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Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

1993 American drama film by Rob Cohen

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is a 1993 semi-fictionalized biographical martial arts film telling the story of actor Bruce Lee, starring Jason Scott Lee (no relation) as Bruce Lee, Lauren Holly (as Linda Emery) and Robert Wagner. The film was directed by Rob Cohen and written by Cohen, Edward Khmara and John Raffo.

Bruce Lee

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  • [Having defeated a group of college jocks; to their leader who mocked him for being like the North Koreans] Sorry about your father. That was Koreans. I'm an American. [leaves]

Dialogue

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[Lee Hoi-chuen, Bruce Lee's father, brings Bruce home after the fight with the sailors]
Lee Hoi-Chuen: Sit down. I've thought a lot about this for a very long time. You'll have to leave Hong Kong.
Bruce Lee Sai-Fong: For how long?
Hoi-Chuen: Forever.
Bruce: [smug] This is a joke, right? [stands up] You're joking.
Hoi-chuen: Listen to me, Sai-fong, you'll die in Hong Kong. I've seen it.
Bruce: You're too superstitious, Papa- [Hoi-chuen noisily places his teacup down and sternfully gestures him to sit down]
Hoi-Chuen: You're a man now. Almost. You have a right to know everything. You had an older brother, you see. He died in childbirth. The demon took him away from us. The firstborn man-child is very valuable. So when you were born, I name you Sai-fong, a girl's name. We dress you in dresses so the demon wouldn't know I had another son. I made you speak English, all so we could fool him but now he knows [stands up] and he's coming for you. You must leave tonight. [leaves dining room]
Bruce: [follows to bedroom] Where, papa? Where can I go?
Hoi-Chuen: You love American movies. [opens drawer] You love American cars. You go to America.
Bruce: America?
Hoi-Chuen: I was in America on tour with the Canton Opera Company in 1940. San Francisco, doing [points to poster] The Drunken Princess. November 27th, you were born. That morning I got you and three good reviews. [pulls out package wrapped in cloth] I was very proud. Come here. come here. [shows paper] This is your birth certificate.
Bruce: Bruce Lee.
Hoi-Chuen: It sounded very American.
Bruce: It sure does. [they laugh]
Hoi-Chuen: You were born there. Show this to the immigration man. They have to let you in. [gets picture frame and tears back, showing a lot of money]
Bruce: You need money to go to America.
Hoi-Chuen: It's yours. I saved it for you... for a day like today.
Bruce: [clams up, knowing he must leave] I don't know what to say.
Hoi-Chuen: [moves Bruce to face him] Say you'll do better. Tell me you'll make a big noise in America... so I can hear it over here.
[after the brawl with the cooks, Gussie Yang summons Bruce]
Gussie Yang: [counts off one set of bills] Two weeks' pay. [another set of bills] Two weeks' severance.
Bruce Lee: [sees a third set of bills] What's this?
Yang: All-purpose loan. You got a lot of money, Lee. What you gonna do?
Lee: I guess I'd better-
Yang: I tell you what to do. [walks around him] Take April on the town. Buy her nice clothes. Check into big hotel. [whispers] Have lots of sex. Have food brought up to you in bed. Drink champagne and whiskey. Now money all gone. April be gone, too, like money. You come back to me. I put you in kitchen, wash dishes to pay back loan. By that time you're no longer young, you're no longer handsome. You're nothing but a... [looks toward Lee] dishwasher. That one choice. There are others.
Lee: Like what?
Yang: They say education is good. hmm. I've heard that. Me, personally... I hope you go with April. I can always use a good... dishwasher!
[Bruce confronts the local Chinatown elders over a message they sent him]
Principal Elder: Bruce, I know that you like to be called Bruce. You have been charged with violating the martial arts code. We've had several complaints from Wu Zuo Lin and Wong Jack Man and many others. You've been teaching the gwai lo, this must stop.
Bruce Lee: I'll teach whoever wants to learn.
Principal Elder: Bruce, we do things differently here. One of the things we do not do is teach our secrets to white, blacks. They are the enemy.
Bruce Lee: ... They are not the enemy. They just don't know us. We've been so closed for so long, they've never seen the real beauty of our culture. Lets show it to them. [Elders grumble]
Principal Elder: I'm sorry. We do not agree. You are ordered to stop teaching the gwai lo.
Bruce Lee: Or what?
Principal Elder: Or we will settle this by combat! Prepare yourself.
[at Ed Parker's tournament, Bruce talks about his fighting style but gets called on by the crowd to prove it]
Bruce Lee: Okay, I'll prove it. I'll need someone to prove it on. I'll beat any man in this room in 60 seconds! [reacts to voice, but one voice cuts in]
Voice: I'll fight him! [Bruce looks in the voice's direction and sees Johnny Sun and his brother appear]
Johnny Sun: I beat him before!... I beat him again! [audience cheers]
Linda Emery Lee: [to Bruce from the apron] What are you, crazy? The doctor said no more fighting.
Bruce: They told me I'd never walk again, too.
Linda: When will you be happy? When they're right? Bruce, I'm begging you, If you love me-.
Bruce: This isn't about you and me.
Linda: Fine, but I'm not going through this again, do you understand me? You get hurt, You're on your own. [walks away]
Bruce: Don't go anywhere, Hon! [Linda looks back at him] It'll be over in 60 seconds!
[While shooting the Big Boss' major battle sequence at the Pak Chong ice plant, Johnny Sun's brother Luke visits Bruce]
Luke Sun: My brother can't talk right. He can't walk right. You have dishonored my family. I have sworn to kill you.
Bruce Lee: Swearing is easy.
Director: [to assistant in Cantonese] What the hell are they saying? Those lines aren't in the script!
Sun: I read your book. I know all your tricks.
Lee: Let's see how well you've learned your lesson.
[Linda has just told Bruce about bringing Brandon and Shannon home to the States, and he's not amused]
Bruce Lee: Home's here for now.
Linda: No. here is where we watch you work.
Bruce: What do you want me to do?
Linda: I want you to come with us.
Bruce: Forget it. I worked in America for ten years and what did it get me? It got me nothing.
Linda: It got you me.
Bruce: Oh, man. They got such a good line of bullshit. "Come and get it!" "America, the mountain of gold!" "It's for everybody!!" Yeah, it's for everybody white, but they don't tell you that! You gotta read the small print! If you can read.
Linda: I am not America. Your kids are not America. Don't push us away. We're going. I want you to come with us. I want the kids to have a father again. [lays hands on Bruce's cheeks]
Bruce: [swipes off hands] Don't lay any guilt trips on me! I'm not taking any guilt trips!
Linda: This place is eating us up! Can't you see that, Bruce?
Bruce: This place has given us a life! I'm somebody here! I'm special! Back there, I'm just another gook! Just another wetback, Charlie Chan, slopehead, coolie dishwasher in a stinking chinkie restaurant! [one-arms contents off of a vanity table]
Brandon Lee: [in another room with a crying Shannon] Mom!
Bruce: [mock Chinese accent] Wash your shirt, Mister White Man? Please? No tickee, no shirtee! Order one from Column "A" and one from Column "B"!
Brandon: Mommy!
Bruce: Me happy to build the railroads! Me happy to dig the mines for you, Mister White Man! [slams cabinet door]
Brandon: Mommy, I'm scared! Mommy, what's happening?
Bruce: Is that who I am?! Is it?! Tell me! TELL ME THAT'S WHO I AM!!!
Linda: I don't know who the hell you are anymore! Do you?

Cast

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Taglines

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  • The Mystery. The Life. The Love. The Legend.
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