The Iron Giant

The Iron Giant:
Souls don't die.

The Iron Giant:
I am not a gun.

The Iron Giant:
No Atomo... I Superman.

The Iron Giant:
I fix.

The Iron Giant:
Hogarth, you stay. I go. No following.

Hogarth Hughes:
My own giant robot. I am now the luckiest kid in America!

Hogarth Hughes:
It's bad to kill. Guns kill. And you don't have to be a gun. You are what you choose to be. You choose. Choose.

Kent Mansley:
Two nights ago, at approximately 1900 hours, S.A.T com radar detected an unidentified flying object entering Earth's atmosphere, losing contact with it two-and-a-half miles off the coast of Rockwell. Some assumed it was a large meteor, or a downed satellite, but my office in Washington received a call from someone reporting an actual encounter with the object. This is no meteor, gentlemen! This is something much more serious.

Kent Mansley:
LAUNCH THE MISSILE NOW!!!!

Kent Mansley:
No, Marv. Big things happen in big places, and the sooner I file my report, the sooner I can get back to them.

Kent Mansley:
Biggest thing in this town is probably the homecoming queen... (sees his passenger seat, chomped up) ...oh, my GOD!!! [jumps out of the car]

Dean McCoppin:
Sorry about the crowbar, kid. You'd be surprised how many people want to steal scrap. But, man, once I make it into art, I can't give it away. I mean, what am I? A junkman who makes art or an artist who sells junk? You tell me.

Dean McCoppin:
(to Hogarth) This is espresso. It's like Coffee-zilla.

Dean McCoppin:
(to the Giant) There are two kinds of metal in this yard: (points to scrap pile) Scrap (points to metal art pieces) and Art. If you're going to eat one of them, eat the scrap. What you currently have, IN YOUR MOUTH, is ART!

Dean McCoppin:
(to Hogarth, about the bullies at his school) Who cares what those creeps think? They don't decide who you are, you do. You are who you choose to be.

Dean McCoppin:
This rich cat, some industrialist, wanted him for the lobby of his company. He whipped out his checkbook right on the spot. I said, "Hey, you got him for the rest of your life. But what, I gotta let go the moment I give birth?" I mean, come on! Give me some time to cut the umbilical, man.

Dean McCoppin:
This can't last forever, Hogarth. We gotta tell somebody about it.

Dean McCoppin:
I'd like to apologize everyone and pay an advance for this! (unzips his pants, Hogarth's pet squirrel comes flying out of his pants, and wrecks havoc in the diner.)

General Rogard:
Go to Code Red! Repeat, Code Red!

General Rogard:
[furious with Mansley] YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH HARDWARE I BROUGHT OUT HERE?! YOU JUST BLEW MILLIONS OF UNCLE SAM'S DOLLARS OUT OF YOUR BUTT!!!

General Rogard:
[The Giant was hit] Good call, Mansley. [Speaks on comunicator] Secure the area. Lets find out what this thing is and who sent it.

Class Film:
(the film begins) A very peaceful, stay-at-home kind of day in a town very much like your own. But then, suddenly, without warning...(the bomb in the film explodes in a similar way to the nukes of Soviet Union and the bomb Little Boy which destroyed Hiroshima) ATOMIC HOLOCAUST!!

Class Film:
[Singing] Time to Duck and Cover. The bombs are coming down. A radiation shower will pour throughout your town. Hands up your head, keep low to the ground. Time to Duck and Cover. The bombs are coming down. Duck and Cover. Duck and Cover. Get under the desk with your sister and your brother. Duck and Cover. Duck and Cover. That goes double for your dad and your mother. So, hands over your head, keep low to the ground. 'Cause all the kids who don't will cease to be around.

Hogarth Hughes:
Hey, Mom! You won't believe our good luck. Guess what I found?

Annie Hughes:
Hogarth, we've been through this before. No pets.

Hogarth Hughes:
But he's not a pet, Mom. He's a friend.

Annie Hughes:
Hogarth, we've got to rent a room this year if we're gonna make ends meet, and no one wants to live in a place with shredded upholstery.

Hogarth Hughes:
You'll never know he's there. I'll keep him in a cage...

Annie Hughes:
...until you feel sorry for him and set him free... in the house. You remember the raccoon, Hogarth? [Shudders] I remember the raccoon.

Hogarth:
[to the Giant] Do you talk? You know, words, "Blah, blah, blah" like that? Can you do that? Blah, blah, blah.

The Giant:
[in a rusty voice] Blah, blah, blah.

(Mansley is talking to a construction worker about the power surge)

Kent Mansley:
Frankly, I'm not entitled to reveal the specifics of the division I work for, and all of that implies...

Marv:
Do you mean...national security?

Kent Mansley:
Let's put it this way. Every once in a while, things happen that just can't be rationalized in a conventional way. But the people want to know that their government has a response. I am that response.

(Mansley is on the phone with the general.)

General Rogard:
Damn it Mansley, you call me at home for this?

Kent Mansley:
You don't understand, sir. It-it-it it-it ate my car.

General Rogard:
And you saw this happen?

Kent Mansley:
No, I didn't actually see it... It ran off...into the woods.

General Rogard:
So you don't have any evidence?

Kent Mansley:
But sir, I've got an eyewitness.

General Rogard:
An eyewitness with a concussion.

Kent Mansley:
Sir, this thing... (Lowers his voice) ...this thing is a menace. It tore up a power station. And caused a train wreck!

General Rogard:
What did? Tell me again Mansley, and this time, listen to yourself.

Kent Mansley:
(sighs) A giant...metal...monster.

(Hysterical laughter on the other end. Mansley turns around a kitchen mitt that seems to mock him.)

Kent Mansley:
Please, sir. I've got a feeling about this one.

General Rogard:
That's lovely, Kent. But let me try to explain how this works: If you told me you found, say...ah, a giant footprint, I might send over a expert to make a plaster cast of it. @#!*% , you get me a photograph of this thing and I could probably get some troops over there! But you tell me you have a feeling...

Kent Mansley:
All right, then fine. You want evidence? I'll get you evidence. And when I do, I'm gonna want a memo distributed.

General Rogard:
That's just swell, Kent.

Kent Mansley:
(yelling) I'm gonna want that memo carbon COPIED AND RE-DISTRIBUTED AND-!...

(Rogard hangs up)

Hogarth Hughes:
See this? This is called a rock. Rock.

The Iron Giant:
Rock.

Hogarth Hughes:
Good.

The Iron Giant:
[picks up a boulder] Rock?

Hogarth Hughes:
Yes.

The Iron Giant:
[picks up a tree] Rock!

Hogarth Hughes:
No, no. That is a tree. [points to boulder] Rock... [points to tree] tree. Get it?

The Iron Giant:
[looks at boulder] Rock... [looks at tree] tree.

Hogarth Hughes:
That's right

[After Dean gets washed into the street by a lake's tidal wave the Giant created]

Man:
[in truck] Hey!

Dean:
[clearly annoyed] Yeah?

Man:
You're right in the middle of the road!

Dean:
YEAH?

Man:
Alright... [drives away]

Dean:
I think that's enough fun for one day.

Hogarth:
[has just had espresso with Dean, and is not used to its effects] So she moved me up a grade because I wasn't fitting in, so now I'm even more not fitting in. I was getting good grades, you know, like all A's. So my mom says, "You need stimulation" and I go, "No, I'm stimulated enough right now."

Dean:
That's for sure.

Hogarth:
So she says, "Uh-uh. You don't have a challenge. You need a challenge." So now I'm challenged, all right. I'm challenged enough to hold on to my lunch money because all the big mooses want to pound me because I'm a shrimpy dork who thinks he's smarter than them. But I don't think I'm really smarter, I just do the stupid homework. If everyone else just did the stupid homework, they could move up a grade and get pounded too. Is there any more coffee?

Dean McCoppin:
(sees the Giant eating some metal junk and shakes with fear as he is about to take a sip of his coffee) So... where'd he come from?

Hogarth Hughes:
He doesn't remember. He's like a... little kid.

Dean McCoppin:
Little... yeah... (starts chuckling, then stops) Wait a minute. You can talk to him?

Hogarth Hughes:
Kinda. He can't say a lot of words yet, but he understand things pretty good.

Dean McCoppin:
Oh yeah, I see.

(Hogarth and Dean start chuckling as the Giant is still eating some metal junk, then they stop)

Hogarth Hughes:
He needs food and shelter. (Dean gets up from his chair, pours his coffee onto the ground, and walks back into his "office", slamming the door. 37 minutes later, Hogarth is still pleading to Dean to let the Giant stay in the junkyard, but to no avail.) You got plenty of room here. This place is perfect!

Dean McCoppin:
Go away.

Hogarth Hughes:
I can have him push the door down. You know I can!

Dean McCoppin:
(finally tired of Hogarth's pleading; opens the door) Hogarth! I can't hide it here!

Hogarth Hughes:
Him, not it.

Dean McCoppin:
Whatever. You don't even know where he came from or what the hell he is!

Hogarth Hughes:
He's my friend.

Dean McCoppin:
Yeah, yeah. What am I? Am I your friend? (starts walking back in to his office) Bring some frankenbot with out-of-state plates over here and make me change my tune. I don't like that jazz. (lays down on his couch) God, I'm tired.

Hogarth Hughes:
So... he can stay?

Dean McCoppin:
Tonight. Tomorrow... well, I don't know about tomorrow.

(Hogarth closes the door and breathes a sigh of relief)

Hogarth Hughes:
First, you take a chocolate bar. Any bar'll do. Do you mind if I...?

Kent Mansley:
No, knock yourself out, skipper.

Hogarth Hughes:
[crumbles up coca-lax] You crumble up the chocolate into little pieces. [stirs the ice cream] Then you kind of just stir it into the ice cream. See?

Kent Mansley:
Yes, I see. What do you call this again?

Hogarth Hughes:
Landslide. It's new. Very new. [drops the coca-lax wrapper in the garbage.]

Kent Mansley:
Mmmm. Landslide. Topnotch. Mmmm. [while Hogarth makes himself a Landslide with a chocolate bar] You know, Hogarth, we live in a strange and wondrous time: the Atomic Age. But there's a dark side to progress, Hogarth. Ever hear of Sputnik?

Hogarth Hughes:
Yeah, first satellite in space.

Kent Mansley:
Foreign satellite, Hogarth, and all that implies. Even now it orbits overhead - Boop! Boop! - watching us. We can't see it but it's there, much like that giant thing in the woods. We don't know what it is or what it can do. I don't feel safe, Hogarth. Do you?

Hogarth Hughes:
What are you talking about?

Kent Mansley:
What am I talking about? (loses patience) What am I talking about?! I'm talking about your goddarned security, Hogarth! While you're snoozing in your widdle jammies, back in Washington we're wide awake and worried! Why? Because everyone wants what we have, Hogarth! Everyone! You think this metal man is fun, but who built it? The Russians? The Chinese? Martians? Canadians? I don't care! All I know is we didn't build it, and that's reason enough to assume the worst and blow it to kingdom come! Now, you are going to tell me about this thing, you are going to lead me to it, and we are going to destroy it before it destroys us! (his stomach begins to rumble) Hold that thought and stay right there!

(Kent rushes to the restroom. As soon as he's gone, Hogarth rushes out the door.)

Hogarth:
[sees the Giant, looking upset about the deer, which was shot] I know you feel bad about the deer. But it's not your fault. Things die. It's part of life. It's bad to kill, but it's not bad to die.

Giant:
You...die?

Hogarth:
Well...yes, someday.

Giant:
I die?

Hogarth:
I don't know. You're made of metal...but you have feelings. And you think about things. And that means you have a soul, and souls don't die.

Giant:
Soul?

Hogarth:
Mom says it's something inside of all good things...and that it goes on forever and ever. [Hogarth leaves. The Iron Giant lays back to look at the stars]

Giant:
Souls don't die.

Kent Mansley:
(interrogates Hogarth in the barn) You're late for dinner, Hogarth. (Hogarth tries to escape from the barn but Kent locks the door and stops him) Your mom's working late tonight, Hogarth. So it's just us guys. And we're gonna have a little chat. Sit down! (shoves Hogarth onto a chair and shines a bright light on him) How's that? A little too bright? Good. Forgive me, Hogarth. I wanted you to learn something.

Hogarth Hughes:
What can I learn from you?

Kent Mansley:
You can learn this, Hogarth: that I can do anything I want whenever I want if I feel it's in the people's best interest. The giant metal man... where is it?

Hogarth Hughes:
I don't know what you're talking about.

Kent Mansley:
You don't? Well... (tosses him his pictures, first one of the piece of metal that Hogarth lured the giant with) Does this ring a bell? (Hogarth doesn't answer) No? (tosses him the picture Hogarth accidentally took of himself - with the Giant behind him) How about this? You've been careless, Hogarth.

Hogarth Hughes:
It doesn't prove anything!

Kent Mansley:
It's enough to get the Army here with one phone call.

Hogarth Hughes:
Then what's stopping you?

Kent Mansley:
(Angrily) Where's the Giant?! (grabs Hogarth by the jaw) You can't protect him, Hogarth - any more than you can... protect your mother.

Hogarth Hughes:
(worried) My mom?

Kent Mansley:
(lets go of Hogarth's jaw and sighs) It's difficult to raise a boy all alone. We can make it more difficult. In fact, we can make it so difficult that it would be irresponsible for us to leave you in her care. And all of that implies... you'll be taken away from her, Hogarth.

Hogarth Hughes:
You can't do that!

Kent Mansley:
Oh, we can... and we will.

Hogarth Hughes:
(sees that there is now no other alternative and looks down in defeat) He's in the junkyard. McCoppin's Scrap, off Culver Road.

Kent Mansley:
The junkyard. Of course! Food for the metal eater. I wouldn't worry about this, Hogarth. It isn't really happening. This is only... a bad dream.

(Kent stuffs Hogarth with chloroform, knocking him out, and leaving him unconscious)

Annie Hughes:
For some reason the army is in our front yard, Mr. Mansley.

Kent:
Please, call me Kent.

General Rogard:
(furious with Mansley) You'll be chief inspector of subway toilets by the time I'm finished with you! Now pack up. I'll expect you back in Washington to clear out your office.

Kent Mansley:
Yes, sir.

Hogarth Hughes:
Bye, Kent, and all that implies.

General Rogard:
That missile is targeted to the Giant's current position! Where's the Giant, Mansley?!

Kent Mansley:
[Upon realizing the Giant is right above them] Ooh... We can duck and cover! There's a fallout shelter right there-

General Rogard:
[Angrily] There's no way to survive this, you idiot!

Kent Mansley:
You mean we're all going to...

General Rogard:
To die, Mansley. For our country.

Kent Mansley:
Screw our country! I wanna live! [He attempts to escape Rockwell to save himself but is stopped by the Giant. The troops surround Kent and hold him at gunpoint to arrest him.]

General Rogard:
[to the troops] Hold him men, make sure he stays there. Like a good soldier.

Kent Mansley:
Thanks for letting me use your phone, Mrs....

Annie Hughes:
Hughes. Annie Hughes and this is my son, Hogarth.

Kent Mansley:
Thank you, Annie. Hobart.

Hogarth Hughes:
That's Hogarth!

Kent Mansley:
[starts the car] Hogarth? That's an embarrassing name. They might as well call him Zeppo or something. [after thanking Hogarth's family] What kind of sick person would name a kid Hogar-?

[stops and looks over to Hogarth's smashed B-B gun. It reads part of Hogarth's name:
Hog- Hug-]

Kent Mansley:
Hog Hug. Hog Hug? Hogarth Hughes!

[stops the car he was driving]

[the door knocks]

Hogarth Hughes:
[opens the door for Mr. Mansley] Kent Mansley. You work for the government.

Kent Mansley:
I wasn't gonna say that. I have something for you, Hogarth. [hands out Hogarth's B-B gun]

Annie Hughes:
Your B-B gun. Where did you find that?

Kent Mansley:
Up at the power station.

Annie Hughes:
Hogarth was out there the other night.

Kent Mansley:
Really? See anything unusual, Hogarth?

Hogarth Hughes:
No thing...unusual, really?

Hogarth:
Giant?

[the Giant looks down to Hogarth]

Giant:
Hogarth. You stay. I go. No following.

[the Giant faces the missile]

Hogarth:
I love you.

(As the Giant is about to sacrifice itself to save the town)

Hogarth:
[voice over] You are who you choose to be.

The Giant:
[last words] Superman.

[The atomic bomb hits the Giant, killing him.]

Annie Hughes:
Would you say Grace, please?

Hogarth Hughes:
[rolls his eyes, then sees the Giant's hand walking through his kitchen] Oh, my God! [his mother looks up at him] Uhh, Oh my God...We, uh...thank you for the...food that Mom has put in front of us and- STOP! ...Uh, uh- the devil! From doing bad things. And uh- get out of here! Uh...Satan? Go! Go...so that we may live in peace. Amen.

Annie Hughes:
Amen. That was...really unusual, Hogarth.

Hogarth Hughes:
[Sees the screw knocking on his bedroom window and Hogarth opens the window to release the screw after remembering the Giant can fix himself and is not dead] See ya later!

Dean:
[To Hogarth] I'm gonna have some coffee. What do you want, some milk, or what? Milk?

Hogarth:
Coffee's fine. [Dean gives Hogarth the look] I drink it. I'm hip.

Dean:
I don't know. This is espresso, you know? It's like coffee-zilla.

Hogarth:
I said, I'm hip.

[first lines]

Earl Stutz:
Mayday, mayday. This is the Trawler Annabelle. I've lost my bearings, and I'm taking on water. My last good reading is 44 degrees north, 68 degrees-- [he notices a comet crash-landing in the distance; loses grip on radio.]

Voice On Radio:
Portland Station to Annabelle. What is your current position?

Earl Stutz:
[grabbing the radio to reply] I don't know exactly, Portland; Off the coast somewhere near Rockwell! Wait. The lighthouse! I see it!

Kent:
Kent Mansley, United States Government, Unexplained Phenomena Department.

Marv:
Marv Loach. I--

Kent:
What happened here?

Marv:
Not sure. Sometimes, the line'll snap if the weather is bad, sure. [Marv and Kent walk through the wreckage of the power station where Kent makes a report] But, for a whole tower to get twisted up like that, whoa! It's got me beat. It's almost like it was bitten off, by some enormous beast.

Kent:
[writing the notes down] "Enormous Beast." Yeah. What do you think, escaped gorilla?

Marv:
Uh, what department is that again?

Kent:
Frankly, I'm not at liberty to reveal the particulars of the agency I work for, and all that that implies.

Marv:
[whispers] You mean, uh, National Security?

Kent:
[chuckles] Let's put it this way. Every once in a while, things happen that just can't be rationalized in a conventional way. People want to know that their government has a response. I am that response. So, were there any witnesses?

Marv:
Well, sir, if you'll just follow me. [Kent follows Marv to his truck. Marv opens his truck and takes out what's left of Hogarth's BB Gun.] We did find this. [Kent examines the damaged BB Gun] United States Government, huh? Guess that means something big's happenin' here, eh?

Kent:
No, Marv. Big things happen in big places. And the sooner I fill out my report, the sooner I can get back to them. [he walks away with the BB Gun; to himself] Enormous beast, yeah. [he chuckles as he enters his car] Biggest thing in this town is probably the homecoming queen. [Kent notices his car has a chunk bitten out] OH, MY GOD! [He jumps out, terrified, and his fedora falls off. He then quickly runs back to the power station. Afterwards, Giant's arm emerges from the trees. Kent is escorting Marv to his car.] Come on, Marv, come on. I need a witness.

Marv:
Okay, I'm comin', I'm comin'.

Kent:
It's around the corner. Come on, pick up the pace here.

Marv:
Don't pull so hard, Mr. Manley, easy on the work shirt.

Kent:
[panicking] You've never seen anything like it. It's like a big, big chomp out of the side of the car.

Marv:
Take it easy.

Kent:
It's like a bite out of a ham sandwich, like a-- [he becomes shocked to see his car is gone, and his fedora and the BB gun remains; gasps in shock]

Marv:
[confused] What, um-- What are we looking at here, Mr. Manley?

Kent:
Something big, Marv. [he picks up the damaged BB gun] Something big.

Hogarth:
[after seeing Giant; calmly] So, I guess you're not gonna hurt me, huh? [Giant holds his hand out as Hogarth cringes and gasps. He reveals the shut-off switch that lands on the ground; surprised] The shut-off switch. [to Giant] You saw me save you. [Giant looks at him innocently] So... where... are you from? You came from the sky, right? From up there? [Giant looks up] Don't you remember anything? Hmm, maybe it's that bump from your head. [Giant places his finger on his head, feeling the dent.] Do you talk? You know words? "Blah, blah, blah," like that? Can you do that? Blah, blah, blah?

Giant:
[in a rusty voice] Blah, blah, blah.

Hogarth:
Well... you get the idea anyway. [picks up a rock] See this? This is called a rock. Rock.

Giant:
Rock!

Hogarth:
Good.

Giant:
[picks up a boulder] Rock?

Hogarth:
Yes!

Giant:
[picks up a tree] Rock!

Hogarth:
No, no. That is a tree. [points to boulder] Rock... [points to tree] ...tree. Get it?

Giant:
[looks at boulder] Rock. [looks at tree] Tree.

Hogarth:
That's right! [to himself] Wow, my own giant robot, I am now the luckiest kid in America! This is unbelievable. This is the greatest discovery since, I don't know, television or something. I gotta tell someone. I should call some-- No. They'll panic. [to Giant] People will always wig out and start shooting when they see something big like you.

Giant:
[confused] Hmm?

Hogarth:
Wig out. It means crazy. You know like, uh-- [makes a crazy face and babbles; Giant mimics him] No, no! Don't do that! That's the kind of stuff that makes them shoot at you.

Maine Man:
Here we go.

Maine Man #2:
I've got it.

[Hogarth opens the door and sees Kent Mansley.]

Kent:
Hey there, scout. Kent Mansley. I work for the government. [Hogarth quickly closes the door and he gasps]

Annie:
Hogarth? [Kent knocks and rings the doorbell] Hogarth? [Hogarth opens the door]

Kent:
Hey there, scout. Kent Mansley. [smile disappears] Work for the government. Your parents home?

Hogarth:
We're eating.

Kent:
Mmm, boy.

Annie:
Who's there, honey?

Kent:
[stares at Annie's chest; huskily] Well, hello there. [clears throat and regains composure] Do you have a telephone I could use?

Annie:
Yes, there's one in the kitchen.

Kent:
Well, thank you. Thank you very much. [to Hogarth] Here. [puts his fedora on Hogarth's head] Pretend you're a gangster. [chuckles]

[Kent calls General Rogard's home phone number. The general picks up while watching a western on TV.]

General Rogard:
[annoyed] Damn it, Mansley, you called me at home for this?

Kent:
You don't understand, sir. It-it-it-- It ate my car!

General Rogard:
And you saw this happen?

Kent:
No, I didn't actually see it. It went off into the... woods.

General Rogard:
So, you don't have any evidence.

Kent:
But-But sir, I've got an eyewitness!

General Rogard:
An eyewitness with a concussion.

Kent:
[shouts] This thing i--! [covers his mouth and lowers his voice] This thing is a menace. It-It-It-It tore up a power station and-- [phone falls, and he picks up] --and caused a train wreck!

General Rogard:
What did? Tell me again, Mansley, and this time, listen to yourself.

Kent:
[sighs; wearily] A giant metal monster. [Rogard guffaws on the other end. Kent turns around a kitchen mitt that seems to mock him.] Please, sir. I've got a feeling about this one.

General Rogard:
That's lovely, Kent. But let me try to explain how this works: If you told me you'd found, say, um, a giant footprint, I might send over an expert to make a plaster cast of it. Hell, you get me a photograph of this thing and I could probably get some troops over there! But you tell me you've got a feeling.

Kent:
All right, then fine. You want evidence? I'll get you evidence, and when I do, I'm gonna want a memo distributed.

General Rogard:
[dryly] That sounds swell, Kent.

Kent:
I'm gonna want that memo carbon-copied, and redistributed, [Rogard hangs up.] and-- [Kent stops, and tries to hang up the phone, which falls off the receiver, twice; he gets angry, yelling incoherently and bangs the phone against the receiver several times, then composes himself.] Hi. Thanks for the use of your phone. [goes outside the door and puts his fedora back on.] Well, thank you for the use of your phone, Mrs.--?

Annie:
Hughes. Annie Hughes. And this is my son, Hogarth.

Kent:
Thank you, Annie. Hobart.

Hogarth:
That's Hogarth! [grumbles irritably]

[Kent gets into his government-issue car and starts driving.]

Kent:
"Hogarth"? What an embarrassing name. Might as well call him Zeppo or something. What kind of a sick person would name their kid Hogar--? [stops and looks over to Hogarth's smashed B-B gun which says "Hog Hug," instead of "Hogarth Hughes." ] "Hog Hug". "HOG HUG"?! [realizes] HOGARTH HUGHES!

Annie:
Hogarth? What is going on up there? Are you all right?

Hogarth:
I'm fine!

Kent:
You know, this sort of thing is why it's so important to really chew your food.

[Annie turns and gives Kent a dirty look.]

Hogarth:
[he has just had espresso with Dean, and is not used to its effects] So, she moved me up a grade because I wasn't fitting in, so now I'm even more not fitting in. I was getting good grades, you know, like all A's. So my mom says, "You need stimulation" and I go, "No, I'm stimulated enough right now."

Dean:
That's for sure.

Hogarth:
So she says, "Uh-uh. You don't have a challenge. You need a challenge." So now I'm challenged, all right. I'm challenged to hold on to my lunch money because of all the big mooses who want to pound me, because I'm a shrimpy dork who thinks he's smarter than them. But I don't think I'm smarter, I just do the stupid homework. If everyone else just did the stupid homework, they could move up a grade and get pounded too. Is there any more coffee?

Dean:
Look, it's really none of my business, kid, but who cares what those creeps think, you know? They don't decide who you are, you do. You are who you choose to be. [a crashing sound is heard from outside; shocked] Did you hear that?

Hogarth:
No, wait. Stop! [Dean comes out of his home with a crowbar in his hand, he looks around. Then, he turns around and suddenly caught sight of Giant on the other side of his warehouse.] It's okay.

Dean:
[alarmed] My God...

Hogarth:
He isn't gonna--

Dean:
[panicking; grabs Hogarth] RUN, KID! RUN! [they run off, Dean's voice attracts Giant's attention and he jumps up angrily. The Giant lands in front of them, they run the opposite way]

Hogarth:
It's okay, he isn't-- [he gets cut off when Giant slams his hand in their way. They turn around and they trip] It's okay, he isn't gonna hurt me.

[Suddenly, Giant grabs hold of Dean by the collar of his night robe]

Dean:
Whoa! Hey, hey! [he gasps when the Giant raises him high]

Hogarth:
Don't squash him! No, don't! Do not... [Giant narrows his eyes at Dean, then he looks at Hogarth, confused] [softly] ...squash him. His name is Dean. We like Dean. [Giant draws his attention back to Dean, but he doesn't narrow his eyes]

Giant:
Dean. [Dean gasps, and cowers in fear]

Dean:
[sees Giant eating some metal junk and shakes with fear as he is about to take a sip of his coffee] So...where'd, uh-- Where'd he come from?

Hogarth:
He doesn't remember. He's like a... little kid.

Dean:
Little. Yeah. [starts chuckling, then stops] Wait a minute. You can talk to him?

Hogarth:
Kinda. He can't say a lot of words yet, but he understand things pretty good.

Dean:
Oh, yeah, I see.

[Hogarth and Dean start chuckling as the Giant is still eating some metal junk, then they stop]

Hogarth:
He needs food and shelter. [Dean gets up from his chair, pours his coffee onto the ground, and walks back into his office, shutting the door. 37 minutes later, Hogarth is still pleading to Dean to let Giant stay in the junkyard, but to no avail.] You got plenty of room here. This place is perfect!

Dean:
Go away.

Hogarth:
I can have him push the door down. You know I can!

Dean:
[opens the door] Hogarth, I-I-I can't hide it here!

Hogarth:
Him. Not it.

Dean:
Whatever. You don't even know where he came from, or-or-or what the hell he is!

Hogarth:
He's my friend.

Dean:
Yeah, yeah. What am I? Am I your friend? [starts walking back into his office] Bring some Franken-bot with out-of-state plates over here and make me change my tune. I don't like that jazz. [lays down on his couch] God, I'm tired.

Hogarth:
So, he can stay?

Dean:
Tonight. Tomorrow-- I-I don't know about tomorrow.

[Hogarth closes the door and breathes a sigh of relief]

Kent:
Hey, mind if I ask you a few questions there, buckaroo? Now, why would you tell your mom about a giant robot, slugger? So, what'd you see at the power station, huh, tiger? Tell anyone else about this, buddy? How big is this thing, Ranger? Been in the forest lately, Junior? Hey, where you goin'? Champ? Slugger? Hey, Cowboy, where you goin'? Where you goin'?

Hogarth:
[exasperated] I'M GOIN' OUT! [takes his jacket]

Annie:
Well, why don't you take Mr. Mansley with you, show him the sights?

Hogarth:
Oh, Mom, the sights?

Kent:
[puts his fedora on] Hey, I'd love that. Give us a chance to get acquainted, swap some stories. Huh, chief?

Dean:
There are two kinds of metal in this yard: Scrap and art. If you gotta eat one of them, eat the scrap. What you currently have IN YOUR MOUTH IS ART!

Giant:
[takes the art scrap out of his mouth] Hmm. Art?

[Dean looks at him, annoyed. Giant mashes up the scrap some more, trying to repair it.]

Dean:
Forget it. Forget it. [Giant puts down the damaged art scrap on the ground.] It's gone. It's-- [Dean notices the readjustment of the art scrap and is amazed] Hmm. That's not bad.

Dean:
[sets up his chair] This can't last forever, Hogarth. We gotta tell somebody about him.

Hogarth:
Ah, you worry too much. [climbs up the rock boulder] Hey, Dean! Watch this!

Dean:
[sits down on his chair] All right, we're watchin', we're watchin'.

Hogarth:
This one's for professionals only! [jumps in the lake] Banzai! [Giant looks down at Hogarth in the lake. Hogarth emerges from the water, shivering] C-C-Come on in! Th-Th-The water's great!

Dean:
[chuckles] No, thanks.

Hogarth:
You w-weenie! [to Giant] Come on in! It's really, really refreshing. [Giant walks away] What? You too? You... big baby! [hears running footsteps approaching and Dean also hears the footsteps while reading the newspaper.]

Giant:
[jumps] Banzai! [lands in the water and does a giant splash. Dean, who is reading his newspaper, notices the wave approaches, he hides behind his newspaper. The wave lands on the road and Dean gets all wet. Hogarth is hanging from a tree as he laughs.]

Hogarth:
Whoo!

[Dean is on the washed road as a truck approaches him.]

Truck Driver:
Hey!

Dean:
Yeah?

Truck Driver:
You're right in the middle of the road!

Dean:
Yeah?

Truck Driver:
All right. [drives away]

Dean:
I think that's enough fun for one day.

[Kent is in the bathroom with red lighting at Hogarth's house. He hangs the drying photos from Hogarth's camera then he hears knocking.]

Annie:
Are you okay in there, Mr. Mansley? I'm back with that toilet paper you needed.

Kent:
[chuckles] Thanks! I think I'm feeling better now. Much. [sees the photo of Hogarth and Giant] Much better.

[Hogarth and Giant are in the woods. Giant sighs happily at the beauty of the vast forest.]

Hogarth:
It's beautiful, huh? [sees a deer] Hey, look. [quietly] It's a deer.

Giant:
Deer?

Hogarth:
Shh! Let's get closer. [The Giant walks quietly to the deer. The deer sees the Giant and Hogarth. The Giant kneels down holding out his finger Hogarth and Giant smiles as the deer curiously sniffs Giant's finger. Then the deer hears a twig snap and it leaves.] Hmm, well I guess he decided to-- [suddenly, a gunshot is heard and birds fly past them, the Giant is shocked, and sees hunters kneeling over the deer they just shot as they turn to see the Giant.]

Hunter:
[alarmed] It's the monster! [they both drop their guns and run into the woods]

Hogarth:
[shocked] Oh, no. [Giant sees the deer is dead, and slowly reaches his finger down touching it, to no avail] It's dead.

Giant:
[sadly] Dead? [he tries to pick up the dead deer]

Hogarth:
Don't do that!

Giant:
[lets go of the dead deer; to Hogarth, confused] W-- Why?

Hogarth:
It's dead. Understand? They... shot it, with that gun. [Giant sees the gun his eyes narrow and turn red] Hey, what's wrong?

Giant:
[snaps out of it] Gun.

Hogarth:
Yes. Guns kill.

Giant:
Guns kill.

[Later that night, Giant and Hogarth are at the junkyard. Giant feels very sad about the deer. Hogarth walks up to him.]

Hogarth:
I know you feel bad about the deer. But's it not your fault. Things die. It's part of life. It's bad to kill. But it's not bad to die.

Giant:
You die?

Hogarth:
Well... yes, someday.

Giant:
I die?

Hogarth:
I don't know, You're made of metal...but you have feelings. And you think about things. And that means you have a soul. And souls don't die.

Giant:
Soul?

Hogarth:
Mom says it's something inside of all good things... and that it goes on forever and ever. [pats Giant's face and walks away. Giant lies on the scraps and he looks up at the night sky.]

Giant:
Souls don't die.

Dean:
Get back!

[The Giant looks at Dean in confusion]

Dean:
I said Get back! I mean it!

Giant:
No, stop! Why?

Hogarth:
It was an accident. He's our friend.

Dean:
[to Hogarth] He's a piece of hardware, Hogarth. Why do you think the army was here? He's a weapon. A big gun that walks!

Giant:
I... I... I'm not a gun.

Dean:
Yeah, what's that? Huh? [points at a school bus that was left in the hole by the Giant's Eye Gun] You almost did that to Hogarth!

Giant:
[sees hole in bus; shocked] No. [he runs away as it begins to snow]

Hogarth:
Come back! [runs to follow Giant]

Dean:
Hogarth. Hey, stop!

Hogarth:
Giant! Come back!

Dean:
[picks up Hogarth's toy gun; realizing] It was defensive. He reacted to the gun. [Hogarth continues running on the road and Dean arrives on his motorcycle.] You're not gonna get there fast enough on foot. [Hogarth smiles then he hops on]

General Rogard:
[takes radio from a soldier frozen with fear] All battleships fire at the robot! Now! NOW, DAMN IT, NOW!

[The battleships offshore fire on the Giant, drawing its' attention away from the army and it begins marching toward the shore to confront the new threat]

General Rogard:
Nothing can stop this thing; We've hit it with everything we've got!

Mansley:
Not everything, General; the bomb. [Rogard removes his glasses and stares in shock] The Nautilus has first-strike capability, and is not far offshore.

General Rogard:
You scare me, Mansley. You want us to bomb ourselves in order to kill it?!

Mansley:
General, the Giant seems to follow whatever attacks it. We can lure it away from the town, then destroy it.

General Rogard:
[to one of his soldiers] Radio the Nautilus. Tell them to target the robot and await my command.

George:
This is Nautilus. What's the Giant's current position?

Rick:
[through radio] 67.71972 degrees west by 44.50177 degrees north.

Robert:
Locked and loaded.

Annie:
[caressing Hogarth] Oh, my baby, I'm so sorry.

Hogarth:
[regains consciousness; to Dean] Stop the car.

Annie:
[surprised] Hogarth! Oh, my God! Honey, you're all right!

Hogarth:
Go back! We've gotta help him!

Dean:
Are you crazy, kid? You're lucky to be alive. We're taking you to a hospital. [sees the Army; stops truck.]

Rick:
Everyone, out of the car! We are to evacuate the area. [pulling Dean of out the truck]

Dean:
What are you talking about? We gotta get this boy to a hospital.

Rick:
What boy?

Dean:
[sees the truck is empty; alarmed] Hogarth!

[Hogarth runs up to Giant as Dean and Annie look on.]

Annie:
[worried] Hogarth, no!

[Giant targets the battleship as Hogarth arrives to stop him.]

Hogarth:
Hey! No! STOP!

[Giant turns to Hogarth and he shoots to sky, narrowly missing the battleship, as the army reacts in shock. Kent looks at General Rogard.]

General Rogard:
[to Nautilus, through radio] This is General Rogard. Ready the attack and prepare to retreat to the fallback position.

Annie:
No! No! Stop! My son is out there!

[camera cuts to Hogarth as Giant points his weapon at him.]

Hogarth:
No, wait! It's me, Hogarth. Remember? It's bad to kill. Guns kill. And you don't have to be a gun. You are what you choose to be. You choose. [braces for impact] Choose.

Giant:
[his eyes return to normal] Hogarth. [returns to his normal form, feeling regretful, as he moans.]

Hogarth:
It's okay, It's okay. We gotta show them you're good.

[Giant turns around, and the camera cuts to inside the Nautilus submarine.]

John:
Nautilus to Rogard. Missile armed and ready.

General Rogard:
What are you saying? He's friendly?

Dean:
Yes! Attacking him is triggering a defense mechanism.

Kent:
Don't listen, General! Destroy the monster while we still have the chance!

[soldiers arm their rifles, after hear the Giant's footsteps]

Dean:
General, you shoot now, and the whole thing starts all over again!

Kent:
Stop it now, General! Our future's at stake!

Rick:
Orders, sir?

Dean:
Which is why you have got to stop, General!

Rick:
[alarmed] It's getting closer! Orders, sir?!

Hogarth:
Don't shoot! Don't shoot!

Annie:
Hogarth!

General Rogard:
Hold your fire! The boy's alive?

Kent:
It's a trick; Launch the missile!

General Rogard:
Are you mad, Mansley? All units, stand down! Rogard to Nautilus. Come in, Nautilus.

[Giant angrily stares at Kent for knocking Hogarth unconscious, and Kent is alarmed]

John:
[through radio] This is Nautilus, standing by.

Kent:
[snatches radio; screaming] LAUNCH THE MISSILE NOW!

[Nautilus captain pushes the red button, launching the missile up to the sky.]

General Rogard:
[grabs Kent by his trench coat] [angrily] That missile is TARGETED TO THE GIANT'S CURRENT POSITION! WHERE'S THE GIANT, MANSLEY?!

Kent:
[sees the Giant holding Hogarth in his hands standing behind him] Wha--? Ohhhh....W-W-We can duck and cover! There's a fallout shelter right there. If we hur--

General Rogard:
There's no way to survive this, YOU IDIOT!

Kent:
[shocked] You mean... we're all going to--?

General Rogard:
To die, Mansley. For our country.

Kent:
[his last words; alarmed] Screw our country, I wanna live! [shoves a soldier out of a jeep and starts to drive away, but the Giant stops him by blocking his jeep with his hand.]

General Rogard:
Hold him, men. [Soldiers aim their rifles at Kent.] Make sure he stays here, like a good soldier.

[an air raid siren goes off and the crowd gets worried and scared. Giant puts Hogarth down then he walks up to Annie and hugs her.]

Hogarth:
[shocked] Oh, no. [looks to where the missile is heading.]

Giant:
Hmm.

Hogarth:
It's the missile. When it comes down, everyone will die. [Annie places her hand on Hogarth's shoulder.]

Man:
There it is! [the crowd sees the missile up in the sky as Giant looks at it then he looks to crowd knowing that the missile will kill everyone, and bravely looks at the missile.]

Annie:
Shouldn't we get to a shelter?

Dean:
[shaking his head] It wouldn't matter.

Giant:
I fix. [Hogarth feels surprised and he walks up to Giant.]

Hogarth:
Giant? [Giant kneels down and gently places his finger at him.]

Giant:
Hogarth. You stay. I go. [gently lifts Hogarth's chin, and sadly waves his other finger] No following. [backs slowly]

Hogarth:
[softly] I love you.

[The Giant takes off as Hogarth looks on and Annie comforts him. As the missile starts to descend, the Giant flies up into outer space, aiming himself towards it, to save the town.]

Hogarth:
[through memory] You are who you choose to be.

Giant:
[last word; heroically] Superman...

[The Giant closes his eyes and flies straight into the missile, which explodes in a massive atomic fireball, as Annie, Dean and Hogarth shield their eyes from the blinding light. The townspeople and soldiers cheer as Rogard solemnly removes his helmet in respect for the Giant's sacrifice]

General Rogard:
[solemnly] Let's go home.

[last line]

Hogarth:
See you later.

[The jawbolt rolls away as the camera pans up to the sky then the camera changes to Langjokull Glacier, Iceland. Giant's parts go toward Giant as the camera pans to the Giant's face. He opens his eyes and smiles, then the movie cuts to black, and then the credits roll.]

Earl Stutz:
I'm telling the truth, dang it! It came from outer space. I saw it! And it was headed toward land. I called the government in Washington. Maybe it was a sputnik, or... or an invader from Mars. That's what it is, an invader from Mars! It was a spaceship of some kind. An unidentified flying object...

Man:
Unidentified? Knowing you, Earl, I'd say it was either whiskey or beer.

[others laugh]

Dean:
Hey! I saw it too.

Man:
I rest my case.

[others laugh]

Hogarth:
I believe you. What if it is Sputnik, or a flying saucer from Mars? I bet we could find it.

Dean:
Sorry, kid. I didn't really see anything. But if we don't stick up for the kooks, who will?

Annie:
[before Hogarth is about to hang up] And Hogarth, no scary movies, no late snacks, in bed by 8:00. Got it?

Hogarth:
Come on, Mom. It's me, remember?

[Later that night, Hogarth is watching a black and white movie on TV. The clock reads "9:
05"]

Man:
Why, the porpoise can communicate telepathically, Miss Melon. [Hogarth fills the twinkie with whipped cream and eats it] If we can transplant at least 15% of their brain matter into ours we may be able to read minds. [brain is on the floor] Darn, a perfectly good brain wasted. [to Miss Melon leaving the lab] I think you've seen enough. How about a nightcap? Let's say my place.

Hogarth:
[rolling his eyes] Oh, sheesh.

Miss Melon:
[chuckling] I was thinking the same thing. Mind reader.

Man:
[realizing] Darn, I seem to have left my keys in the lab. [Hogarth eats popcorn, and the man goes back to the lab to get his keys he tries to turn on the light] Hmm. [the brain moves slowly on the floor]

Hogarth:
[mouthful] You're gonna get it.

[The man picks up his keys and hears shattering noises as Hogarth hears something]

Man:
Who's there?

[Hogarth goes upstairs and carries his toy gun]

Man:
[frightened] No, no, no! [Hogarth quickly goes downstairs and sees the brain monster attacks the man on TV but suddenly the TV goes static]

Hogarth:
[annoyed] Aw, come on! [he smacks the TV trying to make it work but no effect] Stupid antenna.

[Hogarth opens the door and sees Kent Mansley.]

Kent:
Hey there, scout. Kent Mansley. I work for the government. [Hogarth quickly closes the door and he gasps]

Annie:
Hogarth? [Kent knocks and rings the doorbell] Hogarth? [Hogarth opens the door]

Kent:
Hey there, scout. Kent Mansley. [smile disappears] Work for the government. Your parents home?

Hogarth:
We're eating.

Kent:
Mmm, boy.

Annie:
Who's there, honey?

Kent:
[stares at Annie's chest; huskily] Well, hello there. [clears throat and regains composure] Do you have a telephone I could use?

Annie:
Yes, there's one in the kitchen.

Kent:
Well, thank you. Thank you very much. [to Hogarth] Here. [puts his fedora on Hogarth's head] Pretend you're a gangster. [chuckles]

[Kent calls General Rogard's home phone number.]

Dean:
[to Kent as he approaches him] Kent, he only reacts defensively. If you don't shoot, he's harmless. You gotta tell the general!

Kent:
This is all your fault, beatnik. If you hadn't…

Dean:
[interrupting] Shut up and listen! You gotta make them stop! The Giant's got the kid with him!

Kent:
I'll take care of it.