Gran Torino

FADE IN:

1 INT. CHURCH 1

We’re at the funeral of Dorothy Kowalski. In attendance

are mostly old folks, their offspring and several bored

teenagers.

WALT KOWALSKI stands towards the front of the church. He

speaks to an older MAN in a bulky, out-of-date suit.

OLDER MAN:

I’m real sorry about Dorothy,

Walt. She was a real peach.

WALT:

Thanks for coming, Al.

Walt Kowalski looks young for his age. He has slate blue

eyes, physically fit and has had the same buzz cut

hairstyle since getting out of the military in 1953.

Walt is also a perfectionist. Nothing escapes his

hawklike eyes, eyes that pierce and judge.

Walt looks around at how the young people have dressed at

his wife’s funeral. His eyes narrow at his

GRANDDAUGHTER’s belly button ring.

WALT:

Jesus Christ.

Walt’s two sons, MITCH and STEVE, watch their father from

across the pews.

MITCH:

Look at the Old Man glaring at

Ashley. He can’t even tone it

down at Mom’s funeral?

STEVE:

What do you expect? Dad’s still

living in the ‘50s. He expects

his granddaughter to dress a

little more modestly.

MITCH:

Yeah, well your kid’s wearing a

Timberwolves jersey. I’m sure Dad

appreciates that.

STEVE:

My point is that there’s nothing

anyone can do that won’t

disappoint the Old Man.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

2.

1 CONTINUED:
1

STEVE (CONT'D)

It’s inevitable. That’s why we

stopped doing Thanksgivings; the

deal with the boat motor, the

broken bird bath, it’s always

something.

MITCH:

What are we going to do with him?

Don’t you think he’ll get in

trouble by himself over in the old

neighborhood?

STEVE:

Why don’t you have him move in

with you?

MITCH:

Ha ha.

2 INT. CHURCH -LATER 2

The choir sings the Beatitudes.

Walt looks around disgustedly at the people gathered as

one woman looks through her day planner, an old guy dozes

and his Granddaughter Ashley applies nail polish.

FATHER JANOVICH, the very young parish priest, steps up

to the altar and delivers the eulogy for Walt’s wife.

Walt sits ramrod straight and listens to the thin, weak,

unconvincing words of Father Janovich.

FATHER JANOVICH:

Death... is often a bittersweet

occasion to us Catholics. Bitter

in the pain it causes the deceased

... and their families. Sweet to

those who know the salvation that

awaits them. And some may ask,

what is death. Is it the end? Or

is it the beginning? And what is

life? What is this thing we call

life?

WALT:

Jesus.

Walt coughs. He takes a handkerchief and wipes his lips.

He looks down and notices a speck of BLOOD on the white

cloth.

3.

3 INT. WALT’S HOUSE - SAME TIME 3

The house is crammed with people following the service.

Walt doesn’t know what to do with himself.

keep busy. Steve steps over to his father.

He has to

STEVE:

A lot of people showed up afterthe service.

WALT:

Yeah, well, I s’pose they knewthere’d be plenty of ham. I think

I’ll go downstairs and get somemore chairs.

STEVE:

I’ll do it, Dad.

WALT:

Naw, we need them now, not next

week.

4 INT. CELLAR -SAME TIME 4

Grandsons JOSH, DANIEL and DAVID look through boxes inthe cellar. A box of old Korea War photos are pawedthrough.

Josh holds up a black-and-white PHOTO --a young WALTlooks utterly exhausted, behind him six bodies aresprawled dead on the ground.

Is that Dad?

DAVID:

DANIEL:

No, it’s Grandpa Walt.

Josh turns the photo over and reads it...

JOSH:

‘Third Platoon, E company, Marchsecond, 1952, Korea.’

DANIEL:

Where’s Korea?

JOSH:

Hell if I know?

David holds up a MEDAL.

(CONTINUED)

4.

4 CONTINUED:
4

DAVID:

Cool, I found a medal.

They hear someone coming downstairs. By the time Walt

descends the staircase, the boys sit on the couch,

pretending to be doing nothing.

Walt gives them a hard look as he grabs some chairs.

5 UPSTAIRS 5

People eat and chat. Ashley marches over to her parents,

KAREN and Mitch.

ASHLEY (GRANDDAUGHTER)

How long do we have to stay, this

ghetto is a dead zone for my cell

and I’m bored.

Walt stands behind them with an armful of folding chairs,

he overheard his Granddaughter. Mitch and Karen are

embarrassed.

MITCH:

Ashley, honey. Why don’t you help

Grandpa Walt with the chairs?

ASHLEY:

Me?

KAREN:

Yes you.

ASHLEY:

Grandpa Walt, can I help you with

the chairs.

WALT:

I’ll take care of it, you just

painted your nails.

Walt opens the folding chairs and looks out the window.

It’s snowing. Walt puts on his coat, he almost looks

relieved to get out of the house.

WALT:

I’d better salt the sidewalk

before someone falls and breaks a

hip.

Walt taps the floor with his boot and DAISY, his very,

very, very old DOG follows him outside.

5.

6 EXT. WALT’S HOUSE -EVENING 6

Walt carefully shovels his sidewalk. He deliberatelystops at the boundary of his property.

The reason for this is that Walt’s neighbors are nowmostly Asians who moved into the house that once belongedto Polish families.

Next door to Walt’s house some sort of party is going on.

Walt can see through the window that the living room isjammed with at least forty people, all Asians, all Hmong.

And this is a problem for Walt, because Walt is a full-

blown, unrepentant racist.

Walt lights a cigarette and speaks to his dog, Daisy.

WALT:

Jesus Christ, how many swamp ratscan they cram into a living room?

Walt spits in the snow and walks back to the garage.

7 INT. GARAGE -SAME TIME 7

Walt steps inside and catches Ashley sneaking acigarette. She has pulled back the canvas tarp thatcovers his pride and joy, his beloved 1972 GRAN TORINO.

The Gran Torino is in mint condition.

since the day it rolled off the line.

It has been babied

Ashley tosses her cigarette when she sees Grandpa Walt.

ASHLEY:

Wow, Grandpa, when’d you get thevintage car?

Walt looks at her for a second, then steps on her stillburning cigarette before answering.

1972.

WALT:

ASHLEY:

I never knew you had a cool old

car.

WALT:

It’s only been in here sincebefore you were born.

(CONTINUED)

6.

7 CONTINUED:
7

ASHLEY:

So, what are you like going to do

with it like, when... you die?

Walt lights up a smoke -

WALT:

Jesus, Joseph and Mary.

Walt pulls the cover back over the Gran Torino.

ASHLEY:

Then what about that super cool

retro couch in the den, I’m going

to State next year and I don’t

have, like, any furniture?

Walt walks out without commenting.

8 BACK IN WALT’S HOUSE 8

The doorbell rings and Walt opens the door. Standing

there is TAO, a sixteen-year-old HMONG boy. Walt scowls.

TAO is slight, he has long hair, long lashes, but is very

good-looking --like an Asian Johnny Depp.

WALT:

Who the hell are you?

TAO:

(very quietly)

I’m Tao, I live next door.

WALT:

What?! Speak up, boy, get the

sh*t out of your mouth. What do

you want?

TAO:

Do you have jumper cables? My

uncle’s car is old and...

WALT:

No. And have some goddamned

respect, zipper head, we’re

mourning over here.

Walt slams the door in Tao’s face.

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