The Iron Giant

The Iron Giant

The Iron Giant is a 1999 Warner Bros. animated film directed by Brad Bird, based on the The Iron Man (1968) by Ted Hughes.

Year:
1999
6,051 Views

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.)

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)

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.

[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!

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]

[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.

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.


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