Gran Torino Clint Eastwood Official Movie Trailer HQ Directed by Clint Eastwood...

Gran Torino is an upcoming drama film directed by & starring Clint Eastwood. Eastwood stars as a racist Korean War veteran who catches a Hmong boy trying to steal his 1972 Gran Torino. The film features a predominantly Hmong cast & will be released in 2008 in North America with a scheduled limited release for December 17.Premise Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), a racist Korean War veteran, becomes increasingly unhappy at the influx of Hmong people to his neighborhood. After he catches Tao (Vang), a teenage Hmong neighbor, attempting to steal his vintage Gran Torino car as part of a gang initiation, the boy is forced by the gang to work for Kowalski in penance. Estranged from his children & grandchildren, & having just lost his wife, Kowalski gradually becomes friendly with Tao & his family, learning about Hmong culture. He steadily loses his racist façade & attempts to protect Tao & his sister Sue (Her) from the gang. Production Gran Torino was directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the film, & written by Nick Schenk. It was produced by Village Roadshow Pictures & Malpaso Productions for film distributor Warner Bros. Eastwood also produced, alongside Malpaso partner Robert Lorenz & Bill Gerber. Filmmakers chose to produce Gran Torino in the state of Michigan, being one of the first films to take advantage of the state's new law that provided lucrative incentive packages to film productions. Filming began in July 2008; locations included Warren, Royal Oak, & Grosse Pointe Park. Hmong crew, production assistants, consultants & extras were used. There has been debate over the film's depiction of Hmong gang culture, with some criticizing its authenticity & fearing that the film will perpetuate stereotypes of Asian youths. Gran Torino is being regarded as a potential Academy Award contender. The film is scheduled for a limited release in North America on December 17, 2008. Casting Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a racist Korean War veteran. Kowalski has two objects important to him: the 1972 Gran Torino & his M-1 rifle from the Korean War. Eastwood described the character's relationship with the objects, "He worked on the line in the Ford plant & retired & had this one car he bought himself. It's sort of a symbol of his days with the Ford plant. The M-1 is sort of a symbol of his days in the military... He's clinging to the memory of the war. You'll find out when you see it, some of (the memories) are not as pleasant as others. That helps make him even tougher to get along with." Of the character, Eastwood said, "He's one of these guys who finds it very hard to accept change... [and that the film] just shows how his life goes & how he gets involved with the Hmong people who are living next door." Eastwood's starring role was his first since Million Dollar Baby in 2004. Bee Vang plays Tao, a studious Hmong teenager who gets caught trying to steal Kowalski's 1972 Gran Torino. The part is Vang's first acting role. The character is described as "the neighborhood wimp", & the large height difference between Tao & Kowalski was a deliberate echo of the mentor relationship Kowalski has to the character. Vang said, "Tao is literally 'looking up' to [him]". Ahney Her plays Sue, Tao's bossy older sister. Sue serves as Kowalski's guide into her family. Michael Kurowski plays Josh Kowalski, Walt's oldest grandson. Gran Torino also features Brooke Chia Thao as Tao’s mother, & Chee Thao as Tao's widowed grandmother. The five gang members are made up of Sonny Vue as the head of the gang, "Smokie"; Doua Moua as Fong (aka "Spider"), Tao & Sue’s older cousin; Jerry Lee, Elvis Thao & Lee Mong Vang. The film features a leading cast made up almost entirely of Hmong actors, unprecedented for a mainstream American film. Open casting calls for Hmong actors were held in Hmong communities in Saint Paul, Fresno & Detroit. All but one of the ten Hmong leads were acting in a film for the first time, as were many of the Hmong extras. For authenticity, Eastwood encouraged ad-libbing among the actors in the Hmong language. An authentic Hmong shaman was cast, though it was claimed his ceremonial scenes were made more exotic. References 1. ^ a b c d e f Schein, Louisa (2008-10-03). "Eastwood's Next Film Features Hmong American Cast: Exclusive Interviews From the Set of 'Gran Torino'", AsianWeek. Retrieved on October 28, 2008. 2. ^ a b c Schein, Louisa (2008-09-03). "Hmong Actors Making History: The Bad Guys Of Eastwood's Gran Torino", New America Media, Pacific News Service. Retrieved on October 28, 2008. 3. ^ a b c Breznican, Anthony (2008-10-22). "First look: Eastwood puts his scowl in high gear for 'Gran Torino'", USA Today. Retrieved on October 24, 2008. 4. ^ Garrett, Diane; Pamela McClintock (2008-03-18). "Eastwood to direct 'Gran Torino'", Variety. Retrieved on October 24, 2008. 5. ^ Graham, Adam (2008-07-18). "Clint Eastwood attracts giddy gawkers", The Detroit News. 6. ^ "Clint Eastwood begins shooting movie in Grosse Pointe Shores", The Detroit News (2008-07-15). 7. ^ Hall, Christina (2008-07-15). "The film set next door: Lights... camera... Clint Eastwood!", Detroit Free Press. 8. ^ O'Neil, Tom (2008-10-20). "Oscars predix: 'Frost/Nixon' remains in the best-pic derby & is joined by 'The Reader' & 'Gran Torino'", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on October 27, 2008. 9. ^ McNary, Dave; Pamela McClintock (2008-10-23). "'High School Musical 3' aims for No. 1", Variety. Retrieved on October 24, 2008. 10. ^ Debruge, Peter (2008-10-24). "Clint Eastwood: Director, 'Changeling' & 'Grand Torino'", Variety. Retrieved on October 27, 2008. 11. ^ a b Schein, Louisa (2008-10-04). "Hmong Actors Making History Part 2: Meet the Gran Torino Family", New American Media, Pacific News Service. Retrieved on October 28, 2008. 12. ^ Lifton, Kimberly (2008-08-04). "With Kurowski as Kowalski", Detroit Free Press.