Where was gran torino filmed in detroit

The film was shot in july 2008, and released in january 2009. Gran torino filming locations are all located within metro detroit. Something was also filmed in grand rapids, mi according to imdb. Gran torino stars eastwood as an american icon once again this time as a cantankerous, racist, beerchugging retired detroit autoworker who keeps his shotgun ready to lock and load. It was a competitor in the intermediate market segment. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Clint eastwoods new film the gran torino came to detroit for filming. This years model is gran torino, a sleek, muscle car of a movie made in the u. The car industry was on the cutting edge and the big three auto companies, ford, general. In michigan you can follow in the steps of the stars when you tour film and movie locations around michigan. Mapping the famous films shot in detroit curbed detroit. In that sense, gran torino is, in an explicit way, a. A new tax incentive package offered to film productions by the state of michigan clinched the deal, and gran torino became the first film to benefit. As the end credits proudly announce, the movie was filmed on location in the 3, the area code for inner urban detroit, traditionally separated from the posher northern suburbs by the titular 8 mile road.

Lose yourself in this detroit map of 8 mile filming. A critical and commercial success, the movie was entirely filmed in metro detroit, united states. The ford torino is an automobile that was produced by ford for the north american market between 1968 and 1976. The house depicting walt kowalskis house is on rhode island street in highland park. Gran torino is an awardwinning 2008 american drama film, directed and produced by clint eastwood.

St ambrose catholic church, hampton road, grosse pointe park, detroit. The main charachter, walt, house is in highland park. Fords gran torino relives musclecar heyday wardsauto. As the production notes state, though the screenplay was initially set in minneapolis, eastwood felt walts past as a 50year auto worker would resonate most as a resident of motor city detroit, michigan. Gran torino is a 2008 american drama film directed and produced by clint eastwood, who also starred in the film.

The film costars christopher carley, bee vang and ahney her. Louis, missouri, but several scenes were also filmed in detroit, omaha, las vegas and miami. If not, and youre interested in seeing it soon, then dont watch, i dont want to spoil results for you. The church, the hardware store were filmed in grosse point and so was the closing scence, on lakeshore drive. Im not sure how he does it, but i dont want him to stop. The torino was initially an upscale variation of the intermediate sized ford fairlane, which ford produced between 1962 and 1970. Clint eastwoods gran torino has some familiar flint. He is represented throughout as a tough, worn, old man whos had enough of the people around him, constantly telling tales from. Gran torino works catholic education resource center. Eastwood thought it would be more realistic to shoot the film in the detroit area. The filming and storyline are in detroit, although originally the script was set in.

Clint eastwood tells of a korean war veteran whos the only american left living on the street while other families and people from different cultures move in around him. Walt kowalskis house is located on rhode island street, between oakland parkway and brush street, in the city of highland park within metro detroit. The torino nameplate debuted in 1968, and an allnew version called. Gran torino is a movie starring clint eastwood, bee vang, and ahney her. When his neighbor thao lor bee vang, a young hmong teenager under pressure from his gang member cousin, tries to steal his gran torino, kowalski sets out to reform the youth. He also directed and starred in the wellreceived drama gran torino 2008 as a widowed korean war veteran who becomes a neighborhood vigilante after befriending a teenage neighbor. Photographs for hour detroit party pics by carrie hall. This 1972 ford gran torino sport twodoor hardtop is a bit unusual in not being a sportsroof model. Where are the exact filming locations for the movie gran.

Choosing detroit as a backdrop for the movie gran torino was. Locations, all within metro detroit, included highland park, center line, warren, royal oak, and grosse pointe park were used. Where was gran torino filmed discover the gran torino. While detroit is not the most filmed location in the united states, it does make an appearance in a myriad of movies, including 8 mile, transformers, real steel, beverly hills cop, and more. I saw the movie gran torino last week, and since i live not too far from detroit, id thought id like to take a tour of the filming locations sometime. Ambrose catholic church, 15020 hampton road in grosse pointe park, east of highland park and this is also where the film ends. Gran torino choosing detroit as a backdrop for the movie gran torino was obvious. If you have already seen this movie, youll know what this ending scene is all about.

Gran torino can be viewed as a story of one mans personal triumph over racism and his redemption through his friendship with the hmong lors family. Gran torino trailer up, scenes filmed in detroit neighborhood. Surely eastwood could not have predicted, when he first set out to make the film, that detroits economic woes would be making national headlines by the time gran torino arrived in theaters his character is a retired ford assemblyplant worker, nor that the movie would be launching into wide release the same day the u. Set in and filmed in the detroit area including the cities of center line, royal oak, highland park and grosse pointe. Based in michigan, gran torino was filmed places like royal oak, warren, grosse pointe, and highland park. To get leonards beloved detroit right, soderbergh and team filmed in the city at the kronk gym, the state theatre and the thencoach insignia restaurant on top of the. Detroit has been hit hard by the decline of the car industry, but isnt taking the setback lying down. Kowalski seethes as his grandkids show disrespect at his wifes funeral held in st.

He is a korean war veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 gran torino he keeps in mint condition. Filmed last summer in the detroit area, gran torino is probably the most prestigious film so far to take advantage of tax incentives offered by the state to filmmakers. Gran torino grinds through its gears in an efficient if generally graceless manner, with occasional blasts of violence interrupting a film that is content to be the cutest movie clints done. Gran torino ar en amerikansk dramafilm fran 2008, regisserad av clint eastwood som aven spelar huvudrollen. Clint eastwood in a tale of redemption for an american. The vfw bar was in warren and the barber shop was in royal oak. John r street near buena vista avenue east, highland park, michigan, united states 4.

The series may end up like abcs detroit 187 2010 which was not renewed after its first season or be a respectable worldwide success as in clint eastwoods gran torino 2008 both of which were filmed in michigan. The story focuses on walt kowalski, an angry, widowed war veteran, and people from the hmong community. Stream oldies songs online from this radio station, only on iheartradio. They include highland park, center line, warren, royal oak, and grosse pointe park. This was eastwoods first starring role since 2004s million dollar baby. By the mid 20th century, detroit had become the motor metropolis of the world. The car was named after the city of turin torino, in italian, considered the italian detroit. I walked on air for several weeks, mahard said recently about his experience in the film during shooting last august in various detroit suburbs. We know that there have been a number of popular films that were set in michigan, but that does not necessarily mean they were filmed here think robo cop, for instance. Clint eastwoods gran torino michigan shooting locations. His doughy middleaged sons use japanese suvs to tote around disrespectful grandchildren who wear bellybaring shirts to their grandmothers funeral, then textmessage their way through the service. Jimmy smith jr, aka brabbit struggles to escape a deadend life in the stars home town of detroit. I know of two the street corner scene charlevoix st. Swank and freeman also won oscars for their performances.

The home of kowalski eastwood himself is in the highland park neighbourhood, to the north of detroit, at 238 rhode island street, between oakland parkway. Low winter sun to film in detroit, michigan locationshub. Gran torino opens with a shot of the protagonist clint eastwood, who also directed standing by his wifes coffin, looking more pissed than mournful. Visit gran torino filming locations in detroit legendarytrips. Dirty harry on a pension, were thinking, until we realize that only the autoworker retired. Clair and the grosse pointe yacht club are seen in the background. Tour the film locations sites and explore the places where clint eastwood and fellow actors spent their downtime. Starting with mystic river, eastwood composed the scores and other original music for many of his films. Furthermore, gran torino shows how the actions that led to the sacrifice of the main character in the movie, walt kowalski played by clint eastwood, represent the only true way to definitively break with violence. The 1972 gran torino was one of no less than nine largely redundant iterations of the torino nameplate, part of a classic detroit product strategy that attempted to fill every cranny of the. If youre looking for a movie filmed entirely in detroit, look no further than gran torino 2008. Michigans 50 most essential movies detroit free press. Michigan inspired as the location for classics including somewhere in time and anatomy of a murder, as well as contemporary blockbusters such as batman v.