Remember about half an hour in, after the first altercation with the gangsters?

MILD SPOILER – BUT HARDLY

Walt tells the Priest about how he dealt with problems in Korea – when a thousand enemies come over the line “we diddn’t think, we just reacted” to which the priest replies “we’re not in Korea anymore”

and during the climax, Walt doesn’t just react. He thinks it through. It is absolutely clear to him, and the neighbours, that the gangsters have got to go down. Even the Priest knows this.

and the gangsters play right into his hands during the big final scene, doing exactly what he knew they would do.

If you see the racist character, you will notice how he ends up mixing with the people next door, accepting their food and giving his prized possession which is his car to Toad (which maybe you forgot Toad was pressured to steal his car by his gang relatives, Walter ended up looking past this) . This is a very good story something to truly learn from.

The people who shun this movie dont have a very good understanding even though they may think they know exactly whats going on, they have the complete wrong understanding, and their failure to understand assures us of their blind stupidity, they are the losers in the end.

Walt Kowalski is lost after his wife dies and his only companion is his dog, Daisy, who appears to be an old girl, too. The two young neighbors Su and Tao (sorry if the spelling is off), can be seen as counterparts to his grandchildren who are not close to him. In my personal experience, people of culture, whatever their ethnicity, respect their elders and care for them—assisted living or convalescent homes are never an option. Elders are revered and treated with much respect and are cared for willingly. You see this example with Su and how on his birthday, invites Walt over to eat, because she sees him alone. Su shares her hospitality to their home and culture and even educates him in the misunderstood knowledge of their cultural history in the United States. I also felt a little sorry for Walt’s character because he was a Korean war veteran trained to kill and spent three years programmed to hate the enemy who in his experience resembled his established neighbors where he is considered the minority.

Gran Torino is very much Oscar worthy because of what you take home with you after seeing once, twice, or even thrice as has been my case. I think I miss my grandfather more than I consciously admit—not for his foul mouth racial expletives, but because he was always willing to help someone out and had friends of all colors. Above all, he respected those who respected others and carried law abiding values (he was a Chevy man and hated when I opted for a Kia as my first car). I am Hispanic and my grandfather was a third generation Tejano (his family was born in Texas when it still belonged to Mexico) and I admit was somewhat bigoted in his ways. This is a character I am familiar with and understand where the head and heart may be.

Not sure why this movie has been shunned, and Mr. Eastwood may not have an opinion on it; but I say that I choose not to watch the Oscars this go around, and an award nomination does not always mean a movie is not worthy of it.

I am really annoyed that Eastwood didn’t get nomination for his outstanding performance in “Gran Torino” (not to mention great direction and exceptional writing). At this point, it doesn’t matter the reason… it’s just not right.

Personally, I think Eastwood acted the self-rightous-pants off our new King Brad Pitt. I still can’t get over Pitt’s awful Jamacian accent in “Meet Joe Black.” That pretty boy can’t do accents to save his precious life!

One can speculate oversight reasons ad nauseum and never know why. My own take is that Mr. Clint (fond nickname from Morgan Freeman) already recently has been shown much love from the Academy, and gets a tacit Direction nod for the Jolie nom this year.

There have been as ugly characters with noms before: Fiennes for “Schindler’s List” comes to mind. Back in the day, Carroll O’Connor nabbed several Emmys and more noms as Archie Bunker. I do not see the “Grand Torino” oversight as a slight against Eastwood’s character, but merely another oversight by a fashion-following (this year: Jolie-Pitt!) Academy.

~ Dagnabbitt

Not that that gives him the right to share those phrases with immigrants or other innocents, but it puts what he says in context.

Eastwood learned from the good Hymong, and they learned from him and Assimulated to Pro-American Values. The line in the movie saying that Eastwood was different than their traditionalist father because he was American said it all.