Thao vang lor, nicknamed toad, was a friend of walt kowalski and the secondary protagonist in the 2008 movie gran torino. In gran torino, clint eastwood plays walt kowalski, a retired korean war veteran shattered by his wifes recent death. Based on the true story of the 1996 atlanta bombing. But his is a reluctant faith, if its really there at all. Sue lor is a supporting protagonist in the 2008 movie gran torino. Ending spoiler for gran torino 2008, plus mistakes, quotes, trivia and more. For all these reasons, gran torino will have a definite appeal for longtime fans of both eastwood the actor, and eastwood the director. The film opens at the funeral for his wife she is never seen, but.
Bishop barron on gran torino spoilers bishop robert barron. One day, walt helped her get away from a group of delinquents. Find new and used 1972 ford gran torino classics for sale by classic car dealers and private sellers near you. Sue was a teenage hmong girl whos family immigrated to the united states, and became neighbors with a veteran named walt kowalski. The movie centers around walt, a korean war veteran whose wife has recently passed away leaving him unhappy, angry, and disappointed in the behaviors of his family and country. Gran torino 2008 official trailer clint eastwood, bee vang drama movie hd disgruntled korean war veteran walt kowalski sets out to. Gran torino is a tale with many facets to it,such as the loss of male identity that was orginally brought about by working in skilled bluecollar employment which eastwoods character didhe was a ford auto worker in the movie and the male characteristics and bonding that this employment developed,and the repercussions regarding the decline and. As we revisit the greatest christmas story of all time, we will discover the differences, similarities, and. The final shot is of tao driving down the coast while clint eastwood himself sings in the background. The film is about racism in modern america and how we can combat racism in the face of it. At the will reading, walt leaves his house to the church and his gran torino to tao. Walt kowalski is a widower who holds onto his prejudices despite the changes in his michigan neighborhood and the world around him.
The film marked eastwoods return to a lead acting role after four years his previous leading role was in million dollar baby. Gran torino is a film about racism, mentorship and overcoming the demons of our past. Walt is a harsh, ramrodstraight man with a quick temper and high standards whose greatest joy is an orderly home and his. Its around this point in the film that walt becomes something more than just a caricature, and begins to take on actual. However, gran torino is a drama that turned out to be funny, tragic, and tender with its roller coaster of events and twist of relationships. With the backdrop of realism, i expect others with critical thinking skills will have no problem picking out the beauty, truth and redemption in these films. Dirty harry on a pension, were thinking, until we realize that only the autoworker retired. We will write a custom essay on movie summary gran torino specifically for you. Gran torino is a 2008 american drama film directed by, produced by, and starring clint eastwood. When his neighbor thao lor bee vang, a young hmong teenager under pressure from his gang member cousin, tries to steal his gran torino, kowalski sets out to. The torino was initially an upscale variation of the intermediate sized ford fairlane, which ford produced. Clint eastwood acts as much with his face as with his other faculties in gran torino and its great to witness.
Composition of book actual chase scenes or violence 40% planningpreparing. Kowalski is a grumpy, toughminded, unhappy an old man, who cant get along with either his kids or his neighbors, a korean war veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 gran torino he. The film features a large hmong american cast, as well as one of eastwoods younger sons, scott. The film costars christopher carley, bee vang and ahney her. Clint eastwood in a tale of redemption for an american. This was eastwoods first starring role since 2004s million dollar baby. Gran torinos first scene takes place in a church, and walt is a catholic. Thaos family were hmong immigrants who moved in next door to an old veteran named walt. Film analysisgran torino essay example graduateway. High school, and mentor to toshinori yagi and izuku midoriya. Walt kowalski, played by eastwood, is a korean war veteran who is struggling with a changing world and dealing with psychological issues caused from his experiences during the korean war. Clint eastwoods gran torino is about a racist old man named walt who overcomes his prejudice by helping his teenager neighbor thao. Gran torino 2008 official trailer clint eastwood, bee vang. Recently widowed senior walt kowalski played by 78 year old clint eastwood speaks his mind no matter who he offends, and growls under his breath whenever he disagrees with those.
Gran torino races onto dvd in either full frame or widescreen presentations. He is represented throughout as a tough, worn, old man whos had enough of the people around him, constantly telling tales from. He leaves the house to the church because dorothy would have liked. Walt is a korean war veteran and retired ford auto plant worker, hence the 1972 gran torino. Ever since the hideout raid arc, despite being retired. Gran torino stars eastwood as an american icon once again this time as a cantankerous, racist, beerchugging retired detroit autoworker who keeps his shotgun ready to lock and load. It was a competitor in the intermediate market segment. This 2disc edition presents the movie in widescreen. Gran torino is a brilliant movie from start to finish, i cant believe i waited so long to watch it, its completely different to what i expected, two thirds of the film had a very light tone at. Gran torino is based on a storyline and screenplay by. I loved this movie, though no fan of profanity, the movie is ripe with it. When his priest, father janovich, encourages him to go to confession, walt says, i confess i never cared for church much. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide.
The movie doesnt go into the details of all his possessions, such as his bank account, tools, furniture, etc. Gran torino takes its title from a 1972 ford beaut parked in a driveway a fetish object and memento mori in this curious, striking drama directed by and starring clint eastwood. In the movie, gran torino, the actual gran torino in the film serves two popular culturesrepresenting walts 1972 culture, and the current hmong gang culture. Gran torino is a 2008 american drama film directed and produced by clint eastwood, who also stars in the film. He is a korean war veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 gran torino he keeps in mint condition. Angelina jolie at an event for gran torino 2008 alison eastwood at an event for gran torino 2008 clint eastwood in gran torino 2008. Now in his 79th year, eastwood returns to the screen to play an initially less congenial character. This movie highlights the modern conditions surrounding many aspects of intercultural communications. Gran torino is a lazy, lazy movie because it is preoccupied with external racism. Gran torino actor reveals behindthescenes racism the. Gran torino the movie plot summary mary elizabeth hess. Bee vang, actor and secondyear student at brown university, and dr. The film marks eastwoods return to a lead acting role after four years, his previous leading role having been in million dollar baby, and eastwood has stated that this is his final film as an actor. Gran torino 2008 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Gran torino is a recent melodrama directed and starring clint eastwood about a man befriending a hmong family and saving them from the gang life ahead of the teenage hmong boy. Trying to find his own courage, he asked to join his cousin fongs streetgang. In the final scene, thao is driving the gran torino with walts dog, daisy, next. The ford torino is an automobile that was produced by ford for the north american market between 1968 and 1976. Movie discussion guide gran torino gran torino, focuses on the relationship between walt kowalski, a retired korean war veteran who has just lost his wife, and his hmong neighbors. To give a bit of an overview, the movie gran torino was directed and produced by clint eastwood who also starred in the movie.
Gran torino is a 2008 american drama film directed and produced by clint eastwood, who also. The two main points of contention are his home which his son mitch brian haley wants and his gran torino which his granddaughter ashley dreama walker wants. Stereotyping and gang violence are problemsbig problems, and they must be dealt with, but i find it very immature to think that a movie that slams stereotypes down your throat in an attempt to invalidate them is actually fighting against racism in any way. Gran torino is a 2008 american drama film directed and produced by clint. Disgruntled korean war veteran walt kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, thao lor, a hmong teenager who tried to steal kowalskis prized possession. In his will, walt leaves his house to the church, and his gran torino to thao, much to the suprise of his family. Gran torino is a 2008 american drama film directed and produced by clint eastwood, who also starred in the film. Torino sorahiko, also known by his hero name gran torino guran torino, is a retired pro hero, former homeroom teacher at u. Clint eastwood tells of a korean war veteran whos the only american left living on the street while other families and people from different cultures move in around him.
The film features a large hmong american cast, as well as one of eastwoods younger sons, scott eastwood. While the film is essentially a character study, as well as an essay on prejudice and the importance of family, there are enough appearances of walts flawless gran torino in the movie to warrant having a good, long look at this lesserknown and lowerprominence muscle car. The car was named after the city of turin torino, in italian, considered the italian detroit. Movie summary gran torino essay example for students.
Gran torino is a 2008 film that clint eastwood produced and starred in. Louisa schein, hmong media expert, discussed the truth of what happened behind the scenes of the movie gran torino. To walt, the ford beauty represents what was, what was great, and the culture of both his and the cars heyday. Every action in the film has a consequence, and all of the main players have a pivotal role in affecting the development of the story. T he ford gran torino earned its footnote in pop culture history when a ketchupred 75 model with a white racing stripe was featured every week in the tv cop show starsky and hutch. Clint eastwood, the academy awardwinning director of million dollar baby and unforgiven and academynominated director of letters from iwo jima and. Though many differences there are similarities as well. This years model is gran torino, a sleek, muscle car of a movie made in the u.
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