Clint does it again; starring as a recently widowed, grumpy old blue collar nationalist, scarred by his Korean War experiences, stuck in the past, hateful of his disconnected family and resentful of those he refers to in racial slander, who have moved in next door. At last, forced to confront his own values, he discovers that new friendships can be made across racial divides, that these ties can be more meaningful than those of blood. He also learns that within the Hmong community issues such as ageing are less taboo, whereas others, such as the social control of young males, may not be. He learns about the values of co-operation and mutual understanding in a multi-ethnic society.