An Unfinished Life (2005)

Desperate to provide care for her daughter, down-on-her-luck Jean moves in with her father in-law from whom she is estranged. Through time, they learn to forgive each other and heal old wounds.

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:

Mark Spragg, Virginia Korus Spragg

Stars:

Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Redford	...	Einar Gilkyson
Jennifer Lopez	...	Jean Gilkyson
Morgan Freeman	...	Mitch Bradley
Josh Lucas	...	Crane Curtis
Damian Lewis	...	Gary Winston
Camryn Manheim	...	Nina
Becca Gardner	...	Griff Gilkyson
Lynda Boyd	...	Kitty
Rob Hayter	...	Deputy
P. Lynn Johnson	...	Shelter Supervisor
Byron Lucas	...	Motorcycle Rider
Trevor Moss	...	Griffin Gilkyson
R. Nelson Brown	...	Kent (as Rnelsonbrown)
Dillard Brinson	...	Gnome Owner
Jason Diablo	...	Customer #1

Storyline

To escape an abusive boyfriend, without announcing her plans in advance, Jean Gilkyson takes her young daughter Griff to the Wyoming ranch of her father-in-law, Einar. Jean and Einar are disaffected, as he blames her for the death of his son in a car accident. Einar is taking care of his friend Mitch, who was attacked by a bear, and Einar does not know that he has a granddaughter. While Mitch heals and forgives the bear, Einar also changes his feelings regarding Jean, finally understanding that accidents happen and accepting her and loving Griff.

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Plot Keywords:

bear | car accident | wyoming | ranch | abusive boyfriend | 

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Taglines:

every secret takes on a life of its own

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence including domestic abuse, and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

En dag i livet

Filming Locations:

Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax,Revolution Studios,Initial Entertainment Group (IEG)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dedicated to Karin Lyberg-Hallström and Britta Olin, Lasse's and Lena's mothers respectively.

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Goofs

The farm truck used in the movie is a 1966 Mercury Custom Cab. Mercury trucks were only produced in Canada, although the film takes place in the United States.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Einar Gilkyson: [talking to raccoon] I heard you interfering little bastards rummage around my yard. I'll thank you for keeping the owls off of my cats.

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Connections

Features Below (2002)

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Soundtracks

Smooth Talk
(2002)
Written by Delbert McClinton and Gary Nicholson
Performed by Delbert McClinton
Courtesy of New West Reocrds, LLC

User Reviews

Redford's finest hour

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.