More about Gran Torino

Today, we're right in the middle of the "Golden Shower", it seems. Although some of you might have a different impression, I'm referring to the annual Central Texas season of the cedar pollen, which chokes us up and keeps us separated from our life giving air for several weeks each year.

I'd been neglecting my bicycle for several weeks since Christmas, and this weekend started back into the (hopefully) daily routine. Saturday and Sunday went OK, but today, after only a little less than 6 1/2 miles, I felt quite fatigued. Oxygen DOES help us through the day.

My wife mentioned that she didn't feel like doing anything either, so today would be a good time to go see Gran Torino.

I was thoroughly impressed with the story line, the acting, the scenery, and everything about this piece directed by Clint Eastwood.

Within minutes after I made a post on Facebook, my daughter and sifu Donna was on the phone asking "Who's Rowdy?" I had to think a little on that subject, 'doesn't everybody know Rowdy?'

Well, maybe not! When I moved my family of wife and toddler oldest daughter to Santa Fe, Donna was just barely three weeks into being a bun in the oven. When I arrived back at my place of employment in Santa Fe after driving to deep south Texas to pick up my family, I found I'd missed a little excitement. A horse had wandered into the yard of the office building, and our resident Yankee had tried to mount it, bareback. A couple of Okies who also worked there were gleefully reminding him that, "when you leave a horse at a full gallop, you're Raaaaaw Hide!" Rawhide was the popular TV show where Rowdy got his start, and where most of us old folks who've come to admire him got our first look at Clint Eastwood.

I thought this was a great movie, and was thoroughly impressed by it. I had to look it up on IMDB as soon as I got home, to check out the actors.

I found that this movie was the first for both Bee Vang and Ahney Her. I thought they both did outstanding jobs, but I fell in love with that young Asian American girl as much as any 72-year-old who'd recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary could be.

I was astounded when I read the message boards on Ahney Her's IMDB page. Is it possible that I was wrong, or is it simply that any dimwitted hack can post on the WWW? Almost all of the "critics" on the message board were derogatory.

I was so sure that the girl had done a fantastic job of portraying the Asian girl who had immigrated to this country as a result of the VietNam war, and adapted to the American way of life! What were those "critics" watching?

This was an excellent performance by Clint Eastwood. I have heard that he's planning to hang it up after this one, and call it a day.

If he actually does that, I think he will have finished on a high note. He's come a long way since "Every Which Way But Loose", and "Dirty Harry". He's a great all around Hollywood personality, and has made much of his life, enriching ours.