Movie Review: Mission: Impossible III

An Unfinished Life

I rarely see movies like this one because I'm not typically all that fond of them. Add to that the fact that Jennifer Lopez stars in it, and you can pretty much assume I won't be buying a ticket. And you'd have been right: I didn't. But this weekend, I sat down to watch a rental with a friend chose what we'd watch, and An Unfinished Life was among them. My only regret now is that I didn't see it sooner.

The "unfinished life" of the title belongs to a young rodeo competitor, Griffin Gilkyson. Along with the memories of his too-short life, Griffin leaves behind his father, Einar (Robert Redford) and his pregnant wife, Jean (Jennifer Lopez). Neither has fared well since Griffin's death. Einar can't stop mourning, and Jean meanders from one abusive relationship to the next, her 11 year-old daughter in tow.

Jean finally reaches her limit in a small town in Iowa when her current live-in boyfriend, Gary Watson (Damian Lewis) hits her one too many times. With nowhere else to go, Jean takes daughter Griff (Becca Gardner) and heads for the rundown Wyoming ranch of the father-in-law she hasn't seen in more than a decade. Her fears are realized on arrival when Einar scarcely acknowledges the pair telling them only to leave.

Literally at the end of her resources, Jean introduces Einar to Griff. Largely on the strength of his surprise at a granddaughter he didn't know he had, Einar agrees — clearly against his better judgment — to let them stay for a few weeks.

Jean heads into town early the next morning to find work so she can save enough to leave as soon as possible. Griff, meanwhile, wakes to find herself alone in the house. That's because Einar is caring for an injured ranch hand, Mitch Bradley (Morgan Freeman), with whom he's obviously shared a long term friendship. Mitch lets Einar know that it's good he's getting the opportunity to know his grandchild — and that it's even nice to see Jean come home again — but Einar is far from convinced.

Meanwhile, Jean finds a job working for a local greasy spoon owned by a woman named Nina (Cameron Manheim). When she goes to report her abusive ex-boyfriend to the local authorities, she also finds the attractive — and single — Sheriff Crane Curtis (Josh Lucas). But neither her fledgling friendship with her new boss nor the possibilities of a relationship with the sheriff can overcome the hostility Einar feels for her as he blames her for the death of his only child.

In the end, it takes Jean's fears of Gary, the intervention of Mitch and Crane, the appearance of a dangerous grizzly bear, and the shared love for a child to begin putting some of the pieces of these other unfinished lives back together.

Robert Redford has aged gracefully and stepped into roles like the one of Einar Gilkyson with every bit of the skill and charisma he had when he played handsome leading men. He's entirely the cantankerous and bitter old man here, and yet has the skill to show us the grievously wounded father lying just beneath the facade he's so carefully erected. Morgan Freeman is quite good as a man who has every right to be bitter himself, but who teaches everyone a lesson (except, apparently, Einar) with his graceful acceptance of his lot in life. Jennifer Lopez, while certainly not reaching the level of the performances from Redford or Freeman, is adequate.

Damian Lewis is suitably menacing, and Josh Lucas is just fine as a small town sheriff whose limited law enforcement skills are less emphasized than is his hometown-boy ability to smooth over various and sundry altercations. Camryn Manheim, though given a character with far more depth than there is time to explore, is also good. Next to Redford, though, the real star of the film is the delightful Becca Gardner who takes on the character of the conflicted, confused, and searching Griff with sheer brilliance.

Director Lasse Hallström does a terrific job at keeping the film subtle when it needs to be, and unflinching when it must be more blunt. The scenery is spectacular (though ostensibly in Wyoming, the movie was actually filmed in British Columbia), and the role played by various and sundry animals (not the least of which is a wayward grizzly) is deftly managed. The editing is almost unnoticeable — which, in a film like this one, is perfect. And the screen play is well written, allowing characters to speak naturally and to seem all the more realistic as a result.

An Unfinished Life is a well-crafted movie. Even more to my surprise, I enjoyed it. Though it didn't have the impact of the very best movies, I do find myself recalling moments of it fondly, and am forced to admit that I'm truly glad I finally got the chance to see it.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: An Unfinished Life is rated PG-13 for "some violence, including domestic abuse, and language." This really isn't a movie for young children, or even younger teens in that its focus is on some very adult issues. Domestic violence and the rifts in families coming from fear or bitterness are very adult topics, and this movie overflows with those things. Older teens, though, and adults of all ages will almost certainly find at least one thing here to which they can relate — and from which they'll learn. I recommend An Unfinished Life for those of about age 15 and up, and I'm pleased to do so.