Abundantly Good

Rating: Null/10 (3 September 2011)

This movie is not what you would call a masterpiece, but it ranks right up there among the best. As others have stated, it's a movie you can watch over and over and still enjoy. At least one person has stated that they thought all the positive reviews were from the established fan-base of Eastwood. That person is completely wrong. I have never been a fan of Eastwood simply because I've always been a girly girl and was never interested in the types of movies he was associated with. Though I am familiar with the name (Clint Eastwood), I honestly could not confidently answer the question - What other movie has Eastwood starred in? - without having to look up the answer on this website. The only reason I saw the movie is because my husband wanted to see it and the trailer looked pretty good so I was like - Okay, why not. We saw the movie in the theater and I thought it was just wonderful. In the last few years, I have watched the movie about four more times on television, including just last night on TNT. I still love this movie and its skillful acting, subtle humor and underlying lessons on life and people. A few have commented that they thought the ending was wrong. Hello??? Were you even paying attention during the film? Walt had killed young people who looked just like Thao (remember what he told Thao before he left the house). Now, was his chance to try and make amends for that. Remember Sue's statement that Hmong girls go to college and the boys go to jail? Also, remember when Walt made the observation that Thao "didn't have a chance" as long as his torturous cousin and his gang were going around terrorizing the neighborhood and out to make everyone's life miserable. Walt chose to die so that Thao and his family could finally have peace and Thao could have a chance at a real future. It may sound a little corny, but Walt died so that Thao's family could have life, and have it more abundantly. Not on the same scale as Jesus of course - but you get the point. When it comes to endings (and beginnings), I don't think you can get any more perfect than that.