The Iron Giant

In October of 1957, America had plenty to be worried about. Rock 'n' roll. Television. The bomb. And on the fourth day of that month, the Soviets successfully launched the first manmade satellite, Sputnik, into orbit. In the small town of Rockwell, Maine, Annie Hughes has her hands full looking after her nine-year-old son, Hogarth - headstrong and imaginative, always on the lookout for the latest attempted takeover by mutant aliens or subversive invaders. Then one night out in the woods Hogarth finds something huge ...

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INT. WOODS - DAY
The Giant and Hogarth sit facing each other, each staring at the other with curiosity.

HOGARTH
So... what are you?
The Giant tilts his head curiously but says nothing.

HOGARTH
Do you talk?
The Giant continues staring, puzzled.

HOGARTH (cont'd)
"Talk." You know, words? "Blah-blah- blah," like that. Can you do that --
"Blah-blah-blah?"
The Giant opens and closes his mouth in imitation of Hogarth. A series of deep metallic rumblings and clangings come out of his mouth.

HOGARTH
Well, you get the concept, anyway. But we need to work on your vocabulary.
Let's see. Hogarth looks around, sees a rock, and picks it up.

HOGARTH
See this? This is called a rock. "Rock." Try it. "Rooock."

GIANT
Kraaan-chunk.

HOGARTH
"Rooock."

GIANT
Kroooonk.

HOGARTH
(patiently)
Rock.

GIANT
Rog.

HOGARTH
Good! See? This is a... rock.
A look of dawning understanding comes over the Giant. He looks at the rock in Hogarth's hand.

GIANT
Rog.
He picks up a nearby boulder.

GIANT
Rog?

HOGARTH
Yes!
The Giant pulls a tree out of the ground.

GIANT
Rog!

HOGARTH
No, no. That is a tree. Tree. (POINTS AT ROCK) Rock. (POINTS AT TREE) Treeeee.
The Giant's mouth hangs open in awe.

GIANT
Rog... Treeee-(SOUND OF A TRUCK BEING CRUSHED IN A METAL COMPACTOR)

HOGARTH
Get it? Everything has a different name. Rock. Tree...
The giant's mouth hangs open in awe...

DISSOLVE TO:
SAME SHOT - HOURS LATER
A very tired Hogarth is still seated (uncomfortably now) in front of a still awe-struck Giant. The Giant picks up a piece of wood.

HOGARTH
(tired)
Branch.

GIANT
Braaannch.
The Giant picks up another piece of wood.

HOGARTH
Yeah, that's a branch, too.

GIANT
Braaannch.
(picks up a rock)
Rog?

HOGARTH
Look, we've pretty much covered everything in the forest. And if I don't
get home soon, mom's gonna wonder where I am. (gets on his feet)
You stay here, okay? I'll come back tomorrow.
Hogarth waves to the Giant and EXITS. Now Hogarth hears a BOOM behind him. He turns to see the Giant following him.

HOGARTH
And don't follow me, either.
The Giant continues following, happily.

HOGARTH (CONT'D)
I said don't. Don't follow me. Stay. Go home. I mean it!

EXT. RAILROAD TRACKS NEAR HOGARTH'S HOME - DAY
A fog is settling in, as Hogarth leaves the forest and crosses a set of railroad tracks. He points to the house at the bottom of the hill.

HOGARTH
Look. That's where I live, okay? I'm going there, and you're not, understand?
So goodbye. Hey...
He turns to see the Giant kneeling curiously beside the railroad tracks. He pokes at them.

GIANT
(HUNGRY SOUND)

HOGARTH
Hey, wait a minute--
Too late. The Giant bites down on the twin strands of railroad track and rips them loose like spaghetti.

HOGARTH
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!
The Giant freezes, puzzled, long strings of railroad track dangling from his month.

HOGARTH (cont'd)
Put them back!
Now the Giant looks confused and guilty. DING DING DING! The crossing signal blares, red lights flash. The Giant stares at the pretty lights, entranced.
Hogarth GASPS, looks down the tracks. He hears a distant whistle blow: WOO-WOOO.

HOGARTH (cont'd)
Oh no... .(HE RUNS TO THE GIANT) Put them back RIGHT NOW!!!
The Giant stares, puzzled. Hogarth GROANS, runs to a piece of track sticking up and pushes down on it with all his weight... it doesn't budge.

HOGARTH (cont'd)
Like this. Help me!
The Giant sees Hogarth struggling with the curled tracks, takes one index finger, and helpfully pushes on them: KA- BLAM! They're down.

HOGARTH (cont'd)
Good! That's it!
The Giant grunts, pleased with himself... Hogarth HEARS the train, close now. And then he sees-- the pieces of track don't meet up.

HOGARTH (cont'd)
Put them together! Like this!
Hogarth pantomimes. The Giant lines up one track--

HOGARTH
Now the other one... hurry!
-- then tries to line up the other side, but it's tricky, the two chewed-on rails stubbornly resist lining up. Finally, the giant gets them close.

HOGARTH
Good enough! Come on!
Hogarth takes off, racing like the wind to get out of there. He STOPS, looks back...
THE GIANT is still fussing with the tracks, trying to get them perfect.

HOGARTH
No! Come on! The train's coming!
The Giant is intent on his puzzle: CLICK. CLICK. Almost. Now we see the headlight of a big freight train coming out of the fog. The Giant continues to fuss.

HOGARTH
The train!

The Giant finally SNAPS the track into place. CLICK. He grins. A train whistle SHRIEKS! The startled Giant looks up as Hogarth hits the dirt and--
KA-BLOOM!

EXT. FOREST NEAR POWER STATION - CONTINUOUS
Kent examines the broken branches. Hears the BOOM of the train wreck.

RESUME TRAIN CROSSING - CONTINUOUS
Steam flies. The EXPLOSION dies away. Hogarth looks up.
The Giant is gone. The train, its front end smashed, coasts down the track, breaks squealing. Hogarth looks around... Then, THUMP! The Giant's head lands beside him.
An arm falls here, a leg there. A hand flies down the hill, toward Hogarth's house.

HOGARTH
Oh no...
Hogarth sees the giant lying around in big pieces. He touches the Giant's hand gently, a look of pain and sadness on his face.

HOGARTH
(WHIMPERS)
And then, behind him, the Giant's head, still attached to its torso, sits up. Hogarth YELPS. The Giant's eyes spark, flash and click on. He looks around, dazed, at his scattered parts.

HOGARTH
You're alive!
The torso has one leg and most of one arm attached. The other pieces seem to come alive and scamper around as if confused. An antenna rises out of the top of the Giant's head and begins to "signal". All the pieces SNAP to attention. They crawl toward the Giant, who gathers them up in his arm and looks at Hogarth, confused. Just then we hear voices coming from the fog.

VOICE
Hello? Is anyone out there? Are you alright?
Hogarth squints into the fog.

HOGARTH
The train Conductor. Oh, we're in trouble now...

HOGARTH
(turns to Giant)
Okay, look. I've changed my mind. You can follow me home.
He hurries off down the hill, with the one-legged Giant hopping along behind him.

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