8/13/2023 0 Comments An unfinished life set locationSince Griffin died, Jean has been in a series of unsuccessful relationships. Tension exists between Einar and Jean, as both are still grieving for Griffin tensions build as Einar has always blamed Jean for his son's death. She discovered that she was pregnant with Griff after Griffin died in a car accident, after which the family broke up. Einar's son, Griffin, had married Jean years ago. Jean and her young daughter, Griff (Becca Gardner), move in with Einar and Mitch. About the same time, Einar's long-lost daughter-in-law Jean ( Jennifer Lopez) shows up on his doorstep. Sheriff Crane Curtis ( Josh Lucas) captures it and it ends up in the town zoo. The bear is later seen foraging for food in town. He leans his guilt on emotional crutches, while Mitch struggles to walk with real crutches. Einar cares for Mitch daily, giving him morphine injections, food, and friendship. The bear escaped into the mountains.Ī year later, Mitch's wounds still cause him constant pain. The two friends attempted to save the calf, but the bear viciously attacked Mitch - and because Einar was drunk, he failed to save Mitch from serious injury. One year ago, a bear stole a calf from Mitch ( Morgan Freeman) and Einar's ( Robert Redford) ranch. The film stars Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez and Morgan freeman. Its attempts to tug at the heartstrings are so transparent that theyare very easy to resist and all the star power and craftsmanship in the worldcan do nothing to counteract that.An Unfinished Life is a drama film directed by Lasse Hallstrom. JoshLucas is similarly under-employed as the local sheriff who offers Lopez comfortin her hour of need.Īll are upstaged by thebear who mauled Mitch, and whose release into the wild eventually signals arelinquishing of the bitterness and guilt that has scarred all their lives.Īn Unfinished Life certainly looks at treat as it unfolds amidstmountain greenery and the beauty of the American west but it just too glib andmawkish. Lopez is rathercolourless in what should be a strong dramatic turning, suggesting once againthat she is at her best in romantic comedy ( Maid In Manhattan, Monster-In-Lawetc).ĭamian Lewis is littlemore than a ghostly presence in the severely underwritten role of the abusiveboyfriend who only seems to materialise as and when the plot demands. It is one of his more appealing recentperformances and there is a good deal of natural warmth and chemistry in hisscenes with loyal ranch hand Mitch, played by Morgan Freeman, and in hisdeveloping On Golden Pond-style relationship with the granddaughter. Unshaven and looking hisage, Redford is the one who seems to be making the greatest effort here as hetackles the kind of flinty, emotionally repressed character more traditionallyassociated with Clint Eastwood. The girl's independent spirit starts to melt his heart of stone asthey all struggle to come to terms with the past. Theirlack of communication means that he never even knew that he had agranddaughter. He has always held herresponsible for his son's death in a car crash and never forgiven her. They eventually arrive in Iishawooa, Wyoming andthrow themselves on the mercy of grumpy old rancher Einar Gilkyson (Redford)who is Jean's father-in-law. This is undeniably scenic but is an altogether morepedestrian affair.įinally rebelling againstthe abuse meted out by boyfriend Gary (Lewis), Jean (Lopez) grabs her daughterGriff (Gardner) and runs. The pedigree cast should ensure it more of afighting chance in ancillary markets where its release may come sooner ratherthan later.įollowing in the patternof previous Hallstrom heart-warmers like Shipping News and Chocolat, An Unfinished Life also has affinities with Redford's version of TheHorse Whisperer in its maudlin tale of broken lives, breathtaking sceneryand reconciliation. The dreary storyline, the waningbox-office pull of Robert Redford and the debatable value of Jennifer Lopez allcombine to make this a tough sell. This Lasse Hallstromventure had been sitting on the shelf for some time before its world premierein Edinburgh - and it's not hard to see why. Allthat remains is a simple matter of dutifully filling in the blanks. An Unfinished Life is the kind of film where you can predicteverything that will happen within moments of the story starting to unfold.
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