Dream Date, Gran Torino

I had of a dream date… with myself. I had a fabulous gig this weekend with my wonderful band (nobody does it better than my shivers with a good audience) and by the time I returned home with aching knees & feet, I went to straight to bed.

I woke up with an urge to go to the movies and so I took a quick shower, jumped in a taxi and went downtown to my favorite movie/bowling alley party place: AMC 21 and bought tickets to three movies.

1. He’s Just Not that into you
2. Gran Torino
3. Coraline (stop action animation in 3D!! by the folks who did Nightmare Before Christmas – one of my favorites)

I saw “He’s Just Not that into You,” and then went to grab a seat in the lounge of the bowling alley/pool hall/ restaurant/ lounge which has long couches perfect for well… lounging and also for typing. There’s a bit of a sports theme going there so add multiple flat screen teleys, loud music and the roll, tumble and crash of BOWLING BALLS. It’s so cool. It’s such a happy chaos. I ordered a drink and settled down on a couch where I run into a long time fan / new best friend sista girl and her hubby. I also had the best cocktail server ever. So, me and my new best friends visited and then both left to see our respective movies. I also got a bit of writing done too before this piece about unrequited love… all inspired by “He Just Not that into You.”

Anyway, I am back at the bar after Gran Torino. Gran Torino is a fabulous, fabulous film. It made me laugh. It broke my heart. Clint Eastwood is perfect as the “old school” Korean War vet curmudgeon – one of the last survivors in a once all white blue collar neighborhood that has gone Hmong. He has all the typical 1950’s white male syndromes: distrust of ethnic peoples with every other word filled with racist epithets like gook, zipper head, mick and dago. He is, after all, an equal opportunity insulter.

But the thing is that Walt has layers—many of them. Too bad his family never got beyond the gruff exterior.

Walt is a good guy with a good soul. Okay, he has no relationship with his sons or his whinny disinterested body pierced “can I have your car when you die?” grand kids. That car – by the way is a mint condition 1972 Gran Torino. Walt installed the steering column on the assembly line in the Ford motor plant where he worked for fifty years. Walt is indeed a dying breed.

He reminds me of my dad, himself a WWII & Korean War Vet (minus the racism) but add the garage full of tools and the handy man genius. Do they make men like that anymore? The kind who will stand up to a gang banger thug, speak plainly and can fix your sink and dryer?

The house next door contains a multi generational Hmong family. There are two teens in the family. Sue is outspoken and ballsy. Tao is soft spoken and mild mannered. Walt immediately likes Sue cause she has balls and it is after Walt saves her from her big mouth and a nasty scene with some thugs on the street (Sue won’t back down even when threatened by thugs), that she brings Walt into her world. Her family insists on paying Walt a world of gratitude for intervening on Sue’s behalf. She schools us & Walt about Hmong culture and the outlook for Hmong youth in the inner city:

the girls end up in college, the boys in jail.

The neighborhood, and Sue and Tao’s family in partcular, is being threatened by a Hmong gang of thugs who are trying to force Tao into their ranks. But we know Tao is meant for better things than gangs and jail.

Tao is a good kid. Walt eventually falls for the family and starts to dig the culture (the food is great and the family ties strong) Walt decides to help Tao “man up.” There is no better man for the job. We (the audience) find ourselves laughing at Walt’s terms, as do the characters. Suddenly Walt is the coolest guy you’d ever wanna meet. Even the Priest -who Walt initially rebuffs – comes to love the old guy.

And Walt shows us how to love thy neighbor in an incredibly heroic way.

This is a multi generational film. We learn about a culture (Hmong) few of us know about; we see Asian Hip Hoppers (check out the Hmong rap) White War Veterans, good laughs and the strength of family, friendship and faith in human beings. Love that!! RUN – FLY to see Gran Torino.

So, in between Gran Torino and Coralline I went to the bathroom then went to the next theater to see Coraline. I sat with 3D glasses in hand while watching the previews.

Then the screen read:

PLEASE PUT ON YOUR 3D GLASSES.

I was so happy. And watching films in 3D is so fun. I was giggling like a schoolgirl until I looked down at my hands and discovered that I had left my favorite ring on the bathroom sink in the bowling alley. I jumped out of my seat and ran down the three escalators to the lounge Bathroom. NO RING OF COURSE. I ran to every server and manager to see if anyone had turned in my beautiful ring. I HOPE THE FUCKER THAT STOLE IT KNOWS HOW GREAT THAT RING REALLY IS. OY!

Devastated, I returned to the theater where just minutes earlier I was literally clapping with glee, and sat down. But all I could think of was my beautiful ring and my stupidity which led to losing it. I couldn’t focus on the screen and so I grabbed my coat and purse and left the theater. What a drag… I hailed a taxi home and went to bed. I will get over it eventually.