An 'Unfinished' Oscar attempt

An Unfinished Life" is the newest emotionally charged (perhaps overcharged) drama from Lasse Hallström ("The Cider House Rules," "Chocolat"). It is the story of Jean Gilkyson (Jennifer Lopez) who, in an attempt to escape an abusive relationship, flees to Montana with her daughter Griff (Becca Gardener). Once there they stay with her estranged father-in-law Einar Gilkyson (Robert Redford), who blames Jean for the death of his son. Also appearing is Morgan Freeman in his usual role as the sage-like best friend who has lived through some sort of tragedy (in this case being mauled by a bear). Ultimately, it is a story of dealing with loss and forgiving others as well as yourself (or at least that's what it says on the movie poster). \nThe story is pretty good although a bit heavy-handed at times. It is a bit much that every single minor character has some sort of tragic tale of loss that deals directly with the main plotline. Camryn Manheim's monologue about the death of her own child was a bit much, and it came out of nowhere. Also, Freeman's obsession with helping the bear that mauled him was, to say the least, silly. The symbolism of the bear was a bit ostentatious, and some times it seemed like the appearance of the bear should have been accompanied by the word "Metaphor" flashing across the screen with big red letters. But the only thing that truly got to be a bit much was the film score, which made use of the dramatic violin sting the way that sitcoms make use of the laugh track. Luckily the acting saved this movie. Redford was great in the lead and his chemistry with both Freeman and Gardener was great. In fact, the most memorable scenes in the movie are between the three of them. Even JLo put in a good performance, although she admittedly has a smaller part than one would expect since she's the biggest name in the cast. \nSadly, this movie is being touted as this year's big Oscar push by Miramax, and while the acting is good, it is definitely not that good. Unless Hollywood takes a three-month vacation, there is no chance of this film seeing even a nomination unless they add the category "Best Use of Large Woodland Creatures in an Allegory about Redemption"