Gran Torino

After his wife dies, Korean War vet and retired autoworker Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) spurns his sons and their comfy suburban existence and digs his heals in at his working-class Detroit neighborhood, where he is in the minority among the Hmong immigrants. Sitting on his porch with a permanent scowl and weaponry at hand, Walt catches Thao (Vang) of the Hmong family next door trying to steal his cherished 1972 Grand Torino--a car he built while working the line--after pressure from gang members. Thao's teenaged sister Sue (Ahney Her) offers Thao's services to make amends even though both are uncomfortable about it. But Walt is drawn to his neighbors--and particularly the breezy Sue, who's not thrown by Walt's racist mentality and language--so much so that he becomes their defender despite his prejudices. Solid effort gives Eastwood another chance to show his directorial chops and, in perhaps his last appearance, gives him another memorable character to explore.