In order to escape from the abusive boy-friend, Gary Winston, Jean Gilkyson moves with her young daughter Griff Gilkyson without previous notice to the ranch of her father-in-law Einar Gilkyson in Wyoming. Jean and Einar are disaffected, since he blames her for the death of his beloved son in a car accident. Einar is taking care of his friend Mitch Bradley, who was attacked and seriously wounded b... y a bear, and he does not know that he has a grand-daughter. While Mitch heals his wounds and forgives the bear, Einar also changes his feelings regarding Jean, finally understanding that accidents happen and accepting her and loving his grand-daughter.Read moreLess
A film is in trouble when, despite the presence of an A-list cast and a well-regarded director, the best thing in it is a partly digitized bear. After two years on the shelf, Lasse Hallstrom's An Unfinished Life emerges as a cliched meller about the tense reunion between a Wyoming rancher (Robert Redford) and his long-lost kin. Most of the film's above-the-liners seem to be retracing old steps, creating a somnambulant atmosphere. Part of Miramax's celluloid mountain of unreleased fodder due to bow this autumn, pic can only hope to appeal to a blockbuster-weary older demographic and escape critical mauling.
In Ishawooa, Wyo., former alcoholic farmer Einar...
Great
I really enjoyed this film - it's not deep and yes it may be predictable, but it is a straightforwardly GOOD film, and very well acted all-round.
Totally unfinished
A story about a daughter-in-law and her own daughter that go 'home' to her father-in-law because they have no-where else to go. This movie has a good cast, but was so slow. Some of it just didn't make sense and there was little stories going on within this one film. The short of it was that if you like 'Little house on the prarie,' or 'The Waltons' you will probably like this. Good acting, but only 2 stars for the movie as a whole.
For a film that's been sitting around on a shelf for the last two years, An Unfinished Life is far from rotten. Seemingly undone by the Weinstein brothers' over-zealous handling, Lasse Hallström's film is no more deserving of its treatment than Charles Willeford's The Glass Shield or the various other movies that fell victim Harvey and Bob's ever-changing moods. None of which is to say that the movie represents a high point in the careers of those who made it. And for director Hallström, An Unfinished Life perhaps ought to have marked the end of his Hollywood career.
"Redford and J-Lo - together at last!" - that's how An Unfinished Life might have been...
Unfinished Life, An
One of the chief joys of AN UNFINISHED LIFE is the stealth with which it builds to its climax... Oddly affecting.
