Plot Summary

Rating: Null/10 (1 August 2011)

The neighborhood where Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) lives has been filling up with all different ethnicities and has a variety of crime that takes place. The movie Gran Torino begins with Walt having new neighbors move in. They happen to be Hmong. Walt doesn't want to have anything to do with them. He is racist and part of that is because of him being a Korean War Veteran. Other than his dog, Walt is alone and seems to be angry at everything around him. Two of the people who moved in next door are a young brother and sister Thoa (Bee Vang) and Sue (Ahney Her). Walt is noticing that so many of the young people in his town are rude, inconsiderate, and flat out mean, very mean. Sue introduces herself to Walt, but he doesn't want to have anything to do with her or her family. Meanwhile, Walt happens to notice that there is something different about Thoa then the other guys around town. Thoa seems to care about others and is considerate. Thoa, who helps out a lot around the home, doing what some may consider "women's work," causes his cousin who is part of a gang to pick on him and force Thoa to come along with him and his gang. They want to initiate him, and the initiation is to steel Walt Kowalski's prized possession, his 1972 Gran Torino. Thoa tries to do so but is abruptly scared off by the unexpected appearance of Walt and his gun. Later Sue and her mother (who doesn't speak English) bring Thoa next door and insist that he work for Walt since he tried to steal his car. Walt didn't really want him to, but the ladies said no matter what, he had to. So, Walt put him to work. Although he didn't really show it, he began to grow fond of Thoa and Sue. He took Thoa to his barber shop to try and teach him a thing or two about being a man and how they talk to one another. He also hooked him up with a construction job and began letting him borrow his tools. Walt even lets Thoa take his Gran Torino when he goes out on his date. They couldn't believe that he meant it, but he did! They were really growing close. Closer then Walt had ever been with his own children. They only saw him as an old grumpy man. They did not know him for him, nor did they care to take time out of their busy lives to get to know him. Different times Walt has sensed and seen the way the gang acts toward Thoa and his family. The gang member that is related to them has gotten pretty nasty with threats. Walt has chased the gang off of the neighbor's property even though his reasoning was because they were "on his lawn." Walt really helps Thoa out. One day while Thoa is walking home from work with all of his new equipment that Walt purchased for him, the gang stops him. They tear up his equipment, beat on him and burn a cigarette on his face. Thoa doesn't want to show his face to Walt because of his embarrassment. Walt finds out what happens, and tries to teach them a lesson and beats up one of the gang members. During this whole time a priest, Father Janovich (Christopher Carley) is trying to bring Walt to confession, as his wife told the Father to promise he would look after Walt after she passed. Walt doesn't want to have anything to do with the priest. Little did Walt know that the threat to the gang member would backfire. There was a drive by shooting of the Hmong families home. Thoa was hit with a bullet but it was nothing serious. The worst part was that Sue was missing. They hear a car pull up to the front of their home and then speed off. Then Sue entered bloody and beaten. The gang had done this to her, and raped her as well. Walt was not only furious with the gang, with himself, with the world, but he was also sick at what had happened.
He then takes matters into his own hands. He tells Thoa that he has to think things through and have a plan, so to come back later in the day and he would have it figured out. Thoa returns and Walt lead his to the basement where he keeps a chest full of sentimental items, including a Silver Star Medal which he pins onto Thoas shirt and mentions something along the lines of, "whether we come out of this dead or alive." Walt ends up being able to lock Thoa in the basement. Walt then takes off and heads to the home of the gang members. (Any other time any crimes were committed, there were never any witnesses to convict the gang). This time, there would be witnesses. The gang notices Walt, they all come out side and converse making a commotion for neighbors to hear, who come out to see what is going on. Walt then puts his hand in his coat to pull out something and every member of that gang pulls out their guns and shoot at him, dropping him to the ground and killing him. When medics arrive, they see that all Walt had was his lighter, no weapon. There were many witnesses this time. Sue and Thoa arrive at the scene, devastated. This was Walt's solution to giving Sue and Thoa a better life. He knew things would never be good for them as long as that gang was around. Later in court, they are discussing what is in his will and who gets what. As none of Walt's family was very close to him, without surprise, his Gran Torino went to Thoa.