Outstanding

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2009)

I went into this movie rather reluctantly. It was my husband's turn to pick, and I do not like violent movies, which I thought this would be. I live in central California, which is home to a huge Hmong population. I deal with them on a daily basis with my job, and this movie gave me so much more insight into their culture. Walt Kowalski was a bigot, who uses so many racial epithets like they were common everyday things to say. But, in the end, he had a really big heart. You saw his character evolve, along with the character, Thao Lor, the young neighbor who tried to steal Walt's 1972 Gran Torino. I loved the movie and will be buying the DVD when it comes out. I think it is a good lesson on racial tolerance, and also, how not to return violence with violence.