I love Clint Eastwood movies. I may not have watched all of them yet, but I’m sure that I will some time soon get the chance to. His selection of screenplays seems very careful and very insightful. His movies usually start off lukewarm without any foretelling of what’s about to ensue. And although some of my friends find it difficult to stick to the storyline until it reaches its climax, I think it’s rather testy of my patience making it all the more entertaining. Gran Torino surprised me several times and is a movie that I think serves more than one purpose.

Written by David Johannson & Nick Schenk, the story starts off with a couple of sons who mock their grumpy father, Walt Kowalski, at their mother’s funeral. And as you continue watching, you get some sort of understanding as to why they mocked him and why he’s such a grouch.

Apparently, Kowalski’s Korean war experience fed his prejudice about Hispanics, Blacks, and especially Asians. Unfortunately for him, he was probably one of the last few white people left in his neighborhood, which over the years grew to be occupied by several Hmong immigrants–whom he otherwise referred to as “Gooks.”

A twist of events somehow transforms Kowalski’s mentality and brings him to befriend his next-door neighbors, Thao (Bee Vang) and Sue (Ahney Her), who happen to be Hmong. The friendship somehow grows into a kinship that leads the characters to paths of unexpected changes.

A must-see for those who dig a little deeper and are interested in what’s going on beyond your front door, this movie is quite touching and intriguing.