The Iron Giant

• I am not a gun.
• Souls don't die...
• I not Atomo... I Superman.
• Hogarth, you stay... I go... no following.

Hogarth Hughes

• You are who you choose to be.
• So we can't tell Ripley's Believe it or Not...well...because they wouldn't believe it.
• [Hogarth has just had espresso with Dean, and is not used to its effects.] So she moves me up a grade because I wasn't fitting in so now I'm even more non-popular. I was getting good grades, like all A's, and then my mom says, "You need stimulation" and I'm thinking, "No, I'm stimulated enough right now." [Dean: That's for sure] But she goes, "Nuh-uh, you don't have a challenge. You have to have a challenge." Well, now I'm challenged, all right. I'm challenged to hold on to my lunch money because all the big mooses want to pound me because I'm a shimpy 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?

Kent Mansley

• Hey there, Scout. Kent Mansley. I work for the government.
• Hogarth? That's an embarrassing name. She might as well have called him Zeppo or something...what kind of sick person names their kid Hogarth?
• (interrogating Hogarth in the barn; tosses him his pictures, first one of the piece of metal that Hogarth brought the giant) Does this ring a bell? (Hogarth doesn't answer) No? (tosses him a picture of Hogarth with the Giant peeking over at him) How about this?

Dean McCoppin

• Sorry about the crowbar, kid. You'd be surprised how many people want to steal scrap. But, man, once I make it into art, I can't give it away. I mean, what am I? A junkman who makes art or an artist who sells junk? You tell me.
• (to Hogarth) This is espresso. It's like Coffeezilla.
• (speaking to the Giant) There are two kinds of metal in this yard: Scrap (points to scrap pile) and Art (points to metal art pieces). If you're going to eat one of them, eat the scrap. What you currently have, IN YOUR MOUTH, is ART!!

Class Film

• ATOMIC HOLOCAUST!
• [Singing] Hands on your head, low to the ground. Time to duck and cover...the bombs are coming down. Duck and cover. Duck and cover...'Cause all the kids who don't will cease to be around.

Dialogue

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hogarth: Can you talk? You know..."Blah blah blah?"

The Giant: [Metallic grinding noises]

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

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

Marv: Do you mean...national security?

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

(The general is furious with Mansley)

General Rogard: Do you realize how much hardware I've brought down here? YOU JUST BLEW MILLIONS OF UNCLE SAM'S DOLLARS OUT OF YOUR BUTT! You'll be Cheif Inspector of subway toilets by the time I'm finished with you. Now pack up! I'll expect you back in Washington to clear out your office.

Kent Mansley: Yes, sir.

(Mansley is on the phone with the general.)

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

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

General Rogard: And you saw this happen, right?

Kent Mansley: I didn't actually see it. It ran off into the woods.

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

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

General Rogard: An eyewitness with a concussion.

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

General Rogard: OK, Mansley. Say it again, and this time, listen to yourself.

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

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

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

General Rogard: OK, Mansley. Let me tell you how this works...If you told me you found, let's say...a giant footprint, I could send over a specialist to make a plaster cast of it. Hell, you get me a photograph of this thing and I could probably send some troops over there! But you tell me you have a feeling...

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

General Rogard: That's just swell, Mansley.

Kent Mansley: (yelling) And I'm gonna want that memo carbon copied and distributed...

(Rogard hangs up)

Kent Mansley: 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!

Annie Hughes: For some reason the army is outside our front door, Mr. Mansley.

Kent: Please, call me Kent.

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

Kent Mansley: (Upon realizing the Giant is right above them) Oooh...We can duck and cover! There's a fallout shelter not far from ...

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

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

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

Kent Mansley: Screw our country! I WANT TO LIVE!

(He attempts to escape but is stopped by the Giant. The troops surround Kent and hold him at gunpoint.)

General Rogard: (to the troops) Make sure he stays there, like a good soldier.

Hogarth: Giant?

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

Hogarth: I love you.

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

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

The Giant: Superman.

Voice cast

• Eli Marienthal - Hogarth Hughes
• Jennifer Aniston - Annie Hughes
• Harry Connick, Jr. - Dean McCoppin
• Vin Diesel - The Iron Giant
• Christopher McDonald - Kent Mansley
• John Mahoney - General Rogard

See also