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The Curious Case of Gran Torino
time.com ^ | Jan. 26, 2009 | S. James Snyder

Posted on 01/27/2009 4:15:37 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY

This year's Oscar story lines have already been etched in stone — Mickey Rourke as the comeback kid, Slumdog Millionaire as the art-house wunderkind, Milk as the timely social commentary (released three weeks after Proposition 8 passed in California).

Yet while the critics have been fussing over wrestlers and Mumbai quiz shows, audiences have been flocking to Gran Torino — an Oscar outcast that's been doing laps around the competition at the box office.

At some point this week, the Clint Eastwood drama will pass the $100 million mark, easily surpassing the box-office receipts brought in by not only some of the Oscar front-runners (Slumdog Millionaire now totals $56 million, Milk $21 million) but also Eastwood's last Oscar winner, Million Dollar Baby.

"It's an amazing story that no one's really talking about," says Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst with Hollywood.com. "For a movie starring a 78-year-old to have a $29 million opening weekend in wide release, and in the process to beat out the likes of Anne Hathaway in Bride Wars, I don't know if I've seen that before ... It's a testament to how people still feel about Clint Eastwood."

(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: clinteastwood; entertainment; grandtorino; hollywood; leftisttripe; liberalpropaganda
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To: exist
“Although the asian kid and the asian chick were kind of bad actors.”

Considering that Gran Torino was their first roles of note according to the IMD Database.. I would say that did quite well.

61 posted on 01/27/2009 9:53:50 PM PST by Kitanis
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To: Kitanis

Let me retype that.. They did quite well for being their first major roles


62 posted on 01/27/2009 9:56:30 PM PST by Kitanis
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To: RetiredArmy

I agree. And I’d buy a Tiger tank if I had the cash.


63 posted on 01/27/2009 10:52:03 PM PST by Brucifer (Proud member of the Double Secret Reloading Underground.)
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To: goat granny

Thank you....I get them mixed up. Encore Western premium channel plays a lot of the old TV westerns. Still the BEST!


64 posted on 01/28/2009 6:33:41 AM PST by Right Cal Gal (Abraham Lincoln would have let Berkeley leave the Union without a fight)
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To: DCPatriot

I’ll mention it - I LOVE that movie too!
Son has always watched modern horny teenager, dead teenager type movies. I think he only went to see Gran Torino because of the promise of the latter.

...and came away a fan!

Totally off topic, but I received my NRA membership card in the mail last night (I’d let my membership lapse under Bush 43) WOO HOO!


65 posted on 01/28/2009 6:35:51 AM PST by Right Cal Gal (Abraham Lincoln would have let Berkeley leave the Union without a fight)
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To: Obamageddon
By and large, the yoots of today resemble the product of MTV and a communist indoctrination camp.

That's because they are. They only go to camp part-time 9 months of the year, and catch the rest on MTV...

66 posted on 01/28/2009 6:41:00 AM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Free ThinkerNY

Relax zipperhead. I’m not gonna shoot you. I’d look down too, if I was you. You know, I knew you were a dipsh*t the first time I ever saw you. You’re worse with women than stealing cars, Toad.

It’s Thao

What?

It’s not Toad, my name is Thao

Yeah well you are blowing it with that girl who was there. Not that I give two sh*ts about a toad like you

You don’t know what you are talking about.

You’re wrong eggroll, I know exactly what I’m talking about. I may not be the most pleasant person to be around, but I got the best woman who was ever on this planet to marry me. I worked at it, it was the best thing ever happened to me. Hands down. But you, you know, you’re letting Click-Clack, Ding-Dong and Charlie Chan, just walk out with miss “what’s her face”. She likes you, you know? Though I don’t know why!

Who?

Yum Yum. You know the girl in the purple sweater. She’s been looking at you all day, stupid!

You mean Youa?

Yeah... Yum Yum... yeah... nice girl... nice girl, very charming girl... I talked with her... yeah But you, you just let her walk out right out with the 3 Stooges. And you know why? ‘cause you’re a big fat p*ssy. Well. I gotta go. Good day pussycake.

****Very good movie. Saw it last weekend. I highly recommend it.****


67 posted on 01/28/2009 6:44:11 AM PST by Hatteras
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To: ArmyTeach

Korean War vet.


68 posted on 01/28/2009 6:51:07 AM PST by Hatteras
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To: meowmeow

Both “Every Which Way but Loose” and “Any Which Way You Can” are great movies. Loved them as a kid and still love them today.


69 posted on 01/28/2009 6:55:05 AM PST by A Texan (Oderint dum metuant)
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To: Mr. Blonde

Like the boy named Sue.


70 posted on 01/28/2009 6:59:51 AM PST by A Texan (Oderint dum metuant)
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To: meowmeow
What about that one with the chimp?

That was an orangutan, he made two of them, and they were very good.

"Right turn, Clyde!"

71 posted on 01/28/2009 7:01:19 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: webschooner
This is a great great movie that should have gotten awards nominations, but was passed over by the snooty awards people,

Maybe they had to make sure "Milk" got a bunch of nominations.

72 posted on 01/28/2009 7:18:21 AM PST by saminfl
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To: King Moonracer
"What about Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood singing, in Paint Your Wagon?"

Clint sings at the end of Gran Torino. He's got a better excuse this time though... he's like, real old now. ;-)

73 posted on 01/28/2009 7:25:49 AM PST by Hatteras
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To: dirtbiker

Roger Ebert almost always gives Eastwood movies a rave review.


74 posted on 01/28/2009 7:41:32 AM PST by goldi
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To: Hatteras

He does the score for his movies now too. Amazing that despite all of that he didn’t get any recognition from the Oscars. You would think with him saying this is his last acting role that would have given him at least an acting nomination.


75 posted on 01/28/2009 7:55:11 AM PST by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: Red in Blue PA
Here's a quick list of my favorite Clint Eastwood movies - some not real good but I were what movies are suppose to be - escapism -

Dirty Harry - every star and leading man has a movie that puts them on top - this is the one for Clint - I never tire of seeing this movie.

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly - the best of the three Italian westerns he made.

Kelly's Hero's - an excellent movie overlooked by many.

Where Eagles Dare - stars with Richard Burton - an excellent mystery WW II adventure film.

Every Which Way But Loose - another excellent film - plays against type and pulls it off.

The Rookie - not a great film but I liked it.

High Plains Drifter - a good western.

Unforgiven - an excellent film asking if when you unleash evil can you put it back in the bottle.

Just a few of many off the top of my head.

76 posted on 01/28/2009 8:13:04 AM PST by 7thson (I've got a seat at the big conference table! I'm gonna paint my logo on it!)
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To: 7thson

You didn’t even include “A Fistful of Dollars” and “For a Few Dollars More”?????

Two of the BEST. Ever.


77 posted on 01/28/2009 8:15:52 AM PST by Red in Blue PA (If guns cause crime, then all of mine are defective.)
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To: Obamageddon

The Beguiled - bad Clint movie.


78 posted on 01/28/2009 8:34:37 AM PST by 7thson (I've got a seat at the big conference table! I'm gonna paint my logo on it!)
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To: Richard Kimball

The best and worst part of Play Misty For Me is at the end when he punches her and she goes through the balcony doors and falls off the balcony. Good because he finally got back at her but kind of bad because of all the crap her character put him through you would think he would have wanted to drag out his vengence. 8-)


79 posted on 01/28/2009 8:37:42 AM PST by 7thson (I've got a seat at the big conference table! I'm gonna paint my logo on it!)
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To: Richard Kimball

Wow - I never got that connection!


80 posted on 01/28/2009 8:38:47 AM PST by 7thson (I've got a seat at the big conference table! I'm gonna paint my logo on it!)
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