Gran Torino

'Walt Kowalski is a widower who holds onto his prejudices despite the changes in his Michigan neighborhood and the world around him. Kowalski is a grumpy, tough-minded, unhappy an old man, who can\'t get along with either his kids or his neighbors, a Korean War veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 Gran Torino he keeps in mint condition. When his neighbor Thao, a young Hmong teenager under pressure from his gang member cousin, tries to steal his Gran Torino, Kowalski sets out to reform the youth. Drawn against his will into the life of Thao\'s family, Kowalski is soon taking steps to protect them from the gangs that infest their neighborhood.'

Walt Kowalski, an iron-willed veteran living in a changing world, who is forced by his immigrant neighbors to confront his own long-held prejudices. The people he once called his neighbors have all moved or passed away, replaced by Hmong immigrants, from Southeast Asia, he despises. Resentful of virtually everything and everyone he sees, Walt is just waiting out the rest of his life, until the night his teenage neighbor Thao tries to steal his prized '72 Gran Torino, under pressure from Hmong gang-bangers. But Walt stands in the way of both the heist and the gang, making him the reluctant hero of the neighborhood-especially to Thao's mother and older sister, Sue, who insist that Thao work for Walt as a way to make amends. Though he initially wants nothing to do with these people, Walt eventually gives in and puts the boy to work, setting into motion an unlikely friendship that will change both their lives.

Gran Torino is a 2008 American drama film directed by, produced by and starring Clint Eastwood. The film marks Eastwood's return to a lead acting role after four years - his last leading role being Million Dollar Baby. 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 opened to theaters in a limited release in North America on December 12, 2008, and later to a wide release on January 9, 2009.
Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), a retired Polish American Ford automobile assembly line worker and a Korean War veteran (still haunted by the killings in that conflict), lives with his dog Daisy (a Labrador Retriever) in a changing Highland Park, Michigan 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 young Father Janovich (Christopher Carley). Similarly, he has little patience with his two sons, Mitch (Brian Haley) and Steve (Brian Howe), and their families, who show little regard for Walt's grief or the memory of their dead mother. Instead of showing respect by attending the funeral in somber, formal attire, one of his grandsons turn up wearing a Detroit Lions jersey and his granddaughter is wearing skimpy clothing which shows her midriff. Additionally, he becomes incredibly irritated when he hears his other grandson using lewd terminology during prayers while his granddaughter is caught texting on her cellphone. Walt notes this ill-mannered behavior and feels irritated by it. Throughout the movie Walt views his relations as rude, spoiled and self-absorbed, always avoiding him unless it is in their own interest. Walt's sons see him as "always disappointed" with them and their families, unaware of their obnoxiousness. Walt's teenage Hmong neighbors, a shy Thao (Bee Vang) and his feisty sister Sue Vang Lor (Ahney Her), live with their widowed mother and grandmother. When a Hispanic gang confronts Thao, the Hmong gang, led by Thao's older cousin Spider (Doua Moua), helps Thao by frightening the Hispanic gang and forcing them to flee. The Hmong gang, at that point, tries to persuade Thao to join them. Thao's initiation is to steal Walt's prized car, a 1972 Gran Torino Sport. 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 Sue 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 the United States Army's 1st Cavalry Division, threatens the gang members with his M1 Garand rifle and orders 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 leaving on his porch gifts of Hmong dishes and garden plants. Thao admits to trying to steal his Gran Torino. 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, while her "date" (Scott Eastwood) cannot help her, Walt steps in to rescue her, confronting the teenagers and threatening them with a Colt 1911 pistol. Sue gets to know Walt, and invites him to a family barbecue on his birthday, bringing him closer to her family, explaining Hmong culture and that during the Vietnam War they fought on "his" side. Sue, Thao, and their mother visit Walt the next day, with Thao's family forcing him to work for Walt for a week to atone for his attempted theft of the Gran Torino. Walt has Thao clean up the neighborhood until his debt is paid and shows Thao the ways of American men. He gets Thao a construction job and encourages him to date another Hmong girl called Youa, whom Walt refers to as "Yum Yum". After discovering blood when he coughs, Walt visits the doctor. Here again he is confronted by the changing times, seeming to be the only white man in the waiting room, his name is mispronounced by a nurse wearing a Muslim head covering, and he's informed by his examining Asian woman doctor that his old familiar doctor retired three years earlier. After viewing the results of his examination, which indicate that they aren't good, he calls his son Mitch and awkwardly tries to talk. The call is cut short when Mitch, whose family and he didn't want to talk to Walt in the first place, tells him that he's busy. Meanwhile, The Hmong gang keeps pressuring Thao to join them. When they find Thao walking home alone after work, 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. The family chooses not to tell police who did it. Walt storms home, punching cupboards and bloodying his knuckles in anger. Father Janovich who has "worked with Asian gangs", visits. The two drink beer together, and discuss what Walt will do about it. He eventually goes to confession with Father Janovich, who after hearing a few old, and somewhat minor, sins, tells Walt to pray. An angry Thao urges Walt to take vengeance on the Hmong gang with him. Walt first tells him to come back later as revenge must be planned carefully. When Thao returns, Walt gives him the Silver Star medal he earned in Korea but locks him in the basement, saying he does not want him to live with the consequences of killing someone. Through a metal screen door similar to the screen found in the confessional one scene earlier, Walt tells Thao about a sin that haunted him every day - killing a young enemy soldier, who wanted to "just give up" (therefore, this scene can be viewed as Walt's actual "confession"). Walt then leaves his dog Daisy with Sue's grandmother, and calls Sue to have her unlock his basement and let Thao before driving to confront the gang. Outside the gang members' adjacent houses Walt berates them for the shootout and raping of Sue. As the jumpy gang members show their automatic weapons, Walt waits and watches as neighbors begin to look out of their windows and from behind doors to witness the events unfold. 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 slowly reaches into his jacket, quoting "You got a light? Me? I've got a light." Thinking Walt is going to shoot, the gang unleashes a hail of fire, riddling Walt with bullets. A shot of Walt lying dead on the ground, in a crucifix-like pose, reveals he had grabbed his 1st Cavalry Division Zippo lighter, not a gun. Thao and Sue arrive at the crime scene and ask the police what happened. Speaking in Hmong to a Hmong police officer they are told that the gang has been arrested and will be imprisoned for a long time, having killed an unarmed man. Hmong neighbors who witnessed the killing break their code of silence and testify against the gang members. The gang themselves have all been handcuffed by the police, with terrified facial expressions as they're hauled off to jail. A funeral service is held for Walt with Father Janovich delivering a memorable eulogy of Walt, who is to be buried in a tailored suit he bought right before he was killed. Thao and his family attend the funeral opposite Walt's large extended family, which has Walt's son Mitch wondering how the Vang Lors know Walt. In his will, Walt leaves his house to the church, and his Gran Torino to Thao, much to the disappointment and puzzlement of his family who expected to inherit the house to sell for profit and the Gran Torino for Walt's disrespectful granddaughter. In the final scene, Thao is driving the Gran Torino up Lake Shore Road with Daisy next to him.

Source: Wikipedia