Gran Torino Page #13

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

78.

75 CONTINUED:
(2) 75

SUE (CONT'D)

Hmong boys become almost

invisible, they end up banding

together and it all goes to hell

from there.

WALT:

The girls go to college and the

boys go to jail.

SUE:

It’s more common than not.

Walt reflects on this for awhile, then changes the

subject.

WALT:

You still going out with that

clown?

SUE:

No. I dumped him. He was a dimwit.

Walt nods.

WALT:

Good girl.

76 EXT. WALT’S GARDEN -DAY 76

Walt and Tao spread mulch around Walt’s vegetable plants.

TAO:

You know, the Hmong consider

gardening to be women’s work.

WALT:

Is that why I see you out in your

garden all the time? Besides,

zipper head, we ain’t in Hu-Mong.

TAO:

Funny.

Walt lights a cigarette.

TAO:

You should quit those. It’s bad

for you.

WALT:

So is joining a gang, you dipshit.

(CONTINUED)

79.

76 CONTINUED:
76

TAO:

Seriously, you should quit, I saw

you cough up blood.

WALT:

So, you ever think about what you

want to do with your life?

TAO:

I don’t know.

WALT:

You’ve never thought about it?

TAO:

Of course I have.

WALT:

Well, while you’re thinking about

it, try not to stomp all over my

chives, you dipshit.

Tao looks down; sure enough, he’s standing on Walt’s

chives.

TAO:

Sorry.

WALT:

Put some mulch around the

cucumbers.

Tao spreads more mulch.

TAO:

I was thinking about sales, maybe.

WALT:

My oldest son’s a salesman. He

sells cars.

TAO:

Does he do well?

WALT:

License to steal. I worked in a

Ford plant for thirty years and my

son sells goddamned Japanese cars.

TAO:

You made cars?

(CONTINUED)

80.

76 CONTINUED:
(2) 76

WALT:

That’s right. And I put the

steering column in the Gran Torino

when it rolled down the line in

1972.

TAO:

Wow, that’s cool.

WALT:

It is, isn’t it?

TAO:

Does your son come over much?

WALT:

How are you going about getting

into sales? You thinking about

school?

TAO:

Kinda.

WALT:

Well, you should.

TAO:

School costs money.

WALT:

Maybe you should get a job and

save instead of spreading mulch in

my garden.

TAO:

Maybe you could just pay me.

WALT:

That’s funny.

TAO:

What kind of job could I get?

WALT:

Good question. Who the hell would

hire you?

TAO:

(deflated)

Yeah, I know.

WALT:

Aw, go on. I’m kidding. You

could get a job, easy.

(CONTINUED)

81.

76 CONTINUED:
(3) 76

TAO:

Like what?

WALT:

I’d think about construction.

TAO:

Me? Construction? What, do you

have Alzheimer’s or something?

WALT:

Naw, you could hack it. You just

need a little adjustment.

TAO:

You said yourself I’m worthless

and I have soft little girl hands.

WALT:

That’s exactly the point. I know

some guys in the trades, but you

have to get your sh*t together.

We have to man you up a bit.

TAO:

Man me up?

WALT:

Yes. And you should ask out Yum

Yum too.

EXT./INT. BARBERSHOP -DAY

Walt and Tao walk up to the barbershop.

WALT:

You have to learn how guys talk.

Now watch how me and Martin

communicate. We just throw it

back and forth. You ready?

TAO:

Sure.

WALT:

Okay, let’s go in.

Walt holds the door for Tao and they enter.

has his feet up reading a Playboy.

BARBER:

Oh great, a Pollack and a chink.

The Barber

(CONTINUED)

82.

77 CONTINUED:
77

WALT:

Afternoon, Martin, you dumb

Italian prick.

BARBER:

Walt, you cheap a**hole, I should

have known you’d come in, I was

having such a pleasant day.

WALT:

Why, did you jew some blind man

out of a few bucks, give him the

wrong change?

Walt and the Barber shake hands warmly. Tao is wide-

eyed.

BARBER:

Who’s the Nip?

WALT:

This is Tao. He’s a p*ssy kid who

lives next door and I’m trying to

man him up a little.

Walt points at Tao.

WALT:

Did you see? That’s how men talk

to each other.

TAO:

They do?

BARBER:

What, do you have sh*t in your

ears?

WALT:

Okay. You go out, come back in

and give it a try.

TAO:

Come on, Walt.

WALT:

I said go out there, come back in

and talk to the barber like a man.

Do it.

Tao shrugs, goes outside, lets the door shut then comes

back in. The Barber stands there with a sneer on his

face.

(CONTINUED)

83.

77 CONTINUED:
(2) 77

TAO:

Wus up, you old Italian prick?

The Barber levels a sawed-off SHOTGUN at Tao.

BARBER:

Get outta my shop before I blow

your head off, you long-haired

faggy little gook!

Tao is terrified, frozen stiff.

Walt and the Barber throw their heads back and laugh.

The Barber lowers the shotgun.

WALT:

Jesus Christ, Toad, you don’t walk

in and insult a guy. What are

you, an idiot?

TAO:

But... but that’s what you said.

That’s what you said men say.

WALT:

Not if you never met the guy. If

you say that sh*t to the wrong

stranger, they’ll blow your

goddamned gook head off!

Walt and the Barber laugh again.

TAO:

What should I have said?

WALT:

Anything but that.

BARBER:

Kid, you shoulda just started with

‘Hi’ or ‘Hello.’

WALT:

Right. You should have said,

‘Excuse me, I’m looking for a

haircut if you have time.’

BARBER:

Yeah. Be polite, but don’t kiss

ass.

WALT:

Or, even better is act like you

just got off a construction job.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:
(3)

WALT (CONT'D)

Or b*tch about your girlfriend or

getting your car fixed.

BARBER:

Right. Son of a b*tch, I just got

my brakes fixed and those sons a

b*tches really nailed me. Screwed

me right in the ass.

WALT:

Exactly. Don’t swear at the guy

you’re talking to, swear about

another guy who ain’t there. My

son of a b*tch prick f***ing boss

made me work overtime and he knew

I had bowling tonight.

BARBER:

Or, my old lady b*tches to me for

two f***ing hours about how they

don’t take expired coupons at the

grocery store and the minute I

turn on the goddamned game, she

starts crying how we never talk.

WALT:

See? You come back in, Toad. Be

polite and then you bring up

something you can both talk about.

It ain’t rocket science.

TAO:

Yeah, but I don’t have a job or a

car or a girlfriend.

Walt and the Barber laugh.

BARBER:

Sweet Jesus, I shoulda blown his

head off when I had the chance.

WALT:

Just go back outside and try it

again. And don’t mention you’re a

p*ssy with no car, girl, job,

future or whatever. Come in and

act like a man, Toad.

Tao goes out, turns around and comes back in.

TAO:

Excuse me, sir, I need a haircut,

if you ain’t too busy... you

Italian son-of-a-b*tch prick

barber.

84.

(CONTINUED)

85.

77 CONTINUED:
(4) 77

Walt and the Barber laugh...

TAO:

Boy does my ass hurt from all theguys at my construction job.

Walt and the Barber laugh harder.

78 INT. WALT’S OLD PICKUP TRUCK -MORNING 78

WALT:

If you do this, you’re going tofollow through, right?

Yeah, yeah.

TAO:

WALT:

No, not yeah, yeah. Yes, as in

yes, sir, I’ll do my best.

TAO:

Yes, I’ll do my best.

WALT:

You better, because when I vouch

for someone, it’s my word and Idon’t want anyone making me look

bad.

No, I’m good.

this.

TAO:

I’m totally into

WALT:

And don’t lay down to people allthe time. Always look a person in

the eye. When you shake a man’shand, you can usually tell whereyou stand with him.

Walt hands a pair of beat-up WORK GLOVES to Tao.

WALT:

Here, stuff these in your backpocket.

Cool.

TAO:

WALT:

Just don’t blow this.

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