Gran Torino

Gran Torino is a 2008 American drama film directed, produced by and starring Clint Eastwood. It features a significant Hmong American cast, a first for mainstream American films. The score was composed by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens, with Jamie Cullum and Clint Eastwood providing the lead track. Set in Highland Park, Michigan, the story follows Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean War veteran alienated from his family. When Kowalski's neighbor Thao Vang Lor is pressured by his cousin into stealing Walt's prized Ford Torino for his initiation into a gang, Walt thwarts the theft and develops a relationship with the boy and his family. Gran Torino opened with a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 12, 2008, before expanding wide on January 9, 2009. It grossed $270 million worldwide, making it Eastwood's second highest-grossing film to date. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, noting Eastwood's direction and performance.