In "Gran Torino," Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) would have to rally to be a grumpy old man.

He's a surly, sour, prejudiced Ford retiree and Korean War vet who growls when he sees something distressing or disturbing. And virtually everything falls into that category: his granddaughter's visible belly-button ring at the funeral for Walt's dear wife; the youthful Catholic priest who looks like an altar boy and insists on calling him by his first name; and the Hmong neighbors who have taken over his Michigan neighborhood.

The Hmong are an ethnic tribe of clans spread among the hills of Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and other parts of Asia, and many came to the States courtesy of church intervention. Much to his utter amazement, Walt eventually realizes that the people next door with the oddball names and customs may know him better than his own family.

After all, a grandchild had spotted a pristine green 1972 Gran Torino in Walt's garage and ingenuously asked, "What are you going to do with it when you, like, die?" A son arrives for a visit with a fistful of brochures for senior communities.

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'Gran Torino'

3 1/2 stars = Very good
Ratings explained

• Starring: Clint Eastwood
• Rating: R for language throughout and some violence
• Web site: thegrantorino.com

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Walt slowly becomes an unlikely protector and surrogate father figure for the teens living next door, particularly a boy named Thao (Bee Vang) who is being strong-armed into a gang. But even some old-school lessons about the wonders of WD-40 and how to "man up" may not save Thao or his neighborhood from the escalating violence.

"Gran Torino," directed by Eastwood, marks the Oscar-winner's first acting role since "Million Dollar Baby." It's impossible to think of another 78-year-old actor who could so convincingly slip into Walt's work clothes and angry bewilderment at a changing and lonely world.

Besides, Eastwood brings his "Dirty Harry" baggage with him. When Walt aims his M-1 rifle at interlopers and snarls, "Get off my lawn," you flash back to Inspector Harry Callahan snarling, "You've got to ask yourself just one question. 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

The Gran Torino is a symbol of what Walt and the auto industry once were. Now, Walt is like many retirees with time on their hands. He mows his grass regularly, fixes things around the house, religiously gets his hair cut and consumes cases of Pabst beer. Cans, of course.

"Gran Torino" was written by first-timer Nick Schenk, who drew upon time he spent at a factory job in Minnesota. Any (or many) cracks or cliches in his screenplay are magically mended by Eastwood, who manages to make Walt's evolution absolutely convincing.

Movies in which hard-bitten characters change or see the light too suddenly ring false, and this does not. And if Walt were the only person transformed, the film would seem lopsided, but it doesn't.

The culture in which Walt resides is conveyed, in part, by the extensive list of slurs for Asians employed by Eastwood's character. Moviegoers didn't seem to know whether it was proper to laugh at (not with) him or simply shake their heads at what he says; it was reminiscent of watching "All in the Family" during its first season.

You don't need movie GPS to see where "Gran Torino" is headed, but you may not guess the exact route taken. But as long as Eastwood is in the driver's seat, you can be assured that it will be a memorable ride.