Although it received no Oscar nominations (probably due to its non-PC theme), Clint Eastwood‘s Gran Torino, one of the best movies of 2008, continues to chug along at the box office, having taken in over $145 million in domestic ticket sales alone. And this on a budget of $33 million.
Seems that while conservative movies may not resonate with the movers and shakers in Hollywood, when they’re well-made as was this one, they do resonate with audiences.
Another example of the growing disconnect between Hollywood and moviegoers.
I thought the Movie was done quite well..! I enjoyed it !
Who cares what the others think? I watch what I like, not what they think I should watch.
This movie was excellent. And to be honest, this is the way I usually pick movies: if the critics hated it, I go see it, and it’s usually one of the best.
I liked Gran Torino too. It was interesting to see a treatment that portrayed everyday gang life and how innocents have to try to adjust or live amonst them. Good for Clint Eastwood who doesn”t seem to like the politically correct guidelines anyway.
Hollywood actors, producers, and directors are so impressed with their own ego-maniacal, elitist obligation to “educate” the unwashed masses about leftist policies that they are willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to produce films that not even the most ardent liberals want to sit through. During the Bush Presidency they churned out flop after flop to criticize the administration. And every time, they seemed completely unaware that the films were going to bomb.
And they STILL don’t get it. The day after the Oscars I read that Sean Penn had signed on to star as that lying sack of sh*t, Joe Wilson, in a movie about the “outing” of Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts is playing Valerie). Considering Penn’s A-list status, they surely are having to pay him at least $20 million, so the budget will likely be close to nine figures.
I’m sure it will be a huge box office smash. We’re talking Lions for Lambs numbers!
Dan: To reply to this and your previous post simultaneously, I don’t know how he did it, but Clint Eastwood made a character whom I normally would have dismissed as a ridiculous caricature of a bigot, not even worthy of comparison to Archie Bunker, incredibly believable and yes, likable.
And, yes, I cried at the end. In fact, a couple times. And, no, I don’t cry at movies.
Stunning, just stunning that movie was. An incredible tour-de-force. I rarely gush about a movie (I’m not a student of them as you are), but I cannot stop about how great this film was. Incredible.
Easily the best movie I’ve seen in the past 5 years. Yes, that includes Brokeback, for Pete’s sake!
Did anyone see Revolutionary Road with Leo? A devastating portrayal of marriage. Wondered about your critique of that one. Only did $22M USA but a total of $73M worldwide. Cost $35M. But after watching it, no way I’d get married, straight or gay.
A correction; Gran Torino actually cost $25 million according to its producer Rob Lorenz. Box Office Mojo is a useful source for box office results but its budget estimates are hopelessly inaccurate.
Gene mentions Revolutionary Road which makes an interesting contrast with Gran Torino. Both are about life in the suburbs but while RR views both that lifestyle & its characters with a sneering condescension GT has immense affection for the people who live there & the values they embody. No wonder one was a huge hit, the other a flop.
#4 Who the hell put the wife beater on the A list?
A movie about Valerie Wilson? A fantasy story about a huge liberal fantasy. No surprise there.
More porn for the lib’s spank bank.
#8 – LOL! 😉
Regards,
Peter H.
What growing disconnect? Hollywood is doing better than ever.
#10 – Care to provide the data and stats, Levi? Show us a timeline comparison in relation to the past 20 years.
The onus is on you, kiddo.
Regards,
Peter H.
Other than for the clean, I don’t think anyone takes the Oscars seriously. Completely agree on GT. That said, I find the backslapping of Eastwood a little surprising. He’s politically more of a moderate and has had some unflattering things to say of conservatives like Coulter. Also not sure if he’d characterize GT as a conservative-themes film, but maybe he did (on my iPhone and links aren’t working well).
Clean = spectacle. Strange spellcheck fix.
A good movie is a good movie. And a sucessful movie that is highly praised at any time, whether a new release or years later, is like winning a lottery. Gran Torino was more like “Dirty Harry, the golden years”. Dont get me wrong, I like the Dirty Harry series. Well, maybe that harpoon gun in the last one was a bit over the top.
Anyone see An Americal Carol? Or see the movie W? No? Neither did anyone else. A bad movie is a bad movie.
As for Eastwood, despite being a registered republican, considers himself a libertarian. The color of Hollywood is not blue or red, its green. Hollywood outsources jobs/projects worldwide as a cost savings just like any American Corporation shipping a factory to Mexico.