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c_mcvey — 17 years ago(August 07, 2008 06:06 PM)
The relationship between Mitch (Morgan Freeman) and the bear acts as a mirror for many of the other relationships in the movie, specifically that of Einar (Robert Redford) and Jean (Jennifer Lopez). Mitch discards his grudge against the bear, just as he does not blame Einar, for the mauling that occurred, just as Einar needs to discard his feelings of blame for Jean in the death of his son.
For those who think the bear is just a bear, watch the movie with your eyes and your mind open. The bear's story parallels many other events in the film. If you do not want to watch the movie critically, do not get frustrated with those who do. -
ready-for-the-good-times — 17 years ago(September 22, 2008 06:44 PM)
I was hoping that the bear would kill the ex-boyfriend too, yes! And I was also hoping for Morgan Freeman to magically get better and be friends with that heroic bear. But, the bear stayed a bastard and the ex-husband got beaten to death by Robert Redford (amazing scene btw, better than the bear idea I think - did the wife-beater die ?)
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jazzmaster63 — 17 years ago(October 03, 2008 12:51 AM)
Just pay attention and you'll see that the "ex-husband" (he was the ex-boyfriend) just gets an ass-kicking, not beaten to death. He's on the bus back to Iowa near the end. Hit the pause button when you go for a leak in future.
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tmaj48 — 16 years ago(January 27, 2010 02:59 AM)
The bear represents Clint Eastwood, who should've starred in this movie
as the crusty grandfather. Sure, it would have been typecasting, but the
film's just a bundle of Hallmark movie cliches anyway (the drunken punks
in the diner who get beaten up; the diner owner with the tragic past;
the little girl who is taught to drive in preparation for the emergency
later in the film when she needs to know how; Morgan Freeman as the wise
old philosopher; the long, profound conversations with the gravestone, etc.)
Eastwood's dryness would be enough to save this soggy mess of tripe.
I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing! -
jnic7594 — 14 years ago(June 27, 2011 01:18 PM)
IMO The bear symbolizes the journey that Robert Redford's character goes through in the film. If you pay close attention, you will see that their stories VERY strongly mirror one another.
In the beginning he's bitter, angry, hateful, and unforgiving about what happened to his son who he feels was taken from himattacking everyone around him. This includes the men in the cafe, J-Lo's character, and even Freeman's character at times. He was in his own personal cage (like the caged bear. He wouldn't let anyone in and didn't know how to get out himselfhe even said that he didn't know how to forgive J-Lo's character at one point. When they initially set the bear free, it fights back with a punch and then moves on. At this point, Redford has been trying to forgive, but hasn't gotten quite to that point yethe is still throwing small verbal punches at J-Lo's character and others around him. In the end, the bear is free, and so is Redford's character. He's freed himself from his own personal prison and forgiven for the past. I could go on and on, but I think you get the jist, lol.
This is how I saw it. It seemed pretty obvious, and I have only seen the movie once. I even thought that when Freeman's character was saying things like "free the bear", in a way, he was talking to Redford. He wanted him to let go of his anger and resentment that he was holding inside.
BTW anyone who says the bear is just a bear needs to go back to school. It's obvious symbolism. -
yesmath — 12 years ago(January 31, 2014 11:19 PM)
Thanks for all the great metaphor ideas.
I especially liked the caged bear representing Einer's life trapped in his resentment, unable to live like he ought to. (he definitely was gruff like a bear in his dialogue, and hated the girls coming into his territory, and defended his territory: ranch, or waitress like a bear even had the scruffy beard tho he helped to shave Morgan's!).
I wondered about the scene where the bear meets Morgan Freedman who closes his eyes, and he says he's not gonna lay down and play dead this time, and for it to pass on by. I think this is the idea of how Buddhist's deal with emotion: observe it, don't fear it, judge it, ignore it, or hang on to it (by analysing it), and it will naturally move on.
Also Morgan was concerned about the bear getting it's fair treatment. He also called it "my bear"we too could personify any tragedy as our own. The tragic memory may come back to us all our lives - we can fight it/and get beat up, or let it roam free, knowing it may come and go, and that is how it is meant to be. Often Buddhists will even welcome an uncomfortable feeling as if it were a guest (which reinforces non-resistance). (Perhaps Einer's advice to the girl, saying to welcome any guests also serves as symbolic to an underlying message)
The title of the film: an unfinished life could also weave into this theme. That to finish our lives well, we need to let go of resentments instead of dealing poorly with our past tragedies. Morgan said that lots of people get dealt poor hands in life, but we have to keep living as long as we're alive.
