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Father Janovich is the tritagonist in the 2008 movie Gran Torino.
He is played by Christopher Carley.
History[]
Janovich is a Catholic priest and was a good friend of a woman named Dorothy Kowalski. Before her death, Dorothy made Janovich promise that he would convince her husband Walt to go to confession. The problem is that Walt isn't very religious and keeps rejecting the priest with mockery and insults. However, Janovich takes his promise seriously and refuses to give up. Janovich learns that Walt has a very troubled past because of the Korean War and deduces that he is too afraid to face his sins.
After a Hmong family that Walt has befriended is attacked by a street-gang, Janovich visits Walt in fear that he might take revenge. Walt admits that he is angry, but remains cryptic regarding his future actions. The next day, Walt mows his lawn and gets himself both a haircut and a custom-made suit. He then visits Janovich's church and asks to make a confession. Janovich initially believes that Walt retaliated against the gang, or is going to, but accepts Walt's request. Walt then confesses three minor sins he committed: He once kissed another woman without Dorothy's knowledge, he didn't pay the taxes after selling a boat and motor for $900 and was never very close with his two sons.
Janovich suspects that Walt is going try to kill the delinquents who assaulted his friends and brings two police officers to prevent it. However, Walt doesn't arrive until after the officers have given up and left. Around the same time that Janovich is at the gang's house, Walt locks the Hmong Family's son Thao, who he has become a father figure to, in his basement. Thao wanted revenge against the gang, but Walt tells him that he doesn't want him to be haunted by killing another man and tells him about how he ended up killing a young soldier that was surrendering to him during the war, something he hadn't confessed to Janovich. When Walt arrives after dark, he berates the gang loudly enough to bring out several witnesses and then baits the gang into shooting him with the witnesses present, which results in them getting arrested and eventually imprisoned for life for killing an unarmed man. It also turns out that Walt was terminally ill.
Janovich holds a brief speech during Walt's funeral, declaring that before he knew Walt, he knew nothing about life and death.
Personality[]
Janovich is a proper, polite and good-natured man of God, who takes his job and personal promises very seriously. Though he is admittedly inexperienced, something Walt often mocks him for, he is by no means stupid. He quickly learns to understand the veteran and even manages to predict his actions.
Though usually acting properly, he is visibly upset after the assault of the Hmong family, and even accepts a can of beer from Walt.