Just saw Gran Torino. I loved its depiction of a surly old man having his defenses relentlessly attacked then breached. I loved its honest depiction of races living together. I loved its depiction of a goofy teenager finding the oddest of all possible role models. As Roger Ebert puts it:

“Gran Torino” is about two things, I believe. It’s about the belated flowering of a man’s better nature. And it’s about Americans of different races growing more open to one another in the new century. This doesn’t involve some kind of grand transformation. It involves starting to see the “gooks” next door as people you love. And it helps if you live in the kind of neighborhood where they are next door.

But perhaps most of all, I was freaking thrilled to see a genuine Catholic priest on the screen who looked like a real live human being trying his best to serve God in the middle of this mixed up world. When asked by Walt if he’d like a beer, you could almost see Father Janovich relax as he admitted, “I’d love one.”

Barbara Nicolosi:

There is also a very cool and respectful religion sub-plot, in which a priest is actually portrayed as a compassionate, thoughtful and three-dimensional human being.

You don’t see that onscreen every day.