When Jean (Jennifer Lopez) and her 11-year-old daughter Griff (Becca) must flee Jean's violent boyfriend, they have no other place to go but the ranch of Griff's grandfather Einar (Robert Redford). The arrangement isn't to anyone's liking: Einar accuses Jean of the death of his son, her ex-husband. The plot predictably revolves around Einar's slow acceptance of Jean, but while the plot isn't remarkable, the other ingredients are good enough to make the story a solid drama.

Einar's ranch is a mirror of his life: run-down, a shadow of its past. Einar never got over the death of his son, and is now living a sedated, almost isolated life. His only company is his old friend and employee Mitch (Morgan Freeman), who had been mauled by a bear the previous year, and who now depends on Einar's daily care to get by.

Griff is initially unwilling to stay at the ranch. Einar is rough, quick to anger, and the ranch lacks the basic comforts she's accustomed to. An energetic girl, with shades of a tomboy, she quickly adapts however, which is helped along by her befriending of Mitch, a man much more pleasant than his friend. When Jean leaves the ranch later on to go live at her female friend's place, Griff disobediently runs back to Einar's ranch. This display of acceptance from Griff helps Einar, in part, to manage giving up his bitterness and offering a pact to Jean.

Becca is fantastically good in her catalytic role, and gets a satisfying amount of screen time. This is her first and to date only large feature film role, which is a real shame, seeing how she's excellent also in her less prominent roles in a few TV shows, such as The Practice and Grey's Anatomy. Lamenting aside, Becca's special charm is in her gentle, soothing presence that makes you feel good and peaceful when watching her. That isn't to say she's weak or overly submissive, but that she lacks the aggressive, edgy side common in young people, especially adolescents. It's hard to find a fault in Becca, but then I'm obviously biased. Some might find her way of speaking sort of through her teeth strange; I find it appealingly unique.

The story has enough detail beyond the main plot to keep it interesting. One such element is Jean's borderline psychopath boyfriend who has followed her, unable to grasp the concept of "it's over." Einar, an elderly but still hardened cowboy, has an effective and deeply satisfying way of dealing with him.

Mitch is not limited to being Einar's sidekick. Mitch has an obsession about the bear that made him an invalid -- he can't accept the bear being locked up for audiences to watch, for the bear has only done what bears do. He will have to face the bear again, to get closure on his first encounter. That desire, in its lack of clear logic, is very human-like, and Freeman makes it seem believable.

Were it not for Becca, I'd probably still rank this film well above average. The acting of the entire cast is excellent, the characters credible (though I've read also opposite opinions), and the visuals a pleasure to watch. The largest problem lies in the lacking originality of the story. However if you're like me, and enjoy well executed dramas, An Unfinished Life is a movie worthy of its big-name cast, high production values, and Becca.