![]() ![]() Basically Mitch has to face his fear to move on which leads to various escapades with the bear as since the accident Mitch has been confined to the ranch. It is again a story of forgiveness and facing the past as Mitch is not so much haunted by the bear but controlled by it especially as it is still around. ![]() At the same time this process of healing, which is what goes on here, sees Jean also facing up to her own guilt over the death of Einar's son, a guilt which has lead to bad choices.Īlongside this we also have the story of Mitch who lives with Einar and who since being attacked by the bear has relied on Einar to help him through the day. And as such it is little surprise when despite having his guard up Einar warms to young Griff and in doing so faces up to his own issues, his issues with Jean and the years of hurt which has turned him in to a cantankerous old sod. I say obvious because as we quickly come to realise Einar holds Jean responsible for the death of his son and is not only cold to her but over the years he has turned into quite a bitter man. As such the main part of the movie is the obvious situation which arises when Jean and her daughter Griff show up at Einar's ranch, on the run from her boyfriend Gary who is controlling and violent. "An Unfinished Life" is a movie quite simply about facing up to the past and forgiving. Whilst things are initially awkward Einar starts to bond with Griff whilst Mitch finds himself trying to confront his fears and move on from the savaging which has left him crippled and scarred. Despite blaming Jean for the death of his son and her former husband on discovering he has a granddaughter he never knew about it agrees to let them stay on the ranch he shares with Mitch ( Morgan Freeman - Batman Begins) who ever since being attacked by a bear has depended on Einar to look after him. Tired of being beaten by her violent boyfriend Jean Gilkyson ( Jennifer Lopez - Monster-in-law) and daughter Griff (Becca Gardner) from a previous marriage leave and head to Wyoming where her former father-in-law Einar ( Robert Redford - The Clearing) lives on a ranch. And because it has the finesse which comes from a big production with big stars people warm to it more than they do TV movies despite it being very similar. It is a storyline which wouldn't feel out of place as a Hallmark TV movie with it's emotional undercurrent of family tension and forgiveness set on a ranch but it is not, this is a big screen movie with a big screen director and a big screen cast which includes Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Lopez and Josh Lucas. What I mean by that is here we have a drama set on a ranch where an old cowboy who is bitter at the death of his son finding himself not only having to deal with his former daughter-in-law who he blames for his son's death but also a granddaughter he doesn't know about. ![]() You want to scream to make the torture stop.It makes me smile when I watch something like "An Unfinished Life" not just because it is a good movie but because of the way people treat it. Do you think the bear is going to return? Do you think Einar will see his son again in Griff’s eyes? Will every trite emotional trick work its way out of Mark Spragg’s novel and into the film version, written by Spragg and his wife, Virginia? Will director Lasse Hallstrom (remember his enervating Shipping News? This is worse) show no shame in jerking tears and the audience’s chain? Redford and Freeman have a relaxed rapport - watch their expressions when Griff asks them if they’re gay - but the script keeps giving them unspeakable lines to utter. Mitch is pretty bruised himself, from a bear attack - the first of the film’s many outbreaks of symbolism. Ranch hand Mitch (Freeman) encourages Einar to heal old wounds for the girl’s sake. Jean needs protection from her abusive boyfriend (Damian Lewis). Now here she is on his farm with her daughter Griff (Becca Gardner), 11. He blames his daughter-in-law Jean (Lopez), who was driving. Redford plays Einar Gilkyson, a Wyoming farmer who’s been drinking hard since his son was killed in a car crash a dozen years back. It’s the drag-ass solemnity of this turgid family drama that makes you crazy. It’s not just that Jennifer Lopez looks lost and out of her league acting with Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman. ![]()
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