Gran Torino Page #3

(subtitled)

Why doesn’t that stupid, hairy

white man move? He must be too

dumb to realize he’s not welcome

here. All the Mee-Khah left in

the neighborhood should just move

away. Look at him strut like a

rooster.

She sees Walt glance at her and spit. Phong glares back

and spits beetle juice, which has turned her teeth black.

17 INT. WALT’S HOUSE -DAY 17

Daisy snoozes next to the front door. The doorbell

rings; Daisy doesn’t even move. Walt walks to the front

door holding a roll of duct tape. The doorbell rings

again.

Walt looks down at Daisy -

(CONTINUED)

13.

17 CONTINUED:
17

WALT:

Jesus Christ, dog, have you gone

totally deaf?

Walt opens the door. Standing on his front step is

Father Janovich.

FATHER JANOVICH:

Hi there, Walt.

WALT:

Listen, son, you’re not my barber,

you’re not a friend, so why in the

hell do you think you can call me

Walt?

FATHER JANOVICH:

Sorry... Mr. Kowalski.

WALT:

So, what are you peddling now?

FATHER JANOVICH:

Oh, nothing. Thought I’d drop by

and see how you were doing.

Haven’t seen you in church in

awhile.

WALT:

Okay. You’ve done your good deed,

now why don’t you run along.

FATHER JANOVICH:

I’d really like to talk, Mr.

Kowalski.

WALT:

I don’t think so, kid. Sorry.

FATHER JANOVICH:

Why? Do you have a problem with

me, Mr. Kowalski?

WALT:

You don’t want to know.

FATHER JANOVICH:

No, I do.

WALT:

The problem is I think you’re an

overeducated, 27-year-old virgin

who holds the hands of

superstitious old women and

promises them eternity.

(CONTINUED)

14.

17 CONTINUED:
(2) 17

Walt shuts the front door in Father Janovich’s face.

18 EXT. STREET -DAY 18

Tao walks down the street, his head in a book. He

finally realizes there’s a blue Chevy following slowly

behind him.

The blue Chevy is now parallel with Tao and keeps pace

with his step. Tao looks over to the occupants of the

Chevy.

It’s two LATINOS. Tao quickens his pace, but the Chevy

easily keeps up with Tao.

LATINO DRIVER:

Is you a boy or a girl, I can’t

tell?

LATINO #2

What you reading, gook, Jackass

And The Rice Stalk?

Tao laughs, but keeps walking.

LATINO DRIVER:

That’s right, you keep walking.

F***ing slopes everywhere you

look, man. Why gooks come up in

here and f*** up our neighborhood?

Down the street --is a suped-up HONDA CIVIC with a big

SPOILER on the back. Inside are five Hmong gangbangers.

The Hmong gangbangers notice Tao being followed by the

or what?

Latinos.

Tao.

SPIDER, the driver, squints and then points at

SPIDER:

Dude, that’s my little cousin,

Tao.

SMOKIE:

You sure about that, Spider?

SPIDER:

I’m sure. Do we do something...

Smokie is the gang leader. He looks at Tao for a second.

SMOKIE:

Your cousin tight with anyone?

(CONTINUED)

15.

18 CONTINUED:
18

SPIDER:

No, he flies solo, Smokie.

SMOKIE:

Okay. Let’s go help out our

little cousin.

Smokie nods to Spider, they roar up and stop right across

from Tao and the Latinos’ car.

SMOKIE:

You better not be giving my bro

here a hard time or you’re gonna

wish you never been born.

LATINO DRIVER:

Oh goody, more Rice N*ggers.

The Latino Driver smiles and flashes a PISTOL.

A Hmong kid in the back seat opens the door and displays

a sub-machine gun. The Latinos are way out-gunned.

LATINO #2

F***ing Viet Cong swamp rats. Go

back to your f***ing rice paddy.

The Latinos screech their tires and are gone. The Hmongs

in the car smile and congratulate themselves.

Tao simply keeps walking down the street!

SMOKIE:

Where the f*** does he think he’s

going? Turn us around and go

after that cousin of yours.

They swing a U-turn and pull up to Tao, keeping pace with

him as he walks.

SPIDER:

Hey, cuz, slow down, where you

going? You should really think

about hanging with us, man. If we

all stick together, sh*t like that

won’t happen, with those Spicks.

Tao nods as he walks, but doesn’t answer.

SPIDER:

You can’t be such a little girl.

You join up with us, we’ll keep

you out of trouble, cuz.

(CONTINUED)

16.

18 CONTINUED:
(2) 18

Tao looks at the sub-machine gun cradled by the Hmong

gangbanger in the back seat.

Smokie takes this all in. He looks down the street and

sees that in a half block, Tao will have to pass a group

of Latino gangbanger types.

SMOKIE:

You think about it and we’ll see

you tomorrow.

19 EXT. TAO’S HOUSE -DAY 19

Tao digs in the garden. Tao’s younger sister SUE sits

and reads JANE magazine on the porch.

The tricked-out Honda with Blue Neon lights pulls up.

Spider, Smokie and two other Hmong gangbangers get out.

SPIDER:

Hey, cuz. Hey, Sue.

SUE:

What do you want?

SPIDER:

Came to talk to my cousin Tao.

Smokie looks over to Sue.

SMOKIE:

Spider, who’s the other cousin?

SUE laughs at the name “Spider.” Sue is seventeen, has

long straight hair with red highlights.

SUE:

‘Spider’? Is that what he just

called you, Fong?

SPIDER:

This is my little cousin, Sue.

Smokie takes off his sunglasses and smiles at Sue.

SMOKIE:

Hey, Sue... how old are you, girl?

SUE:

Mentally, I’m way too old for you.

I’m going inside.

(CONTINUED)

17.

19 CONTINUED:
19

SPIDER:

That’s right, go inside while the

men talk.

SUE:

Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m

doing, Fong.

Sue rolls her eyes and goes inside. Smokie stares at

Tao.

SPIDER:

You think about what we talked

about?

A PAUSE. Smokie watches Tao carefully, offers him a

cigarette. Tao shakes his head “no” and looks at the

ground.

SMOKIE:

That’s exactly the point, Tao.

Spider told me how everyone thinks

you’re a pushover, how everybody

walks all over you and sh*t. I

mean, look at you, out here

working in the garden like a

woman.

Tao nods silently, but still looks at the ground.

SMOKIE:

It ain’t no big thing. You just

need a little guidance.

Tao looks up at Smokie. Tao looks a little skeptical.

SMOKIE:

It’s true, man. Sh*t, I used to

be kind of a quiet little punk

like you, everybody f***ing with

me. But finally I said ‘no more.’

You, you’re lucky, Tao, we got

your back. Me? I didn’t have

nobody. Had to mold my own tribe.

SPIDER:

Smokie’s right. We’re family,

right? You with us or what?

SMOKIE:

I swear, brother, we’re the best

friends you’ll ever have. And

anyone fucks with you, they’re

f***ed.

(CONTINUED)

18.

19 CONTINUED:
(2) 19

SPIDER:

Come on, man.

Tao clears his throat and speaks for the first time.

TAO:

What do I have to do?

Smokie points to Walt’s open garage.

SMOKIE:

Spider mentioned that neighbor of

yours.

CUT TO:

INT. GARAGE

ZOOM IN -- There it sits with the tarp rolled back,

Walt’s gorgeous, shining GRAN TORINO.

SMOKIE (O.S.)

Now that’s a car.

SPIDER (O.S.)

Sh*t ya. 1972 Gran Torino

fastback. Cobra jet engine.

Mint.

Next to the garage, Walt is bent over planting tomatoes.

Walt notices the Hmong punks looking at him.

20 INT. VFW 20

Walt sits at the bar in the VFW (Veterans of Foreign

Wars) drinking with the old buddies and cracking off-

color jokes.

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