In “Gran Torino,” “Dirty Harry” meets the gentler forces of tolerance and, although throughout he remains a formidable and crotchety old coot, you’d have to conclude that the movie comes down squarely on the side of the hard-working immigrant as opposed to the lazy, spoiled native.

Not native as in Native American, but as the filmmakers see it, in the person of the spoiled American suburbanite, especially the empty-headed American teen.

It’s a message movie all right, a kind of morality tale and buddy movie, featuring Clint Eastwood as Detroit widower and retiree Walt Kowalski. (His performance already has earned him the National Board of Review best actor award, and is among the frequently mentioned contenders for an Oscar nomination later this month.) The Korean War veteran is the only Caucasian in a working-class neighborhood taken over by Asians. So there it is: Walt Kowalski reclining under an American flag, sitting next to his bucket of six-packs and, at easy disposal, and just in case, some shotguns ready for action. I almost forgot to mention the Gran Torino sitting in the garage.

It’s a luscious temptation for the Asian gang, among the many sorry hombres Walt confronts as the movie goes on. For equal measure, we meet Mexican and black thugs as well. Primarily, however, the drama centers on the relationship between Walt and the Asians. He especially dislikes the family next door. And why not? The boy Thao played by Bee Vang tried to steal his Torino to earn his stripes in a gang he did not want to join in the first place.

But at the urging of Sue (Ahney Her), not to mention the good will of the other Asian neighbors, Walt begins to question and reform his ways.

He may not turn into a liberal cream puff, but he undergoes a reformation spurred on by love and doses of reality. As one of the last shots reveals, perhaps clumsily, he turns into a Christ figure.

As a general rule, I am turned off by message movies, even if I agree with the cause. Somehow, “Gran Torino” transcends those barriers. It is instead a tough and gentle tale with credible characters, some terrific performances and plenty of action. Add some old-time laughs when Eastwood puts on his Dirty Harry mug and scowl, and you have a formula for constant entertainment and meaningful drama.

This may not be his best movie, but if any of Clint Eastwood’s works reflect his take on American culture, “Gran Torino” may be it. Archie Bunkers of the world: See this at your own risk, and may I add that every teenager I showed this to loved it.