Grand Experience!

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2013)

This movie starts slowly and builds as it goes along to a satisfying and unexpected climax. Walt Kowalsky (Clint Eastwood) is a just widowed Korean war veteran. He is a retired auto worker and has lived in the same neighborhood for 40 some years. It is a changing neighborhood with Hmong immigrants, other minorities, and some gangs. Walt has no use for any of these changes. He is an embittered man. After a visit to a doctor, he finds out he is probably dying of cancer.
Reluctantly, Walt becomes involved with his Hmong neighbors. He chases away some gang members who are harassing Thao and his sister Sue. The Hmong family is grateful; they grow on Walt in spite of himself.
Eastwood carries the movie, but the Hmong brother and sister do their part.
At the end Walt proves himself in his own way.