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I love movies–the funny, the dramatic, the romantic, and even the scary. I am not the stereotypical twentysomething female who goes to only romantic comedies and gets grossed out by the sight of blood. My favorite TV show is “The Wire” — I can take the action and, for the most part, prefer it in my flicks of choice.

So when I saw the preview for “Gran Torino,” I made a mental note to go see it. This weekend, I went. To sum it up in one word: phenomenal.

The Rundown

Without giving too much away, Clint Eastwood is a recent widow who learns to change his racist ideas and open his once dark, lonely, routine world to a new, adventurous, and somewhat tragic way of living. Eastwood’s wife passes away, and he finds himself alone. He’s in the house he’s always lived in but in a neighborhood changed by immigration and new cultures.

A Korean War Vet, Eastwood has some issues with his Korean neighbors, frequently addressing them directly in such derogatory terms that I could never write them down in this article. But when one of the Korean girls takes notice of the sad, frigid old man, she brings him into her family, and Eastwood receives a warm welcome.

When one young Korean boy gets wrapped up in a Korean gang war, Eastwood takes him under his wing and gives him a purpose, a career, and a passion. However, drama ensues when the Korean gang tries to interfere.

A Real Transformation

What makes this movie so incredible is that it chronicles a man’s transformation from narrow-minded to self-sacrificing. I was, by no exaggeration, moved to tears while watching his journey from villain to hero. It’s very rare to watch and believe that a man can make such a drastic turn in his character based only on the influence of other people, especially people he has previously been prejudiced against.

How frequently do we let go of our prejudices and allow something new into our lives? I’ve done this only a few times, but it was a powerful experience in every instance. As human beings, we have the wonderful gift of being able to transform into new, improved individuals, just like Eastwood in “Gran Torino.”

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