Movie Review Essays (1252 words) - Asia, Fiction, Films, Gran Torino

Movie Review Gran Torino Diversity in the workplace ADM 315 ML Dr. Brenda Deans Barry University Carmen Y. Bigas Date: October 27,2016 Main characters 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. Thao Vang Lor (Bee Vang ) and his sister Sue Vang Lor ( Ahney Her), live with their widowed mother and grandmother. Thao is in a Hmong gang led by his cousin Spider. Sue being a bit feisty herself but friendly and 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 anoth er 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