Gran Torino

As Clint Eastwood nears his eighties I found it curious that the iconic movie tough guy would choose to take on a role where the trailer shows him as a cranky old man, shouting that cliched old line at some teens: "Get off my lawn!" Taken out of the context of the film the line is funny, and I admit it's one of the things that piqued my interest in Gran Torino.

In the context of the film it's not funny at all. It's not the only thing Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) says to the hoodlums that have ventured onto his lawn, and it's a downright chilling moment in one of the best films I've seen this year.

Walt's wife has just passed away, he's alienated from his own kids and their families, and he’s the sole remaining white guy in a neighborhood that is now largely Asian. He’s a lonely, bitter man that whiles away his hours smoking, drinking Pabst, and trying to get the local priest to leave him alone.

Things begin to change when he runs off some local hoods that are hassling one of the neighbor’s kids, although he maintains that he was only doing it so that they’d get off his lawn and leave him alone. The neighbors insist on bringing Walt gifts, and Walt begrudgingly befriends Sue Lor (Ahney Her), the girl next door. She’s persistent enough to see past his bitterness and racist comments and find that perhaps there’s something more to the man. Eventually he even befriends her brother Thao (Bee Vang)—after they find a way to resolve some issues regarding the titular Gran Torino.

Culture clashes and racism are a large part of Gran Torino. The racist remarks—which are plentiful—could offend some people, but they’re a fact of life. They’re not a one-sided affair either; in some of the more amusing instances Walt and his equally irritable old Asian neighbor (who doesn’t speak English) grumble at each other and trade dirty looks.

As the gang continues to hassle his neighbors Walt proves to be a man that you shouldn’t mess with.  If you came to Gran Torino looking to see if Clint Eastwood can still be intimidating as a grumpy old man, you’re not going to be disappointed.

If you came looking for something more than dangerous, grumpy old men—maybe looking for a film that has something to say about cultural differences, tolerance, family, and friendship—that's where Gran Torino really delivers. This is a movie that affected me deeply, something that happens all too rarely.

Eastwood’s performance is nothing short of great, and Ahney Her and Bee Vang are both excellent. Go see this one.