(4 out of 5 stars)

Clint Eastwood plays an old school widower who has poor family relations, few friends and lives in a neighborhood, which has mostly been taken over by minority groups that conflict with the character’s racist old-school view of America first, earning a buck by hard work and taking pride in what you have. But wait, taking out the racist thoughts, what is so wrong with the other ideals. This is what becomes the center of a piece of art showcasing the new America and how we can all get along. 

The tension begins with the Hmong teenager next door who is bullied by his gang leader cousin to steal Eastwood’s prized possession, his Gran Torino (that is a muscle car for those who are not aware). Eastwood then finds himself protecting the sister of that teenager as she is about to be abused by an African American group of teenage wasteland. It is that bit of empathy that this racist shows another human who is different than him that begins breaking down the wall of racism and also allows the Hmong neighbors to bring him into their family out of cultural needs to lavish thanks for those that help them. Eastwood soon realizes that maybe other cultures have something to offer the rest of us as well (plus they have some really good food). This all leads to a mentoring of the teenage brother who originally tried to steal his car which leads to Eastwood’s protection of the family from their gang bang relatives.

At first, it feels as though Eastwood is going over the top in his growling and grunting, his gravelly intensified Dirty Harry voice, but then you realize that this is a very unhappy person grieving about his wife, as well as the place that society has gone and for him, it is all due to these minority groups and the wasteful youth of today, until he sees that his stereotype while possibly true in some circumstances is not true for all, and it is that ideal that makes it worth seeing what the others are all about.

The movie provides uncomfortable amusing moments with racial slurs ten times the amount of Crash, but it is those moments that help us appreciate the old school thoughts and why they exist. It also helps us understand how we can be more as humans. If an embattled Korean war vet with no one but his dog to care for him can open up and be humane to others, it gives the rest of us hope that we all can some day.

Suggested similar recommendations: Crash