Trivia
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One of the first films to take advantage of a new Michigan law providing tax incentives to film productions.
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Open casting calls for Hmong actors were held in Hmong communities in Detroit, Michigan; Saint Paul, Minnesota; and Fresno, California. Only Doua Moua had been in a film before.
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Gran Torinos were built in Lorain, OH, about two hours from Detroit. The truck Walt drives, however, could have been built in Wayne, Michigan, twenty miles from Highland Park.
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Walt Kowalski's gun collection seems to consists of weapons he used in the military. His rifle is an American M1 Garand, a 9.5lb .30-06 gas-operated rifle. It was first issued during WWII, then re-issued in Korea before being phased out by the M14 selective fire .308 rifle. His pistol is an M1911A1, a .45 ACP semi-automatic handgun also issued during the Korean war.
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Clint Eastwood's character's name, Walt Kowalski, is the real name of legendary wrestler, 'Walter "Killer' Kowalski'.
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The jersey Walt's grandson wears at the funeral is that of former Lions wide receiver Roy Williams.
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In box office terms, the most successful Clint Eastwood movie ever, both in the U.S. and the U.K, but not with inflation. Taking inflation into account, his most successful films are Every Which Way But Loose and Any Which Way You Can.
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Writers Nick Schenk and Dave Johannson knew some of the Hmongs near the steel mill where they worked. They wrote the script on pieces of paper during lunch breaks.
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Eastwood's son, Scott Eastwood plays Trey. And his oldest son, Kyle Eastwood provided the music score.
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Kowalski is by far the most popular surname in Poland, practically like "Smith" which as a matter of fact it means, in adjective form usual in Polish names. (Kowalczyk - Marilyn Monroe's name in Some Like It Hot is closely related to it - meaning "Smithson"). The name "Kowalski" identifies a person as a Pole.
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There is a Hmong gang member with a tattoo on his upper chest. The tattoo is of Chinese characters and means "Family".
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Sue Lor, while on a "date" is assaulted by three youths. The filming location for the assault is the intersection of Charlevoix and Drexel near Grosse Point Park.
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The "cool medal" the kids find in Walt's basement is the Silver Star, the U.S. military's third highest award for valor in combat. Despite its predominately gold color, it gets its name from the smaller silver star (based on the small silver World War I Citation Star) set inside the large gold star.
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When Walt is at the Hmong's party, he pats the head of a young Hmong girl passing through, causing the family members to audibly gasp. In Hmong culture, the human head is believed to house the soul, and any touching of the head is believed to jeopardize this, and is thus considered very disrespectful.
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