History YMMV / GranTorino

** His RacistGrandpa schtick. Some think it's funny because of how [[RefugeInAudacity over-the-top and deliberately offensive]] it is while others think it [[UnfortunateImplication promotes genuine racism]], especially considering how Walt continues to use racial slurs even after developing stronger bonds with Thao and Sue. Even Bee Vang, Thao's actor, has expressed concern regarding the latter issue.

** Walt is not a racist. He doesn't say anything to the Hmong that he wouldn't say to his best friend, or expect his best friend to say to him.

%%** Are Walt's family just selfish jerks who only want his possessions, or was he a bitter man

* MoralEventHorizon: Spider and his gang seem like typical young delinquents who are all talk at first. But they prove themselves to be [[TeensAreMonsters absolutely vile creatures]] after [[spoiler: attempting a drive-by shooting on Thao's house and then beating and raping Sue, ''their own cousin''.]]

* AwardSnub: ''Gran Torino'' received critical acclaim when the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Film_Institute American Film Institute]] named it as one of the ten best films of 2008 and made it onto the top 250 films list on the Internet Movie Database. Number of Academy Award nominations? ''Zero.''

* BrokenBase: The movie has become incredibly polarizing since its release, with most of its controversy surrounding:
** Walt's status as a WhiteSavior. Those who agree with the statement point to the ways in which he aids Thao in his CharacterDevelopment by teaching him to act and speak like a stereotypical politically incorrect GrumpyOldMan as well as ultimately [[spoiler: [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing his life]] to save the Hmong from the criminal gang, including dying in a ''very'' unsubtle [[CrucifiedHeroShot Christlike pose]] that some viewers interpret as almost self-congratulatory in Clint Eastwood's regard.]] Those who disagree with the statement point to Walt's own CharacterDevelopment, as his growing friendship with the Hmong is the center of the film's heart and aids in him overcoming his own prejudice and guilt, meaning Thao and Sue helped Walt just as much as he helped them.
** Walt's RacistGrandpa schtick. Some think it's funny because of how [[RefugeInAudacity over-the-top and deliberately offensive]] it is while others think it [[UnfortunateImplication promotes genuine racism]], especially considering how Walt continues to use racial slurs even after developing stronger bonds with Thao and Sue. Even Bee Vang, Thao's actor, has expressed concern regarding the latter issue.
** While the choice to cast actual Hmong actors garnered positive reactions from both critics and [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales real Hmong]], the film's depiction of the Hmong community [[CriticalDissonance proved to be far more controversial]]. Experts and historians specializing in Hmong culture believe it's accurate or at least close enough (which Bee Vang originally believed) while people who are ''actually'' part of the Hmong community claim it's leaning more towards inaccurate (Vang's more recent opinion, even claiming some Hmong viewers found the inaccuracies offensive).

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: The following conversation between Walt and Thao.
-->'''Thao''': How many men did you kill in Korea?\\
'''Walt''': Thirteen, maybe more.\\
'''Thao''': What was it like to kill a man?\\
'''Walt''': You don't want to know. Now close it up. ''(locks Thao inside the basement)''\\
'''Thao''': Walt! Walt! What're you doing? What're you doing, huh?\\
'''Walt''': Relax, you can't get out of there.\\
'''Thao''': You let me out right now. You fucking let me out or I'll fucking kill you!\\
'''Walt''': Shut the fuck up! You want to know what it's like to kill a man? Well it's goddamn awful, that's what it is. The only thing worse is getting a medal of valor for killing some poor kid that wanted to 'just give up, that's all.' Yeah, some scared little gook just like you. I shot him right in the face with that rifle you were holding in there a while ago. There's not a day goes by that I don't think about it. You don't want that on your soul. But I got blood on my hands. I'm soiled.

* MoralEventHorizon:
** Spider and his pals, who [[spoiler:perform a drive-by on Thao's house and ''rape Thao's sister'', his own cousin.]]
** In a more personal example, Walt has never forgiven himself for the horrible things he did in the war. Specifically [[spoiler:after a young North Korean soldier surrendered to him and dropped his weapon, Walt shot him in cold blood.]]

** Walt's RacistGrandpa schtick. Some think it's funny because of how it's [[CrossesTheLineTwice intentionally crossing the line]] while others think it [[UnfortunateImplication promotes genuine racism]], especially considering how Walt continues to use racial slurs even after developing becoming friendlier with Thao and Sue. Even Bee Vang, Thao's actor, has expressed concern regarding the latter.

%%* IronWoobie: Walt.

* NightmareFuel: Spider and his gang are this all by themselves which is especially shocking since they terrorize their own relatives, of all people. See CompleteMonster and MoralEventHorizon for more.

* IronWoobie: Walt.

** Again, Walt, who's maybe a RacistGrandpa, but is haunted by [[WarIsHell memories of]] his UsefulNotes/KoreanWar experience, recently lost his wife and is hated by the rest of his own family.

* UnfortunateImplications: It's the reason why the Hmong actors aren't pleased with the film and feel it didn't effectively convey its anti-racism message and just came off as racist, especially how the film runs on WhiteMansBurden with Eastwood in the leading role.

* CompleteMonster: Spider is a Hmong gangster who, along with his gang, terrorizes his own neighborhood. He starts off by pressuring his cousin Thao to steal his neighbor [[RetiredBadass Walt Kowalski]]'s vintage Gran Torino. When he fails at this, Spider and his gang beat up Thao and continually harass his family. Walt initially scares him off, but he continues to harass Thao afterwards and lets his subordinate put out a cigarette in his face. In retaliation for Walt beating up one of his gang members, Spider performs a drive-by shooting on Thao's family and kidnaps his cousin Sue to subject her to a [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil violent gang rape]], leaving her bloodied and traumatized. When Walt finally confronts them in the climax, he and his gang [[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill riddle him with bullets]] when [[ShootHimHeHasAWallet they think he might have a gun]].

** Is Walt A MightyWhitey savior rescuing Thao and Sue, and the Hmong’s from a dangerous gang or are Thao and Sue saving Walt from dying alone and bitter? It's not like it's a one-sided relationship, as both Walt and Thao help each other out in odd ways that neither of them would have expected before they met.
** Are Walt's family just selfish jerks who only want his possessions, or was he a bitter man

* DesignatedVillain: Subverted with Walt's kids and grandkids. Walt indicates regret when confessing to the Priest that he was never closer to his sons, but does not state that it's his own fault. On his final day he doesn't bother to call anyone in his family despite tying up other loose ends. His grandkids clearly couldn't care less about him, but that's also likely because they see him as nothing other than a mean judgmental old man who doesn't take any interest in their lives and thus feel no sense of obligation in return. On top of it all his sons are clearly close to their own children. On the other hand, Walt's wife was said to be loved by the community but at her funeral her grandchildren are apathetic and disrespectful. His son isn't much better, as he only calls him to ask if Walt can still get him tickets to a sporting event. Later on when Walt calls him to talk to him he gets blown off. And when they try to put him in a nursing home it ''seems'' like genuine concern but odds are there was mostly an interest in gaining possession of the house. [[spoiler:And when Walt dies and leaves the house to the church]] they are shown to be very irritated, despite it being what his late wife would have wanted (his son's wife even rolls her eyes when that part is read aloud).
* IronWoobie: Walt. See JerkassWoobie below for more information.

** Again, Walt, who's maybe a RacistGrandpa, but is haunted by memories of his [[WarIsHell Korean War experience]], recently lost his wife and is hated by the rest of his own family led by his two sons.

* MisaimedFandom: While undoubtedly cool, Walt's threats and violence towards the local gang in the context of the film are shown as short-sighted and futile, as [[spoiler:they don't discourage future attacks at all; that's only solved when the police get involved. Similarly, Walt himself spends much of the movie traumatized for his past violent deeds in the Korean War and aggressively yells down Thao when the boy expresses a desire to [[ARealManIsAKiller be like him]].]] The film is ultimately a Deconstruction of the ActionHero that Eastwood embodies. Doesn't stop fans of the film from quoting Walt's [[BadassBoast Badass Boasts]] verbatim, though.

** Spider and his pals, who [[spoiler: perform a drive by on Thao's house and ''rape Thao's sister'', his own cousin.]]
** In a more personal example, Walt has never forgiven himself for the horrible things he did at the war. Specifically [[spoiler: after a young North Korean soldier surrendered to him and dropped his weapon, Walt shot him in cold blood.]]

** The pose Walt makes when [[spoiler: he gets shot to death, with some obvious Jesus symbolism that might be a bit too on the nose.]]
* NightmareFuel: Spider and his gang are this all by themselves which is especially shocking since they terrorize their own relatives of all people. See CompleteMonster and MoralEventHorizon for more.
* TheScrappy: Walt's granddaughter, Ashley. She shows no respect during her grandmother's funeral, openly covets Walt's car in front of him, and refuses to help him prepare for the funeral.

-->'''Thao''': How many men did you kill in Korea?
-->'''Walt''': Thirteen, maybe more.
-->'''Thao''': What was it like to kill a man?
-->'''Walt''': You don't want to know. Now close it up. ''(locks Thao inside the basement)''
-->'''Thao''': Walt! Walt! What're you doing? What're you doing, huh?
-->'''Walt''': Relax, you can't get out of there.
-->'''Thao''': You let me out right now. You fucking let me out or I'll fucking kill you!
-->'''Walt''': Shut the fuck up! You want to know what it's like to kill a man? Well it's goddamn awful, that's what it is. The only thing worse is getting a medal of valor for killing some poor kid that wanted to 'just give up, that's all.' Yeah, some scared little gook just like you. I shot him right in the face with that rifle you were holding in there a while ago. There's not a day goes by that I don't think about it. You don't want that on your soul. But I got blood on my hands. I'm soiled.

* CompleteMonster: Spider is a Hmong gangster who, along with his gang, terrorizes his own neighborhood. He starts off by pressuring his cousin Thao to steal his neighbor Walt Kowalski's vintage Gran Torino. When he fails at this, Spider and his gang beat up Thao and continually harass his family. Walt initially scares him off, but he continues to harass Thao afterwards and lets his subordinate put out a cigarette in his face. In retaliation for Walt beating up one of his gang members, Spider performs a drive-by shooting on Thao's family and kidnaps his cousin Sue to subject her to a violent gang rape, leaving her bloodied and traumatized. When Walt finally confronts them in the climax, he and his gang riddle him with bullets when they think he might have a gun.[[note]] He did use the quick draw that he used on the black guys earlier in the film, but this time he just pulled out a lighter. Fortunately, this gets him and his gang arrested for shooting an elderly unarmed man. Exactly what Walt was hoping for. [[/note]]

* MisaimedFandom: While undoubtedly cool, Walt's threats and violence towards the local gang in the context of the film are shown as short-sighted and futile, as [[spoiler:they don't discourage future attacks at all; that's only solved when the police get involved. Similarly, Walt himself spends much of the movie traumatized for his past violent deeds in the Korean War and aggressively yells down Thao when the boy expresses a desire to [[ARealManIsAKiller be like him]].]] The film is ultimately a Deconstruction of the BadassGrandpa ActionHero that Eastwood embodies. Doesn't stop fans of the film from quoting Walt's [[BadassBoast Badass Boasts]] verbatim, though.

* NightmareFuel: Spider and his gang are this all by themselves which is especially shocking since they terrorize their own relatives of all people. See CompleteMonster for more.

** In a more personal example, Walt has never forgiven himself for the horrible things he did at the war. Specifically [[spoiler: after a young Korean soldier surrendered to him and dropped his weapon, Walt shot him in cold blood.]]

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Walt is not a racist. He doesn't say anything to the Hmong that he wouldn't say to his best friend, or expect his best friend to say to him.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: Walt is ''so'' damn racist that it's [[strike: stops being offensive and starts being]] hilarious.
** Especially when he starts teaching Thao to talk like him and gets Thao to learn the first lesson about talking like that is to know the guy involved or risk getting a shotgun pointed at you.
*** Was that foreshadowing?

* JerkassWoobie: Again, Walt, who's maybe a RacistGrandpa, but is haunted by memories of his [[WarIsHell Korean War experience]], recently lost his wife and is hated by the rest of his own family led by his two sons.

* MoralEventHorizon: Spider and his pals, who [[spoiler: perform a drive by on Thao's house and ''rape Thao's sister'', his own cousin.]]

* {{Narm}}: Creator/ClintEastwood singing came off as this to many people.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Over the credits, [[spoiler: Clint Eastwood sings about the movie's events. A song written by him no less!]]

* {{Narm}}: Clint Eastwood singing came off as this to many people.

** Is Walt A MightyWhitey savior rescuing Thao and Sue, and the Hmong’s from a dangerous gang or are Thao and Sue saving Walt from dying alone and bitter? They help each other in odd ways neither of them expected.