- Lesra: The man's innocent. And he's been in jail fifteen or sixteen years. It's not right.
- Terry Swinton: I know that's what his book says.
- Sam Chaiton: Two juries found him guilty, Les.
- Lesra: Two white juries.
- Lisa Peters: Hey, hey. Not all white people are racist.
- Lesra: Not all black people are murderers.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: [to the Warden] I'm innocent. I've committed no crime. A crime's been committed against me.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: He who bemoans the lack of opportunity, forgets that small doors many times open up into large rooms.
- Reporter: Mr. Carter, now that you're out, are you still going to be The Hurricane?
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: Oh, I'll always be The Hurricane. And The Hurricane is... beautiful.
- Mae Thelma Carter: Rubin, I ain't walking nowhere from you.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: I'm dead. Just bury me.
- Book Lady: Okay, young man. That'll be twenty five cents.
- Lesra: 25 cent? Must not be much of a book.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: [addressing the court] Twenty years spent locked up in a cage considered as a danger to society.
- [last lines]
- Announcer: Everybody wanted this victory and Hurricane has delivered.
- Detective at Hospital: Are these the two men who shot you? Look carefully, Sir. Are these the two men who did this to you?
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: He said "no".
- Detective at Hospital: Move closer.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: He said "no".
- Detective at Hospital: Move closer.
- Det. Sgt. Della Pesca: Take another look, Sir.
- Det. Sgt. Della Pesca: I'm gonna take your black ass down Mr. Fucking Champion of the World.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: I got your black fucking champion right between my legs you short punk bitch.
- Lesra: [observing the prison] This is some place.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: This is no place, not for a human being or anybody. Never get used to a place like this.
- [LAST TITLE CARDS]: To this date, the real killers have never been found or pursued.
- [LAST TITLE CARDS]: Mae Thlema and her family still reside in Paterson New Jersey. She and Rubin remain close friends.
- [LAST TITLE CARDS]: Rubin Carter joined them there and makes his home Toronto. He is the Executive Director of the Association in Defense of the Wrongly Convicted.
- Terry Swinton: We all believe in your innocence.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: I've been innocence for 16 years. That's how long I've been in here. Innocence is a highly over-rated commodity.
- [LAST TITLE CARDS]: John Artis was released from prison and is now living in Virginia where he counsels youthful offenders
- [LAST TITLE CARDS]: Lesra Martin graduated with honors from the University of Toronto. He completed his Master's Degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He now practices law in Vancouver.
- [first lines]
- Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, this fine young fighter will be right here in Pittsburg on the boxing cog, this Monday night.
- Announcer: Hurricane Carter has defeated the welter weight champion of the world!
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: [voice over narration] Hurricane is the professional name that I acquired later on in life. Carter is the slave name that was given to my forefathers, who worked in the cotton fields of Alabama and Georgia. It was passed onto me.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: [voice over narration] The one thing I could do, and the only thing was box. I had tasted my own blood and I loved it.
- Det. Sgt. Della Pesca: Can you believe that black punk? Thinks he's champion of the world. Fighter of the year my ass. He's a low life criminal.
- Judge Larner: Rubin Carter, John Artis, for the murder of James Oliver, it is the courts sentence that you be imprisoned for the remainder of your natural life.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: You think I killed those people son?
- Lesra: Now I know you didn't.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: How do you know?
- Lesra: I just know.
- Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter: [addressing the court] Justice is all I ask for. Justice.
- Lisa Peters: You can't understand living without you.
- Lesra: Why'd you do all that?
- Terry Swinton: 'Cause you were smart and funny.
- Sam Chaiton: And short. We figured it'd be good for you to spend a little time with some tall white people.
- Terry Swinton: Yeah, Absolutely.
- [LAST TITLE CARDS]: On January 11, 1988, the Supreme Court denied the state of New Jersey's appeal and affirmed Judge Sarokin's decision to set Rubin Carter free. It had taken 22 years.
- [LAST TITLE CARDS]: The United States appealed all the way to the Supreme Court in an effort to have Rubin Carter returned to prison.
- [LAST TITLE CARDS]: Terry, Sam, and Lisa returned to Canada.