![]() ![]() Every time the two actors are on screen, you wonder why it took so long to put them in a project together. Morgan Freeman is a great counterpoint to Redford bringing a similar “old married couple” as he had with Eastwood in Million Dollar Baby. Redford brings a similar charm to Einar as one might see in the hero of a Western, especially when Einar has to drive Jean’s former boyfriend, played by Damian “Band of Brothers” Lewis, out of town. At first, Einar is a bit too prickly to be likeable, but you slowly get accustomed to his demeanor and Griff’s presence allows him to get over his dead son and find new happiness. Robert Redford proves yet again why he’s one of America’s greatest living talents, playing this gruff frontiersman with all the vigor and gusto that he can muster. ![]() The done-in-one end credit shot is particularly impressive.īesides having an excellent script from the Spraggs, Hallström has always been a director who can pull together an impressive cast of actors, and this is no exception. This well-crafted drama could have easily been a stageplay, except it may have lost a lot by not having the sweeping vistas of the Wyoming plains as a backdrop, something that Hallström takes full advantage of with panoramic shots that sweep through the fields and mountains of the area. She’s gotten very good at running away from problems, and not longer after she arrives, she’s moved off of Einar’s ranch, although Griff decides to stay with her grandfather, who teaches her how to drive and be a rancher. There aren’t that many surprises or twists, since it’s known fairly early that Jean left town after the car accident that killed Einar’s son and that he still blames her for his death. Instead, you learn more about each character’s past as their present day relationships develop over the course of the film. With such a rich plot, it’s quite amazing that it never resorts to flashbacks, something that would have made it so much easier to tell this story. Meanwhile, Jean gets a job as a waitress in town and begins a relationship with the town sheriff, played by Josh Lucas, adding to the drama when her abusive ex-boyfriend turns up. The arrival of Jean and Griff is a disruption at first, but both elder men quickly warm up to the teen girl who is eager to help with the housework. Both men have settled into a daily routine of Einar visiting his dead son’s grave while Mitch obsesses about the bear that recently has returned to the area. Eventually, they end up on the doorstep of the Wyoming ranch of her dead husband’s cattle wrangler father Einar, who already has his hands full taking care of his best friend Mitch, who was left with a scarred face and body after being attacked by a large bear. The first damaged person introduced is Jennifer Lopez’s Jean, a single mother trying to escape from her abusive boyfriend with her daughter Griff. Likewise, Hallström’s latest is another character-driven drama that moves at a snail’s pace, except in this case, it really delivers on its slow build with fine performances all around that turns this into quite a lovely character piece. After all, there are similar themes at work here with Shipping News–damaged people, both emotionally and physically, trying to escape their past out in the boonies. It’s not too surprising that the film was moved away from its original plan for release during Oscar season. An Unfinished Life, written by novelist Mark Spragg and his wife Virginia, was originally intended to come out last Christmas, but for some reason, was put back on the shelf by Miramax only to finally get released as part of Harvey and Bob Weinstein’s transition to a Disney-free existence. In fact, he’d been working on two films, both to be released this year. Together, the four of them must learn to deal with the ghosts from their past.Īfter the disaster that was The Shipping News, director Lasse Hallström seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. Their quiet lives are disrupted when Einar’s daughter-in-law Jean (Jennifer Lopez) shows up on their doorstep with his granddaughter Griff, them having run away from an abusive boyfriend. Einar Gilkyson (Redford) and Mitch Bradley (Freeman) are former cattle ranchers living in the wilds of Wyoming, the latter having been mauled by a grizzly bear a year earlier. ![]()
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