I was annoyed with the bear storyline…
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WookieSuave — 19 years ago(July 22, 2006 01:12 AM)
Do you people actually watch the movies that you rent or play gameboy while the sound is on in the background?
First of all, as the poster above stated, the bear storyline mirrored that of J-Lo's character and her father in law. One of forgiveness and acceptance.
Second of all, Morgan Freeman's character asked his friend to release the bear, I don't believe he made any mention of taking the young girl along with him.
Thirdly, J-lo was totally unaware that her father in law or the daughter were invovled with the bear being released back into the wild. The daughters absense was chalked up to the two of them wanting to go camping while the broken rib was covered up by a story about falling down.
I don't mean to be rude, but perhaps you should watch the film again with these points in mind, and it should clear some things up for you. -
cracker82 — 19 years ago(July 24, 2006 01:16 AM)
Please don't give me this "were you playing gameboy?" crap. As of late, I've been watching nothing but indy and foreign filmswith the exception of "Clerks 2" which I saw recently.
I understand that the bear storyline was a metaphor. Once Robert Redford freed the bear, that was like the awakening to his new life. The bear metaphor was not hard to figure out at all. Infact, it was painfully obvious. Oh rightand there was the symbolism of J-Lo accidently breaking the plate in the kitchen.
"How do you know that wasn't my favorite plate?"
"I'll buy you a new plate"
"Some things are irreplacable"
Audience rolls eyes
AlsoI like metaphors when they make rational sense.
Keeping the bear in a cage was a crime? I don't care about "he was just being a bear"the bear is a dangerous animal and should be kept away from civilization. The characters didn't seem to care that the bear could potentially end up going back into the city and scarring/killing some other civilians. "Ohthe bear is just being a bear. Yeah, let's free him so we can feel better about ourselves and somehow apply this bear situation as a metaphor to our broken lives"
Haven't you people seen "Grizzly man"? (For the record, that's an amazing film!)
I'm aware that Morgan Freeman didn't ask Robert Redford to bring the daughter, but it seems awfully irresponsible for Redford to bring a girl of that age on such a dangerous mission.
I was under the impression that the whole camping story cover-up was for the hospital, but J-Lo knew what actually happened. My bad on that one.
I did like the dialogue between Redford and Freeman at the end of the film, and I liked:
"You ever come around here again, I'll kill you"
"You watch too many Westerns, old man"
"That doesn't work in your favor"
Overall, it was an okay film. All the actors were very good, but it's the same old stuff we've seen over and over again.
and Deaf Lepperyeah that actually is kind of funny. WellI must stress, the bear could eat herTO DEATH!! I had to stress thatsince the bear just eating her arm would still be badbut not as bad as eating herTO DEATH!
One more thing:
Morgan Freeman's supporting/sidekick character is getting old. I liked him in "Shawshank" and "Million Dollar Baby", but by this movie it got quite tiring. -
emames — 19 years ago(December 30, 2006 01:49 PM)
yeah the bear symbolism was kind of crap. i'm not a big halstrom fan anyway, and he needed to give the audience some credit. i thought this movie was a sap-fest. it was all right, but it was the most predictable movie i've seen in a really long time.
and i totally agree with you about morgan freeman. he's a great actor, but he really only plays one role, whether he's the good guy or the bad guy. he always comes out soft-spoken and wise in the end. it's tiring. -
cracker82 — 19 years ago(July 29, 2006 11:16 AM)
I know that. I like the use of symbolism when it isn't completley obvious, such as the bear in this movie and with the plate J-Lo breaks. I don't care what people say about the bear being symbolic.releasing a bear back into civilization is irresponsible. Symbolism is good when it makes rational sense.
They should make "An Unfinished Life 2"where Bart the bear finds J-Lo's daughter on the street and mauls herTO DEATH. Then the sequel is about J-Lo being unable to forgive Morgan Freeman for being a dumb ass and asking for the bear to be freed.
I liked the tennis metaphor in "Match Point" and I really liked the ending scene in "Me and you and everyone we know"now that's symbolism that isn't so painfully obvious. It really makes you think and many different interpretations can be concocted out of it. -
wldvw — 19 years ago(July 30, 2006 11:42 PM)
You know this is a movie right? It's a story with metaphors and crisis and resolution. I thought there were several places where individual behavior seemed reckless. ( The sheriff who didn't tell the battered woman her abuser was in town.)
Sounds like real life there. .
This was a good story. A compeling story. A human story. And having compassion for the bear, well there was a time when simply killing all the bears near civilization was all we knew. It looked like they were going to release him into the woods, not the alley. ( Ah best laid plans .)
It will be interesting to see what character Morgan Freeman plays in his next film.
Both he and Redford played roles similar to what they have played before. -
soimparable05 — 19 years ago(August 11, 2006 12:55 AM)
Yess I agree with you wldvw. This was a beautiful movie.. In my openion. Morgan Freeman ALWAYS plays excellent roles I THINK anyway. Yea it seems like Morgan Freeman and Robert Redford play roles similer to their past roles. If that makes any sense
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Sueso — 19 years ago(August 12, 2006 10:37 PM)
I agree that the young girl, Becca Gardner, did a most excellent job. There is something about her voice! I really think all the actors in this did a very good job although I hate seeing Damien Lewis being the bad guy. (I like to think of him as a hero like in Band of Brothers). I enjoyed the storyline very much as well, and just ignored the rather obvious storyline stinkos mentioned before. The bear was amazing! The special features, interesting.
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chansen-1 — 19 years ago(November 13, 2006 09:41 AM)
I agree with jeffching (and I understood the metaphor). I wasn't a fan of the bear storyline. I just thought this entire movie was pretty cliched.
Don't get me wrong, it was an okay movie; and I really liked the acting done by everyone. I just don't think it was great. The bear metaphor reminded me a little of the bear killing Tristan in the end of Legends of the Fall, and much of the rest of the film was similar to the Horse Whisperer. (I'm sure I'll get bombarded with replies and arguments now, but whatever).
I love heartwarming films, but this one is quite predictable and tired. -
SnoopyStyle — 19 years ago(November 24, 2006 10:10 PM)
My God!
Horse Whisperer
put me to sleep. Nothing happens in it. Even the ending was a giant letdown. And I'm too afraid to watch
Legends of the Fall
. I might have to gouge my eyes out.
I'm not even sure I saw the same movies as you.
Horse Whisperer
was boring as hell, and the plot was paper thin.
As a sentimental movie, I rank this as one of the best of the recent releases in this genre. Suggest a better recent movie of this genre if you disagree. -
astat-2 — 19 years ago(December 11, 2006 03:57 AM)
Don't forget that Einar (Redford) was actually the one to blame for what happened to Mitch (Freeman) (Einar was drunk as skunt that night when the bear mauled his friend). That is why Mitch had the right to ask the favors.
Jean was not pissed off because she didn't know what exactly happened. She would be if she knew that her daughter was exposed to danger, but they didn't tell her. -
JaneJaneJane — 19 years ago(December 28, 2006 01:04 AM)
JeffchingThe reason the plate-breaking symbolism seemed so obvious to you is because it was SUPPOSED to be obvious.
The purpose of the scene was not so that the director could create a subtle symbolic moment (broken plate = broken life)for his audience to figure out. That would be way too easy, yes, and Hallstrom, as the director, knows that.
The scene with the plate really wasn't meant to be a symbolic moment at all; as Jean says, it's just a plate.
The true purpose of the scene has nothing to do with the plate and everything to do with what Einar says, "Some things are irreplaceable." And his statement is INCREDIBLY OBVIOUS because he is angry and trying to get in a dig at Jean. Hallstrom is showing us that Einar is still so caught up in the pain of the past that he refuses to let even the little things go without passing judgment, even something as pedestrian as the breaking of a plate.
Einar is looking for reasons to stay mad at Jean and blame her. The purpose of the scene is that we're supposed to recognize the depth of his bitterness and how petty it is.