Gran Torino Page #10

WALT:

No. Forget it. Stop bringing me

stuff.

Gee scolds Walt in Hmong.

WALT:

No. I’ve had it.

Gee opens the corner of the tinfoil. Walt looks at the

food.

(CONTINUED)

57.

50 CONTINUED:
50

I can’t.

WALT:

You have to stop.

Gee pulls the tinfoil off. Walt gazes at the food.

WALT:

Is that the chicken dumpling thingyou brought the other day?

51 EXT. WALT’S HOUSE -EVENING 51

Walt pulls up in his pickup truck. Sue and Vu wait on

Walt’s porch. Tao stands out on the sidewalk.

Walt gets out of his pickup.

What now?

WALT:

What?

Vu rambles on in Hmong. Walt looks at his watch.

looks at Sue for the translation.

He

SUE:

Tao is here to make amends, he’s

here to work for you.

No he’s not.

WALT:

SUE:

Mother says that Tao dishonoredthe family and now he has to workoff his debt. He’ll start

tomorrow morning.

WALT:

No. The kid is useless, I don’t

even want him on my property. I

thought we already went over that.

SUE:

It’s very important to my motherthat you accept. It’d be an

insult to refuse.

WALT:

How is this all of a sudden turned

around on me? The goddamned kidtries to steal my car and somehowI’m the bad guy if I don’t accept?

(CONTINUED)

58.

51 CONTINUED:
51

SUE:

My family is very traditional and

it will very much upset them if

you don’t let Tao repay...

Tao interrupts from the sidewalk...

TAO:

Come on, Sue. If he doesn’t want

to, let’s just go.

Sue and Vu yell at Tao to shut up at the same time; Sue

in English, Vu in Hmong.

SUE/VU

Shut up. Shut up! Shut up!!

Tao looks at the ground.

A PAUSE. Walt sees the earnest looks on the Hmong

women’s faces. Their expression “begs” Walt.

Walt gazes back at Tao. Walt looks disgusted, he exhales

loudly...

WALT:

Fine. Great. Tomorrow.

Walt walks past them and into his house.

WALT:

Jesus, Joseph and Mary. These

Hmong broads are like badgers.

52 EXT. WALT’S PORCH -NEXT MORNING 52

Walt sits drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. Tao

walks sheepishly over to the property line.

WALT:

Son of a b*tch, I didn’t think

he’d show.

Walt waves Tao over. Tao barely looks at Walt.

WALT:

Okay. What are you good at?

TAO:

Like what?

WALT:

That’s what I’m asking. What are

you good at?

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

59.

52

If you’re gonna work for me, Ihave to know what you can do.

CONTINUED:

WALT (CONT'D)

52

I don’t know.

TAO:

WALT:

That’s about what I expected.

Okay, why don’t you go over by thespruce tree and count how manybirds feed at the bird feeder.

TAO:

Count the birds?

WALT:

Yeah, you can count? You slopesare supposed to be good at math,

right?

TAO:

Yes, I can count.

53 EXT. WALT’S GARDEN -MORNING 53

Tao stands in Walt’s garden with his arms folded.

walks over to trim weeds around the garden fence.

Walt

Walt doesn’t even look at Tao. Finally...

TAO:

You want me to do that?

No.

WALT:

Why not?

TAO:

WALT:

I want it done right, that’s why.

TAO:

But you’ve got me just standinghere. What am I supposed to bedoing, anyway?

WALT:

Scaring away crows.

Tao shoots Walt a dirty look.

(CONTINUED)

60.

53 CONTINUED:
53

WALT:

It’s a perfect job for you, plusyou people don’t seem to mindsquinting in the sun all day.

54 EXT. WALT’S HOUSE -MORNING 54

Walt waters a flower bed. Tao comes over and stands

there. Walt finishes watering before even looking at

Tao.

TAO:

What do you have for me today?

You want me to watch paint dry ormaybe count the clouds that passby?

WALT:

Don’t get flip with me, zipperhead. I ain’t the one who tried

to steal and don’t forget it.

TAO:

Go ahead. I don’t care if youinsult me and say racist things.

I’ll take it.

WALT:

That I know. You have no teeth,

kid. That’s your problem. You

have no balls.

TAO:

Look, I’m stuck here. Why don’tyou give me something useful todo.

WALT:

Because unlike you I’m notuseless. I maintain my property,

whereas you swamp rats let yourhouses go to hell.

Walt looks across the street at one very dilapidatedhouse.

WALT:

Wait a minute... How long do Ihave you for?

Tao pauses... he doesn’t want to answer.

WALT:

How long, Toad?

(CONTINUED)

61.

54 CONTINUED:
54

TAO:

(quietly)

Till next Friday.

Walt laughs out loud. It makes Tao cringe.

WALT:

Go get my ladder out of the

garage.

CUT TO:

55 EXT. NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE -SAME DAY 55

Tao is at the top of the LADDER. Walt and the Hmong

neighbor grin at him from the bottom.

WALT:

When you’re done caulking the

siding, nail that gutter back up,

I can see it right out my kitchen

window, it’s been bugging me for

three years.

The neighbor says something in Hmong to Walt.

WALT:

You said it, brother.

56 EXT. HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET -RAINY MORNING 56

Tao digs up a big TREE STUMP out in the rain. It’s hard,

draining labor and Tao is covered with mud.

Tao’s shovel hits rocks and roots and clay. Misery.

57 EXT. NEIGHBORING HOUSES -DAY 57

We see Tao do various chores; scrape paint, hang screen

doors, reattach house numbers, trim bushes, etc.

Walt scrutinizes his every move. Tao is a virtual slave.

58 EXT. WALT’S PORCH -MORNING 58

Walt watches with great satisfaction as Tao paints one of

the neighboring houses. The neighborhood is really

shaping up.

Walt sips his coffee with a slight grin. He is really,

really, really enjoying this.

(CONTINUED)

62.

58 CONTINUED:
58

A very old Hmong man and his very young GRANDSON walk up

Walt’s driveway. The Grandson translates for grandpa.

GRANDSON:

Grandpa says he want to know if

you can have Tao clear out the big

wasp nest under our porch?

Walt reaches in his pocket and studies a small note pad.

WALT:

I don’t see why not.

(grins )

Tell him sometime after lunch.

59 EXT. WALT’S HOUSE -MORNING 59

Tao walks up the sidewalk. Before ringing the doorbell,

Tao looks down at his hands which have several CALLOUSES

on them.

Tao rubs his hands with a smile. This has been the first

time Tao has really risen to a task presented to him.

Tao reaches for the doorbell...

60 INT. WALT’S BATHROOM -SAME TIME 60

Walt stands over the sink, coughing. In the b.g. the

doorbell rings.

Walt coughs up a big spot of blood, it’s thick with

fibers. The doorbell rings again.

Walt wipes his mouth and runs the water in the sink.

61 INT. WALT’S ENTRYWAY -SECONDS LATER 61

Walt answers the door, just as Tao rings the doorbell a

third time. Walt looks angry.

WALT:

Jesus Lord almighty, knock it off.

TAO:

It’s my last day, whatta you want

me to do?

WALT:

Take the day off, you’ve done

enough.

(CONTINUED)

63.

61 CONTINUED:
61

Tao looks disappointed, but says nothing. He nods and

starts to walk away. Walt calls after him...

WALT:

Toad.

Tao turns around. Walt wants to say something, but

stops.

WALT:

Nothing, never mind.

Walt shuts the door.

62 INT. DOCTOR’S WAITING ROOM 62

Walt sits in the crowded waiting room. He looks around.

He’s the only WHITE PERSON in the room. Even most of the

STAFF is African or from India.

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