In Walt's garage is his prized possession. A 1972 Pontiac Gran Torino Sport he helped build. The shy neighbor boy who had the door slammed in his face, Thao (Bee Vang), is being recruited by a Hmong gang led by his cousin Spider (Doua Moua). Thao has been raised by women, and does not have a lot of skills that, as an Asian man, would be viewed as important. By getting him into the gang, his cousin wants to give him some skills that he can be respected for. For an initiation rite, Thao is expected to steal Walt's Gran Torino.
Walt interrupts the robbery with his military-issued M1 rifle forcing Thao to flee. When Spider and his gang return the next day they drag him off of the porch, his sister Sue (Ahney Her) fights to stop them. They end up in Walt's yard with the gang beating on him. Aiming his M1-Garland rifle, Walt says with gritted teeth, "Get off my lawn." You can hear Dirty Harry Callahan at 78. When one of the gang members tells him to go back into the house, Walt replies, "I blow a hole in your face and I go in the house and sleep like a baby. You can count on that".
Needless to say the gang tells him to watch his back, and then leaves. Much to Walt's chagrin, he becomes the neighborhood hero. People are bringing him flowers and food and laying it on his front porch. They now won't stop leaving him alone.
It is through this incident and another involving Thao's sister Sue that opens the door for Walt to begin to see the Asian family in a different light. Sue is very outgoing. She is also very dominating, can put up with Walt's racial taunts, and is also the most Americanized of the family. She begins to explain the differences in culture in a way that Walt can relate back to his own values.
When Thao comes to work off his attempted stealing of the Gran Torino and restore his family honor, it doesn't start off promising, but it is through Thao's redemption, that Walt can find his own redemption.
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
It was snubbed because it's not that good. It has some very good moments, but it certainly doesn't rise to greatness.
The film is too long, the plotting is weak, and at times it doesn't seem to know if it wants to be a comedy or a drama.
Clint is doing Archie Bunker, and the amateur actors are obviously that.
Why the gangsters seek revenge against the Hmong family house and not Walt's makes no sense at all, other than to leave him for the climax, which was rather obvious as they beat into the audience what was going on with Walt.
The "manning up" scene you found funny was possibly the worst of the film. I couldn't believe a director of Clint's caliber would have let it stand. It was like what a teenager thinks men are like.
I could go on, but this film has many problems.
2 - T. Michael Testi
"Clint is doing Archie Bunker"
I totally disagree. Growing up, near the steel mills of Gary Indiana and working there as a kid, I knew people like Walt.
I was fortunate enough to know both blacks and whites who had these attitudes. That is what made the interactions between the Hmong matriarch and Walt so great.
"The "manning up" scene you found funny was possibly the worst of the film."
I have also seen the barber shop and while they played it up more for its comedy value, it still was real.
"Why the gangsters seek revenge against the Hmong family house and not Walt's makes no sense at all"
Sure it does, most drive by shooting are meant to scare some one. It is not the most effective way to kill someone. If people get killed, that's collateral damage.
They are trying to get to Thao and get back at Sue. They know that they cannot scare Walt and it would be more effective to bring out Walt this way.
Even though Eastwood was born in California, his dad was a steel worker so I suspect that there is a lot of background he grew up with that drew him to this role. Now at 78, he is viewing these people from a different perspective, and that is what I am seeing from it as well.
T.