Gran Torino Page #5

WALT:

(mutters)

That’s right, ain’t she pretty.

Walt drops down heavily into an old lawn chair and pops

open a can of Pabst.

DISSOLVE TO:

28 EXT. WALT’S DRIVEWAY -EVENING 28

Dusk is falling. Walt finally gets up, folds up his lawn

chair and walks stiffly back into the garage.

Walt flips on the outdoor light, highlighting the Gran

Torino still sitting at an angle in the driveway. The

whole scene looks like a mid-sixties car ad in Popular

Mechanics.

Walt goes in the back door and a moment later the kitchen

light comes on. The Gran Torino remains in the driveway.

It’s a challenge, an invitation. Walt is daring the

thief to come back. And Walt’s ready this time.

29 EXT. WALT’S STREET - LATER THAT NIGHT 29

The tricked-out Honda drives up, but doesn’t stop at

Walt’s. It pulls up in front of Tao’s house. Tao and

Sue exchange looks out on the front step.

Smokie, Spider and two others get out, walking

confidently up the sidewalk towards them. They grin,

they’re cocky.

SPIDER:

Hey, cuz. What’s up?

TAO:

What are you doing here?

SPIDER:

Be happy. We’ve got good news.

(CONTINUED)

26.

29 CONTINUED:
29

SUE:

Oh really? What’s that?

SMOKIE:

We’re giving you another shot.

TAO:

I don’t think so.

SMOKIE:

You blew it the first time. We’ve

got another little inauguration

planned for you. This time

there’ll be no mistakes.

SUE:

Another big, tough gangbanger with

‘little-man’ complex.

Smokie leers at Sue. It makes her uncomfortable.

SMOKIE:

I got my eye on you too, little

girl.

SUE:

Whatever.

SMOKIE:

Come on, Tao. Let’s go.

Tao says nothing. He looks at the ground.

SPIDER:

He said, let’s go.

SMOKIE:

Come on, man. Nobody’s gonna get

hurt. We’ll take care of you.

SUE:

Don’t go, Tao.

SMOKIE:

You mind your own business, girl.

Two Hmong gangbangers grab Tao by the arms.

The front door swings open and there stands a glaring

Phong.

PHONG:

(subtitled)

Leave my grandson alone!

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

27.

29 CONTINUED:
(2) 29

PHONG (CONT'D)

I know what you are. Go away and

don’t come back.

SMOKIE:

That old woman’s got bigger balls

than you. You always let little

girls and old ladies fight for

you?

Tao tries to squirm away. Smokie grabs him by the hair

and opens his coat to reveal the PISTOL in his belt.

SMOKIE:

I’m not gonna say it again. Let’s

go. Now.

Tao is shoved towards the car.

Suddenly --Sue jumps on the back of one of the

gangbangers and knocks him to the ground. Tao breaks

free.

SUE:

Run, Tao, run!

Sue is slapped to the ground.

SUE:

RUN!!

Tao is tackled by Smokie and punched in the face. Tao’s

mother comes out the front door.

Smokie and Spider pull Tao towards the car as the other

gangbangers keep Mom, Grandma and Sue at bay.

A middle-aged Hmong Man from across the street comes into

the yard. All the gangbangers overreact and pull their

pistols. The middle-aged Hmong Man gets in Spider’s face

and is cracked across the jaw with a pistol barrel.

Tao back-pedals away from Spider and Smokie. It becomes

a pushing, rolling, surging melee.

This mess boils over and spills into Walt’s front yard.

30 EXT. WALT’S YARD -SAME TIME 30

The gangbangers, Tao, his mother, grandmother and Sue all

struggle on Walt’s painstakingly maintained lawn.

A ceramic Lawn Gnome is knocked over and breaks.

(CONTINUED)

28.

30 CONTINUED:
30

And before anyone can blink, WALT has the muzzle of his

big 30-06 M1 Garand Rifle pointing at Smokie’s face.

WALT:

Get off my lawn.

SMOKIE:

Listen, old man, you don’t want...

WALT:

I said get off my lawn. Now.

Walt’s calm demeanor is unnerving to the gangbangers.

The guns in their hands seem tiny compared to the big

military rifle Walt holds.

SMOKIE:

Are you f***ing crazy? Go back in

your house, old man.

WALT:

Get off my lawn.

SMOKIE:

I’m not f***ing around, Gramps.

Walt spits out the side of his mouth. He grins.

WALT:

Don’t think for a second I won’t

blow a big hole in your face and

it won’t bother me a bit, not any

more than if I shot a deer. Now

get off my goddamned lawn.

Two of the Hmong gangbangers take a step back. Walt

senses their fear. Only Smokie holds his ground.

WALT:

Believe me, kid, I’ll blow your

damn head off, go back to bed and

sleep like a baby. I couldn’t

care less.

SMOKIE:

I’m not gonna warn you again!

Walt laughs...

WALT:

You’re nothing to me. In Korea,

we stacked fucks like you five

feet high and used you as

sandbags.

(CONTINUED)

29.

30 CONTINUED:
(2) 30

Complete silence, there’s no sound anywhere in the

neighborhood. All eyes are on Walt.

Walt CLICKS OFF the safety on the M1 Garand Rifle.

Smokie and the gangbangers give Walt fierce looks, but

melt back towards their car.

As they get into the car --Smokie has to say something.

SMOKIE:

You better watch yourself, old

man.

The Honda screeches its tires and goes off down the

street.

Walt looks at Tao, Sue, Mom and Grandma who stand in

stunned silence in his front yard.

A PAUSE. Finally, Sue speaks up...

SUE:

Thank you.

Walt lowers his rifle and spits on the ground.

WALT:

I said get off my lawn.

31 INT. WALT’S HOUSE -NEXT MORNING 31

We hear a sound outside. Walt grabs his rifle, swings

open the front door and leads with the barrel.

CUT TO:

32 EXT. WALT’S FRONT PORCH - SAME TIME 32

Walt looks around and slowly lowers his rifle.

His front porch is covered with FLOWERS and FRUIT and

GIFTS of food. There must be a dozen different gifts

piled there.

Daisy comes out and stretches on the porch, before

putting her nose in a food basket.

WALT:

Bad dog. Bad deaf, dumb, blind

dog.

30.

33 EXT. WALT’S HOUSE -DAY 33

Walt carries three big bouquets of flowers to the trash.

He dumps them on top of other gifts he received from the

Hmongs. His garbage is overflowing.

Coming down the alley is another Hmong couple, they smile

carrying a basket filled with Asian vegetables.

Walt holds up his hand like a traffic cop.

WALT:

No. No more.

The Hmong couple nod, say something with a smile and turn

around.

NEXT DOOR:

Tao, his mother and Sue argue in the yard. They gesture

towards Walt’s house. The women buzz around Tao, all

speaking in his ear at the same time.

Phong yells at them from the porch, but they ignore her.

Walt watches as the mother and Sue march Tao towards his

house. Tao looks like a whipped dog.

WALT:

Why won’t these people leave me

alone?

Walt walks out to meet them at his property line and puts

up his hands, indicating they’ve come far enough.

Sue holds up a plant.

SUE:

We brought you some shallots to

plant in your garden.

WALT:

I don’t want them.

SUE:

They’re perennials, they come back

every year.

WALT:

No. You keep them. Why do you

people keep giving me all this

garbage?

Sue is a little taken aback.

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