Movie Review (1252 words)

Movie Review
Gran Torino
Diversityin the workplace
ADM 315 ML
Dr.Brenda Deans
Barry University
Carmen Y.Bigas
Date:October 27,2016
Maincharacters
Walt Kowalski(Clint Eastwood), a retired Polish American Ford automobile assembly line worker and Korean War veteran, haunted by memories of that conflict, lives with his Labrador Retriever Daisy in a changing Highland Park, Michigan neighborhood which is dominated by immigrants.

ThaoVangLor(BeeVang) and hissisterSueVangLor(AhneyHer), live with their widowed mother and grandmother.Thaois in a Hmong gang led by his cousinSpider.Sue being a bit feisty herself but friendlyand a bit curious about her neighbor Kowalski.
Summary
At the start of the movie, Walt is attending his wife’s funeral, bristling at the shallow eulogy of young Father Janovich. Similarly, he has little patience with his two sons, Mitch and Steve, and their families, who show little regard for Walt’s grief or the memory of their dead mother. Throughout the movie Walt views his relatives as rude, spoiled and self-absorbed, always avoiding him unless it is in their own interest to pay him some attention. Father Janovich tells Walt that his late wife, Dorothy, made Father Janovich promise to try to get Walt to go to a confession. Walt writes Janovich off as knowing nothing about life or death, and insists on being called Mr. Kowalski rather than Walt because he feels he neither knows, nor wants to know, Father Janovich.Walt’s teenage Hmong neighbors, Thao Vang Lor and his sister Sue get comfronted by a Hispanic gang. The Hmong gang, led by Thao’s older cousin, helps Thao by frightening the Hispanic gang and forcing them to flee. The Hmong gang, at that point, tries to persuade Thao to join them. Thao’s initiation is to steal Walt’s prized car, a 1972 Gran Torino Sport. Walt interrupts the robbery, pointing a rifle in Thao’s face and forcing him to flee. After a few days, Spider and his gang return. With Sue at his side, Thao manages to verbally confront them to no avail. The gang drags Thao off his porch in an attempt to assault him. His family tries desperately to fend off Spider and his cohorts. The conflict ends when Walt threatens the gang members with his rifle and orders them to get off his lawn. They leave the neighborhood, telling Walt to watch his back.The Vang Lors thank a grumpy and impatient Walt, who insists he only wanted the gang off his property. When the neighborhood hears of Walt’s brave act, they reward him by leaving on his porch gifts of Hmong dishes and garden plants. Thao admits to trying to steal his Gran Torino. Walt is not pleased, seeking only to be left alone.Mitch and his wife, Karen go to visit Walt on his birthday, bringing him a cake and a few gifts meant to make certain menial tasks easier as they were trying to convince Walt to move to a retirement home. Knowing that Mitch and Karen just want to get their hands on his house, Walt in anger throws them out; gifts, cake and all. After seeing Sue being harassed by three black teenagers, Walt steps in to rescue her, confronting the teenagers and threatening them with a pistol. Sue gets to know Walt, and invites him to a family barbecue on his birthday, bringing him closer to her family, explaining Hmong culture and that during the Vietnam War they fought on their side. Sue, Thao, and their mother visit Walt the next day, with Thao’s family forcing him to work for Walt for a week to fix the fact off his attempted theft of the Gran Torino. Walt has Thao clean up the neighborhood until his debt is paid and shows Thao the ways of American men. He gets Thao a construction job and encourages him to ask out another Hmong girl called Youa.After discovering blood when he coughs, Walt visits the doctor. After viewing the results of his examination, which indicate that his health isn’t good, he calls his son Mitch and awkwardly tries to tell him about it; but he can’t bring himself to do it and just tries to make small talk. Mitch and Karen say they are too busy to talk to him. Meanwhile, the Hmong gang keeps pressuring Thao to join them. When they find Thao walking home alone after work, they rob him and burn his face with a cigarette. Walt confronts Smokie, another ember in the Hmong gang, at the gang’s house, and beats him up. The gang returns days later and shoots up the Vang Lors’ home in a drive-by, wounding Thao in the neck. Walt runs to check on them and hears that Sue, who had left for her aunt’s house before the shooting, never arrived. A few minutes later another Hmong gang car drives by and throws Sue out into the street and it’s seen she’s been beaten and raped. The family chooses not to tell police who did it. Walt storms home, punching cupboards and bloodying his knuckles in anger. Father Janovich goes to visit him later, deeply concerned about both Walt and Sue. Walt gives Janovich a beer. Later, Thao urges Walt to take vengeance on the Hmong gang with him but Walt locks him in the basement, saying he does not want him to live with the consequences of killing someone. Meanwhile, Father Janovich is with two police officers outside the Hmong gang house.
Outside the gang members’ house, Walt confronts them for the shootout and raping of Sue, causing the neighbours to come out and observe the confrontation. He takes out a cigarette from his jacket, puts it in his mouth, asks the gang for a light, and then slowly reaches into his jacket before pulling his hand out quickly. Thinking Walt is going to shoot, the gang members gun him down. Walt then lies dead on th ground. Walt had grabbed his lighter and not a gun.
A funeral service is held for Walt with Father Janovich delivering a message for Walt. Walt left his house to the church, and his Gran Torino to Thao.

The movie in relation to the class
The movie relates to the class because of the diversity of races in it, It shows the different cultures and how their point of view can affect their relations with one another. One thing I learned from watching this film is that regardless of your background your true feelings can be very different than those you portray. This film taught me that there is compassion in those who truly believe in someone and believe that regardless of their mistakes, they can change and become a better person. Your background or ethnicity do not define who you are. I rate this film as excellent. The one thing I did not like about this movie is that the main character dies at the end. Its truly sad since I really liked his character and personality. I would’ve like a happier ending rather than sad. Regardless of how it ends I would recommend this movie because it shows us that you cant “judge a book by its cover.” It teaches us not to judge a person by their ethnicity or looks until we personally have met them. In addition its a great movie.