This a story about the top and the bottom of the Hollywood food chain and how the two came together to make a film that has a lot of people in Tinsel Town talking about possible Academy Award nominations.  The movie is “Gran Torino,” which will always be known as a Clint Eastwood movie – perhaps the one that finally gives him a Best Acting Oscar (almost certainly another nomination), but it’s also just as much about a guy who spent a lot of time in a bar in Minnesota called Grumpy’s hand writing a script. Before “Gran Torino,” Nick Schenk had never sold much of anything, much less a feature film screenplay.

The main character is a retired autoworker, Walt Kowalski, who is angry and bitter about the immigrants moving into his neighborhood. Kowalski catches the teenager next door trying to steal his beloved Gran Torino as part of a gang initiation. That’s how it starts, and what unfolds after that is equal parts comedy and tragedy. It is hard to see any other actor playing the lead role, but Schenk says he didn’t write the part for Eastwood. He insists he didn’t even know Eastwood’s iconic character in “Dirty Harry” drove a Gran Torino. “I actually wanted it to be a Ford, but I liked the sound of Gran Torino better.”

The script was rejected many times before it finally ended up in Eastwood’s hands, and what a stroke of luck, because Eastwood is one of the few Hollywood heavyweights willing to take a chance on first-time writers. He’s done it before with  “Unforgiven” and  “A Perfect World,” and he knows what he likes. He didn’t bring in some big name to do a rewrite, as is standard in Hollywood. In fact, even Schenk couldn’t get the script changed. When he came to Clint with a few suggestions Clint said simply, “I don’t know, I kind of like the script just the way it is.” Eastwood didn’t change a word.

“Gran Torino” was shot in just 33 days with Eastwood directing and in the lead role surrounded by many first time actors. It is, by Hollywood standards, an inexpensive film – $35 million – but it packs a punch. Eastwood has hinted this might be his last time in front of the camera – it would be a fitting end to a long and storied acting career, and he’ll certainly be back as a director. He’s already working on a Nelson Mandela biopic starring Morgan Freeman. At 78 years old, Eastwood shows no sign of slowing down.

As for Schenk, he’s still trying to catch his breath.  He has another project in the pipeline, and yes, he wrote that one at Grumpy’s, too.

GRAN TORINO
DIRECTOR: Clint Eastwood
SCREENPLAY: Nick Schenk
STORY_BY: Dave Johannson & Nick Schenk

Written by: Erin Clark

ARTWORKS Magazine – Winter 2008