Gran Torino Page #11

As Walt waits, names are called out such as Alvarez,

Ngaima, Yang and Abdalla.

Finally when the name “Kowalski” is called, the Muslim

woman can’t pronounce it correctly. Walt winces.

63 INT. DOCTOR’S OFFICE 63

Walt sits in a chair, his hands folded in his lap.

A short Asian man in a doctor’s smock comes in with a

chart.

ASIAN DOCTOR:

Mr. Kowalski?

WALT:

That’s right.

ASIAN DOCTOR:

Good afternoon. I looked over

your paperwork and I think we

should immediately start on a full

battery of tests. I feel that

this...

WALT:

Wait a minute. Where’s my regular

doctor, where’s Dr. Fellman?

(CONTINUED)

64.

63 CONTINUED:
63

ASIAN DOCTOR:

Dr. Fellman retired three years

ago. I’m his replacement, Dr.

Chang.

WALT:

Jesus Christ.

64 INT. MITCH’S KITCHEN 64

Mitch, Karen and Ashley are in the kitchen. The phone

rings and Ashley looks at the caller ID.

ASHLEY:

It’s Grandpa Walt.

KAREN:

Well, pick it up.

ASHLEY:

You talk to him.

KAREN:

Mitch?

MITCH:

I’m doing bills here.

KAREN:

He’s your father.

Ashley hands him the phone and he pushes the TALK button.

MITCH:

Hello, Dad.

WALT (V.O.)

Hello? It’s me... Dad.

MITCH:

I know. What’s up?

The CAMERA INTERCUTS BETWEEN Mitch in his huge kitchen

and Walt sitting on the edge of his bed.

WALT:

Um... not much, how about you?

MITCH:

I’m fine, fine.

WALT:

Fine. That’s fine... How about

the kids and Karen?

(CONTINUED)

65.

64 CONTINUED:
64

MITCH:

Everyone is fine.

WALT:

Good.

There is a long, uncomfortable pause. Walt looks at some

Xeroxed medical pamphlets scattered on his bed.

MITCH:

Good.

WALT:

Well, that’s good... How’s...

work?

MITCH:

Busy.

WALT:

Right. I s’pose.

MITCH:

Speaking of busy, I have a lot on

my plate right now, unless there’s

something pressing.

Walt looks at a pale, blue pamphlet. Mitch looks at his

housekeeping bill.

WALT:

No. Nope.

Another pause.

WALT:

Okay then.

MITCH:

Okay. Yeah, so it’s not a good

time right now. Why don’t you

call me over the weekend.

WALT:

Sure.

MITCH:

Okay, it was nice talking to you,

bye, Dad.

Walt hangs up. He lies down on his bed.

66.

65 EXT. WALT’S FRONT YARD -DAY 65

While Walt fills a bird feeder, he notices Tao next door.

Tao stands, tiptoed on the top of a six-foot ladder,

trying to cut a high branch with a pole saw.

Walt shakes his head and walks over to Tao.

WALT:

Hey, moron.

Tao is startled and almost falls off the ladder.

TAO:

What?

WALT:

I appreciate you’re doing

something on your own, but you’re

the only person I know dumb enough

to get himself killed trimming

tree branches.

TAO:

What now?

WALT:

You don’t stand on the top step of

a ladder and if you cut through

that branch you’re hacking away

at, you’ll end up kaput.

Tao looks and sure enough --a thick, black POWER LINE is

five feet below the branch he’s almost severed.

WALT:

Go grab the extension ladder from

my garage and I’ll show you how to

do it right, zipper head.

CUT TO:

66 EXT. TAO’S YARD -LATER 66

Tao ties up bundles of branches and twigs. Walt lights a

cigarette, looks up in the tree and nods.

WALT:

Looks good. Good job.

Tao nods.

(CONTINUED)

67.

66 CONTINUED:
66

WALT:

Make sure you put the ladder back

when you’re done raking up the

leaves.

TAO:

I know. I will.

Walt walks back over to his porch, grabs a Pabst from the

cooler and watches Tao rake.

A white Honda turns the corner and drives slowly past

Tao.

Smokie and Spider smile menacingly at Tao as they pass.

WALT:

This kid doesn’t have a chance.

The Honda now slowly passes Walt’s house. Walt just

stands there, sipping his beer.

The Honda slows to a stop and the gangbangers glare at

Walt.

The REAR WINDOW of the Honda opens.

Walt holds out his RIGHT HAND like a GUN. He closes one

eye to better “aim” his imaginary gun and moves his thumb

several times as if firing. Bang --bang --bang.

The Honda takes off. Walt watches it drive off and

lights another cigarette.

Walt doesn’t notice, but Tao witnessed this whole

interaction from his yard.

67 INT. WALT’S ENTRYWAY -MORNING 67

The doorbell rings.

Walt opens his door. Tao stands there with his hands in

his pockets. He’s a bit apprehensive.

TAO:

What do you know about faucets?

Walt stares at him for a second and then laughs.

CUT TO:

68.

68 INT. TAO’S KITCHEN -A MINUTE LATER 68

Tao looks on as Walt turns the faucet on and off, it

drips water at its base. Walt looks under the sink.

WALT:

For the love of Pete.

What?

TAO:

WALT:

It must be a hundred degrees inhere, turn on the fan.

Tao flips the switch on the CEILING FAN, the fan wobblesand shakes, it looks like it’s about to fly off.

Walt stares up at the fan and shakes his head.

69 INT. WALT’S GARAGE 69

The CEILING FAN and FAUCET are taken apart on theworkbench. Walt reinstalls the diverter valve. Tao

looks at all of Walt’s tools.

TAO:

Man, where did you get all thisstuff?

WALT:

What are you talking about?

TAO:

All the tools and stuff.

WALT:

Where the hell do you think I gotthem, Toad? This may come as ashock to a thief, but I actually

bought the things I have withmoney I earned.

TAO:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s not whatI meant. There’s just so muchshit packed in here.

WALT:

You need the right tool for theright job. Every single thinghere has a purpose.

(CONTINUED)

69.

69 CONTINUED:
69

TAO:

Okay, what’s this?

Tao points to a tool.

WALT:

Post hole digger.

Tao starts pointing at things on the workbench in quick

succession, questioning Walt with his expression.

WALT:

Hand spade. Tin snips. Nail

punch. Tack hammer. Putty knife.

Wire stripper. Drywall saw. Tile

spacers.

Silence. Walt can see something is bothering Tao, but

he’s too uncomfortable to speak up -

WALT:

What?

TAO:

I can’t afford to buy all this

stuff.

WALT:

I didn’t buy all this stuff at

once, blockhead. I’ve lived here

for fifty years. A man stays in

one place long enough he tends to

attract a decent set of tools.

TAO:

Yeah, but...

WALT:

Look, kid, I think I know where

you’re going with this. You don’t

need everything to maintain a

house. I’m going to let you in on

a little secret.

Walt rattles around his tool bench and slaps down THREE

items in quick succession.

WALT:

This is for you. Roll of duct

tape, can of WD-40 and a pair of

vise-grips. Any man who’s worth a

sh*t can do half his household

jobs with these three things. In

the odd chance that doesn’t work

out, you can borrow something.

(CONTINUED)

70.

69 CONTINUED:
(2) 69

TAO:

Okay. Cool.

Walt coughs and covers his mouth. Both Tao and Walt see

the spot of BLOOD in his hand.

TAO:

What’s with that?

WALT:

What’s with what?

TAO:

The blood you just coughed up.

That’s not good, you should see a

doctor.

Walt quickly changes the subject --while tightening the

screws that hold the fan blade to the motor hub.

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