He doesn’t actually whisper to a horse in this one, but Robert Redford is in full Sundance Catalog mode in “An Unfinished Life,” a very soft movie based on a popular novel. The artfully tousled movie star brings his seasoned persona to a modern tale of the West, which turns out to be a pretty old story at its core.
To describe the first 10 minutes of plot is to give away the ending, because absolutely everything here is completely predictable. In an Iowa town, single mom Jean (Jennifer Lopez) has taken enough from her abusive stalker boyfriend (Damian Lewis). She picks up her 11-year-old daughter Griff (Becca Gardner) and splits.
In desperation, she goes somewhere she hasn’t been in years: Ishawooa, Wyo. Her father-in-law, Einar (Redford), who doesn’t know he’s got a granddaughter, has a ranch there, which he shares with Mitch (Morgan Freeman).
Mitch was mauled by a bear a year earlier, and the bear plays a great symbolic role in this story. Actually, pretty much everybody plays a symbolic role; all the characters represent something, rather than coming to life as people.
Jean wants to stay for a month, to make money waitressing, and then leave. Grouchy old Einar hates Jean because of past history, but perhaps his caretaking role with Mitch and the interest of his granddaughter will melt him. Or perhaps the bear will eat him.
There isn’t much suspense about which way it’ll go. Once the caring young sheriff (Josh Lucas) is introduced, we can see the various threads coming together.
Director Lasse Hallstrom (“Chocolat”) stages all this in a pretty manner, aided by a spectacular British Columbia location. Except for the excellent little girl, the actors tend to cruise in their iconic images: Redford the rugged individualist, Freeman the wise Rock of Gibraltar, Lopez the abused but still spunky gal.
I can’t think of a single fresh moment Hallstrom gets out of them, as pleasant as it can be to watch these people do their thing. He’s made a totally reassuring film, as shiny and worn-in as a used saddle, which may be just what the audience is looking for.
But although the film has moments of violence, it has no blood in its veins. The people are basically nice, and there are no problems that can’t be solved by dialogue that sounds like chicken soup for the soul. “An Unfinished Life” is a useful primer for group therapy, but as a movie it lacks a pulse.
“An Unfinished Life” HH
Bloodless: Abused mom Jennifer Lopez takes off for her estranged father-in-law’s ranch; he’s Robert Redford, in full Western icon mode. Lasse Hallstrom’s film has pretty locations and paper-thin characters who solve problems with chicken soup for the soul; the movie has no blood in its veins.
Rated: PG-13 rating is for language, violence.
PG-13 rating is for violence, subject matter.
Now showing: Alderwood 7, Meridian 16, Neptune
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