Gran Torino

2009, by Clint Eastwood

1. Summary: Fill in the blanks with the words provided:

soldier – protect - lives – prized – against - racist – surrounded

Walt Kowalski ________ in Detroit, in a changing neighborhood: he is now ________ by the Hmong
community. Kowalski is a ________ and unhappy old man, who can’t get along with his kids or
neighbors. He was a ________ during the Korean war (1950-1953). His ________ possession is a
1972 Gran Torino he keeps in mint condition. It is ________ his will that he gets involved in the life
of Tao’s family, the neighbors. However, Kowalski is soon taking steps to ________ from the gangs
that infest their neighborhood.

2. Who is who? Write the name of the characters under the appropriate picture.
Father Janovich – Thao – Walt Kowalski – Sue – Smokie – Gran Torino

3. Read the following statements and decide if they are true or false. If false, write the correct
information.
a. Walt meets Thao at his wife’s funeral.
______________________________________________________________________________
b. Tao is being pressured to join the local Hmong gang by his cousin, Spider.
______________________________________________________________________________
c. Spider tries to steal the Gran Torino.
______________________________________________________________________________
d. Walt saves Sue from three black men.
______________________________________________________________________________
e. Walt always shows his gratitude for the gifts his neighbors keep leaving on his front porch.
______________________________________________________________________________
f. Sue becomes friends with Walt and invites him to a family barbecue on his birthday.
______________________________________________________________________________
 g. Walt gets Tao a job in construction.
______________________________________________________________________________
h. Walt decides weapons are not the solution.
______________________________________________________________________________
i. Walt confronts the gang members outside their home.
______________________________________________________________________________
j. Tao, Sue and most of the Hmong community show up to Walt’s funeral wearing traditional
Hmong clothing.
______________________________________________________________________________

4. Who said what? Match the names with the correct quotes. Only 10 have a correct match.
Walt – Sue – Father Janovich – Thao – Fong ‘Spider’ – Grandma Vang Lor – Mr. Chucnerees
a. ‘Girls go to college, and the boys go to jail.’ ____________________
b. ‘I finish things. That’s what I do.’ ____________________
c. ‘Death is bitter in the pain and sweet in the salvation.’ ____________________
d. ‘All the Americans have moved out of the neighborhood.’ ____________________
e. ‘It’s all cool, bro.’ ____________________
f. ‘What does it feel like killing a man?’ ____________________
g. ‘Trees cause more pollution than automobiles.’ ____________________
h. ‘… ever notice how every once in a while you f*** with someone you shouldn’t have?’
____________________
i. ‘You can’t kill me, I’m immortal.’ ____________________
j. ‘You like him, don’t you? (…) You’re a good man.’ ____________________
k. ‘We bailed you’re a** out little cousin.’ ____________________
l. ‘I’m the white devil.’ ____________________
m. ‘You seem to know a lot more about death.’ ____________________

5. The main character: Walt Kowalski

a. Does his name sound American? What can you guess about him?

b. Describe Walt in three words.

c. What is Walt’s attitude towards his neighbors?

d. What is special about the scene at the barber’s shop?

 e. Identify 3 key moments where Walt starts changing his attitudes toward his Asian
neighbors.
•

f. Match the words with their definition: unsociable – widower – veteran – grumpy –
prejudice
Someone who has lost his wife is a ________.
Someone who waged war some years ago is a ________.
Someone who is ill-tempered is ________.
Someone who is intolerant is ________.
Someone who doesn’t get on well with many people is ________.

6. The Hmong community

a. Where do the Hmong come from?

b. When did they move to the USA? Why?

c. What is special about their culture?

7. Discuss the following questions with a partner:

a. What aspects of multicultural America is the film-maker focusing on?

b. Can immigrants keep their cultural identity and still be members of American society?

c. What other “intercultural” films do you know? What are the themes?