leaving litters of illegitimate children behind. Midnighter responds by ''punching his head off'' and stating that they're better off without him.

* In ''[[Secret Six]]'', Jeanette has caught Cheshire poisoning the title characters, and dangles her off the roof of a building by her hair while chiding her about "manners." Cheshire tries to get out by talking about her baby, but Jeanette doesn't give two shits, and while she doesn't drop her, doesn't let her off easy either.

 

* In [[Max Fleischer's Gulliver's Travels]], [[Small Annoying Creature|Gabby]] begs this to Gulliver when he picks him up.

{{quote|''"You can't do this me, i have a wife and kids, millions of kids!"''}}

* Puss in Boots plays this card when he is defeated after trying to assassinate [[Shrek]] in the second movie. According to his own spin off film though, he's lying.

{{quote|'''Puss:''' Oh no ''por favor''. Please, I implore you. It was nothing personal ''Señor''. I was doing only for my family. My mother, she is sick and my father lives off the garbage. The King offered me much in gold and I have a litter of brothers...}}

* Inverted nightmarishly in ''[[Alien (franchise)|Alien]]³''. At a moment of a breakdown, Ripley {{spoiler|actually seeks the Alien and calls it out to kill her. The beast approaches, examines Ripley closely and then withdraws, not willing to hurt the "baby" Alien queen maturing inside Ripley.}}

* In ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', while Mr. Blonde is torturing the cop, the officer screams out, "Please! I got a little kid at home man, now please!" This line was actually ad-libbed by the actor, and the shock it brought to Michael Madsen (who played Mr. Blonde), who had just had a son, made him walk off the set. You can actually hear Madsen break character and say "Oh, no no no..." after this line.

{{quote|'''Shemp''': Please officer, I got six wives and two kids!}}

* Subverted in [[Predators]], when {{spoiler|the Russian}} affectionately shows {{spoiler|the doctor}} a photo of his kids, just before all hell breaks loose, and they're all forced to flee while the latter still has the photo. When {{spoiler|the doctor}} is crippled and the other characters consider leaving him behind, he says "I've got kids" and shows the photo. While it's a lie, this looks like an understandable case of a terrified, desperate man trying anything to not be left behind, {{spoiler|but the discovery that he's actually a psychopathic serial killer makes it less surprising that he was able to think up this sort of lie on the spot and without any hint of unease.}}

 

== Literature ==

* In Jim Butcher's ''[[Dresden Files]]'' novel ''Dead Beat'', after {{spoiler|Phil}} dies, {{spoiler|Butters}} tells Harry that he didn't have a family—and they agree that no, it doesn't make it better.

{{quote|'''{{spoiler|Rat Catcher 2}}:''' Have mercy! If not for me, please think of my dear wife and my four lovely children who'll be without their daddy!

'''{{spoiler|Malicia}}:''' You're not married. You don't have any children!

* An inversion appears in ''Brisingr'', the third book of "[[The Inheritance Cycle]]." A soldier fighting for [[The Empire]] begs Eragon to spare his life, as he is too young to die - he has yet to marry and father a child. Unfortunately, Eragon cannot spare him, as the soldier has sworn a magical oath in service of Galbatorix that would force him to betray Eragon.

 

* A nameless factory worker makes this plea of the hell goddess Glory in Season 5 of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''.

** Said factory worker actually makes a reappearance a few episodes later after Glory has [[Mind Raped]] him. Turns out he wasn't lying, as it involves his family visiting him in the psyche ward in hospital.

* ''[[Boardwalk Empire]]:'' {{spoiler|Angela}} tries this when {{spoiler|Manny}} has a gun on her, having just killed {{spoiler|her lover Louise, albeit accidentally. It doesn't work.}}

 

 

== Newspaper Comics ==

'''Fish:''' Who... uh... are away visiting my mother for an indefinite period of time? }}

 

* Jim Ross, commentator for ''WWE'' Raw, frequently exclaims "That man has a family!" when a wrestler is on the receiving end of a beat down.

 

* There is a variation in ''[[Sweeney Todd]]'', where Todd is about to slash the throat of a customer in his typical manner, but then spares him when he sees he has a child.

** The movie puts the wife and child in the room at the time, which makes it unclear whether he's being spared out of kindness or because there are witnesses present.

*** Considering the entire scheme began as a method of silencing witnesses, more likely the former.

 

== Video Games ==

* A guard in ''[[Batman: Arkham Asylum]]'' tries this line on {{spoiler|traitorous fellow guard Frank Boles}} just before being gunned down.

* In ''[[Scarface the World Is Yours]]'', after Tony finishes slaughtering his way through Sosa's mansion, a random mook appears and begs for mercy using this. Tony offers him a job.

 

== Web Comics ==

* The [[Wicked Witch|witch]] in ''[[No Rest for The Wicked (webcomic)|No Rest for The Wicked]]'' pleads with the heroes to spare her because [http://www.forthewicked.net/archive/03-68.html "I have children! There's no one else to care for them!"]. {{spoiler|She doesn't. She wanted to keep them [[My Beloved Smother|so safe]] that she killed and ate them, so they would be safe inside. Then she proceeded to kidnap, kill, and eat other children on the delusion that they were her own, who somehow sneaked off}}.

{{quote|'''Guard:''' I've got a wife and three kids!

'''Schlock:''' Yum, are you pleading for your ''life'' or offering me ''dessert?'' }}

* In [http://www.the-whiteboard.com/autowb644.html this] ''[[The Whiteboard]]'' strip, after watching an awful movie Doc threatens a janitor with violence over it. The janitor pleads for pity on account of having three mouths to feed. [[Subverted Trope|Two goldfish and a gerbil,]] which is sufficient to get the janitor off the hook.

* Also occurs in ''[[Hiimdaisy|Let's Destroy]] [[Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater|The Shagohod!]]'' where Naked Snake tried interrogating a scientist who utters this trope... only for Snake to accidentally kill him.

 

== Web Original ==

** This becomes a running joke in Episode 4 of Season 2, as he appears on a "Have you seen me?" type of poster.

* ''Rec.Humor.Funny'' has a joke titled [http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/87/7433.12.html Dicipline]. The US soldier won't jump off a cliff because he has a wife and family. He receives no sympathy, and is escorted for court martial. The Russian soldier jumps because he has a wife and family.

 

== Western Animation ==

{{quote|'''Poor Schmuck:''' Please I have a family, kids.

'''Mobster:''' And for their sakes, I hope decent life insurance. }}

 

== Real Life ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:I Have Your Index]]