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| Gran Torino | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Clint Eastwood |
| Produced by | Clint Eastwood Bill Gerber Robert Lorenz |
| Written by | Nick Schenk |
| Starring | Clint Eastwood Bee Vang |
| Music by | Kyle Eastwood |
| Cinematography | Tom Stern |
| Editing by | Joel Cox |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Village Roadshow Media Magik Malpaso |
| Release date(s) | December 12, 2008 (limited) January 9, 2009 (wide) |
| Running time | 116 min. |
| Language | English Hmong |
| Budget | $33 million |
| Official website • IMDb • Allmovie | |
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Gran Torino is a 2008 American drama film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. The film features a predominantly Hmong cast, as well as Eastwood's younger son, Scott Eastwood. Eastwood's older son, Kyle Eastwood, provided the score. The film first debuted in North America with a limited release on December 12, 2008 with wide release on January 9, 2009.
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Plot
Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), a retired automotive worker and a Korean War veteran, lives in a changing Detroit neighborhood which is dominated by immigrants. At the start of the movie, Walt is attending his wife's funeral, bristling at the shallow eulogy of Father Janovich (Christopher Carley). He similarly has no patience for his two sons and their families who show little respect for Walt or their late mother. Throughout the movie Walt views them as spoiled and self-absorbed who avoid him, unless it's of their own self-serving interest.
Walt's teenage Hmong neighbors, Thao and Sue Vang Lor, live with their mother and eccentric grandmother. When Thao Vang Lor (Bee Vang) is confronted by a racist Hispanic gang, the Hmong gang, led by Thao's older cousin Spider (Doua Moua), gets involved to help out his little cousin. The Hmong gang, at that point, tries to persuade Thao to join them. Thao's initiation is to steal Walt's prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino. Walt interrupts the robbery, pointing a rifle in Thao's face and forcing him to flee. After a few days, Spider and his gang return. With his sister Sue (Ahney Her) at his side, Thao manages to verbally confront them to no avail. The gang drags Thao off his porch in an attempt to assault him. His family tries desperately to fend off Spider and his cohorts. The conflict ends when Walt, who fought in in the US Army's 1st Cavalry, threatens the gang members with his M-1 rifle, telling them to get off his lawn. They leave the neighborhood, telling Walt to "watch his back".
The Vang Lors thank a grumpy and impatient Walt, who insists he only wanted the "gooks" off his property. When the neighborhood hears of Walt's brave act, they reward him by decorating his porch with Hmong dishes and garden plants. Walt is not pleased, seeking only to be left alone. Father Janovich goes to Walt, reminding him of his wife's desire for him to go to confession. Walt refuses.
After seeing Sue being harassed by three black teenagers, Walt steps in to rescue her. Sue gets to know Walt, and brings him closer to her family. Sue, Thao, and their mother confront Walt and his labrador Daisy the next day, volunteering Thao to work for Walt to atone for his attempted theft of the Gran Torino. Walt has Thao clean up the neighborhood until his debt is paid and teaches Thao to be a man. He gets Thao a construction job and a date with another Hmong girl called Youa, who Walt refers to as "Yum Yum".
After discovering blood when he coughs, Walt visits the doctor and learns he is dying. The Hmong gang, meanwhile, keeps pressuring Thao to join them. When they find Thao alone, they mug him and burn his face with a cigarette. Walt confronts and beats one of the Hmong gang members in retaliation. The gang returns days later and shoots up the Vang Lors' home, wounding Thao in the neck. Sue, who had left for her aunt's house before the shooting, returns, beaten and raped. Walt storms home, punching walls and bloodying his knuckles in anger. Father Janovich visits. The two have a beer and discuss what Walt will do about it. He goes to confession with Father Janovich, who tells him to pray.
An eager and vengeful Thao plans to join Walt in the encounter with the Hmongs. Walt gives him the Silver Star medal he earned in Korea and locks him in the basement, saying he does not want him to live with the consequences of killing someone. He later calls Sue to have her unlock the basement and let Thao out. Walt confronts the gang about the shootout and rape. He waits and watches as some neighbors witness the confrontation. He takes out a cigarette from his jacket, puts it in his mouth, and asks the gang for a light. He begins praying the "Hail Mary" (which was the penance assigned to him by Father Janovich in confession) and then reaches for a lighter in his jacket, and the gang unleashes a hail of fire upon him in fear, thinking Walt is pulling out a gun. Walt is instantly killed. Later, after arriving at the crime scene, Thao and Sue are told by a Hmong police officer that the gang has been arrested and will be imprisoned for a long time, given that they killed an unarmed man. Hmong neighbors who witnessed the killing break their code of silence and testify against the gang members.
Production
Gran Torino was directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the film, and written by Nick Schenk.[1] It was produced by Village Roadshow Pictures, Media Magik Entertainment and Malpaso Productions for film distributor Warner Bros. Eastwood also produced, alongside Malpaso partner Robert Lorenz and Bill Gerber.[2] Filmmakers chose to produce Gran Torino in the state of Michigan, one of the first films to take advantage of the state's new law providing tax incentive packages to film productions.[3] Filming began in July 2008;[4] locations included Highland Park, Center Line,[5] Warren, Royal Oak, and Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan.[6] Hmong crew, production assistants, consultants and extras were used.[1][7] Gran Torino is being regarded as a potential Academy Award contender.[8] The film received a limited release in North America on December 12, 2008.[9]
Cast
- Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran. Kowalski's two prized possessions are his 1972 Gran Torino and M1 Garand from the War. Eastwood described the character's relationship with the objects, "He worked on the line in the Ford plant and retired and had this one car he bought himself. It's sort of a symbol of his days with the Ford plant. The M-1 is sort of a symbol of his days in the military... He's clinging to the memory of the war. You'll find out when you see it, some of (the memories) are not as pleasant as others. That helps make him even tougher to get along with."[10] Of the character, Eastwood said, "He's one of these guys who finds it very hard to accept change... [and that the film] just shows how his life goes and how he gets involved with the Hmong people who are living next door."[11] Eastwood's starring role was his first since Million Dollar Baby in 2004.[10]
- Bee Vang plays Thao, a Hmong teenager who gets caught trying to steal Kowalski's 1972 Gran Torino. The part is Vang's first acting role.[1] The character is described as "the neighborhood wimp", and the large height difference between Thao and Kowalski was a deliberate echo of the mentor relationship Kowalski has with the character. Vang said, "Thao is literally 'looking up' to [him]".[12]
- Christopher Carley plays Father Janovich, the local priest committed to helping Walt after his wife dies.
- Ahney Her plays Sue, Thao's bossy older sister. Sue serves as Kowalski's guide into her family.[12]
- Brooke Chia Thao as Vu, Thao and Sue's mother
- Chee Thao as Grandmother
- Sonny Vue as Smokie, gang leader
- Doua Moua as Fong / Spider
- Brian Haley as Mitch Kowalski
- Geraldine Hughes as Karen Kowalski
- Dreama Walker as Ashley Kowalski
- Brian Howe as Steve Kowalski
- Austin Douglas Smith as Daniel Kowalski
- Conor Liam Gallagher as David Kowalski
- Michael E. Kurowski as Josh Kowalski
- John Carroll Lynch as Barber Martin
- Scott Eastwood as Trey
