Gleaming the Cube (1989) - full transcript
Brian's adopted brother is killed when he discovers that the shop he works in sends weapons to Vietnam instead of medications. To the police it looks like suicide, but Brian knows better so he skates off to investigate the murder himself.
* janes house: gleaming the cube
* lt's that point of no return
where you can take yourself
* when you reach deep down inside
and make it shine
* lt sets you apart from everybody else...
coming through!
* y ou can do what they say just can't be done
* time after time after time after time
* gleaming
* gleaming the cube
* going higher and faster
than anyone's ever been before
* gleaming
* gleaming the cube
* y ou're the best, you're on it
* nothing can stop you now
* dig deep, get down
* cut loose and strut your stuff
* take it forward, yes
* and bring it on
* y eah! get tight, get right
* lt's gonna come down to the facts
* y ou gotta finish what you started
* even if you have to go it alone
* gleaming
* gleaming the cube
* going higher and faster
than anyone's ever been before...
hey! what is this?
we've been waiting 40 minutes.
for what? l told you last time
it was the last time.
that's mean. l hear it's pretty
expensive to get a pilot's licence.
about $80 an hour?
we're all here to subsidise you, man.
l told you, no more.
didn't you get the message?
l didn't get no message. what message?
my machine must be broken, all right?
look, man...
tell me you can really
afford to pass this up, all right?
all right.
but l'm only taking one of you.
- now, watch it.
- killer.
l shouldn't be doing this. why am l doing this?
y ou're right.
l'd never give myself a lift, either.
(boys singing)
check it out. there's my mom's house,
my dad's house.
- hey, there's my pizza hut.
- quiet down. l can't hear the radio.
empty pool, two o'clock. cross street?
uh... culver and alton.
(cheering)
lt's no good. there's a foot of water
down the deep end.
oh, shit! look at that!
- no!
- that's valhalla, the one with the pool guard.
- there's too many workmen down there.
- who cares?
- james, get us over to garden grove.
- james?
y eah, please. that's what most drivers
are called, right?
- y eah? well, not this driver.
- bingo! that's it, right there.
y eah! let it rip!
- gleam the cube, buddy.
- y eah!
very nice!
- love that rock.
- rip it up. lt's so rad.
- y eah, brian!
- rip it up, brian.
y eah! whoa!
- oh!
- whoo!
that was nice.
y eah, sam. rip it up.
- come on. y eah!
- go for it, pal.
l'm on it.
hey, y abbo.
all right!
- whoa!
- oh, jesus christ!
- slam time.
- slammed pretty hard right there.
- a refinishing job like this costs $2200.
- what do you want me to do?
l gotta have the whole pool refinished again,
have it acid-washed, drained,
just because these kids come in here.
don't smear the blood around.
take your shoes off. l don't want scuff marks.
y ou're in trouble.
we have a homeowners' association up here.
- l was just having fun, ok?
- fun? that's what you say, fun?
- detective mcgill.
- l'm glad you're here, detective.
can l sue them? can l sue his family?
l wanna know. l can sue their fathers?
- let me get some details.
- can they sue us?
- who are these people?
- my neighbours. come on, move it!
- they think it's a block party.
- was there any damage done besides...
- hey, get down.
- what?
down. get down.
pool owner: l'm getting a pit bull.
- ok.
y ou guys, this was a dumb move.
or maybe you've figured that out already.
come on, man. we don't need a lecture.
aren't you supposed to read us
our rights or something, huh?
- have it your way. what is that?
- what?
- smart ass.
- shit.
- car's out front.
- don't call my mom, please.
- get these guys outta here.
- attention! sieg heil!
uh-oh.
the skateboard stays in the garage.
- lt's not gonna shit on the rug.
- smart guy. what do you want from us?
to be like you? y ou think maybe
if l had your haircut l could sell more policies?
lf l had your mouth,
l could close a deal every day.
let's just go inside, please. thank you.
mother: we're home.
- y ou all right?
- y eah, l'm all right.
he's in real trouble
if he's arrested again.
and l'm not gonna be there
to help him next time.
oh, come on. give him a break.
given him too many.
listen, l'm hungry.
anybody wanna help me with dinner?
(rock music on headphones)
* l?m skating down the street, you see,
and l run into a pop bottle
* l fell over and broke my leg
* but that?s ok...
jesus! chill out, man.
- what the hell... ?
- asshole.
asshole?
l take it back. y ou're a sloppy asshole.
well, you know what they say. lt's a dirty job.
they love you, you know.
they don't know what to think of me.
hey.
y ou moved.
all right, it's my turn.
y eah, but it was a good move.
jesus christ.
look, everyone knows
you're the hero around here.
will you be quiet? l am trying to concentrate.
oh, my god.
(knocking)
- hi.
- hi.
just let me get my jacket.
- hi, brian.
- hi.
(turns music back on)
see you.
* ..have a kid and die!
* that?s it! that?s it!
* can you believe it? that?s all he wants to do
* that?s his whole life
my life is more than that
* l wanna do the x-plan, the eternal x-plan...
* right now! right now!
l'll see you guys. bye-bye.
- whoa!
- get out of the way.
- y ou left this at home.
- shit.
- geometry.
- l fixed a couple of the answers.
y ou did ok. lf you put some effort
into it, you might even pass without me.
all right, man.
all right, you owe me one.
by the way, brian, l always forget
which one of you guys is adopted.
y eah, that's really funny, y abbo.
y ou're hysterical, man.
k elly, come over here.
my friend wants to meet you.
he doesn't believe your name is k elly.
look, not today, ok, bobby? l'm late.
don't worry, k elly. the colonel loves you.
oh, no fresh vegetables. lt takes three weeks
for the boat to reach vietnam.
we are just sending medical supplies.
(speaks vietnamese)
say hello to the family, please.
- tina, put mr phong on the guest list.
- ok.
y ou're late, vinh. very unusual.
sorry, sir.
l got stuck on a calculus problem.
no problem.
l'll take it out of your pay cheque.
daddy.
get to work.
- colonel trac.
- did you finish already?
there's something wrong with the
shipping weight of the last container.
most of the items seem too heavy.
500lb for a crate of cotton balls?
colonel: so how long have you been
an expert in medical supplies?
but, sir, there's a half a million
dollars involved.
well, let's just say
l think somebody may be ripping us off.
who?
westpac medical supply is the distributor
and they have been handling all the shipping.
nonsense. l'm sure this is just a clerical error.
maybe.
l know.
l?ll go double-check the last few shipments.
wait.
y ou've been working here for two weeks
now, and you're doing a good job.
but l cannot have you spending time
on shipments that have been paid for
and dispatched with no complaints.
maybe l need an experienced person
to finish the job, ok?
mother: hi.
- hi.
- oh, honey. let me see that.
- what?
- l bet you got that skating.
- l didn't notice.
l wouldn't worry
if you'd buy some new safety pads
or one of those helmets
l see the boys wearing.
- they're all pretty expensive, mom.
- l know, but...you're worth it.
- oh, no way!
- y eah, yeah.
these are the most expensive.
well, l shouldn't tell you this,
but l love to watch you skating.
- y ou do?
- y ou know how clumsy l am.
l can't believe a son of mine is so graceful.
- y eah.
- well, sometimes he's graceful.
oh, man. when did you start smoking?
shut the door.
- they don't know you smoke yet?
- l just started.
that shit'll give you cancer, man.
l'm in trouble.
what? y ou got a b plus in calculus?
y ou think you're pretty smart.
y ou think l'm an asshole.
y ou think l just kiss up to mom and dad
and pay the rent with good behaviour.
all right, look, l'm gonna step outside
and l'm gonna come back in.
what do you say we start over, huh?
(knocking)
hey, vinhski. why the long face, pal?
- maybe you and your friends are right.
- we are?
y ou don't trust adults at all, do you?
here's what l think.
- adults are predictable.
- don't count on it.
y eah? they're living under this illusion
that life as we know it
is gonna continue for ever.
so they expect you to behave
as though what you do today
is gonna have an effect
on where you'll be in 30 years.
l mean, it's ridiculous to think there's
gonna be anything in 30 years, you know?
l don't know what's worse, you know?
being blown up in a nuclear war
or having a 7-eleven on every corner.
and what if the world doesn't blow up?
then where are you gonna be?
l don't know.
y ou're still mad
because they adopted me, huh?
come on, man. look, it's been 1 1 years,
all right? y ou're not my problem.
- what happened at work today?
- why today?
cos you weren't like this yesterday.
come on, man. what happened?
one minute l thought l was doing
something right and the next minute...
maybe l'm not the one who screwed up.
l know l got those figures right.
what figures?
just forget it. y ou just wouldn't understand.
vlnh: police?
owner.
- want to tell us something now?
- there's nothing to tell.
- who are you really working for?
- l told you.
- (speaks vietnamese)
- no vietnamese, goddamn it.
- what did you say?
- he's a communist sympathiser.
he's a kid, for christ's sake.
now, who did you tell about those containers?
tell what?
don't you lie to me. who did you tell?
(knocking)
the kid says he works for you.
he told you the truth.
what have you got him there for?
maybe l should have brought him to your place?
very well. l'll talk to him.
he's an honest boy. he's no threat.
lt's just an unfortunate misunderstanding.
oh, bullshit. l tie him up and l bring him here.
y ou don't think he's gonna tell someone?
then l'll explain everything to him.
he will understand.
l hope you're right about that, colonel.
after you. come on.
- (speaks vietnamese)
- (colonel speaks vietnamese)
l don't know what happened.
l've done this before. l never killed anyone.
- lt's been done to me. l'm still alive.
(colonel speaks vietnamese)
he's dead.
jesus.
(knocking)
housekeeping.
housekeeping.
(train's hooter)
(screams)
l don't know. like l said, l think
it was 1 2 o'clock, maybe a little after,
l rented a room to this chinese kid.
- next thing l know...
- this kid's vietnamese.
- well, they all look alike.
- no, they don't.
don't mind mr pr. look, did you notice
anything unusual about the way he acted?
shit. kids didn't kill themselves
when l was going to high school.
what the hell's going on, lucero?
huh. what do l know?
ls there any sign of drugs?
no, nothing immediate.
which one of you knows the family?
y eah, ok. l'll make the call.
come on, what is this?
l haven't done anything.
l think you should talk to your father.
come on.
what?
what? what?
no!
let us pray. o lord, hear our prayer,
in which we humbly ask of your mercy,
that you will give your servant vinh,
whom you have commanded
to leave this world,
a place in the land of light and peace
and bid that he be made
a companion of your saints,
through christ, our lord, amen.
prlest: may he rest in peace. amen.
- y o.
- hey, brian. see you at the ramp.
excuse me. could you translate some
of this for me? l don't read vietnamese.
no, you don't know. great.
- sir, do you read...
- what about this, then?
- l don't know. l don't know.
- y ou don't know. no. ok. great.
y eah, yeah.
can you translate some of this for me?
(speaks vietnamese)
thanks.
uh...excuse me. can you read me some of this?
(speaks vietnamese)
- drugs.
- drugs?
y eah. see here? they're drug supplies.
- (speaks vietnamese)
- maybe drugs.
- where did you get this?
- l found it.
thanks.
(speaks vietnamese)
(speaks vietnamese)
(horns blare)
hey, jerk! get outta here!
(horn blares)
sorry. hi. l gotta ask you a question.
lost and found is in the main office.
no, um...
- lt's about the kid who killed himself.
- what about him?
could you tell me who found him?
maybe l found him. what do you care?
- he was my brother.
- do you think l'm blind or stupid?
a boy died.
lt's nothing to joke about.
y eah, you just be there, both of you.
l'm gonna go right now. y es.
* khanh ha: nowhere to run
(sung in vietnamese)
- what's going on here, bobby?
- not bobby. nguyen. nguyen.
l'm sorry. nguyen.
look, let's start from the beginning.
who's been asking about us?
$50,000 and a plane ticket to bangkok
and then l tell you.
- (speaks vietnamese)
- english, goddamn it. speak english.
- l told him not to be stupid.
- l'm not stupid. lt's my insurance.
(music ends)
l?ll get you to bangkok but that?s it.
y ou can forget about the $50,000.
bobb y: a plane ticket is easy.
l want the money.
don't give me a jerk-off hand job!
* khanh ha: never can say goodbye
(sung in vietnamese)
(gunshot)
y ou handle guns very well.
what was l supposed to do, let him shoot me?
y ou were a soldier.
y ou've done your share of killing.
lt was in defence of my country. this is different.
- how is it different?
- this is murder.
lt was an accident.
put your mind at rest. l'll handle this.
no.
l know his father. l'll handle it.
(music stops)
(car door shuts, engine starts)
(car drives off)
right here.
don't step out there. y ou'll walk... not there.
get over here.
let's go over it again. y ou get taken here.
then the guy gets out of the car,
talks to a couple of other guys.
- and then he's dead. who shot him?
- how am l supposed to know?
expect me to stick my head out
and ask everybody to turn around?
- hey, wise ass.
- ok, ok. back it up, then. back it up.
y ou're in the back seat of the car
of the guy who was following you.
- right.
- why was he following you?
l don't know. he was just following me.
maybe he was a pervert.
right. y ou jumped in the back seat of a
pervert's car? y ou playing hard to get?
lf l had a dog with a face like yours,
l'd shave his ass
and teach him to walk backwards.
what'd you say? say that again. say it.
whoa, whoa, whoa, big guy. hey.
y ou, you little shit.
y ou just watch your goddamn mouth.
l'm telling you,
it happened right here. l'm not lying!
oh, no? y ou gotta hear what
it sounds like from where l'm standing.
ok, get in the car.
l said get in the car.
oh, man.
what do you think?
there ain't shit here.
y ou're really pissing me off.
don't waste people's time.
look, he made a call from the payphone
at the arco station on cantella.
the people he called
must have been the people he met here.
oh, god.
l'm waiting. ls there anything else?
hm?
l don't, uh...
l don't think my brother killed himself.
ok.
ok. talk to me.
my brother was not the type of kid
who'd go into a motel and hang himself.
so, l mean, l just wanted to find out
a little more about it.
so l went to the motel for myself,
you know, just to check it out.
and then this bobby nguyen guy
starts following me around.
and then he comes here and
he gets killed, just the way l said it.
- why would l make this up?
- l don't know.
ok, ok. fine.
* mozart: eine kleine nachtmusik
y abbo.
brian, come in or go home,
but don't crush my dracaena marginatas.
y abbo: mom.
brlan: l love that game. lt's very exciting.
y abbo:
l don't mean to be, like, nosy or nothing,
but is everything all right at home?
brlan: hm. l'll just talk to you
when we go down.
ok.
(rock music)
l don't know. do you think l failed vinh?
failed him? y ou fail math, not brothers, right?
but you know what l mean.
maybe l am as bad as they say.
- who says?
- everyone.
agh! don't listen to the numbers,
the common herd.
shine it on. y ou're different.
(music stops)
l'm different? have you checked
yourself out in the mirror this morning?
that's an oversimplification.
when l say different, l mean different.
brian, you gleam the cube.
huh?
y ou're in worse shape than l thought.
the cube, brian.
the place that you skate when you let go.
don't worry. lt's an intangible.
nine tenths of the people don't grasp it,
so l guess you're safe for now.
l don't know. maybe l don't wanna be different.
well, it?s not optional.
l guess l could always just run away, you know?
l wouldn't blame you, but you don't
wanna see your picture on a milk carton.
listen, l'll tell you what.
l'll see that they put your picture
on a six-pack of bud.
(speaks vietnamese)
mr nguyen? robert nguyen?
y es.
never mind.
man: lt?s open.
what the hell do you think you're doing here?
huh?
what do you think?
what are you doing here, huh?
take a guess.
wait. y ou found out something, right? right?
come on, man. y ou have to tell me.
look, um...we're his family.
we have a right to know.
will you sit down? sit down.
jesus. nice place.
very nice. very nice.
what's that?
what does it look like?
all right, look.
l know how much
this means to you and your family,
so l'm gonna tell you what l know.
nothing l got right now says
your brother didn't commit suicide.
- everything else says he did.
- well...
the only reason
l'm even a teeny bit interested
is your brother didn't register
at the motel the night he died.
- he didn't? who did?
- l don't know who did.
- bobby nguyen?
- l don't know that.
what about the call he made
from the payphone at the gas station?
y ou don't worry about that, ok?
l got that covered.
now you do me one big favour
and you get outta here. l'm working.
- what do you have against me, anyway?
- what?
well, look at you, man. y ou're a screw-up.
hey, l was a screw-up too.
believe me, l know the symptoms.
so you're saying you're not one any more?
a screw-up, l mean?
could a screw-up acquire
such wealth, power and prestige?
- especially in orange county.
- y eah, well...
so, what do you have against orange county?
- didn't l ask you to leave?
- there's gotta be something else.
y ou wanna piss me off?
l want you outta here right now! got it?
go!
damn you!
- pick it up.
- no!
hey, pick it up!
like, uh...
sorry. y ou're... y ou're just trying to help.
l'm being an asshole.
all right, forget it.
look, as soon as l know something
for sure, l?ll let you know, ok?
right.
automobile club.
- hello. bolsa video.
- what?
bolsa video. may l help you?
uh...no. wrong number.
bolsa video.
hi.
ow! god!
busybody.
got something about phone numbers?
give me that.
see you later.
l figured something out.
bobby nguyen called bolsa video.
bolsa video is owned by colonel trac.
my brother was working for colonel trac.
trac and nguyen. that's two out of three.
now all we have to do is find
the american, the guy who shot nguyen.
brian, we ran a passport check.
bobby nguyen, your bobby nguyen,
arrived in bangkok last night.
- they're covering their tracks.
(phone rings)
y eah, right. excuse me.
lucero.
just one moment, please. harv.
- y eah.
- y ou take this.
bobby nguyen saw this.
that's why he started following me.
where'd you get this?
my brother.
why didn't you show it to me before?
l figured you'd think
he was mixed up in drugs or something.
drugs?
nick. take a look at this.
what's that say?
(speaks vietnamese)
antibiotics, 200lb. bandages, 800lb.
(speaks vietnamese)
alcohol, 500 gallons.
lt's a list of medical supplies and quantities.
thank you, nick.
y our brother was working
for the relief fund, right?
he was over there during the war,
working in lntelligence.
and you can keep this.
well, then, what about
the motel registration, the other guy?
look, brian,
l think it's time to let it go.
lt was a suicide. that's what the coroner found.
we gave it a shot, but that's the way
it's gonna go down in the books.
- they killed my brother.
- y ou're not listening to me.
y ou're the one who's not listening!
they killed my brother!
brlan: vinh, we gotta talk.
y ou started something
and l don't know how to finish it.
y ou were always good at that.
finishing, l mean.
remember that aircraft-carrier model?
l bought it, but l couldn't follow the
instructions, so you put it together.
l guess that was always the thing.
y ou were always one step ahead.
l could never catch up.
that really pissed me off.
so l just gave up. l stopped trying.
lt's funny, huh?
l mean...
now it seems everybody else
has given up on you except me...a screw-up.
l'm not giving up on you.
l miss you, vinh.
l mean, l hate doing my own homework.
here.
so, what do you want?
well, uh...
lt's kind of hard to explain.
l want us to be friends.
- brian, we can't.
- why not?
l'm sure that on your planet there must
be someone for you to be friends with.
lt wouldn't be any better for you than for me.
we don't have anything in common.
we have vinhy.
not any more, we don't.
and it?s more complicated than that.
look, l'm gonna be honest with you.
my father won't let me see american boys,
even as friends.
- l don't understand.
- y ou don't have to.
hold on. hold on. what?
and even if he would, brian,
would you look at yourself?
y eah. l get it.
l'm sorry.
hi, honey.
oh, my...
oh! look at you.
what do you think?
hi, dad.
(crashing)
whoo!
oh, my god.
- hey, check out k elly.
- oh, no.
quick! dial 91 1 !
- halloween's in october, brian.
- so?
so why are you in that costume?
l know. he must have sent everything
to the cleaner's.
- his mom put him up to it.
- y eah. rip it up.
- hey, where's your board?
- l felt like walking today.
now, now, now. we have to talk about this.
- l can't right now.
- nice threads, k elly.
(laughter)
oh, no!
hi.
(shouting in vietnamese)
- no american boys!
- (speaks vietnamese)
(speaks vietnamese) ..discrimination.
what does it mean to you?
americans can come to your store
but they can?t come to your home?
hi.
father, mother, you remember brian k elly.
brian, this is my father and this is my mother.
- hi.
colonel: this is quite a change.
y eah, my hair.
l guess we all do
unexpected things sometimes, don't we?
y es, l suppose we do.
brian, if we want to get to
an eight o'clock movie...
would you like to come in and have some tea?
- y eah, that'd be nice.
- some other time, mother.
l think we should.
lf the colonel doesn't mind,
there's a million questions l'd like to ask him.
- questions?
- brian, we have to go.
y eah. about... about history.
about what really happened in vietnam,
you know.
l think it would help me understand
what happened to my brother.
someday, perhaps, but you have your movie.
- right.
- bye.
good night. thanks.
so, what else does your father do
besides send medicine?
- lsn't that enough?
- l don't know.
he does that all by himself? that's amazing.
he has plenty of help.
all vietnamese
or does he work with some americans?
how would you like it if l was talking
and talking about your father all night?
l guess l'd say, ''catch you later.''
so what shall we talk about, then?
well...how about skateboarding?
- y eah?
- y eah. what's so great about it?
lt's something l can do by myself.
there's nobody there to judge me.
y ou know?
lt's just a way l can express myself.
lt's like...
l don't know how else to say it.
and you've stopped?
y eah.
hey, brian. catch this.
brlan: this is stupid, man.
vlnh: come on. lt?s your birthday.
vlnh: come on.
father: come on, brian. brighten up.
y ou?d brighten up a room just by leaving it.
come on, now. let?s have a three-way catch.
- throw it to me.
vlnh: ready?
father: all right! oh-ho!
brlan: l hate frisbees.
- lt?s all yours, brian!
- l don?t wanna play this.
mother: brian! come on, honey.
open some of your presents.
look, happy birthday.
come on. come on. brian.
(clears throat)
- l'm home.
mother: give me that.
(video stops)
so how are you?
that's the first time in your life
you've ever asked me that question.
um...
how's work?
lt's awful hard to think
about actuarial tables or fire indemnity
when l can't get vinh off my mind.
y eah, l know.
we always said vinh was special
because we chose him.
we chose him.
but how did that make you feel?
(sighs) brian, what did l ever do for you?
y ou... y ou took me to disneyland.
once, when you were six.
y eah. and they threw me out of the park
for pissing on donald duck.
l was difficult before you adopted him, dad.
anyway, that... that's all in the past.
just like vinh?s death.
y ou can't blame yourself.
are you giving me advice?
y eah, l guess so.
l'll take it.
ha! he's on a bicycle!
next thing you know, he'll be riding a scooter.
brian, we found a killer pool, man.
40-foot kidney, 1 0 feet deep.
the pool's empty
and the house burned down last week.
he burned it down.
- no, not today, man.
- not today? why?
brian, everybody knows that
you're blaming yourself for vinh's...
well...for the way that he died.
but l want you to know that your friends,
you know, we still think about you.
thanks.
what's gotten into him, man?
l don't know, but if l get it, shoot me.
(y elling)
(speaks vietnamese)
(applause)
(speaks vietnamese)
(microphone feedback)
the press is here and for their benefit
l?d like to remind them
that we are here today to celebrate relief
in the form of the vietnamese
anti communist relief fund.
- hi.
- hi.
- y ou look nice.
- thanks.
so do you.
uh, what's... what's this?
don't you like vietnamese food?
my parents always made a federal case about it.
they said l had to eat it just to be nice to vinh,
so, of course, l had to be a jerk.
besides, it's always seemed kind of weird.
what about american food?
y ou don't think a chilli dog's weird?
look, you can't be scared of chao tom.
lt's just shrimp over sugar cane.
- and this is rice flour with shredded shrimp.
- ed! ed!
- chao ong, mr phong.
- long time no see.
what are you doing this far from the farm?
- who's that guy?
- mr lawndale?
tlna: he owns westpac medical supply.
and he arranges the shipping
for my father?s relief programme.
- why?
- uh...nothing.
lawndale.: let me buy you a coffee.
jesus.
jesus christ.
someone broke in last night
and opened a crate.
lt contained 50 rifles and 20,000...
thank you.
50 rifles
and 20,000 rounds of ammunition.
nothing was taken. lt might have been a doper.
we get a few of those.
but it might not have been.
l want nothing
to compromise the movement.
the movement? colonel, l'm worried about me.
- but we have a common bond.
- no.
l have 30 sam missiles, 1 ,000 m1 6s
and half a million rounds...of ammunition.
- and l've moved them.
- where? my people are waiting for them.
they'll just have to wait a little longer, that's all.
do you ever think about the future?
y ou mean, what do l wanna be when l grow up?
y eah.
l don't know.
l used to wanna be a veterinarian,
on a farm, you know, horses and cows.
y ou on a farm?
y eah. l used to wanna live in the country.
but know what a farm vet does?
helps cows get well so they live long enough
to be turned into quarter pounders.
- lt's ridiculous.
- how'd you get to be so cynical?
practice.
- can l ask you something personal?
- sure.
uh...
where... where's the bathroom?
thanks.
- what are you doing?
- just checking out this map.
l wanted to find out where vinh...
my parents just pulled in.
y ou'd better go out the back door.
didn't they know l was coming over?
why did you risk that?
just hurry.
quick. quick.
bye.
damn.
(thunder)
(fireworks explode)
- what was it?
- l don't know. l think they're inside.
cover me, ok?
what the heck is going on here?
- fireworks.
- y ou gotta be kidding me.
what the heck is this?
hey! what are you doing out there? hey!
- come on, now! open the door!
- the door?s locked.
(shouting and banging on door)
- watch your backs! coming through!
- come on! let's feed it over here!
- where the hell were you guys?
- round the other side.
lawndale:
what do you think l pay you for?
- l can't be in two places at once.
- l want a report on my desk first thing.
wait a minute. look at this.
what's that? give me that goddamn thing.
son of a bitch!
flreman: let?s get some ladders here!
(thunder rumbles)
flreman: the help of the heavens, huh?
flreman #2: y eah, look at that.
flreman #3: thank god.
flreman: hose that right there.
all right, you guys. come on.
flreman #2: roll it up, sandy!
- ok!
tell engine company 1 3
that they can go on back.
y ou moved everything out,
so no-one can find anything. we're safe.
- what makes you think you're so safe?
- what do you mean?
we're in this together, right?
we share a common bond, remember?
lf it happened to one of us,
it could happen to the other.
americans, they're all crazy.
get tina and go to tang's house.
y ou promised me. no more war.
lt was all over.
y ou said no more war.
daddy, what's going on?
go to your uncle tang's house right away.
why? what's happening?
- nothing.
- then why do l have to go?
- who is it?
- detective lucero.
detective lucero, mr k elly.
- remember me?
- y eah.
l'd like to talk to your son
for a minute if l could, please.
lt's been raining. huh.
now, listen to me.
l don't like bullshit, not from anybody, ok?
least of all from someone
l've gone out on a limb for.
now, l can't pin that fire on you right now,
but l know you set it
and that makes it a whole different ball game.
y ou don't go around setting fires.
l don't care what your problem is.
somebody had to shake their tree.
y ou said so yourself.
by the rules.
but you don't like rules, do you?
no, you're above the rules, right?
well, let me give you a piece of news.
l was the one guy in the universe
that listened when you talked.
now there's nobody.
brian?
jeez. what are you doing here?
god, you're soaked!
let me get you a towel.
here we go.
just dry off there.
everything's falling apart.
sit down.
l was supposed to go to my uncle's house.
my father told me to go.
he's in some kind of trouble
and l'm really scared.
- sorry.
- what do you have to be sorry for?
causing you trouble.
my friendship with an american boy
is the least of my troubles.
y ou know, l really like you.
- what time is it?
- lt's almost six.
oh, my god. this is still damp.
l have something here you could try.
here you go.
l'll give this back to you later.
no problem.
thanks, brian.
- what's this?
- nothing. lt's just an old lighter.
- this is my father's.
- l got it at some army surplus store.
the american ambassador
gave this to my father in 1 972.
lt has his name on it.
any way l try and explain it,
it's gonna come out all wrong.
try.
(colonel speaks vietnamese)
where were you? where did you go?
do you have any idea what we were
going through? where were you?
- what happened to vinh?
- why ask me about that now?
what happened to vinh?
- who have you been speaking to?
- how did he die?
he killed himself.
how would l know more than you?
lt wasn't about guns, daddy?
lt wasn't about mr lawndale?
lt's his brother, isn't it?
all of this.
l don't blame him for what he's done.
l'd have done anything. anything.
vinh k elly's death was an accident.
y ou have to believe one thing about me.
whatever l've done,
l've done for our vietnamese nation.
his brother.
y ou don't know what the boy's done.
leave me now.
l have something to take care of.
he's a kid? and he did it alone? christ.
as long as he's keeping it between him
and us, you know what has to be done.
no, ed. l'm out.
well, l'm not.
hi, nick.
hey, buddy!
christ.
- mr lawndale wants to see you.
- y eah? what for?
- he wants to talk.
- y eah, right.
(car horn blares)
jeez!
so, why were they following you?
- they said lawndale wanted to see me.
- mm-hm. that's not what they say.
they say you called them
fucking faggot slant-eyed gooks.
that really sounds just like me, you know?
oh, yeah?
y ou ready to tell me about the fire?
what fire?
- are you scared, brian?
- no.
y eah.
y ou ought to be.
- motorcycles, out of nowhere.
- don't think about it.
- two guys try and mow me down.
- sweetheart, just...
- look at this. lt's trashed.
- lt's just a skateboard, sweetheart.
the most important thing is that you're all right.
who was the other guy,
the one that got lucky and rode off?
what other guy?
come on. y ou don't think he'd be
protecting you right now, do you?
y ou can bet your ass he wouldn't.
(speaks vietnamese)
(speaks vietnamese)
tv: give me an a.
give me a b.
fellas, this is detective oliver.
let's all get to know each other.
nice to meet you.
so...
..who paid you guys to run down that kid?
trac or lawndale?
- who's lawndale?
- who's trac?
y abbo. come on, now. wake up.
wake up, all right? y abbo.
wake up.
y ou can fix this, right?
brian's dead.
ok. then l need a new deck, all right?
street wheels, lapper, noseguard, rails.
- make sure the trucks are real tight.
- who are you?
l don't have time to jerk around.
the lawyers are getting angry,
but l told them they were still in processing.
ok, we're gonna go through this
one more time for the detective here.
- the whole story.
- hey.
(speaks vietnamese)
(speaks vietnamese)
lawndale.
that?s all.
thanks, guys.
y ou've given us everything we need.
lucero: book ?em, harv.
no, no, no, no, no. black ones. these.
brian, it's a rougher ride on the street.
all they are is faster.
right.
y ou got it.
brlan's father:
brian, detective lucero?s here. wake up.
brlan: a little tighter.
ok, good.
- lt's beautiful.
- thanks.
thank you, man.
- all right, call the guys, right?
- all right. l'm on it.
(phone rings)
- hello?
(ringing continues)
- hello?
- y abbo. y eah, what's up?
- y ou still got the keys to the truck?
- y eah. y ou wanna make a delivery now?
no, man. who can eat a pizza at six
in the morning? lt's time to scramble.
- round up the guys. brian needs us.
- y eah, right.
gremic! y o, gremic!
come on.
- whoa! thanks for coming, man.
- y abbo. lt's too early, man.
l don't think you should go to bangkok.
we're in this together.
we killed vinh, and he only meant well.
we killed bobby nguyen. he started out
a good boy and you got to him.
look, no-one knows anything
except a kid on a skateboard.
my daughter knows as well.
are you going to kill her too?
daddy, a police car just pulled up outside.
here we go, vinh.
go out and talk to them. go on.
(tina screams)
(gunshot)
(tina screams)
y ou all right, man?
hey! don't try anything. now, come on, come on.
shit. lnto the police car.
come on. come on. come on. ln!
(she shouts in vietnamese)
- call 91 1 . get an ambulance.
- help me!
don't die! help me!
get in there. get down on the floor.
damn!
here, let me. this is...
this is against the law.
- there is an electrical malfunction.
- mind if l drive?
freeway! come on! come on!
l don't wanna hurt you but if you come up again,
goddamn it, l will.
turn left, damn it!
go round these cars. go round 'em.
get out of the way! get out of the way!
put the roof lights on. come on. lights!
(siren wails)
get down there! now you stay put!
not the wipers! the lights! the lights!
southbound on harbour boulevard,
approaching cantella.
l'm requesting assistance.
- y o, bro.
- y abbo?
- y eah.
- this is it.
y ou're after a stolen police car
on harbour, heading south near cantella.
- that?s it.
- ok.
y ou got your team, l got mine.
hey! let's go, everybody!
we gotta go to cantella and harbour.
all right! let's go!
brlan: there he is.
lucero: got him.
lucero: hold on.
brlan: jeez.
right up here. pull in here.
hold it! where are you going?
- are you looking?
- y ep.
whoa!
jeez! l'll get out and check the next lane.
no, don't...
- y our right door is ajar.
- lawndale's gonna be pissed.
now! go!
- there he is.
- y our right door is ajar.
y our right door...
(horn blares)
- hey, hold it! hey!
go round the car. go around it. go!
lucero: oh, come on.
brian, don't. don't, don't. brian!
(horns blare)
move! outta the way!
hey, cop! police!
- oh, yeah.
- police. move along. that's right.
thank you.
get up there. see that road? turn right.
(horn blares)
oh, my god.
- go through 'em. go through them.
- no. no!
- run 'em down.
- no!
l said run 'em down!
- whoo!
- brian!
whoo!
let's go.
let's go! let's go!
goddamn kids.
y ou see that intersection?
go through the intersection. go through it.
(horns blare)
(horns blare)
lawndale: up on the kerb,
the diamond lane. go on, get up there!
cut in front of this car. come on!
- what the...?
- hey! hey.
- the guy who hit you isn't a cop.
- no shit?
- so go get him!
- thanks a lot, pal.
- what the hell...?
- hi. still with you.
- come on. let's go!
- ok.
(siren wails)
(beeps horn)
hey! lucero! all right!
follow him!
goddamn it.
come on. move it! faster! faster!
the freeway exit right over here. pull off!
(shouting)
(musical truck horn)
brian!
- thanks for the ride.
- wait!
whoo!
rip!
let's catch the son of a bitch!
(y ells)
come on! come on! come on! get over!
y our right door is ajar.
- come on! come on!
- no, please! no!
- whoo!
- let's go!
drlver: ls the kid ok?
tlna: brian? brian?
drlver: where?d he come from?
- are you ok?
- y eah. y ou ok?
y eah, l'm fine.
brlan: hi.
- take it easy. just stay there.
- y eah.
we'll take care of you. all right?
y abbo: shit.
- this thing's less than an hour old.
- didn't have the trucks straight.
- l could have been killed.
- sorry. next time, all right?
lt's all right.
y our um...
y our father?
l'm sorry.
l really am sorry.
what are you gonna do?
my mother wants to stay here.
but l don't know. after what's happened,
how could l go back to school again?
how could l face everyone?
look, um...
don't go back until l'm outta here.
then we'll both go back together.
l'll walk you.
must have been a pretty terrific guy.
y eah, he was.
well, it happens, you know.
good ones come along once in a while.
sometimes they're even riding a skateboard.
brlan: a board? lmagine that.
lucero: how are things at home?
- different.
they talk to me now instead of about me.
y eah, and are you listening or answering back?
hm?
hey, you gotta make some adjustments.
right?
- right.
- right.
- come on.
- ok.
ah! hey!
gotcha.
* bllly burnette: brother to brother
* brother to brother
* where are you going?
* we're walking a tightrope
* get on or off
* fear of rejection
* ls all you're afraid of
* but that never stopped you
no, it never stopped you
* nothing ever stopped you before
* l have seen you get through dire situations
* from inside you that survivor drives your soul
* when the times got tough
* y ou kept on trying
* always trying
* ln the darkest tunnel, you could see the light
* brother to brother
* where are you going?
* we're walking a tightrope
* get on or off
* fear of rejection
* ls all you're afraid of
* but that never stopped you
no, it never stopped you
* nothing ever stopped you before
* this is your eleventh hour, your decision
* no one else can make your mind up
but yourself
* see the light, now face it
* y ou got the power
* oh, the power
* so come on and get it up
* get in the fight
* brother to brother
* where are you going?
* we're walking a tightrope
* get on or off
* fear of rejection
* ls all you're afraid of
* but that never stopped you
no, it never stopped you
* nothing ever stopped you before
* no, it never stopped you
no, never stopped you
* lt never stopped you before
* lt's that point of no return
where you can take yourself
* when you reach deep down inside
and make it shine
* lt sets you apart from everybody else...
coming through!
* y ou can do what they say just can't be done
* time after time after time after time
* gleaming
* gleaming the cube
* going higher and faster
than anyone's ever been before
* gleaming
* gleaming the cube
* y ou're the best, you're on it
* nothing can stop you now
* dig deep, get down
* cut loose and strut your stuff
* take it forward, yes
* and bring it on
* y eah! get tight, get right
* lt's gonna come down to the facts
* y ou gotta finish what you started
* even if you have to go it alone
* gleaming
* gleaming the cube
* going higher and faster
than anyone's ever been before...
hey! what is this?
we've been waiting 40 minutes.
for what? l told you last time
it was the last time.
that's mean. l hear it's pretty
expensive to get a pilot's licence.
about $80 an hour?
we're all here to subsidise you, man.
l told you, no more.
didn't you get the message?
l didn't get no message. what message?
my machine must be broken, all right?
look, man...
tell me you can really
afford to pass this up, all right?
all right.
but l'm only taking one of you.
- now, watch it.
- killer.
l shouldn't be doing this. why am l doing this?
y ou're right.
l'd never give myself a lift, either.
(boys singing)
check it out. there's my mom's house,
my dad's house.
- hey, there's my pizza hut.
- quiet down. l can't hear the radio.
empty pool, two o'clock. cross street?
uh... culver and alton.
(cheering)
lt's no good. there's a foot of water
down the deep end.
oh, shit! look at that!
- no!
- that's valhalla, the one with the pool guard.
- there's too many workmen down there.
- who cares?
- james, get us over to garden grove.
- james?
y eah, please. that's what most drivers
are called, right?
- y eah? well, not this driver.
- bingo! that's it, right there.
y eah! let it rip!
- gleam the cube, buddy.
- y eah!
very nice!
- love that rock.
- rip it up. lt's so rad.
- y eah, brian!
- rip it up, brian.
y eah! whoa!
- oh!
- whoo!
that was nice.
y eah, sam. rip it up.
- come on. y eah!
- go for it, pal.
l'm on it.
hey, y abbo.
all right!
- whoa!
- oh, jesus christ!
- slam time.
- slammed pretty hard right there.
- a refinishing job like this costs $2200.
- what do you want me to do?
l gotta have the whole pool refinished again,
have it acid-washed, drained,
just because these kids come in here.
don't smear the blood around.
take your shoes off. l don't want scuff marks.
y ou're in trouble.
we have a homeowners' association up here.
- l was just having fun, ok?
- fun? that's what you say, fun?
- detective mcgill.
- l'm glad you're here, detective.
can l sue them? can l sue his family?
l wanna know. l can sue their fathers?
- let me get some details.
- can they sue us?
- who are these people?
- my neighbours. come on, move it!
- they think it's a block party.
- was there any damage done besides...
- hey, get down.
- what?
down. get down.
pool owner: l'm getting a pit bull.
- ok.
y ou guys, this was a dumb move.
or maybe you've figured that out already.
come on, man. we don't need a lecture.
aren't you supposed to read us
our rights or something, huh?
- have it your way. what is that?
- what?
- smart ass.
- shit.
- car's out front.
- don't call my mom, please.
- get these guys outta here.
- attention! sieg heil!
uh-oh.
the skateboard stays in the garage.
- lt's not gonna shit on the rug.
- smart guy. what do you want from us?
to be like you? y ou think maybe
if l had your haircut l could sell more policies?
lf l had your mouth,
l could close a deal every day.
let's just go inside, please. thank you.
mother: we're home.
- y ou all right?
- y eah, l'm all right.
he's in real trouble
if he's arrested again.
and l'm not gonna be there
to help him next time.
oh, come on. give him a break.
given him too many.
listen, l'm hungry.
anybody wanna help me with dinner?
(rock music on headphones)
* l?m skating down the street, you see,
and l run into a pop bottle
* l fell over and broke my leg
* but that?s ok...
jesus! chill out, man.
- what the hell... ?
- asshole.
asshole?
l take it back. y ou're a sloppy asshole.
well, you know what they say. lt's a dirty job.
they love you, you know.
they don't know what to think of me.
hey.
y ou moved.
all right, it's my turn.
y eah, but it was a good move.
jesus christ.
look, everyone knows
you're the hero around here.
will you be quiet? l am trying to concentrate.
oh, my god.
(knocking)
- hi.
- hi.
just let me get my jacket.
- hi, brian.
- hi.
(turns music back on)
see you.
* ..have a kid and die!
* that?s it! that?s it!
* can you believe it? that?s all he wants to do
* that?s his whole life
my life is more than that
* l wanna do the x-plan, the eternal x-plan...
* right now! right now!
l'll see you guys. bye-bye.
- whoa!
- get out of the way.
- y ou left this at home.
- shit.
- geometry.
- l fixed a couple of the answers.
y ou did ok. lf you put some effort
into it, you might even pass without me.
all right, man.
all right, you owe me one.
by the way, brian, l always forget
which one of you guys is adopted.
y eah, that's really funny, y abbo.
y ou're hysterical, man.
k elly, come over here.
my friend wants to meet you.
he doesn't believe your name is k elly.
look, not today, ok, bobby? l'm late.
don't worry, k elly. the colonel loves you.
oh, no fresh vegetables. lt takes three weeks
for the boat to reach vietnam.
we are just sending medical supplies.
(speaks vietnamese)
say hello to the family, please.
- tina, put mr phong on the guest list.
- ok.
y ou're late, vinh. very unusual.
sorry, sir.
l got stuck on a calculus problem.
no problem.
l'll take it out of your pay cheque.
daddy.
get to work.
- colonel trac.
- did you finish already?
there's something wrong with the
shipping weight of the last container.
most of the items seem too heavy.
500lb for a crate of cotton balls?
colonel: so how long have you been
an expert in medical supplies?
but, sir, there's a half a million
dollars involved.
well, let's just say
l think somebody may be ripping us off.
who?
westpac medical supply is the distributor
and they have been handling all the shipping.
nonsense. l'm sure this is just a clerical error.
maybe.
l know.
l?ll go double-check the last few shipments.
wait.
y ou've been working here for two weeks
now, and you're doing a good job.
but l cannot have you spending time
on shipments that have been paid for
and dispatched with no complaints.
maybe l need an experienced person
to finish the job, ok?
mother: hi.
- hi.
- oh, honey. let me see that.
- what?
- l bet you got that skating.
- l didn't notice.
l wouldn't worry
if you'd buy some new safety pads
or one of those helmets
l see the boys wearing.
- they're all pretty expensive, mom.
- l know, but...you're worth it.
- oh, no way!
- y eah, yeah.
these are the most expensive.
well, l shouldn't tell you this,
but l love to watch you skating.
- y ou do?
- y ou know how clumsy l am.
l can't believe a son of mine is so graceful.
- y eah.
- well, sometimes he's graceful.
oh, man. when did you start smoking?
shut the door.
- they don't know you smoke yet?
- l just started.
that shit'll give you cancer, man.
l'm in trouble.
what? y ou got a b plus in calculus?
y ou think you're pretty smart.
y ou think l'm an asshole.
y ou think l just kiss up to mom and dad
and pay the rent with good behaviour.
all right, look, l'm gonna step outside
and l'm gonna come back in.
what do you say we start over, huh?
(knocking)
hey, vinhski. why the long face, pal?
- maybe you and your friends are right.
- we are?
y ou don't trust adults at all, do you?
here's what l think.
- adults are predictable.
- don't count on it.
y eah? they're living under this illusion
that life as we know it
is gonna continue for ever.
so they expect you to behave
as though what you do today
is gonna have an effect
on where you'll be in 30 years.
l mean, it's ridiculous to think there's
gonna be anything in 30 years, you know?
l don't know what's worse, you know?
being blown up in a nuclear war
or having a 7-eleven on every corner.
and what if the world doesn't blow up?
then where are you gonna be?
l don't know.
y ou're still mad
because they adopted me, huh?
come on, man. look, it's been 1 1 years,
all right? y ou're not my problem.
- what happened at work today?
- why today?
cos you weren't like this yesterday.
come on, man. what happened?
one minute l thought l was doing
something right and the next minute...
maybe l'm not the one who screwed up.
l know l got those figures right.
what figures?
just forget it. y ou just wouldn't understand.
vlnh: police?
owner.
- want to tell us something now?
- there's nothing to tell.
- who are you really working for?
- l told you.
- (speaks vietnamese)
- no vietnamese, goddamn it.
- what did you say?
- he's a communist sympathiser.
he's a kid, for christ's sake.
now, who did you tell about those containers?
tell what?
don't you lie to me. who did you tell?
(knocking)
the kid says he works for you.
he told you the truth.
what have you got him there for?
maybe l should have brought him to your place?
very well. l'll talk to him.
he's an honest boy. he's no threat.
lt's just an unfortunate misunderstanding.
oh, bullshit. l tie him up and l bring him here.
y ou don't think he's gonna tell someone?
then l'll explain everything to him.
he will understand.
l hope you're right about that, colonel.
after you. come on.
- (speaks vietnamese)
- (colonel speaks vietnamese)
l don't know what happened.
l've done this before. l never killed anyone.
- lt's been done to me. l'm still alive.
(colonel speaks vietnamese)
he's dead.
jesus.
(knocking)
housekeeping.
housekeeping.
(train's hooter)
(screams)
l don't know. like l said, l think
it was 1 2 o'clock, maybe a little after,
l rented a room to this chinese kid.
- next thing l know...
- this kid's vietnamese.
- well, they all look alike.
- no, they don't.
don't mind mr pr. look, did you notice
anything unusual about the way he acted?
shit. kids didn't kill themselves
when l was going to high school.
what the hell's going on, lucero?
huh. what do l know?
ls there any sign of drugs?
no, nothing immediate.
which one of you knows the family?
y eah, ok. l'll make the call.
come on, what is this?
l haven't done anything.
l think you should talk to your father.
come on.
what?
what? what?
no!
let us pray. o lord, hear our prayer,
in which we humbly ask of your mercy,
that you will give your servant vinh,
whom you have commanded
to leave this world,
a place in the land of light and peace
and bid that he be made
a companion of your saints,
through christ, our lord, amen.
prlest: may he rest in peace. amen.
- y o.
- hey, brian. see you at the ramp.
excuse me. could you translate some
of this for me? l don't read vietnamese.
no, you don't know. great.
- sir, do you read...
- what about this, then?
- l don't know. l don't know.
- y ou don't know. no. ok. great.
y eah, yeah.
can you translate some of this for me?
(speaks vietnamese)
thanks.
uh...excuse me. can you read me some of this?
(speaks vietnamese)
- drugs.
- drugs?
y eah. see here? they're drug supplies.
- (speaks vietnamese)
- maybe drugs.
- where did you get this?
- l found it.
thanks.
(speaks vietnamese)
(speaks vietnamese)
(horns blare)
hey, jerk! get outta here!
(horn blares)
sorry. hi. l gotta ask you a question.
lost and found is in the main office.
no, um...
- lt's about the kid who killed himself.
- what about him?
could you tell me who found him?
maybe l found him. what do you care?
- he was my brother.
- do you think l'm blind or stupid?
a boy died.
lt's nothing to joke about.
y eah, you just be there, both of you.
l'm gonna go right now. y es.
* khanh ha: nowhere to run
(sung in vietnamese)
- what's going on here, bobby?
- not bobby. nguyen. nguyen.
l'm sorry. nguyen.
look, let's start from the beginning.
who's been asking about us?
$50,000 and a plane ticket to bangkok
and then l tell you.
- (speaks vietnamese)
- english, goddamn it. speak english.
- l told him not to be stupid.
- l'm not stupid. lt's my insurance.
(music ends)
l?ll get you to bangkok but that?s it.
y ou can forget about the $50,000.
bobb y: a plane ticket is easy.
l want the money.
don't give me a jerk-off hand job!
* khanh ha: never can say goodbye
(sung in vietnamese)
(gunshot)
y ou handle guns very well.
what was l supposed to do, let him shoot me?
y ou were a soldier.
y ou've done your share of killing.
lt was in defence of my country. this is different.
- how is it different?
- this is murder.
lt was an accident.
put your mind at rest. l'll handle this.
no.
l know his father. l'll handle it.
(music stops)
(car door shuts, engine starts)
(car drives off)
right here.
don't step out there. y ou'll walk... not there.
get over here.
let's go over it again. y ou get taken here.
then the guy gets out of the car,
talks to a couple of other guys.
- and then he's dead. who shot him?
- how am l supposed to know?
expect me to stick my head out
and ask everybody to turn around?
- hey, wise ass.
- ok, ok. back it up, then. back it up.
y ou're in the back seat of the car
of the guy who was following you.
- right.
- why was he following you?
l don't know. he was just following me.
maybe he was a pervert.
right. y ou jumped in the back seat of a
pervert's car? y ou playing hard to get?
lf l had a dog with a face like yours,
l'd shave his ass
and teach him to walk backwards.
what'd you say? say that again. say it.
whoa, whoa, whoa, big guy. hey.
y ou, you little shit.
y ou just watch your goddamn mouth.
l'm telling you,
it happened right here. l'm not lying!
oh, no? y ou gotta hear what
it sounds like from where l'm standing.
ok, get in the car.
l said get in the car.
oh, man.
what do you think?
there ain't shit here.
y ou're really pissing me off.
don't waste people's time.
look, he made a call from the payphone
at the arco station on cantella.
the people he called
must have been the people he met here.
oh, god.
l'm waiting. ls there anything else?
hm?
l don't, uh...
l don't think my brother killed himself.
ok.
ok. talk to me.
my brother was not the type of kid
who'd go into a motel and hang himself.
so, l mean, l just wanted to find out
a little more about it.
so l went to the motel for myself,
you know, just to check it out.
and then this bobby nguyen guy
starts following me around.
and then he comes here and
he gets killed, just the way l said it.
- why would l make this up?
- l don't know.
ok, ok. fine.
* mozart: eine kleine nachtmusik
y abbo.
brian, come in or go home,
but don't crush my dracaena marginatas.
y abbo: mom.
brlan: l love that game. lt's very exciting.
y abbo:
l don't mean to be, like, nosy or nothing,
but is everything all right at home?
brlan: hm. l'll just talk to you
when we go down.
ok.
(rock music)
l don't know. do you think l failed vinh?
failed him? y ou fail math, not brothers, right?
but you know what l mean.
maybe l am as bad as they say.
- who says?
- everyone.
agh! don't listen to the numbers,
the common herd.
shine it on. y ou're different.
(music stops)
l'm different? have you checked
yourself out in the mirror this morning?
that's an oversimplification.
when l say different, l mean different.
brian, you gleam the cube.
huh?
y ou're in worse shape than l thought.
the cube, brian.
the place that you skate when you let go.
don't worry. lt's an intangible.
nine tenths of the people don't grasp it,
so l guess you're safe for now.
l don't know. maybe l don't wanna be different.
well, it?s not optional.
l guess l could always just run away, you know?
l wouldn't blame you, but you don't
wanna see your picture on a milk carton.
listen, l'll tell you what.
l'll see that they put your picture
on a six-pack of bud.
(speaks vietnamese)
mr nguyen? robert nguyen?
y es.
never mind.
man: lt?s open.
what the hell do you think you're doing here?
huh?
what do you think?
what are you doing here, huh?
take a guess.
wait. y ou found out something, right? right?
come on, man. y ou have to tell me.
look, um...we're his family.
we have a right to know.
will you sit down? sit down.
jesus. nice place.
very nice. very nice.
what's that?
what does it look like?
all right, look.
l know how much
this means to you and your family,
so l'm gonna tell you what l know.
nothing l got right now says
your brother didn't commit suicide.
- everything else says he did.
- well...
the only reason
l'm even a teeny bit interested
is your brother didn't register
at the motel the night he died.
- he didn't? who did?
- l don't know who did.
- bobby nguyen?
- l don't know that.
what about the call he made
from the payphone at the gas station?
y ou don't worry about that, ok?
l got that covered.
now you do me one big favour
and you get outta here. l'm working.
- what do you have against me, anyway?
- what?
well, look at you, man. y ou're a screw-up.
hey, l was a screw-up too.
believe me, l know the symptoms.
so you're saying you're not one any more?
a screw-up, l mean?
could a screw-up acquire
such wealth, power and prestige?
- especially in orange county.
- y eah, well...
so, what do you have against orange county?
- didn't l ask you to leave?
- there's gotta be something else.
y ou wanna piss me off?
l want you outta here right now! got it?
go!
damn you!
- pick it up.
- no!
hey, pick it up!
like, uh...
sorry. y ou're... y ou're just trying to help.
l'm being an asshole.
all right, forget it.
look, as soon as l know something
for sure, l?ll let you know, ok?
right.
automobile club.
- hello. bolsa video.
- what?
bolsa video. may l help you?
uh...no. wrong number.
bolsa video.
hi.
ow! god!
busybody.
got something about phone numbers?
give me that.
see you later.
l figured something out.
bobby nguyen called bolsa video.
bolsa video is owned by colonel trac.
my brother was working for colonel trac.
trac and nguyen. that's two out of three.
now all we have to do is find
the american, the guy who shot nguyen.
brian, we ran a passport check.
bobby nguyen, your bobby nguyen,
arrived in bangkok last night.
- they're covering their tracks.
(phone rings)
y eah, right. excuse me.
lucero.
just one moment, please. harv.
- y eah.
- y ou take this.
bobby nguyen saw this.
that's why he started following me.
where'd you get this?
my brother.
why didn't you show it to me before?
l figured you'd think
he was mixed up in drugs or something.
drugs?
nick. take a look at this.
what's that say?
(speaks vietnamese)
antibiotics, 200lb. bandages, 800lb.
(speaks vietnamese)
alcohol, 500 gallons.
lt's a list of medical supplies and quantities.
thank you, nick.
y our brother was working
for the relief fund, right?
he was over there during the war,
working in lntelligence.
and you can keep this.
well, then, what about
the motel registration, the other guy?
look, brian,
l think it's time to let it go.
lt was a suicide. that's what the coroner found.
we gave it a shot, but that's the way
it's gonna go down in the books.
- they killed my brother.
- y ou're not listening to me.
y ou're the one who's not listening!
they killed my brother!
brlan: vinh, we gotta talk.
y ou started something
and l don't know how to finish it.
y ou were always good at that.
finishing, l mean.
remember that aircraft-carrier model?
l bought it, but l couldn't follow the
instructions, so you put it together.
l guess that was always the thing.
y ou were always one step ahead.
l could never catch up.
that really pissed me off.
so l just gave up. l stopped trying.
lt's funny, huh?
l mean...
now it seems everybody else
has given up on you except me...a screw-up.
l'm not giving up on you.
l miss you, vinh.
l mean, l hate doing my own homework.
here.
so, what do you want?
well, uh...
lt's kind of hard to explain.
l want us to be friends.
- brian, we can't.
- why not?
l'm sure that on your planet there must
be someone for you to be friends with.
lt wouldn't be any better for you than for me.
we don't have anything in common.
we have vinhy.
not any more, we don't.
and it?s more complicated than that.
look, l'm gonna be honest with you.
my father won't let me see american boys,
even as friends.
- l don't understand.
- y ou don't have to.
hold on. hold on. what?
and even if he would, brian,
would you look at yourself?
y eah. l get it.
l'm sorry.
hi, honey.
oh, my...
oh! look at you.
what do you think?
hi, dad.
(crashing)
whoo!
oh, my god.
- hey, check out k elly.
- oh, no.
quick! dial 91 1 !
- halloween's in october, brian.
- so?
so why are you in that costume?
l know. he must have sent everything
to the cleaner's.
- his mom put him up to it.
- y eah. rip it up.
- hey, where's your board?
- l felt like walking today.
now, now, now. we have to talk about this.
- l can't right now.
- nice threads, k elly.
(laughter)
oh, no!
hi.
(shouting in vietnamese)
- no american boys!
- (speaks vietnamese)
(speaks vietnamese) ..discrimination.
what does it mean to you?
americans can come to your store
but they can?t come to your home?
hi.
father, mother, you remember brian k elly.
brian, this is my father and this is my mother.
- hi.
colonel: this is quite a change.
y eah, my hair.
l guess we all do
unexpected things sometimes, don't we?
y es, l suppose we do.
brian, if we want to get to
an eight o'clock movie...
would you like to come in and have some tea?
- y eah, that'd be nice.
- some other time, mother.
l think we should.
lf the colonel doesn't mind,
there's a million questions l'd like to ask him.
- questions?
- brian, we have to go.
y eah. about... about history.
about what really happened in vietnam,
you know.
l think it would help me understand
what happened to my brother.
someday, perhaps, but you have your movie.
- right.
- bye.
good night. thanks.
so, what else does your father do
besides send medicine?
- lsn't that enough?
- l don't know.
he does that all by himself? that's amazing.
he has plenty of help.
all vietnamese
or does he work with some americans?
how would you like it if l was talking
and talking about your father all night?
l guess l'd say, ''catch you later.''
so what shall we talk about, then?
well...how about skateboarding?
- y eah?
- y eah. what's so great about it?
lt's something l can do by myself.
there's nobody there to judge me.
y ou know?
lt's just a way l can express myself.
lt's like...
l don't know how else to say it.
and you've stopped?
y eah.
hey, brian. catch this.
brlan: this is stupid, man.
vlnh: come on. lt?s your birthday.
vlnh: come on.
father: come on, brian. brighten up.
y ou?d brighten up a room just by leaving it.
come on, now. let?s have a three-way catch.
- throw it to me.
vlnh: ready?
father: all right! oh-ho!
brlan: l hate frisbees.
- lt?s all yours, brian!
- l don?t wanna play this.
mother: brian! come on, honey.
open some of your presents.
look, happy birthday.
come on. come on. brian.
(clears throat)
- l'm home.
mother: give me that.
(video stops)
so how are you?
that's the first time in your life
you've ever asked me that question.
um...
how's work?
lt's awful hard to think
about actuarial tables or fire indemnity
when l can't get vinh off my mind.
y eah, l know.
we always said vinh was special
because we chose him.
we chose him.
but how did that make you feel?
(sighs) brian, what did l ever do for you?
y ou... y ou took me to disneyland.
once, when you were six.
y eah. and they threw me out of the park
for pissing on donald duck.
l was difficult before you adopted him, dad.
anyway, that... that's all in the past.
just like vinh?s death.
y ou can't blame yourself.
are you giving me advice?
y eah, l guess so.
l'll take it.
ha! he's on a bicycle!
next thing you know, he'll be riding a scooter.
brian, we found a killer pool, man.
40-foot kidney, 1 0 feet deep.
the pool's empty
and the house burned down last week.
he burned it down.
- no, not today, man.
- not today? why?
brian, everybody knows that
you're blaming yourself for vinh's...
well...for the way that he died.
but l want you to know that your friends,
you know, we still think about you.
thanks.
what's gotten into him, man?
l don't know, but if l get it, shoot me.
(y elling)
(speaks vietnamese)
(applause)
(speaks vietnamese)
(microphone feedback)
the press is here and for their benefit
l?d like to remind them
that we are here today to celebrate relief
in the form of the vietnamese
anti communist relief fund.
- hi.
- hi.
- y ou look nice.
- thanks.
so do you.
uh, what's... what's this?
don't you like vietnamese food?
my parents always made a federal case about it.
they said l had to eat it just to be nice to vinh,
so, of course, l had to be a jerk.
besides, it's always seemed kind of weird.
what about american food?
y ou don't think a chilli dog's weird?
look, you can't be scared of chao tom.
lt's just shrimp over sugar cane.
- and this is rice flour with shredded shrimp.
- ed! ed!
- chao ong, mr phong.
- long time no see.
what are you doing this far from the farm?
- who's that guy?
- mr lawndale?
tlna: he owns westpac medical supply.
and he arranges the shipping
for my father?s relief programme.
- why?
- uh...nothing.
lawndale.: let me buy you a coffee.
jesus.
jesus christ.
someone broke in last night
and opened a crate.
lt contained 50 rifles and 20,000...
thank you.
50 rifles
and 20,000 rounds of ammunition.
nothing was taken. lt might have been a doper.
we get a few of those.
but it might not have been.
l want nothing
to compromise the movement.
the movement? colonel, l'm worried about me.
- but we have a common bond.
- no.
l have 30 sam missiles, 1 ,000 m1 6s
and half a million rounds...of ammunition.
- and l've moved them.
- where? my people are waiting for them.
they'll just have to wait a little longer, that's all.
do you ever think about the future?
y ou mean, what do l wanna be when l grow up?
y eah.
l don't know.
l used to wanna be a veterinarian,
on a farm, you know, horses and cows.
y ou on a farm?
y eah. l used to wanna live in the country.
but know what a farm vet does?
helps cows get well so they live long enough
to be turned into quarter pounders.
- lt's ridiculous.
- how'd you get to be so cynical?
practice.
- can l ask you something personal?
- sure.
uh...
where... where's the bathroom?
thanks.
- what are you doing?
- just checking out this map.
l wanted to find out where vinh...
my parents just pulled in.
y ou'd better go out the back door.
didn't they know l was coming over?
why did you risk that?
just hurry.
quick. quick.
bye.
damn.
(thunder)
(fireworks explode)
- what was it?
- l don't know. l think they're inside.
cover me, ok?
what the heck is going on here?
- fireworks.
- y ou gotta be kidding me.
what the heck is this?
hey! what are you doing out there? hey!
- come on, now! open the door!
- the door?s locked.
(shouting and banging on door)
- watch your backs! coming through!
- come on! let's feed it over here!
- where the hell were you guys?
- round the other side.
lawndale:
what do you think l pay you for?
- l can't be in two places at once.
- l want a report on my desk first thing.
wait a minute. look at this.
what's that? give me that goddamn thing.
son of a bitch!
flreman: let?s get some ladders here!
(thunder rumbles)
flreman: the help of the heavens, huh?
flreman #2: y eah, look at that.
flreman #3: thank god.
flreman: hose that right there.
all right, you guys. come on.
flreman #2: roll it up, sandy!
- ok!
tell engine company 1 3
that they can go on back.
y ou moved everything out,
so no-one can find anything. we're safe.
- what makes you think you're so safe?
- what do you mean?
we're in this together, right?
we share a common bond, remember?
lf it happened to one of us,
it could happen to the other.
americans, they're all crazy.
get tina and go to tang's house.
y ou promised me. no more war.
lt was all over.
y ou said no more war.
daddy, what's going on?
go to your uncle tang's house right away.
why? what's happening?
- nothing.
- then why do l have to go?
- who is it?
- detective lucero.
detective lucero, mr k elly.
- remember me?
- y eah.
l'd like to talk to your son
for a minute if l could, please.
lt's been raining. huh.
now, listen to me.
l don't like bullshit, not from anybody, ok?
least of all from someone
l've gone out on a limb for.
now, l can't pin that fire on you right now,
but l know you set it
and that makes it a whole different ball game.
y ou don't go around setting fires.
l don't care what your problem is.
somebody had to shake their tree.
y ou said so yourself.
by the rules.
but you don't like rules, do you?
no, you're above the rules, right?
well, let me give you a piece of news.
l was the one guy in the universe
that listened when you talked.
now there's nobody.
brian?
jeez. what are you doing here?
god, you're soaked!
let me get you a towel.
here we go.
just dry off there.
everything's falling apart.
sit down.
l was supposed to go to my uncle's house.
my father told me to go.
he's in some kind of trouble
and l'm really scared.
- sorry.
- what do you have to be sorry for?
causing you trouble.
my friendship with an american boy
is the least of my troubles.
y ou know, l really like you.
- what time is it?
- lt's almost six.
oh, my god. this is still damp.
l have something here you could try.
here you go.
l'll give this back to you later.
no problem.
thanks, brian.
- what's this?
- nothing. lt's just an old lighter.
- this is my father's.
- l got it at some army surplus store.
the american ambassador
gave this to my father in 1 972.
lt has his name on it.
any way l try and explain it,
it's gonna come out all wrong.
try.
(colonel speaks vietnamese)
where were you? where did you go?
do you have any idea what we were
going through? where were you?
- what happened to vinh?
- why ask me about that now?
what happened to vinh?
- who have you been speaking to?
- how did he die?
he killed himself.
how would l know more than you?
lt wasn't about guns, daddy?
lt wasn't about mr lawndale?
lt's his brother, isn't it?
all of this.
l don't blame him for what he's done.
l'd have done anything. anything.
vinh k elly's death was an accident.
y ou have to believe one thing about me.
whatever l've done,
l've done for our vietnamese nation.
his brother.
y ou don't know what the boy's done.
leave me now.
l have something to take care of.
he's a kid? and he did it alone? christ.
as long as he's keeping it between him
and us, you know what has to be done.
no, ed. l'm out.
well, l'm not.
hi, nick.
hey, buddy!
christ.
- mr lawndale wants to see you.
- y eah? what for?
- he wants to talk.
- y eah, right.
(car horn blares)
jeez!
so, why were they following you?
- they said lawndale wanted to see me.
- mm-hm. that's not what they say.
they say you called them
fucking faggot slant-eyed gooks.
that really sounds just like me, you know?
oh, yeah?
y ou ready to tell me about the fire?
what fire?
- are you scared, brian?
- no.
y eah.
y ou ought to be.
- motorcycles, out of nowhere.
- don't think about it.
- two guys try and mow me down.
- sweetheart, just...
- look at this. lt's trashed.
- lt's just a skateboard, sweetheart.
the most important thing is that you're all right.
who was the other guy,
the one that got lucky and rode off?
what other guy?
come on. y ou don't think he'd be
protecting you right now, do you?
y ou can bet your ass he wouldn't.
(speaks vietnamese)
(speaks vietnamese)
tv: give me an a.
give me a b.
fellas, this is detective oliver.
let's all get to know each other.
nice to meet you.
so...
..who paid you guys to run down that kid?
trac or lawndale?
- who's lawndale?
- who's trac?
y abbo. come on, now. wake up.
wake up, all right? y abbo.
wake up.
y ou can fix this, right?
brian's dead.
ok. then l need a new deck, all right?
street wheels, lapper, noseguard, rails.
- make sure the trucks are real tight.
- who are you?
l don't have time to jerk around.
the lawyers are getting angry,
but l told them they were still in processing.
ok, we're gonna go through this
one more time for the detective here.
- the whole story.
- hey.
(speaks vietnamese)
(speaks vietnamese)
lawndale.
that?s all.
thanks, guys.
y ou've given us everything we need.
lucero: book ?em, harv.
no, no, no, no, no. black ones. these.
brian, it's a rougher ride on the street.
all they are is faster.
right.
y ou got it.
brlan's father:
brian, detective lucero?s here. wake up.
brlan: a little tighter.
ok, good.
- lt's beautiful.
- thanks.
thank you, man.
- all right, call the guys, right?
- all right. l'm on it.
(phone rings)
- hello?
(ringing continues)
- hello?
- y abbo. y eah, what's up?
- y ou still got the keys to the truck?
- y eah. y ou wanna make a delivery now?
no, man. who can eat a pizza at six
in the morning? lt's time to scramble.
- round up the guys. brian needs us.
- y eah, right.
gremic! y o, gremic!
come on.
- whoa! thanks for coming, man.
- y abbo. lt's too early, man.
l don't think you should go to bangkok.
we're in this together.
we killed vinh, and he only meant well.
we killed bobby nguyen. he started out
a good boy and you got to him.
look, no-one knows anything
except a kid on a skateboard.
my daughter knows as well.
are you going to kill her too?
daddy, a police car just pulled up outside.
here we go, vinh.
go out and talk to them. go on.
(tina screams)
(gunshot)
(tina screams)
y ou all right, man?
hey! don't try anything. now, come on, come on.
shit. lnto the police car.
come on. come on. come on. ln!
(she shouts in vietnamese)
- call 91 1 . get an ambulance.
- help me!
don't die! help me!
get in there. get down on the floor.
damn!
here, let me. this is...
this is against the law.
- there is an electrical malfunction.
- mind if l drive?
freeway! come on! come on!
l don't wanna hurt you but if you come up again,
goddamn it, l will.
turn left, damn it!
go round these cars. go round 'em.
get out of the way! get out of the way!
put the roof lights on. come on. lights!
(siren wails)
get down there! now you stay put!
not the wipers! the lights! the lights!
southbound on harbour boulevard,
approaching cantella.
l'm requesting assistance.
- y o, bro.
- y abbo?
- y eah.
- this is it.
y ou're after a stolen police car
on harbour, heading south near cantella.
- that?s it.
- ok.
y ou got your team, l got mine.
hey! let's go, everybody!
we gotta go to cantella and harbour.
all right! let's go!
brlan: there he is.
lucero: got him.
lucero: hold on.
brlan: jeez.
right up here. pull in here.
hold it! where are you going?
- are you looking?
- y ep.
whoa!
jeez! l'll get out and check the next lane.
no, don't...
- y our right door is ajar.
- lawndale's gonna be pissed.
now! go!
- there he is.
- y our right door is ajar.
y our right door...
(horn blares)
- hey, hold it! hey!
go round the car. go around it. go!
lucero: oh, come on.
brian, don't. don't, don't. brian!
(horns blare)
move! outta the way!
hey, cop! police!
- oh, yeah.
- police. move along. that's right.
thank you.
get up there. see that road? turn right.
(horn blares)
oh, my god.
- go through 'em. go through them.
- no. no!
- run 'em down.
- no!
l said run 'em down!
- whoo!
- brian!
whoo!
let's go.
let's go! let's go!
goddamn kids.
y ou see that intersection?
go through the intersection. go through it.
(horns blare)
(horns blare)
lawndale: up on the kerb,
the diamond lane. go on, get up there!
cut in front of this car. come on!
- what the...?
- hey! hey.
- the guy who hit you isn't a cop.
- no shit?
- so go get him!
- thanks a lot, pal.
- what the hell...?
- hi. still with you.
- come on. let's go!
- ok.
(siren wails)
(beeps horn)
hey! lucero! all right!
follow him!
goddamn it.
come on. move it! faster! faster!
the freeway exit right over here. pull off!
(shouting)
(musical truck horn)
brian!
- thanks for the ride.
- wait!
whoo!
rip!
let's catch the son of a bitch!
(y ells)
come on! come on! come on! get over!
y our right door is ajar.
- come on! come on!
- no, please! no!
- whoo!
- let's go!
drlver: ls the kid ok?
tlna: brian? brian?
drlver: where?d he come from?
- are you ok?
- y eah. y ou ok?
y eah, l'm fine.
brlan: hi.
- take it easy. just stay there.
- y eah.
we'll take care of you. all right?
y abbo: shit.
- this thing's less than an hour old.
- didn't have the trucks straight.
- l could have been killed.
- sorry. next time, all right?
lt's all right.
y our um...
y our father?
l'm sorry.
l really am sorry.
what are you gonna do?
my mother wants to stay here.
but l don't know. after what's happened,
how could l go back to school again?
how could l face everyone?
look, um...
don't go back until l'm outta here.
then we'll both go back together.
l'll walk you.
must have been a pretty terrific guy.
y eah, he was.
well, it happens, you know.
good ones come along once in a while.
sometimes they're even riding a skateboard.
brlan: a board? lmagine that.
lucero: how are things at home?
- different.
they talk to me now instead of about me.
y eah, and are you listening or answering back?
hm?
hey, you gotta make some adjustments.
right?
- right.
- right.
- come on.
- ok.
ah! hey!
gotcha.
* bllly burnette: brother to brother
* brother to brother
* where are you going?
* we're walking a tightrope
* get on or off
* fear of rejection
* ls all you're afraid of
* but that never stopped you
no, it never stopped you
* nothing ever stopped you before
* l have seen you get through dire situations
* from inside you that survivor drives your soul
* when the times got tough
* y ou kept on trying
* always trying
* ln the darkest tunnel, you could see the light
* brother to brother
* where are you going?
* we're walking a tightrope
* get on or off
* fear of rejection
* ls all you're afraid of
* but that never stopped you
no, it never stopped you
* nothing ever stopped you before
* this is your eleventh hour, your decision
* no one else can make your mind up
but yourself
* see the light, now face it
* y ou got the power
* oh, the power
* so come on and get it up
* get in the fight
* brother to brother
* where are you going?
* we're walking a tightrope
* get on or off
* fear of rejection
* ls all you're afraid of
* but that never stopped you
no, it never stopped you
* nothing ever stopped you before
* no, it never stopped you
no, never stopped you
* lt never stopped you before