#Movie review an unfinished life series

Griffin died, but Jean survived and discovered she was pregnant with Griff. At 3 a.m., the two tired souls set out for the last leg of their trip. Jean says they flipped a coin to determine who would drive - she lost. He and Einar have an explosive confrontation that pushes Einar to the brink.Įinar returns to the ranch and demands that Jean tells him how Griffin died. One night, Gary arrives to harass Jean and Griff. Tensions in the family continue to build. There she befriends Nina, another waitress ( Camryn Manheim), who helps her understand Einar’s gruff ways and dark past. Jean starts working at a local coffee shop. Jean slowly falls in love with Sheriff Curtis, but little Griff can’t open up to him or trust him because of Jean’s bad experiences. She moved in with Einar to escape her latest abusive boyfriend, Gary ( Damian Lewis), but like the bear, her past will return to haunt her.

#Movie review an unfinished life series

Since Griffin died, Jean has fallen into a series of abusive relationships. Tension mounts between Einar and Jean because both are still grieving for Griffin. Einar’s son, Griffin, had moved away and married Jean years ago, causing a rift in the family that snapped when Griffin died in a car accident. Jean and her daughter Griff (Becca Gardner) move in with Einar and Mitch. Sheriff Crane Curtis ( Josh Lucas) captures the bear and displays him in the town zoo. The bear later returns to forage for food in town - and around the same time, Einar’s long-lost daughter-in-law Jean (Jennifer Lopez) shows up on his doorstep. He leans his guilt on emotional crutches, while Mitch struggles to walk with a cane. 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 him from serious injury. With its fisticuffs and family dramas, An Unfinished Life has a certain soapy appeal, but it fails to dig as deep as Hallström’s previous work.One year ago, a wild bear stole a calf from Mitch (Morgan Freeman) and Einar’s (Robert Redford) ranch. “That doesn’t exactly work in your favour,” comes the retort. ”You’ve seen too many Westerns, old man,” sneers Jean’s abusive boyfriend Gary as Einar threatens him. Such scenes rarely feel credible, although the script has the sense of humour to point this out. Early on he’s shown punching rowdy sexist customers in the local diner to protect his friend Nina (Camryn Manheim), who really doesn’t look like she needs protecting. In a nod to the Westerns the setting recalls, Einar solves most problems with his fists. But making peace with Jean will require a conversation, something Einar isn’t very good at.

Both he and Einar must forgive the perceived architects of their downfall (the bear and Jean respectively). The central one concerns forgiveness, and is first signalled by a subplot in which Mitch learns that his ursine nemesis has been captured, becoming obsessed with its release. Jean’s liaisons with local sheriff Crane Curtis (Josh Lucas) are pleasingly practical and unromantic - at least until things turn sentimental, with director Lasse Hallström unnecessarily hammering home his messages. Romcom regular Lopez has a meatier character than usual in Jean, perpetual victim and flawed-yet-committed mother. A gentle, occasionally humorous coming-of-age drama addressing issues of family and forgiveness, it’s mildly moving and offers up some decent performances. There are few surprises in An Unfinished Life, but for many that will be part of its charm. And so little Griff (Becca Gardner) must break through the men’s harsh exteriors to find the softness within her major obstacle being her mother Jean (Jennifer Lopez), who Einar holds responsible for his son’s death. Like Secondhand Lions, this also throws in two old grouches for the price of one: Einar (Robert Redford) lives with his old friend Mitch (Morgan Freeman), admittedly a slightly more sociable chap, but housebound and badly scarred after a run-in with a bear. A gruff grandfather living in a remote location forced to befriend his kin and confront long-held family resentments: from Heidi to Michael Caine’s Secondhand Lions, it’s a familiar theme.