Gran Torino is undoubtedly more than a car. It was the pride and joy of its owner – Walt

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• Walt a retired automobile worker and veteran of the Korean War was deeply troubled and haunted by the ravages and memories of war.
• To him the only thing he lived for was his wife whom he loved dearly, then she died and his life took a miserably ugly turn
• The family saw him as being disappointed
• Walt wanted nothing top do with anybody
• He even wrote off the minister of the community

• Walt had two sons but there was never a father-son relationship
• Walt was never close to his sons
• He did not know how to
• It bothered him

• On Walt’s birthday one son and wife visited
• They wanted to show Dad that they cared.
• They had a variety of gifts .
• One of the gifts turned Walt off

• Perhaps they knew Dad was not physically well, they offered brochures of something like senior citizen home.
• Walt was furious and threw them out
• He no doubt they wanted his house and whatever he had.

• Apart from the memories of the killings and the conflicts, Walt battled with:-
– Prejudices
– Hatred …. He did not like his neighbors
– Selfishness
– Lonliness
– Culture
– Gangs, etc

• Walt on several occasions was caught in conflicts with gangs
• He particularly did not like these gang member and more so because of who they were.
• As much as Walt was so grumpy and hated his neighbors, he also hated when anyone was taken disadvantage of

• After sometime Walt showed interest towards a youngster maybe because his cousin was bent on getting him (Thao) in the gang
• The youngster Thao went to steal Walt’s Gran
Torino as initiation to a gang
• A furious Walt grabbed his shot gun and warded off the would be thief
• Walt seems to be caught up in the happenings of this environment

• He is breaking up fights
• Preventing would be gang rape etc, etc
• Unfortunately Thao’s sister Sue was brutally beaten and Walt was not around – Walt enraged

• For being a good Sammerithan, Walt was showered with all sorts of gifts from food to flowers.
• These acts of kindness had some effects and on top of all these the minister was especially nice to Walt
• Father Janovich was only carrying out a promise he made to Walts dying wife

• One could say Walt was a new man
• He comingled with most of the people he hated
• Sue and her brother Thao became very close to Walt
• Walt found out through this that his health was failing

• The warring between the gangs and the neighbors became Walt’s business
• He purposed in his heart to do something
• Walt was converted, he went to confession
• He called the one son who unfortunately had no time for Dad.
• In the end Walt gave his life for the people he once despised.

• “No greater love as this than a man laid down his life for his friends”
• During the reading of the will there was a shadow of disappointment in the eyes of the family.
• They did not expect what they heard
• The Gran Torino was Thao’s

• People can change in whatever direction depending on their acceptance of the elements of ones environment.