Gran Torino Page #2

Walt turns and is suddenly cornered by Father Janovich.

Walt hates situations like this.

(CONTINUED)

7.

8 CONTINUED:
8

FATHER JANOVICH:

How you holding up, Walt?

WALT:

Mr. Kowalski.

FATHER JANOVICH:

Huh?

WALT:

It’s Mr. Kowalski, not Walt.

FATHER JANOVICH:

Right, Mr. Kowalski. Your wife

and I became quite close these

last few months. She asked that I

watch over you when she passed on.

I told her I watch out for my

entire flock, but she made me

promise I’d keep an extra sharp

eye on you.

WALT:

I appreciate your kindness to my

wife and now that you’ve spoken

your piece, why don’t you move on

to the next sheep?

Walt starts to step away, but Father Janovich blocks him.

FATHER JANOVICH:

Dorothy mentioned specifically

that it was her wish for you to go

to confession. She said she

couldn’t remember the last time

you went.

WALT:

Is that so?

FATHER JANOVICH:

It is.

Walt drains his lowball glass.

WALT:

Well, I confess I never much liked

church and only went because of

the wife. And I confess I have no

desire to confess to a boy who is

fresh out of the seminary.

8.

9 EXT. WALT’S HOUSE -LATER 9

People are leaving Walt’s house. A mass of shuffling,

stiff-jointed old Pollacks.

Right next door --walking the opposite direction are

more Hmong going up the sidewalk. They laugh and chatter

and carry big dishes of food and fruit. They are a happy

bunch compared to the dour crowd exiting Walt’s home.

The Hmong are going to a birth ceremony. A three-day-old

baby is named and three souls are located for the

newborn.

CUT TO:

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Walt leans over a car that contains two shivering old

ladies from the funeral. He hooks up the jumper cables

to their dead battery.

Mitch, Karen, Ashley and Josh pull up next to Walt in a

brand new Toyota Land Cruiser. Mitch opens the window.

MITCH:

I’d really like to help, Dad, but

we have to get the kids home,

they’re getting restless.

Walt just looks at the TOYOTA EMBLEM on the Land Cruiser

and then gives Mitch a disgusted glance.

WALT:

Fine. Go.

MITCH:

I’ll call in a few, see how you’re

doing.

Walt nods and lights a cigarette as they drive off.

WALT:

Kill you to buy American.

10 INT. LAND CRUISER - SAME TIME 10

MITCH:

Did you see him look at the truck?

It’s always Rice-Burner this or

Jap-Buggy that. Even at Mom’s

funeral, he can’t let it go.

(CONTINUED)

9.

10 CONTINUED:
10

KAREN:

At least he didn’t say anything

this time.

MITCH:

He didn’t have to.

KAREN:

Well, what do you expect? The man

worked at a Ford plant for twenty-

eight years.

MITCH:

And I suppose that’s my goddamned

fault?

11 BACK ON WALT 11

Walt gets his guests’ engine running.

As they drive off, Walt hears faint SINGING. Walt looks

into his neighbor’s backyard and can’t believe his eyes.

The Hmong all sing and chant as three CHICKENS have their

heads sliced off, right there in the yard.

The chickens are held up and everyone chants louder.

It’s a sacrifice. Walt spits in the snow and says to

Daisy.

WALT:

Barbarians. Goddamned barbarians.

12 INT. HMONG HOUSE NEXT DOOR -SAME TIME 12

The house is a buzz of activity. The older Hmong speak

their native language, the younger generation speaks both

English and Hmong.

(NOTE:
Hmong is subtitled when necessary.)

Tao’s Grandmother (PHONG) complains to a MAN.

PHONG:

(subtitled)

There’s no man in this house,

that’s why my daughter should

remarry. Being a second wife is

better than having a woman be the

head of the household. It’s not

our way.

(CONTINUED)

10.

12 CONTINUED:
12

MAN:

(subtitled)

What about Tao?

PHONG:

(subtitled)

What about him?

MAN:

(subtitled)

He’s the man in the house.

PHONG:

(subtitled)

Tao’s not a man.

(gestures)

Look at him in the kitchen,

washing dishes like a woman. Even

his sister gives him orders and he

obeys.

The CAMERA PANS TO the kitchen where TAO washes a pile of

dishes. An older relative drops dishes in the sink,

without acknowledging Tao’s presence. It’s clearly an

insult.

In the LIVING ROOM the Hmong “Soul Calling” ceremony

starts its next phase. An elder, the family SHAMAN, is

present and begins the ritual.

As the entire Hmong family gathers to watch. Tao slips

on his coat and goes out the back door.

13 EXT. TAO’S HOUSE -SAME TIME 13

Tao wobbles as he pedals his bike through the snow.

Tao passes Walt’s garage and is startled as Walt appears

from a shadow, JUMPER CABLES in his hands. They make eye

contact as Tao passes.

Walt spits in the snow and looks down at Daisy.

WALT:

I thought these zips were supposed

to be such hard workers. Christ,

I had my own car when I was his

age.

14 EXT. CONVENIENCE STORE -NIGHT 14

Tao exits the store, gets on his bike and rides off.

(CONTINUED)

11.

14 CONTINUED:

14

A few blocks away, Tao rides past a snowbank when -

WHAM! A HOCKEY STICK is thrown through the spokes of his

front wheel. Tao flies over the handlebars into the

snow.

A chorus of laughter is heard. Three LATINOS stand

around the stunned, prone Tao.

HEAD LATINO:

Whatta you gonna do, gook? You

gonna ‘Kung Fu’ us?

Tao just lies there as Latino #2 picks up his bike.

LATINO #2

Surprised it ain’t a girl’s bike.

The Latinos laugh. Tao remains on the ground.

HEAD LATINO:

You gonna get up or what?

Tao doesn’t move.

HEAD LATINO:

Tell you what, I’ll let you take

the first swing. You drop me and

you can have your bike back.

Tao smiles, he can’t help it.

HEAD LATINO:

What the f*** you smiling at,

gook?

Something funny?

He grabs Tao by the jacket and pulls him to his feet.

HEAD LATINO:

You better get the f*** outta

here, b*tch.

He pushes Tao backwards. Tao falls back into the snow.

This time Tao crab-walks back away from the Latinos.

The Latinos stroll away with Tao’s bike.

15

EXT. WALT’S HOUSE -SUNNY SPRING MORNING 15

SUPERIMPOSE:
THREE MONTHS LATER

Walt is going about the chores of spring cleaning.

(CONTINUED)

12.

15 CONTINUED:
15

Walt looks around with disdain at his neighbors’ houses.

Walt’s property is perfectly kept, whereas his neighbors’

houses are rundown.

Walt’s eyes linger on every defect, gutter hangs, ripped

screen doors, peeling paint. One neighbor has installed

a chicken coop.

Walt looks down at Daisy -

WALT:

Damn chinks let their yards go to

hell. Polarski would turn over in

his grave if he could see what

they did to his lawn.

Tao walks past. Walt watches him pass.

WALT:

I don’t know why these goddamned

slopes had to move to my block.

This used to be a nice

neighborhood.

16 EXT. TAO’S HOUSE -SAME TIME 16

Tao nods to an older woman rocking in a broken rocking

chair. PHONG nods back to Tao, then turns her evil eye

back on Walt, whom she’s been seething at all morning.

PHONG:

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