![]() ![]() When the bear who munched Mitch shows back up on the ranch, director Lasse Hallström lays the animal symbolism on thick as Freeman’s character comes to grips with what happened to him. Mitch was brutally mauled by a bear (Bart the Bear) a year ago, and now remains bedridden. ![]() ![]() The cabin next to his is occupied by Mitch (Morgan Freeman), Einer’s lifelong friend and former ranch hand. Part craggily old mountain-man, part grieving father, he’s both tough and gentle all at once, a remnant of a different world. Redford creates a truly wonderful character in Einer. Of course eventually, Griff wins him over. He’s not only uninterested in getting to know his granddaughter, he’s downright bitter. He begrudgingly allows Jean and Griff to stay on his scenic Wyoming ranch, more out of loyalty to his dead son than out of any desire to help his former daughter-in-law. Now, Jean shows up on Einer’s doorstep, fleeing from an abusive boyfriend with nowhere else left to turn.Įiner is unmoved by the revelation that he has a granddaughter. Jean left town shortly after her husband’s funeral, never telling Einer she was pregnant with his granddaughter Griff (Becca Gardener). Einer has never gotten over it, and in fact blames Jean for his son’s death. More than a decade earlier, Jean (Jennifer Lopez) was married to Einer’s (Robert Redford) son, when he was killed in a car accident. But I guess that is Okay because for the few viewers who like an optimistic story told with compassionate characters played by expert actors, this one is worth watching.An Unfinished Life is the story of a mother escaping physical abuse by running back to her hometown and dumping her daughter on her curmudgeonly father-in-law and his elderly next door neighbor. It will fail to influence too many, some might even find it boring. That is the redeeming feature of the movie and may be that is the flaw. But the story manages to teach you something, and not in a very persuasive manner. There is redemption for everyone involved and that is expected. Unhurriedly, through gestures and expressions, breathing life into these stereotypes. It is just the way they go about telling it. At the same time there is nothing new about the story they are telling. None of the characters are living in what we would call normal circumstances in any way. But these three provide all the entertainment. Especially Freeman,Gardner and Redford (in that order). Now why I am taking pains to mention each one of them is because they are who make this movie watchable. And there I finish the list of principal characters in the movie. Camrein Maynheim (The Practice) has a supporting role. There is débutant Becca Gardner the even-tempered daughter of Jenny's. ![]() There is Bear which wounded Freeman and is the terror element in the otherwise peaceful Wyoming (smashing locales) town and there is Josh Lucas the love interest/sheriff for Jenny's Cinderella. Father-in-law is of course Robert Redford who is not looking forward to anything in life, and his only real purpose in living seems to be to take care of his wounded friend Morgan Freeman. Jennifer Lopez plays a single mother running away from her abusive(typical) boy friend Damian Lewis and has no where to go but to her Father-in-law who hates her. Each character and player when he/she is on screen is telling you so many things at a time that you get completely engrossed in their story. This is the third film from the director that I saw after Chocolat n Cider Ho.I would not call this one a great piece of storytelling but I speak entirely for myself when I say, the characters do not let you go, while you watch this movie. ![]()
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