Gran Torino Shut Out of Oscars

Seriously...

Gran Torino was a brilliant film. "Whiskeyjack" you probably didn't even properly understand the movie, it was great. It wasn't poorly directed, every single shot is significant!

The acting wasn't bad at all! Did you even recognize that the director chose people that weren't common or people that have never acted before? They have never acted before and that was because Clint Eastwood thought it would make the movie better by choosing unknown people. You think about it, for people that have never acted before did a pretty good job.

Taz @ Oct 21, 2009 02:39:32 AM

davarino

I like the part when he kicks the guy in the face with his foot.

David Parker of NC @ Oct 05, 2009 00:00:59 AM

Poorly Directed?

The irony of people calling this movie shallow and unsophisticated is almost laughable. Some messages are obvious, while others are much farther below the surface and touch upon the very relevant topic of race and diversity in America. I highly doubt most Americans understood the symbolism of the car itself, or picked up on Walter's true confession scene, screen and all, in the basement- if you disagree you are being pedantic and are clearly detached from reality of the average viewer. To call this movie bigoted is also incredibly ironic and also shows a serious misunderstanding of a such a "simple" movie. To say the movie was poorly directed and not "art" shows a clear misunderstanding of mis en scene, long shots, and various other film techniques- again a statement oozing with irony. It probably ruffled feathers because, for once, it didn't show a priest as a pedophile or the Catholic Church as the downfall of man. Sometimes people can be so small minded and conformist...

A Worthwhile Movie of CT @ Aug 07, 2009 00:04:48 AM

Give me a break

The "lessons" and "depth" of this movie were about as subtle as a sledgehammer. That said, it seems to be what it takes for the average person to grasp. Anything subtler and it would go right over peoples' heads.

Which is why people are defending this film so rabidly. For once, they really get it, and they're not going to let that go. It's a bit like writing a newspaper article in monosyllabic words.

This was a terrible movie. It was badly written, badly acted and poorly directed. That's why it missed out on nominations. And the message was laughably blunt -- you might as well watch a public service announcement. It's not profound, it's certainly not art -- and it barely qualifies as entertainment.

You could as easily ask why "Schindler's List" had nominations and "Ilsa, Queen of the Nazi Love Camp" didn't. I mean, they both deal with WWII! It's not faaaaair...

Whiskeyjack @ Jul 04, 2009 10:11:01 AM

Racism is not Racialism

Dummy, indoctrinated Americans by the High Priests of the Church of Academia have been led into steep ignorance.

You see, dummies don't know what racism is.

They're confusing racialism -- living by bigotry (an anthropological phenomenon) with racism (a political socialist phenomenon) -- living by joining a group, claiming discrimination and demanding money absconded from citizens under the rubric of "income taxes".

Those who live by racism join a group because -- feminists who lack penises, blacks who have dark skin, "hispanics" who speak Spanish, homosexists who have a sexual fetish -- they're racing against others in society and seeking advantage.

In Gran Torino, Eastwood shows that mere words are nothing more than tools a man uses to label and describe his experiences. This is why he has a garage full of tools, each tool having a purpose.

Eastwood delivers a rational story agent living within a shallow, irrational world.

You Gran Torino haters are thick. You're too stupid to get storytelling and the many devices used to explain human nature.

If you paid heed, you would have caught how Eastwood sees the Hmong neighbors as more of a family than his own, shallow kindred.

If you had any mind, you would have noticed how Walt Kowalski gets labeled "white devil" and "honky" by evil characters and "polack" by good ones.

Bigotry and name-calling is a two-way street. Yet, Walt Kowalski pays no mind to the name calling, be it good or bad.

He does not measure others by their adroitness with name-calling, but by their experiences. This is why he respects Thao after Thao works to clean up the neighbor house.

Also, this is why he comes to respect Father Janovich after Father Janovich gtes out of his own way as a Priest undeserving of respect because of his job title and becomes a man.

Damn, how devolved have Americans become that they cannot grasp the essence of storytelling?

Ketch Rudder of CA @ Jul 01, 2009 01:30:55 AM

Wake UP!

The movie was great, put your political and status quo pettiness to the side and wake up America! Grand Torino messaged what America has misunderstood for centuries. The movie was not racist it was about war, it was about diversity, and how being "uninformed" slows progress to human kind. Expand the mind to think outside of ones own ignorance. Wake up and Get a grip on the reality of human ignorance and the potential to learn and grasp the unknown! It is true, life is a one contiual lesson after another to understand ones own choices and what is truly right for humanitarian goodness!

WAKE UP!

Navillus44 of WA @ Jun 29, 2009 01:41:52 AM

No Oscars because...

...the movie sucked. Poorly written. Poorly filmed. Poorly acted (including Clint). There is not much to recommend this film.

Sheila of OH @ Jun 15, 2009 21:16:10 PM

Eastwood's Co-stars

I agree that Eastwood's co-stars in Gran Torino were very unpolished. So shy and self-conscious they almost seemed to be from some ancient culture. DUH! These were real Hmong youngsters growing up to be Americans. I think the movie was passed over because of prejudice. America loves making stars out of poor Indian children (Slumdog Millionare) but chooses to ignore our own dark side. Gran Torino deserved a nomination for Best Movie, Best Actor, and Best Original Song, all written, acted, produced, directed, and sumg by real Americans.

Merle of CA @ Feb 25, 2009 21:57:01 PM