“Your birthday today, Daisy. This year you have to make a choice between two life paths. Second chances comes your way. Extraordinary events culminate in what might seem to be an anticlimax. Your lucky numbers are 84, 23, 11, 78, and 99. What a load of shit.” -Walt Kowalski
(This is an excellent example of unapparent foreshadowing. Plus, it’s funny that Daisy and Walt shared the same birthday.)
Connections:
- Sue being the bridge between the Hmong and Walt
- White privilege/savior
- Being the Martyr
- Paradigm shift
Sue Lor: There’s a ton of food.
Walt Kowalski: Yeah, well, just keep your hands off my dog.
This sassy girl who wouldn’t take crap from anyone, by far my favorite character in this movie. Able to speak fluent Hmong and English, she was the translator for her mother and other family members when it came to communicating with Walt. Respectful, intelligent, and determined. So I was enraged when she became the “Disposable Woman”, a trope which is used to motivate the vigilante ( which in this case is Walt).
Which then triggered Walt to seek redemption for Sue’s severe battery. He knew Thao felt the same way, but also knew that if Thao tried anything he would be killed and the law would not care; at lease not as much as they would if Walt was killed. He was well aware of his own privilege, and used it to his advantage. From the doctors papers, it was clear that he was already going to die soon, and with his ungrateful disrepecting family members who really don’t care about him, he really had nothing to lose by dying. From hating the Hmong with every fiber of his being because of the scars of war, to caring about them as if they were his own family, caring enough to sacrifice his own life for a chance at happiness for them. I’ve met people like this before, and I know it’s hard to push past the fact that their hate is blind. But once they are able to see, that you are human too, it’s a life changing experience for everyone involved.
I truly connected to this movie on an emotional level, it moved me greatly.
The Debut
A derogatory term used to describe a minority who has assimilated with western society. The “White washed” person does not necessarily abandon his/her own culture but rather embrace others beside his/her own. Some people take it as a compliment while others take it as an insult.
My reaction to most of the movie:
and then the ending:
This is was a very light movie, at least compared to “Grand Torino“. And it left me with a a lot of things to think about.
- Oriental versus Asian
- Culture lost in translation
- White-washing
- Business before Dreams
- Making things better for future generations
o·ri·en·tal (ôr
-
n
tl, 
r-)
adj.
1. often Oriental Of or relating to the countries of the Orient or their peoples or cultures; eastern.
2. Oriental Of or designating the biogeographic region that includes Asia south of the Himalaya Mountains and the islands of the Malay Archipelago.
Asian refers to anything related to the continent of Asia, especially Asian people.
I can recall a time when I was reprimanded for just saying the word “Oriental”. Little did the person know that I was just talking about an actual flavor of Top Ramen, little did I know the negative connotations this word held. Just looking up the definition, I could honestly see what this meant for some people. It tries to exclude certain groups from being “Asian”, it’s like saying you’re not American if you’re born in Hawaii. Which is obviously absurd.
This video reminded me how assimilation causes cultures to be lost in translation. For some families, it’s difficult to keep the culture of your family while trying to adjust to the new culture you are submerged in.
To be continued…
