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108-441: Gran Torino is a 2008 American drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood , who also starred in the film. The film features a large Hmong American cast (the first time for an American mainstream film), as well as one of Eastwood's younger sons, Scott . Eastwood's oldest son of record, Kyle , composed the film's score with Michael Stevens , while Jamie Cullum and Clint Eastwood (in-character as Walt Kowalski ) provide

216-499: A betel nut she had been chewing to show contempt for Walt Kowalski, even though the Hmong do not chew betel nuts. The Hmong shaman reads Walt's personal character, when in real life he would communicate with the spirit world. In the film the shaman himself does a sacrifice of a chicken in a manner that Schein and Thoj say is "in dramatic ceremonial fashion," when in real life an assistant would do this "perfunctorily." The authors said that

324-546: 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 for Eastwood's direction and performance; within the Hmong community in the United States, the film was generally praised but also received criticism for its cultural inaccuracies. Recently widowed Walt Kowalski

432-424: A "low-key approach to directing." Eastwood said that "I'd give them little pointers along the way, Acting 101. And I move along at a rate that doesn't give them too much of a chance to think." Bee Vang said that he originally felt frightened but was able to ease into the acting. Baenen said that Eastwood was a "patient teacher" of the first-time actors. According to Vang, Eastwood did not say "action" whenever filming

540-484: A 2011 program that Eastwood did not allow the Hmong actors to change their lines, despite what he said in the earlier interviews. Nick Schenk said that he became friends with many Hmong coworkers while employed at a VHS factory in Bloomington , Minnesota . In regard to Schenk's stories of his interactions with the Hmong people, Laura Yuen of Minnesota Public Radio said: "That sense of humor and curiosity permeate

648-610: A Hmong soccer tournament in Macomb County, Michigan . Sandy Ci Moua, a Hmong actress based in the Twin Cities, assisted with the film's casting of Hmong actors. Gran Torino was written by Nick Schenk and directed by Clint Eastwood. It was produced by Village Roadshow Pictures , Media Magik Entertainment and Malpaso Productions for film distributor Warner Bros. Eastwood co-produced with his Malpaso partners Robert Lorenz and Bill Gerber . Eastwood has stated he enjoyed

756-458: A Zippo. Now you would use a Bic. That's just the way we did it. You went in there with your Zippos. Everybody. That's why people bought Zippos. Everybody had a Zippo. It was for burnin' shit down." "Zippo squad" became a phrase of American military jargon for being assigned to burn a village. The M132 armored flamethrower was referred to as a "Zippo". As of March 2022, Zippos carry a suggested retail price between US$ 17.95 and US$ 25,000 (for

864-462: A better understanding of the film. According to the taxonomy, combining the type with the genre does not create a separate genre. For instance, the "Horror Drama" is simply a dramatic horror film (as opposed to a comedic horror film). "Horror Drama" is not a genre separate from the horror genre or the drama type. Crime dramas explore themes of truth, justice, and freedom, and contain the fundamental dichotomy of "criminal vs. lawman". Crime films make

972-423: A broader range of moods . To these ends, a primary element in a drama is the occurrence of conflict —emotional, social, or otherwise—and its resolution in the course of the storyline. All forms of cinema or television that involve fictional stories are forms of drama in the broader sense if their storytelling is achieved by means of actors who represent ( mimesis ) characters . In this broader sense, drama

1080-732: A cultural consultant for the film production, said that the film was not intended to be a documentary on the Hmong people and that it positively highlights, as paraphrased by Laura Yuen of Minnesota Public Radio , "the close-knit nature of the Hmong community in Detroit". Doua Moua , a Hmong actor in the film, said that he had no regrets in playing a gang member, because, in Yuen's words, "gangs consumed his brother's life while they were growing up in Saint Paul ". Moua added that many first generation Hmong are affected by gangs and drift into gangs due to

1188-496: A cultural consultant, giving advice on names, traditions, and translations. Vang later argued that the use of the Hmong people did not seem relevant to the overall plot. He said "there is no real reason for us to be Hmong in the script" and that even though Walt Kowalski had fought in Korea, he had still confused the Hmong with Koreans and other Asian ethnic groups. In a 2011 program Vang said that Hmong actors were treated unfairly on

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1296-429: A cultural consultant, said that "Some things were over-exaggerated for dramatic purposes. Whether it was our job or not, I still felt some responsibility to speak our mind and say something, but at the same time, the script was what it was. We didn't make the final decision." In 2011, Vang said while many Hmong had objected to some elements, the producers selected the viewpoints of the Hmong cultural consultants which "had

1404-470: A documentary called Gran Torino: Next Door, about how Bee Vang and Ahney Her were chosen for their roles in the film and the Hmong actors' off-set activities. It was released on Blu-ray . Vang acted in a YouTube parody of one scene in Gran Torino , titled " Thao Does Walt : Lost Scenes from Gran Torino." The YouTube parody addresses a scene involving a barbershop, and the views of masculinity in

1512-516: A drama with "the commercial hook of a genre film" and described it further as "a meditation on tolerance wrapped in the disguise of a movie with a gun-toting Clint Eastwood and a cool car". Chi and Robinson said that within the Asian-American community, some criticized "depictions of Hmong men" and "the archetypical white savior trope that permeated the film". Clint Eastwood 's decision to cast Hmong actors, including amateur actors, received

1620-411: A hinged top. On most models, the top of the case is slightly convex. Inside the case are the works of the lighter. The insert contains the spring-toggle lever that keeps the top closed, the wick, windscreen chimney , flintwheel, and flint , all of which are mounted on an open-bottom metal box that is slightly smaller than the bottom of the outer case, and into which it slips snugly. The hollow part of

1728-403: A hole in your face and sleep like a baby', he sounds as if he means it". Roger Ebert wrote that the film is "about the belated flowering of a man's better nature. And it's about Americans of different races growing more open to one another in the new century." Sang Chi and Emily Moberg Robinson, editors of Voices of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Experience: Volume 1 , said that within

1836-518: A lack of father figures. Louisa Schein, a Rutgers University anthropologist who is an expert on the Hmong culture , approved the concept of Hmong achieving visibility in the popular culture of the United States , but believed that the film may be promoting out of date stereotypes of the Hmong. Schein said that her Hmong friends were "touched" by the film's portrayal of Hmong culture redeeming and reaching out to Walt Kowalski . Schein further added that

1944-730: A letter to the Zippo founder commenting that "Zippo is probably the most important element on the front." Period Zippos were made of brass , but Zippo used a black crackle finished steel during the war years because of metal shortages. While the Zippo Manufacturing Company never had an official contract with the military, individual armed forces personnel requested that base exchange (BX) and post exchange (PX) stores carry this sought-after lighter. While it had previously been common to have Zippos with authorized badges, unit crests, and division insignias, it became popular among

2052-580: A live performance, it has also been used to describe the more high-brow and serious end of the dramatic output of radio . The Screenwriters Taxonomy contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character and story, and therefore the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, the taxonomy contends that film dramas are a "Type" of film; listing at least ten different sub-types of film and television drama. Docudramas are dramatized adaptations of real-life events. While not always completely accurate,

2160-473: A method of atonement nor do they endlessly shower individuals with gifts out of gratitude." Her added, "An early draft of the script even had names misspelled and referenced Chinese surnames , a sloppy mistake that was easily corrected." In the film's opening weekend of wide release in the US, it grossed $ 29.5 million. As of 2021, it has taken in $ 269,958,228 worldwide. The film was released on June 9, 2009, in

2268-685: A more central component of the story, along with serious content.  Examples include Three Colours: White (1994), The Truman Show (1998), The Man Without a Past (2002), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), and Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Coined by film professor Ken Dancyger , these stories exaggerate characters and situations to the point of becoming fable, legend or fairy tale.  Examples: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Maleficent (2014). Light dramas are light-hearted stories that are, nevertheless, serious in nature.  Examples: The Help (2011) and The Terminal (2004). Psychological dramas are dramas that focus on

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2376-436: A particular shoot began. Vang said that he had studied the script as if it were a textbook. According to Vang, after the first film cut ended, Vang did not hear a response from Eastwood. When Vang asked if something was wrong, other people told Vang that if Eastwood did not make a comment, then his performance was satisfactory. Vang added that Eastwood encouraged ad libbing with the Hmong actors. Ahney Her said that she liked

2484-633: A person's life and raises their level of importance. The "small things in life" feel as important to the protagonist (and the audience) as the climactic battle in an action film, or the final shootout in a western.  Often, the protagonists deal with multiple, overlapping issues in the course of the film – just as we do in life.  Films of this type/genre combination include: The Wrestler (2008), Fruitvale Station (2013), and Locke (2013). Romantic dramas are films with central themes that reinforce our beliefs about love (e.g.: themes such as "love at first sight", "love conquers all", or "there

2592-500: A positive reception in Hmong communities. Tou Ger Xiong, a Hmong storyteller and performance artist from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area who had auditioned for a role in the film, said that he had respect for the film because the producers actually cast Hmong instead of asking other Asian-Americans to mimic Hmong. Xiong also argued "First things first, let's get our foot in the door. Complain later." Dyane Hang Garvey, who served as

2700-445: A single night in the bar. He recalled asking the bartender, who was his friend, questions about the story's progress. Some industry insiders told Schenk that a film starring an elderly main character could not be produced, as the story could not be sold, especially with an elderly main character who used language suggesting that he held racist views. Through a friend, Schenk sent the screenplay to Warner Bros. producer Bill Gerber. Eastwood

2808-464: A specific approach to drama but, rather, consider drama as a lack of comedic techniques.  Examples: Ghost World (2001) and Wuthering Heights (2011). According to the Screenwriters' Taxonomy, all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) of the eleven super-genres. This combination does not create a separate genre, but rather, provides

2916-408: A very long time, thanks to the fact that witnesses have come forward. Father Janovich conducts Walt's funeral, which his family and the Hmong community attend. Afterward, Walt's last will and testament is read. Much to the dismay of Walt's family, Walt leaves his house to the church and his cherished Gran Torino to Thao, on the condition that Thao does not modify the car. Sometime later, Thao drives

3024-575: A widowed Korean War veteran trying to handle the changes in his neighborhood when he decided to place a Hmong family next door and create a culture clash. He and Dave Johannson, Schenk's brother's roommate, created an outline for the story. According to Schenk, each night he used a pen and paper to write the script while in Grumpy's, a bar in Northeast Minneapolis , while not working at his day jobs. He recalled writing twenty-five pages within

3132-405: Is "inconsistent use of the two Hmong dialects within one family." They also argue that members of a Hmong clan would not show aggression towards a member of a fellow clan and that they would not rape a member of their own clan, like the gang in the film rapes Sue. Sharon Her, a Hmong writer from New York, argued that the film had "confusion of Asian customs" and that "Hmong people do not use favors as

3240-412: Is a mode distinct from novels, short stories , and narrative poetry or songs . In the modern era, before the birth of cinema or television, "drama" within theatre was a type of play that was neither a comedy nor a tragedy . It is this narrower sense that the film and television industries, along with film studies , adopted. " Radio drama " has been used in both senses—originally transmitted in

3348-927: Is a cantankerous and prejudiced Korean War veteran and retired Ford factory worker. His Rust Belt neighborhood in Metro Detroit has become ridden with gang violence and poor Hmong immigrants, including Walt's next-door neighbors, the Vang Lor family. Walt is estranged from his spoiled family, and on his 80th birthday, enragedly rejects his son's suggestion that he move to a retirement community in favor of living alone with his elderly labrador Daisy. A chronic tobacco user , Walt suffers from coughing fits, occasionally spitting up blood. As Walt's late wife requested, her priest, Father Janovich, tries to comfort Walt and persuade him to go to confession . Despite being harshly rejected by Walt, Father Janovich repeatedly tries to get through to him. 15-year-old Thao Vang Lor

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3456-526: Is a final fight to the death; the idea of the protagonists facing death is a central expectation in a war drama film. In a war film even though the enemy may out-number, or out-power, the hero, we assume that the enemy can be defeated if only the hero can figure out how.   Examples include: Apocalypse Now (1979), Come and See (1985), Braveheart (1995), Life Is Beautiful (1997), Black Book (2006), The Hurt Locker (2008), 1944 (2015), Wildeye (2015), and 1917 (2019). Films in

3564-417: Is brandishing a pistol, the gang members shoot and kill him. Walt's hand opens to reveal his Zippo lighter with the 1st Cavalry insignia. Following Walt's directions, Sue frees Thao, and they arrive at the scene. A police officer tells Thao and Sue that Walt was unarmed and that the gang members have been arrested for murder. The officer goes on to say to them that the gang members will be going to prison for

3672-423: Is coerced by a Hmong gang led by his cousin, "Spider", to steal Walt's 1972 Ford Torino as an initiation. Walt catches Thao and thwarts the theft; Thao escapes after Walt nearly shoots him. When the gang tries to abduct Thao forcefully, Walt scares them off with his M1 Garand rifle, earning the local Hmong community's respect. Thao's mother makes him work for Walt as penance, who has him do different tasks to improve

3780-462: Is haunted by the memory of killing an enemy child soldier who was trying to surrender to him, and he wants to spare Thao from shedding blood. He locks Thao in the basement and departs to the gang's residence. When Walt arrives, the gang draws their guns on him as he berates them for their crimes, drawing the attention of the neighbors. Walt puts a cigarette in his mouth, slowly reaches into his jacket pocket, and pulls his hand out quickly. Thinking Walt

3888-585: Is in Center Line. The barber shop, Widgren's Barber Shop, is along 11 Mile Road , near Center Street, in Royal Oak. The shop, founded in 1938, in a space now occupied by another business, moved to its current location, west of its original location, in 1970. The film producers selected that shop out of sixty candidates in Metro Detroit. According to Frank Mills, the son-in-law of owner Ted Widgren,

3996-657: Is on Rhode Island Street in Highland Park. The Hmong gang house is located on Pilgrim Street in Highland Park. The house depicting the residence of one of Walt's sons is on Ballantyne Road in Grosse Pointe Shores. The church used in the film, Saint Ambrose Roman Catholic Church, is in Grosse Pointe Park. The hardware store, Pointe Hardware, is also in Grosse Pointe Park. VFW Post 6756, used as the location where Walt meets friends to drink alcohol,

4104-521: Is one of the few butane torch lighters to use a flint and striker wheel. The company also marketed the BLU2, which features a squarer frame and eliminates the fuel gauge on the side of the original Zippo BLU. On January 1, 2016, Zippo discontinued production of the BLU line of lighters and sold the BLU trademark to Lorillard, but continued to service all Zippo BLU lighters. In addition to its 2010 purchase of

4212-408: Is poured into the rayon balls (sometimes called the "cotton," or the "batting"), which absorbs it. It also contains a tube that holds a short, cylindrical flint. The tube has an interior spring and exterior cap-screw that keeps the flint in constant contact with the exterior flint-wheel. Spinning this rough-surfaced wheel against flint results in a spark that ignites the fluid in the wick. All parts of

4320-495: Is produced by the spring-loaded toggling cam, a small lever that keeps the lid closed or opened securely. Unlike disposable lighters, newly purchased Zippo lighters do not contain fuel. Instructions for safely fueling the Zippo are included in its packaging. Zippo also sell a name-brand lighter fluid . Morley Safer , in his August 5, 1965 CBS News report of the Cam Ne incident and Private First Class Reginald "Malik" Edwards,

4428-421: Is someone out there for everyone"); the story typically revolves around characters falling into (and out of, and back into) love. Annie Hall (1977), The Notebook (2004), Carol (2015), Her (2013) , and La La Land (2016) are examples of romance dramas. The science fiction drama film is often the story of a protagonist (and their allies) facing something "unknown" that has the potential to change

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4536-422: Is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-genre, macro-genre, or micro-genre, such as soap opera , police crime drama , political drama , legal drama , historical drama , domestic drama , teen drama , and comedy-drama (dramedy). These terms tend to indicate a particular setting or subject matter, or they combine a drama's otherwise serious tone with elements that encourage

4644-600: The Man with No Name , stating: "Dirty Harry is back, in a way, in Gran Torino , not as a character, but as a ghostly presence. He hovers in the film, in its themes and high-caliber imagery, and of course, most obviously, in Mr. Eastwood's face. It is a monumental face now, so puckered and pleated that it no longer looks merely weathered, as it has for decades, but seems closer to petrified wood." The Los Angeles Times also praised Eastwood's performance and credibility as an action hero at

4752-467: The Associated Press , said in 2009 that the film's portrayal of the Hmong is "generally accurate." Regarding the result, Vang said "[t]his film is not a documentary. We can't expect 101 percent correctness." During the filming, Hmong cast members addressed what they believed to be cultural inaccuracies that were being introduced. Cedric Lee, a half-Hmong who worked as a production assistant and

4860-754: The National Board of Review , he was nominated for the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Critics' Choice Awards) and by the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards for Best Actor. An original song from the film, "Gran Torino" (performed by Jamie Cullum ), was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song . The Art Directors Guild nominated Gran Torino in the contemporary film category. The film, however,

4968-646: The Northeast community of Minneapolis, Minnesota , but filmmakers chose to shoot in Michigan , becoming one of the first productions to take advantage of the state's new law that provided lucrative incentive packages to film productions. Bill Huizenga , from Zeeland , Michigan , who once served in the Michigan House of Representatives , helped write and coordinate the State of Michigan's incentive package to

5076-557: The University of California Santa Barbara said, based on Vang's testimony in a 2011 program, that "Though many of the people who have seen the film may have gotten a sense of satisfaction and joy from seeing that Walt overcame his racism, the people who acted as the Hmong members in the movie did not" and that "They were offended by the traces of racism that were included in the movie and that they experienced themselves on set". Some Hmong on internet message boards had posted criticisms of

5184-399: The hu plis ceremony done in honor of the baby has an incorrect spatial layout, that the clothing and grooming of the Hmong gangs is not correct, and "the obsequious making of offerings on doorstep" are not accurate. While Thao himself cleans dishes, Schein and Thoj add that he would not do this alone because he is in a house with other female family members. Schein and Thoj also add that there

5292-763: The western super-genre often take place in the American Southwest or Mexico, with a large number of scenes occurring outdoors so we can soak in scenic landscapes. Visceral expectations for the audience include fistfights, gunplay, and chase scenes. There is also the expectation of spectacular panoramic images of the countryside including sunsets, wide open landscapes, and endless deserts and sky.   Examples of western dramas include: True Grit (1969) and its 2010 remake , Mad Max (1979), Unforgiven (1992), No Country for Old Men (2007), Django Unchained (2012), Hell or High Water (2016), and Logan (2017). Some film categories that use

5400-554: The American soldiers of the Vietnam War to get their Zippos engraved with personal mottos. These lighters are now sought-after collector's items and popular souvenirs for visitors to Vietnam. After World War II, the Zippo lighter became increasingly used in advertising by companies large and small through the 1960s. Much of the early Zippo lighter advertising are works of art painted by hand, and as technology has evolved, so has

5508-493: The Apes (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Children of Men (2006), Interstellar (2014), and Arrival (2016). In the sports super-genre, characters will be playing sports. Thematically, the story is often one of "Our Team" versus "Their Team"; their team will always try to win, and our team will show the world that they deserve recognition or redemption;

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5616-524: The Armor 18k solid gold model). In 2001, according to the fall 2003 issue of IUP Magazine , a 1933 model was purchased for $ 18,000 at a swap meet in Tokyo , and in 2002 the company bought one valued at $ 12,000 for its own collection. During the 75th anniversary celebrations in 2007, Zippo sold a near mint 1933 model for $ 37,000. All Zippo windproof lighters carry an unlimited lifetime guarantee, promoted using

5724-578: The OUL. These lighters are fueled with butane . In August 2007, Zippo released a new butane lighter called the Zippo BLU. It discontinued the line January 1, 2016. A museum called "Zippo/Case visitors center" is located in Bradford, Pennsylvania, at 1932 Zippo Drive. This 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m ) building contains rare and custom made Zippo lighters, and also sells the entire Zippo line. The museum

5832-676: The Torino along Detroit's Jefferson Avenue with Daisy at his side. After holding casting calls in Fresno, California ; Detroit, Michigan ; and Saint Paul, Minnesota , Eastwood selected ten Hmong lead actors and supporting actors. Of them, only one was not a first-time actor. Of the Hmong cast, five, including Bee Vang, one of the principal actors, were from the state of Minnesota . Ahney Her comes from Lansing, Michigan . The casting agency Pound & Mooney recruited thirty actors and over five hundred extras. The firm recruited many Hmong actors from

5940-485: The United States in both standard DVD format and Blu-ray . The disc includes bonus materials and extra features. A featurette is included and a documentary about the correlation of manhood and the automobile. The Blu-ray version presents the film in 2.40:1 ratio format, a digital copy, and the audio in multiple languages. About four million DVD units have been sold as of 2012, generating $ 67.4 million in revenue. Another 332,000 Blu-rays were sold, for $ 4.9 million, bringing

6048-414: The age of 78. Kenneth Turan said of Eastwood's performance, "It is a film that is impossible to imagine without the actor in the title role. The notion of a 78-year-old action hero may sound like a contradiction in terms, but Eastwood brings it off, even if his toughness is as much verbal as physical. Even at 78, Eastwood can make 'Get off my lawn' sound as menacing as 'Make my day', and when he says 'I blow

6156-407: The audience jump through a series of mental "hoops"; it is not uncommon for the crime drama to use verbal gymnastics to keep the audience and the protagonist on their toes.   Examples of crime dramas include: The Godfather (1972), Chinatown (1974), Goodfellas (1990), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Big Short (2015), and Udta Punjab (2016). According to Eric R. Williams ,

6264-506: The author believed to be cultural inaccuracies of the film's depiction of the Hmong. David Brauer of MinnPost said that some Hmong liked Gran Torino and that many believed that the film was offensive. In 2009, actor Bee Vang said that he was satisfied with the outcome of the film. Brauer said that in an opinion editorial released in 2011, Vang "isn't kind to the Clint Eastwood film". Krissy Reyes-Ortiz of The Bottom Line of

6372-533: The characters' inner life and psychological problems. Examples: Requiem for a Dream (2000), Oldboy (2003), Babel (2006), Whiplash (2014), and Anomalisa (2015) Satire can involve humor, but the result is typically sharp social commentary that is anything but funny. Satire often uses irony or exaggeration to expose faults in society or individuals that influence social ideology.  Examples: Thank You for Smoking (2005) and Idiocracy (2006). Straight drama applies to those that do not attempt

6480-412: The coding comprised combinations of forward slashes . In 1979, the company inadvertently introduced an error into fabrication, with some lighters reading / on the left and // on the right instead of // on the left and / on the right, but corrected the problem within the year. From 1982 until June 1986 the coding was by backslash . After July 1986, Zippo began including a date code on all lighters showing

6588-450: The company manufactured its 600,000,000th lighter. Zippo lighters, which have gained popularity as “windproof” lighters, are able to stay lit in harsh weather, due to the design of the windscreen and adequate rate of fuel delivery. A consequence of the windproofing is that it is hard to extinguish a Zippo by blowing out the flame. However, if the flame is blown from the top down, it will be easily extinguished. The proper way to extinguish

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6696-473: The course of the film. Thematically, horror films often serve as morality tales, with the killer serving up violent penance for the victims' past sins.  Metaphorically, these become battles of Good vs. Evil or Purity vs. Sin.  Psycho (1960), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Conjuring (2013), It (2017), mother! (2017), and Hereditary (2018) are examples of horror drama films. Day-in-the-life films takes small events in

6804-630: The day' story" but that "What Eastwood has really created is not a story about the white man saving the minority (though it can be read on that level and I'm sure some will) but a critical examination of an iconic brand of white macho maleness that he played a significant part in creating." Gran Torino was recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the Ten Best Films of 2008 . Clint Eastwood's performance has also garnered recognition. He won an award for Best Actor from

6912-403: The deal was finalized. In March 2011, due to significant decrease of sales from 18 million lighters a year in the mid-1990s to about 12 million lighters a year recently, combined with increasing pressure on people not to smoke, Zippo Manufacturing Co. tried offering a wider variety of products using the Zippo name, such as watches, leisure clothing and eau de cologne. This strategy is similar to

7020-483: The design and finish of the Zippo lighter. The basic mechanism of the Zippo lighter has remained unchanged, but they developed into a popular fashion accessory, with a huge variety of artistic designs produced. In 2002, Zippo expanded its product line to include a variety of utility-style multi-purpose lighters, known as Zippo MPLs. This was followed in 2005 with the Outdoor Utility Lighter, known as

7128-481: The family as a whole reacts to a central challenge. There are four micro-genres for the family drama: Family Bond , Family Feud , Family Loss , and Family Rift . A sub-type of drama films that uses plots that appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience. Melodramatic plots often deal with "crises of human emotion, failed romance or friendship, strained familial situations, tragedy, illness, neuroses, or emotional and physical hardship". Film critics sometimes use

7236-427: The film concern its myriad cultural inaccuracies, exaggerations and distortion." Schein also said that "[t]he [Hmong] actors struggle, too, with their culture being made into spectacle." Even though a real Hmong shaman acts as a Hmong shaman in the film, Schein said that "his expertise was overridden by the screenplay and the filming, which distorted the ceremonial scenes by making them inaccurately exotic." Vang said that

7344-456: The film creators. The film ultimately received a 42-percent tax credit . Bruce Headlam of The New York Times wrote: "That helped make it easy for Warner Bros. to sign off on bankrolling the movie, something that hasn't always been a given in the studio's relationship with the director." Producer Robert Lorenz said that while the script was originally set in Minnesota, he chose Michigan as

7452-489: The film has received an average score of 72 based on 34 reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. After seeing the film, The New York Times described the requiem tone captured by the film, calling it "a sleek, muscle car of a movie made in the USA, in that industrial graveyard called Detroit". Manohla Dargis compared Eastwood's presence on film to Dirty Harry and

7560-488: The film seemed to give little prominence to the history of the Hmong, and that only two male Hmong, Thao and a gang member, were given depth in the story. Schein said: "I feel a lot of the plot about the Eastwood character is driven by the fact that he is a veteran. Yet there is no possibility for representing the fact that the Hmong were veterans too." An individual established a blog, eastwoodmovie-hmong.com, documenting what

7668-402: The film. In 2020, Vang said, "Hmong around the country were furious about its negative stereotypes and cultural distortions" and that they confronted him when he spoke at events. Vang added that he engaged in "explaining my obligation as an actor while also recognizing that, as a Hmong-American, I didn't feel that I could own the lines I was uttering." Vang has stated that he was uncomfortable with

7776-770: The final setting because Kowalski is a retired car plant worker. Metro Detroit was the point of origin of the Ford Motor Company . Schenk said that sometimes the lines in the movie feel out of place with the Detroit setting; for instance a line about one of Walt's sons asks if Walt still knows a person who has season tickets for Minnesota Vikings games was changed to being about a person with Detroit Lions tickets. Schenk said: "They don't sell out in Detroit. And so that bothered me. It seemed really untrue to me." Locations, all within Metro Detroit , included Highland Park , Center Line , Warren , Royal Oak , and Grosse Pointe Park . The house depicting Walt Kowalski's house

7884-416: The future of humanity; this unknown may be represented by a villain with incomprehensible powers, a creature we do not understand, or a scientific scenario that threatens to change the world; the science fiction story forces the audience to consider the nature of human beings, the confines of time or space or the concepts of human existence in general. Examples include: Metropolis (1927), Planet of

7992-541: The gang assaults Thao on his way home from work, Walt physically assaults a member as a warning. In retaliation, the gang beats and rapes Sue and then injures Thao in a drive-by shooting . The family refuses to report the crimes out of fear. The following day, an enraged Thao seeks Walt's help to exact revenge; Walt convinces him to return later that day. Walt buys a suit, gets a haircut, and finally confesses to Father Janovich. When Thao arrives, Walt takes him to his basement and gives him his Silver Star , telling him that he

8100-717: The general facts are more-or-less true. The difference between a docudrama and a documentary is that in a documentary it uses real people to describe history or current events; in a docudrama it uses professionally trained actors to play the roles in the current event, that is "dramatized" a bit. Examples: Black Mass (2015) and Zodiac (2007). Unlike docudramas, docu-fictional films combine documentary and fiction, where actual footage or real events are intermingled with recreated scenes. Examples: Interior. Leather Bar (2013) and Your Name Here (2015). Many otherwise serious productions have humorous scenes and characters intended to provide comic relief . A comedy drama has humor as

8208-416: The hallmark of fantasy drama films is "a sense of wonderment, typically played out in a visually intense world inhabited by mythic creatures, magic or superhuman characters. Props and costumes within these films often belie a sense of mythology and folklore – whether ancient, futuristic, or other-worldly. The costumes, as well as the exotic world, reflect the personal, inner struggles that the hero faces in

8316-535: The history and culture of the Hmong while working in a factory in Minnesota. He had learned how they had sided with the South Vietnamese forces and its US allies during the Vietnam War , only to wind up in refugee camps , at the mercy of North Vietnamese Communist forces, when US troops pulled out and the government forces were defeated. Years later, he was deciding how to develop a story involving

8424-481: The idea "that it dealt with prejudice, that it was about never being too old to learn". Shooting began in July 2008. Hmong crew, production assistants, consultants, and extras were used. The film was shot over five weeks. Editors Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach cut the film so it was under two hours long. The crew spent over $ 10 million while shooting the film in Detroit. In the early 1990s, Schenk had become acquainted with

8532-466: The improvisation work, even when she was required to translate between the English and Hmong languages. When asked if the in-character racial slurs offended the actors in real life, Ahney said that she did not feel offense. Vang said, "I was called so many names that I can't say here because of how vulgar they were. It disturbed me quite a lot, but at the end of the day it was just a script." Vang said in

8640-528: The interior box encloses five rayon balls (similar to cotton balls) which are in contact with the wick. The bottom of this is covered by a piece of felt approximately 1/4 of an inch thick. Printed on the bottom of the felt (in modern Zippos, not on older models prior to late 1992) are the words, "LIFT TO FILL," to indicate one must lift the felt away from the "cotton" in order to refuel it. The fuel, light petroleum distillate or synthetic isoparaffinic hydrocarbon (commonly referred to as lighter fluid or naphtha ),

8748-554: The legal system. Films that focus on dramatic events in history. Focuses on doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and ambulance saving victims and the interactions of their daily lives. Focuses on teenage characters, especially where a secondary school setting plays a role. Zippo American inventor George G. Blaisdell founded Zippo Manufacturing Company in 1932 and produced the first Zippo lighter in early 1933, being inspired by an Austrian cigarette lighter of similar design made by IMCO. It got its name because Blaisdell liked

8856-417: The lighter are replaceable. The Zippo lighter requires 108 manufacturing operations. Zippo released the Zippo BLU in 2007 (although there are many 2005 pre-release models). These are butane torch lighters , which Zippo has gone to great lengths to make sure are still "identifiable as a Zippo". Specifically, the lid and cam were "tuned" so that the lighter still makes the distinctive "Zippo click", and also it

8964-411: The lighter is to close the top half, which starves the flame of oxygen, but unlike other lighters, this does not cut off the fuel supply. One of the recognizable features of Zippo is the fact that it burns with a wick. Opening the top lid produces an easily recognizable "clink" sound for which Zippo lighters are known, and a different but similarly recognizable "clunk" when the lighter is closed. This noise

9072-407: The local neighborhood. The two soon form a grudging mutual respect; Walt mentors Thao, helping him obtain a construction job. Walt also rescues Thao's sister, Sue, from the unwanted advances of three African American gangsters. Despite his initial prejudices, Walt bonds with the Vang Lor family. With his cough worsening, Walt consults a doctor who gives him a gloomy prognosis that he conceals. After

9180-452: The mainstream media, the film received "critical acclaim" "for its nuanced portrayal of Asian Americans ." Louisa Schein and Va-Megn Thoj, authors of " Gran Torino ' s Boys and Men with Guns: Hmong Perspective," said that the mainstream critical response was "centered on Eastwood's character and viewed the film mainly as a vision of multicultural inclusion and understanding." Nicole Sperling, columnist for Entertainment Weekly , called it

9288-576: The month and year of production. On the left of the underside was stamped a letter A–L, denoting the month (A = January, B = February, C = March, etc.). On the right was a Roman numeral which denoted the year, beginning with II in 1986. However, in 2001, Zippo altered this system, changing the Roman numerals to Arabic numerals . Thus a Zippo made in August 2004 was stamped H 04. The cases of Zippo lighters are typically made of brass and are rectangular with

9396-421: The most amenable take on the matter and would lend credence to whatever Hollywood stereotypes the film wanted to convey." Vang further said that "this was a white production, that our presence as actors did not amount to control of our images." Louisa Schein and Va-Megn Thoj, authors of " Gran Torino ' s Boys and Men with Guns: Hmong Perspectives", said "Perhaps the most commonly voiced Hmong objections to

9504-532: The original scene. From 2019 onwards, Gran Torino has been part of the focus topic "The Ambiguity of Belonging" in the German Abitur in Baden-Württemberg and Hessen in the subject English. Drama film In film and television , drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction ) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind

9612-467: The producers selected it because they liked "the antique look inside." Eastwood asked Widgren to act as an extra in the barber shop scene. In the area around the barbershop, vehicle traffic had to be stopped for three to five minutes at a time, so traffic in the area slowed down. Of the entire cast, only a few were established actors; the Hmong actors had relatively little experience, and some were not proficient in English. Jeff Baenen said that Eastwood used

9720-526: The reaction of white audiences to the film, finding their laughter at the playing off of racial slurs as humor "unnerving" and "one more excuse for ignoring white supremacy and racism." Philip W. Chung of AsianWeek said that Eastwood, portraying a white man, was the "main weapon" of the film even though screenwriter Nick Schenk "does his best to portray Hmong culture and the main Hmong characters with both depth and cultural sensitivity". Chung argued that " Gran Torino might have been another "'white man saves

9828-418: The rifleman with the 9th Regiment, US Marine Corps Danang (June 1965 – March 1966) whose profile comprises chapter one of Wallace Terry 's book, Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans (1984), describe the use of Zippo lighters in search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War. Edwards stated: "when you say level a village, you don't use torches. It's not like in the 1800s. You used

9936-542: The script, even though the Gran Torino trailers make the movie look like, by all measures, a drama." Eastwood wanted Hmong as cast members, so casting director Ellen Chenoweth enlisted Hmong organizations and set up calls in Detroit, Fresno, and Saint Paul; Fresno and Saint Paul have the two largest Hmong communities in the United States, while Detroit also has an appreciable population of Hmong. Chenoweth recruited Bee Vang in St. Paul and Ahney Her in Detroit. The screenplay

10044-402: The script. Schenk added that the concept of the producers not making any substantial revisions to a submitted script "never happens." Eastwood said that he stopped making significant revisions after attempting to change the script of Unforgiven and later deciding to return to the original revision, believing that his changes were "emasculating" the product. The original script was inspired by

10152-430: The set, and that Eastwood did not give tips on how to build the characters. Vang also claimed other white cast members made Hmong actors feel excluded by assuming the Hmong speakers did not understand English. Vang said that some important lines that the Hmong characters said in the Hmong language were not subtitled, so audiences developed a skewed perception of the Hmong people. Bee Vang , as paraphrased by Jeff Baenen of

10260-505: The sound of the word " zipper ," and "zippo" sounded more modern. On March 3, 1936, the U.S. Patent Office granted a patent for the Zippo lighter. Zippo lighters became popular in the United States military , especially during World War II —when, as the company's web site says, Zippo "ceased production of lighters for consumer markets and dedicated all manufacturing to the US military". The U.S. war correspondent Ernie Pyle wrote

10368-534: The story does not always have to involve a team. The story could also be about an individual athlete or the story could focus on an individual playing on a team. Examples of this genre/type include:  The Hustler (1961), Hoosiers (1986), Remember the Titans (2000), and Moneyball (2011). War films typically tells the story of a small group of isolated individuals who – one by one – get killed (literally or metaphorically) by an outside force until there

10476-525: The story." Examples of fantasy dramas include The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Life of Pi (2012). Horror dramas often involve the central characters isolated from the rest of society. These characters are often teenagers or people in their early twenties (the genre's central audience) and are eventually killed off during

10584-400: The success Victorinox Swiss Army Brands Inc. has had selling watches, luggage, clothing, and fragrance. On June 5, 2012, the company manufactured its 500,000,000th lighter and celebrated its 80th anniversary. In 2018, Zippo announced the sound trademark of its windproof lighter, making the Zippo lighter's click officially one of the most recognised sounds in the world. On June 3, 2020,

10692-829: The tea ceremonies depicted in the film were not correctly performed. Even though, in the film, Hmong characters feel offense when Walt touches a girl on the head, Schein said that in real life in Hmong culture it is okay to touch a person on the head. In other segments of the film, the Hmong shaman touches a baby's head without any negative criticism. Schein adds that Spider touches Thao Vang Lor 's head "without consequence." Christine Wilson Owens, author of "Hmong Cultural Profile", said: "Most traditional Hmong elders, especially men, do not want strangers to touch their heads, or those of their children, due to their religious beliefs and personal values." Thao and Sue Lor wear Hmong clothing to Walt Kowalski 's funeral. Hmong do not ordinarily wear traditional Hmong clothing to funerals. Grandma Lor spits

10800-578: The term "pejoratively to connote an unrealistic, pathos-filled, camp tale of romance or domestic situations with stereotypical characters (often including a central female character) that would directly appeal to feminine audiences". Also called "women's movies", "weepies", tearjerkers, or "chick flicks". If they are targeted to a male audience, then they are called "guy cry" films. Often considered "soap-opera" drama. Focuses on religious characters, mystery play, beliefs, and respect. Character development based on themes involving criminals, law enforcement and

10908-493: The theme song. Set in Highland Park, Michigan , the story follows Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean War veteran alienated from his family and angry at the world, whose young neighbor, Thao Vang Lor , is pressured by his cousin into stealing Walt's prized Ford Torino for his initiation into a gang. Walt thwarts the theft and subsequently develops a relationship with the boy and his family. Gran Torino opened with

11016-449: The total to $ 72.3 million in home video sales. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 81% of 237 surveyed critics gave Gran Torino positive write-ups; the average score is 7.10/10. The site's consensus states: "Though a minor entry in Eastwood's body of work, Gran Torino is nevertheless a humorous, touching, and intriguing old-school parable." At Metacritic , which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics,

11124-405: The trademarked phrase "It works or we fix it free." The corporate web site claims: "in almost 75 years, no one has ever spent a cent on the mechanical repair of a Zippo lighter regardless of the lighter's age or condition." In mid-1955, Zippo started year coding its lighters by the use of dots. From 1966 until 1973, the year code was denoted by combinations of vertical lines . From 1974 until 1981

11232-498: The word "comedy" or "drama" are not recognized by the Screenwriters Taxonomy as either a film genre or a film type. For instance, "Melodrama" and "Screwball Comedy" are considered Pathways,  while "romantic comedy" and "family drama" are macro-genres. A macro-genre in the Screenwriters Taxonomy. These films tell a story in which many of the central characters are related. The story revolves around how

11340-418: Was able to direct and star on the project as filming for Invictus was delayed to early 2009, leaving sufficient time for filming Gran Torino during the previous summer. Eastwood said that he had a "fun and challenging role, and it's an oddball story." According to Schenk, aside from changing Minneapolis references to Detroit references, the production headed by Eastwood "didn't change a single syllable" in

11448-457: Was featured on the NPR program Weekend Edition on Sunday, January 25, 2009. The museum also contains an enormous collection of Case knives. Since the Zippo company's 60th anniversary in 1992, annual editions have been produced for Zippo collectors. In 2009, Zippo announced plans to purchase Ronson Consumer Products Corporation , a long-time competitor in the lighter market. On February 3, 2010,

11556-725: Was ignored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the 81st Academy Awards when it was not nominated for a single Oscar, which led to heated criticism from many who felt that the Academy had also deliberately snubbed Revolutionary Road and Changeling (which Eastwood also directed) from the five major categories. In 2010, the film was named Best Foreign Film at the César Awards in France . Mark D. Lee and Cedric N. Lee, two Hmong filmmakers from Detroit, directed

11664-560: Was written entirely in English . Therefore, the actors of Gran Torino improvised the Hmong used in the film. Louisa Schein, author of Hmong Actors Making History Part 2: Meet the Gran Torino Family , said before the end of production that "some of the lines actors ad-libbed in Hmong on camera will be tricky to translate back for subtitles." Schenk had input from Hmong people when writing the script. Dyane Hang Garvey served as

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