An Unfinished Life

Jean Gilkyson (Jennifer Lopez) is on the run with her daughter Griff (Becca Gardner) from her abusive boyfriend Gary Winston (Damian Lewis). She has no where else to turn to except for her estranged former father-in-law Einar Gilkyson (Robert Redford) who still blames her for the death of his son. Einar is taking care of injured Mitch Bradley (Morgan Freeman) from a bear attack. Both Einar and Mitch must come to terms with the past. Crane Curtis (Josh Lucas) is the sheriff in town who falls for Jean.

I don't know what happened to the distribution but I certainly don't remember this movie being released. It's got Redford and Freeman. That alone should have been noteworthy. I get why some people dismiss Lopez but she does a really good job in this one. She's a good actress in the right project. This is an emotionally deep movie with great subtle performances from everybody to match. Director Lasse Hallström isn't bringing any flash to this and it can seem slow for some. Redford is just outstanding and his performance deserves to be rewarded.

This is a well done movie and I do believe if more people would go see it they would agree. Its a great family relationship movie and Redford as usual is great he can underplay his role and get more out of it than some actors and his relationship with Morgan Freeman is so typical of two old guys tolerating each other. The young girl however steals the movie from her adult counterparts and brings a warmth to her part not seen that often anymore. Jennifer Lopez is good but she is outshone by the others who slowly build up a good family togetherness. Of course then there is a bear thrown into the middle and "Bart" of course is good as he has been in other movies he has been in.

I've always appreciated the talent of RR and MF. I think JL brings her drama game to this flick which suit her better than romcoms. The entire movie flows and is full of life's many dramas, not just one. Anything Lasse Halstrom does will be family safe and a great story.

Some have described this as basically a remake of Heidi. Robert Redford has given up on life and spends his time taking care of his ranch hand, played by Morgan Freeman, who was attacked by a grizzly. That right there is enough for me to spend two hours watching a film. Redford and freeman have not disappointed me in the past and i do not expect to ever see a film by them that is not worth watching.

Now, add in the fact that we have Jennifer Lopez playing Redford's daughter-in-law, and the person he blames for the death of his son, showing up on his doorstep with his granddaughter, and you can expect some real sparks to fly and a Lifetime movie to result. Redford, Freeman, & Lopez - Just WHAT do you want from a movie? Grab some popcorn and enjoy.

Some films are able to capture subtleties in a pretty straightforward manner, and this is one of them. With the very capable support of Morgan Freeman, a quite good Jennifer Lopez, and masterful work by Robert Redford, we're treated to a special film, a study of family relationships where things don't appear contrived or staged.

People carry grudges and live with demons for many years; some are unable to even get rid of them. That's the case of Redford's character. Without a way to release himself, he has managed to create a pretty miserable existence for himself. The only redeeming moment arising from the relationship with his best friend.

Things are bound to change with the arrival of his daughter-in-law and the granddaughter he never knew existed. The drama unfolds quite nicely and our hearts are touched along the way. It's a quiet movie, full of lovely vistas and some intense drama. It doesn't pack the punch of "Million Dollar Baby", a film which it's bound to recall because of the Freeman's character dynamics. Give yourself a treat and enjoy Redford in the comeback film of his career.