![]() You cant help but see this movie being crafted out of shards of movies past, seemingly in a cut and paste method. The casting is relatively safe and echoes past performances of each of the actors Redford as the wise old rancher has tinges of Tom Booker in The Horse Whisperer Freemans Mitch, an even wiser second fiddle whos not too hardened to lose his sense of compassion, is a variation on characters hes been playing for years and Lopezs Jean at times flirts heavily with her Slim Fuller character in Enough. Einar is resistant to let Jean stay with him, but gives in, realizing that she and his granddaughter have no place else to turn.ĭirector Lasse Hallstrom, known for movies like Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, Chocolat, and The Cider House Rules has taken on a rather conventional story of loss with An Unfinished Life. Einar, meanwhile, spends his days blaming Jean for his sons death and caring for Mitch (Freeman), his longtime friend and ranch hand who was mauled by a bear. Shortly after the accident, Jean flees Wyoming, carrying with her the guilt of Griffins death. At one point, Jean was married to Einars son Griffin, who was killed years prior in a car accident. Griff has regrets, pride and opinions, and reminds me of a less precocious, more subdued version of Anna Paquin’s Flora in “The Piano”.Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Josh Lucas, Becca Gardner, Camryn Manheimįleeing her abusive boyfriend, Jean Gilkyson (Lopez) and daughter Griff (13 year-old Becca Gardner, who more than holds her own alongside the likes of Redford and Freeman) end up in rural Wyoming, at the doorstep of Einar (Redford), an emotionally wounded old cattle rancher. She’s stubborn but almost always surrenders to adults because she has no choice, as all children do. A promising Becca Gardner stands out from other child actors by simple virtue of not being annoyingly cloying or cute. Griff is a crucial link in the chain as she discovers her explosive grandfather, warms up to Mitch and fills in the gap between Jean and Einar that was left by the death of her father. Check out the scene where they’re having lunch with Griff (Becca Gardner), the banter is explicit and obvious but the acting draws out such easy leisure from the two that they’re nothing but a delight to watch.Ĭlearly, this is a movie driven by complex relationships. Regardless of the inevitable “Million Dollar Baby” comparisons (which will be made even less relevant when it’s mentioned that this movie was filmed earlier than Clint Eastwood’s), Redford and Freeman can hold their own, thank you very much. They are cranky and bicker as old friends do the two actors fit into their characters like hands into gloves. The two are loyal and stubborn friends who live for and because of each other, with Einar responsible for taking care of the recently-mauled-by-a-bear Mitch and Mitch keeping Einar’s alcohol tendencies in check. Living on the ranch with Einar is his solitary companion, Mitch. In other words, there is a good chance you will like the movie, but it’s equally likely that you won’t be able to put a finger on it. Yet there is a hesitance in both the storyline and tone that renders the silences slightly more forgettable than poignant. Hallstrom’s impeccable style shines through his signature shots of silent pauses pregnant with meaning, such as the long shots of the sprawling ranch. In all aspects, the movie is too good to be mediocre but not good enough to be exceptional. She is still unable to anchor the film as the lead but fortunately, “An Unfinished Life” has enough pillars in the trio of Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman and director Lasse Hallstrom. Incidentally so is Lopez, who packs raw energy into the role. ![]() When she asks her friend Nina (Camryn Manheim), “Do you think I’m a shitty mother?” Nina’s answer is no, Jean’s doing the best she can. ![]() ![]() There is a speech where she reveals her innate inclination for abusive partners and her reasons are affecting. It’s unfair, but deep down Jean blames herself too. ![]() The thing is, Einar’s son Griffin was killed in a car accident, and he blames Jean (Jennifer Lopez) for the premature death. With nowhere to go, they return to Wyoming to find her father-in-law, Einar, and old wounds are exposed as each stirs up painful memories of their unfinished lives for the other. Set on a ranch in Ishawooa, Wyoming, “An Unfinished Life” is about an abused widow, Jean, who is fleeing her alcoholic and trigger-happy boyfriend with her daughter Griff in tow. ![]()
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