Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), a retired FORD automobile assembly line worker and a Korean war veteran, lives with his dog Daisy in a changing Michigan neighborhood which is dominated by immigrants. At his wife's funeral, Walt bristles at the shallow eulogy of young Father Janovich. He looks on with disgust at his two sons, Mitch and Steve, and their families, who show little regard for the memory of Walt's wife. Walt views his relations as rude, spoiled, and self-absorbed, always avoiding him unless it is in their own interest.