i thought it was great till the end, it took me a week to get over why it had to end that way. twas defenately not eastwoods standard ending.
Watched it last night.
Good movie.
I’m one of those late to the game as well, just came out on PPV. I laughed out loud throughout the movie and there were certainly some strong underlying themes. Big time thumbs up from me.
The OP summed it up well.
I knew what was going to happen at the end, but it wasnt what or how i expected.
It was a very good movie!
I thought it was a ballsier ending.
Hope over despair.
My mother saw it when it came and and told me it would win an Oscar. I hadn’t seen it, but told her no way. Clint doesn’t fit the liberal Hollywood mindset. Of course, he didn’t win and he should have. Saw it last night. Great movie. Wife cried at the end. Hell, I almost teared up. This movie represented values that are, unfortunately, not common anymore. Will be telling friends to watch.
Rented and watched it this afternoon. Excellent movie from Clint.
I was surpised by the ending, but quickly came to see that it really made complete sense gieven Eastwood’s character in the movie.
I really got a kick out of the back-and-forths between the teenage girl next door, Sue and Walt. He met his match with her!
I was expecting the big build up… the twister at the end really got me. I saw his call to his boy, the custom fitted clothes, the dog… he was fixing to do something real big. He did, but it was not what I thought.
Overall, very good movie. And yea, he met his match with that little girl next door… see took his crap and threw it right back at him… “Booga-Booga!”
Reminded me of my Dad, cantankerous grumpy hated anything or anybody that did not have ‘Made in USA’ printed on it but he had a heart of gold.
I sure do miss him.
He was gone before cable TV became available but he used to sit in the kitchen with only the TV on and watch WWII docs on PBS and grumble about that
‘Paper hanging son of a bitch and he would have killed him if could have got his hands around his throat’ with his teeth out while eating milk and crackers.
I’ll admit Clint reminded me of him so much in that movie I cried a while after it was over. Almost wish I hadn’t watched it.
My Dad passed 6-17-82, 2 days before my 24th birthday… I haven’t missed him so much since that day. He wouldn’t want me to miss him. He thought crying was for sissy’s and it has bottled up inside since.
Was rather strange last time I saw him he was going into the horsepistol that day to have an anuerism removed the next day it was a Sunday morning. He just got home from playing 18 holes of golf (which he walked) and that Tuesday
6-17-82 I was at home and nearly pissed my pants I thought to myself he died… He insisted I not visit him only my Mom and since I figured he’d out live us all I’d see him when he got home because he’d call and want me to cut the grass so he could yell at me while I mowed it cause he was tuff to please. And it was almost to the minute 8:18 pm I had that feeling… I called the hospital and all they would tell me was I needed to come there he died at 8:11pm.
But that Sunday the last time I saw him alive I gave him a big hug and kiss and told him I loved him which were my final words to him I remember him saying something about getting a haircut that I looked like my sister.
I feel blessed to have had it end that way.
Life never sucks so much as when its over.
Michael
The Oscars are the industry’s chance to award itself. Expect it to be less than ideal. How many times have you seen someone be a sentimental favorite and win for lesser work due to being overlooked at an earlier time?
Clint Eastwood has won 4 Oscars (2 for Best Director and 2 for Best Picture). I don’t think his politics have anything to do with the snub. On the other hand, he could be a victim of the movie industry’s politics where studios push one film over another or professional jealousy that inspires people to not support a deserving movie. -The man had two great movies in one year. No award show can undo that.
I recently rented Gran Torino and it was a good character driven story. The humor in it is excellent and natural to the characters. I think the reason why the movie works as well as it does is because of Clint’s other roles. We’re used to a certain pattern and the twist at the end plays on that familiarity. I had figured out where it had to go but it was good that there was no cheesy, phony, everything is fine ending.
I watched it last night and I was not disappointed very good movie something that I have come to expect from Eastwood.I liked the ending and was expecting something of that nature to happen. It reminded me of my childhood seeing alot of the great generation and how a lot of that generation did call it just the way that they saw it. So sad for me to see that generation pass:(
The whole movie is for shadowed in the horoscope he read on his birthday.
Fitted for a funeral suit, gave away the dog, called his son… The ending was obvious.
I like the imagery at the end of him laying on the ground with his arms outstretched. A quasi-crucifixion, and a gift of life for others.
Good movie.
Interesting that the DVD includes no deleted scenes, though. I’d think that there were some.
I think we all new how hed end up, just not how hed get there
Best picture of 2009. Just my opinion.
I thought it was an Oscar level performance. I wonder who won it instead ? Just curious.
Watched it last night.
I hardly ever watch newer movies, haven’t been in a movie theater since 1985.
Having said that, the movie was good, a bit anti climactic, but a s a whole, a good movie.
It was a window into what made the country great at one time.
Terry.
I heard great reviews as well. I haven’t read anything (don’t want anything accidentally revealed). Looking forward to it. 
We got it from Netflix and watched it last night. My wife and I both really liked it. We cracked up through most of it.