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            Tense and gritty heroes, cantankerous on the outside to conceal a soft heart, are a dime a dozen… it’s almost a cliché.  When a venerable Hollywood legend pulls out one of these stock characters and places him in the center of an engaging action-drama, then it’s easier to forgive and less of a guilty pleasure to respect him. Clint Eastwood has long set the standard for this trademark and few do it as compellingly.

            “Gran Torino” introduces us to antihero Walter Kowalski, a growling, outspoken bigot who is loathed by his sons and their families. Walter is no Archie Bunker, despite any comparisons you may hear. He is nobody’s fool and scorns any fools he must suffer, even his children and grandchildren. Memories of his experiences in the Korean War gnaw at him. He is always on guard, suspicious of others, and is ready to defend himself at all times from forms of attack both verbal and physical.

            After the death of his wife, Walter finds himself in danger of losing his treasured antisocial status on two fronts.  On one side is a persistent young priest (Christopher Carley) recruited by Mrs. Kowalski to try to bring Walter back to the church for a long overdue confession, and who is not easily scared off by Walter’s refusals and insults. On the other side are Walter’s neighbors, a Hmong family who inadvertently entwine their lives with his through the actions of their teenage boy.

            The boy, Thao (Bee Vang), is a quiet and passive person. His older gang-leader cousin, Spider (Doua Moua) decides to “make a man” of Thao by forcing him into the gang. Thao’s initiation task is to steal Walter’s cherished 1972 Gran Torino. Soon after Thao fails in this task, Walter reluctantly ends up saving him from a violent kidnapping/retaliation and becomes the unenthusiastic champion of all neighborhood Hmong, who live in terror of the gangs, and a wary friend to Thao’s forthright and fearless sister, Sue (Ahney Her). Sue makes it her mission to re-socialize Walter and to convince him to become a mentor to Thao before Spider returns and takes the boy permanently.

            It’s easy to see why this is being compared to one of Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” films (Walter is packing, you betcha!), but there is more to it than that. “Gran Torino” is a multi-layered story. There is the theme of growing old and finding yourself estranged from your family,  but it also encompasses finding a new purpose when it appears that such things have long passed by and proving that a person should not be judged by age any more than by prejudices and stereotypes.  These are the softer sections. There is harder subject matter in here, as well, such as hatred, vengeance, loyalties, and sacrifice. Don’t be lulled into the impression that this is a cozy little happily-ever-after flick…there are reasons for its ‘R’ rating.

            Despite his more vile characteristics, Walter does not come off as completely unlikable, even in the beginning of the movie. His family is crass and repugnant in all of their appearances, inspiring instantaneous sympathy for him.  This doesn’t allow the buildup to the redemption in personality Mr. Eastwood (who also directed and produced) may have been attempting to achieve. Other than a frequent use of racial epithets, which he never stops using throughout the film, and his constant growl-and-grimace mannerism, Walter seems to adapt rather easily to the flattering attentions of his neighbors (with one amusing exception). It is cute, but sadly unrealistic.

            I found this to be a very agreeable movie.  Unrealistic or not, I was amused by the incorporation of Walter into Thao and Sue’s family and by his tutoring Thao in life-lessons. The action and suspense were entertaining and the actors played their various characters well. This is a movie I would enjoy watching again to try to catch any subtleties I may have missed in the first viewing. Eastwood is still going strong and remains a film force to be reckoned with.  Look for “Gran Torino” to go nationwide January 9^th.