i'm tao, i live next door.
do you have jumper cables? my uncle's car is old and.
what do i have to do? smokie points to walt's open garage.
no way. no fucking way. leave me alone! smokie, spider and the other gangbanger grab tao.
he shot at me! i'm out! i'm out!!! tao squirms out of smokie's grasp. smokie yells at tao as he runs away.
what are you doing here?
i don't think so.
i'm sorry.
for trying to steal your car. walt's eyes go wide in recognition. he turns white with rage.
it's tao.
it's tao, not toad. my name is tao.
you don't know what you're talking about.
who?
you mean wa xam? walt takes a long swig off his drink and nods.
come on, sue. if he doesn't want to, let's just go. sue and vu yell at tao to shut up at the same time; sue in english, vu in hmong.
like what?
i don't know.
count the birds?
yes, i can count.
you want me to do that?
why not?
but you've got me just standing here. what am i supposed to be doing, anyway?
what do you have for me today? you want me to watch paint dry or maybe count the clouds that pass by?
go ahead. i don't care if you insult me and say racist things. i'll take it.
look, i'm stuck here. why don't you give me something useful to do.
it's my last day, whatta you want me to do?
what?
what now?
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.
what do you know about faucets? walt stares at him for a second and then laughs.
what?
man, where did you get all this stuff?
all the tools and stuff.
yeah, yeah, yeah, that's not what i meant. there's just so much shit packed in here.
okay, what's this? tao points to a tool.
i can't afford to buy all this stuff.
yeah, but.
okay. cool. walt coughs and covers his mouth. both tao and walt see the spot of blood in his hand.
what's with that?
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.
a gang. hmong gangbangers.
they wanted to take me away because i blew my first initiation.
i don't know. they were persuasive. my cousin's in the gang. they just talked me into it i guess.
let me take the top.
no really, i'll take the top. it looks pretty heavy.
if you don't let me take the top, i ain't helping. i'll go home.
you listen, old man. you came and got me because you needed help, so let me help you. either it's top or i'm out of here. walt studies tao for a second. tao doesn't blink, he holds his ground. walt nods, trying not to grin.
don't give me any ideas.
that thing weighs a ton.
what are you going to do with it?
how much?
twenty-five? you just said sixty?
you know, the hmong consider gardening to be women's work.
funny. walt lights a cigarette.
you should quit those. it's bad for you.
seriously, you should quit, i saw you cough up blood.
i don't know.
of course i have.
sorry.
i was thinking about sales, maybe.
does he do well?
you made cars?
wow, that's cool.
does your son come over much?
kinda.
school costs money.
maybe you could just pay me.
what kind of job could i get?
like what?
me? construction? what, do you have alzheimer's or something?
you said yourself i'm worthless and i have soft little girl hands.
man me up?
sure.
they do?
come on, walt.
wus up, you old italian prick? the barber levels a sawed-off shotgun at tao.
but.  but that's what you said. that's what you said men say.
what should i have said?
yeah, but i don't have a job or a car or a girlfriend. walt and the barber laugh.
excuse me, sir, i need a haircut, if you ain't too busy.  you italian son-of-a-bitch prick barber.
boy does my ass hurt from all the guys at my construction job. walt and the barber laugh harder.
yeah, yeah.
yes, i'll do my best.
no, i'm good. i'm totally into this.
cool.
yes, sir.
you bet.
not at the moment. i'm taking the bus for now.
my headgasket cracked and the goddamned prick at the shop wants to bend me over for $2100.
goddamned thieves. it ain't right.
thanks, mr. kennedy. tim kennedy shakes tao's hand.
tao.
what are we doing?
i can't afford any of this.
cool. walt pitches a hardware pouch at tao.
not to bitch, but won't i be needing some tools?
i appreciate all this.
no, i really do. thank you. walt sticks out his jaw and looks tao straight in the eye. tao doesn't know what to expect. a pause. walt puts out his hand to tao. tao extends his and they shake hands. it's really quite a moment for both of them.
what now?
i'm getting home from work, not that you guys would know much about that.
come on, what do you guys want with me?
you can't just leave me alone?
keep your hands off my stuff.
hey, i gotta run.
busy. walt squints at tao. he steps closer. tao looks away. walt tilts tao's head up, he sees the burn.
don't worry about it.
i said don't worry about it. it's not your problem. walt looks at the ground and spits.
couple days ago. grabbed me after i got off the bus coming home from work.
i did everything i could possibly do. they broke some of your tools. i'll replace them.
no, walt, i can manage. i don't want you doing anything. walt is angry, but eventually nods at tao.
i could use a roofing hammer.
funny. walt pops open a beer and grabs an appetizer that vu made.
and it's a little unnerving if you ask me.
it never ends.
like what? take a limo? walt nods towards the gran torino.
the gran torino? you'd let me drive it?
really? walt smiles.
what.  what is it?
is everybody else okay?
it's a miracle no one was killed.
she went to our aunt's.
what?
maybe one of her friends called and she just changed plans. walt sips the rice liquor. walt now speaks quietly to tao.
what are you doing?
thinking time is over. now it's time to knock the ass out of those pricks.
what?!
no. don't let me down, walt. not you. this is going to end, today. walt stands up and pulls out a chair for tao to sit in.
i don't want to sit.
i say we go now. right now.
okay. tao storms out the back door. walt pours more coffee.
which one do i get?
no. tao aims the rifle at an imaginary target.
what?
why?
the hell we won't. we're going to roll in there and tear ass.
how many?
how many men did you kill in korea?
what was it like to kill a man?
why not?
what the hell are you doing?! let me out of here, you goddamned son- of-a-bitch!!
you let me out, you crazy old fuck, or i will kill you when i get out of here. tao pounds on the door. walt pounds back with a strength and authority which startles tao.
no! let me out!! tao pounds on the door.
i'm down here! let me out!! she unlocks the cellar door. tao comes out in a rage.
goddamn it!
he left without me!
he went to smokie's without me. tao takes the stairs two steps at a time.
leave me alone.
oh god! no!!
what happened?
he was a friend of mine.
what happened, man? the hmong police officer looks at the white police officer and then to tao.
	137:
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.
what about tao?
what about him?
he's the man in the house.
tao's not a man.
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.
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.
that's right, ain't she pretty. walt drops down heavily into an old lawn chair and pops open a can of pabst.
leave my grandson alone!
thank you, karen.
you, get out. out of our house! what is he doing here? walt cringes at her presence.
why is this white man in our home? a man like him brings nothing, nothing but sorrow and death. several relatives usher phong away from walt. the relatives are embarrassed at the outburst.
okay, just put them on the porch. but that's it. no more.
till next friday. walt laughs out loud. it makes tao cringe.
tell him sometime after lunch.
our downstairs one died. walt thinks for a second.
yeah, i know.
i'd love to, walt, but he beat you to it.
you're an evil man. i've seen your kind before. back home, white soldiers came to our villages and filled our young men's minds with ideas of glory. then you'd lead them away to their deaths. walt, of course, has no idea what she said.
who was that? where are you going? you tell me what's going on?! sue squirms away from phong and runs outside. on her way over to walt's house, she sees daisy leashed to phong's chair. it scares sue even more.
what a goddamned mess. you slopes should be ashamed of yourselves.
please, man, it's important. he's my friend. tell me what happened?
the old guy reaches for a lighter and they gunned him down. the gang said the old guy was here to kill them, but he didn't have a weapon.
what's going to happen?
we actually have witnesses for once. these guys are going away big time. the white officer yells at the hmong officer.