Movie Preview:Grand Canyon
A white and wealthy accountant, Mack, is stranded
in the ghetto when his car breaks down. A black gang
sets upon him. But at the last minute, Simon, a black
tow truck driver arrives to rescue him. This brush with
possible death or serious injury causes the otherwise
happy Mack to reexamine his values. Thus awakened to
life’s richer possibilities, he decides to repay Simon’s
kindness by getting involved in his life, helping him
locate a better apartment, and setting him up on a blind
date. Thus begins an unlikely friendship between these
two men, which serves as the centerpiece in a web of
interconnected stories, many of which illustrate the
possibilities when people allow themselves to go beyond
society’s barriers.Both Evelyn and Eric liked Mack. Of all characters, both
saw themselves most in him. They perceived Mack as grateful,
openhearted, and caring. Both remembered incidents in which
they themselves had expressed their gratitude for somebody
by “playing fate” for that person. Both liked the openness
and humanity in Mack that they appreciated in others and
themselves.
Simon is a divorced, hardworking tow-truck driver.
He is a caring soul who keeps in constant touch with his
deaf daughter in Washington, D.C. and looks after his
sister, who lives in a violence-ridden ghetto. Her teenage
son is convinced that he will not live to be twenty-five.Evelyn and Eric enjoyed watching Simon because they had
warm feelings for him. Both admired him for his courage, his
street smarts, and his generosity. They especially liked how
committed he was to his family. At the same time both thought
they were very different from Simon because they could never
imagine being so courageous.
How Film Characters Affect Us — The Film Matrix 131