An Unfinished Life is a 2005 American drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, and based on the Mark Spragg novel of the same name.

It is the story of a gruff Wyoming rancher (Redford) who must reconcile his relationship with his struggling daughter-in-law (Lopez) and previously unknown-to-him granddaughter, after they show up unexpectedly at his ranch and ask to stay with him and his disabled best friend and neighbor (Freeman).

She discovered that she was pregnant with Griff after Griffin died in a car accident, after which the family broke up.

Griff, who has begun to build a relationship with her grandfather, leaves her mother and goes back to the ranch alone.

Einar meets Jean at the diner and invites her to come back and live with him after he and Griff go on a camping trip.

The "camping trip" is a cover story meant to allow them time to carry out a request from Mitch to set free the bear who mauled him.

Griff accidentally knocks the gearshift lever into neutral while Einar is luring the bear into the cage.

All is well as Mitch narrates the last seconds of the story, describing to Einar his dreams of flying above the earth and coming to understand things about life.

While set in Wyoming, An Unfinished Life was actually filmed in the Canadian towns of Ashcroft, Savona, and Kamloops, British Columbia.

"[3] Ebert went on to praise the film and the performances, saying "give Lopez your permission to be good again; she is the same actress now as when we thought her so new and fine," and "It's not often noted, but Redford plays anger well.

The website's "critical consensus" reads: "A story of disjointed family members yearning for true emotional depth, An Unfinished Life teeters between overtly saccharine sentiments and moments of real intimacy.