Gran Torino

Gran Torino is a 2008 drama film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the lead role. The film features a significant Hmong American cast, a first for mainstream American films. Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens composed the score, while Jamie Cullum and Clint Eastwood provided the lead track. Set in Highland Park, Michigan, the story follows Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), 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 as 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 who noted Eastwood's direction and performance, while it received some criticism for its inaccurate depiction of the Hmong community.