FINE ACTORS WASTED IN A SCENIC CLICHE.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

'AN UNFINISHED LIFE'' feels like an unfinished movie.

A family drama set in scenic Wyoming foothills, it's all about flawed people shambling toward forgiveness of themselves and each other. Well and good, except all of their flaws are old hat and redemption hangs over the piece like the pine forests covering the looming mountains. Or like a forgone conclusion.

Robert Redford goes for grizzled as Einar Gilkyson, an unhappy rancher, recovering from alcoholism but still wallowing in grief over his son's death in a car crash some dozen years ago. Jennifer Lopez is her usual spunky self (if more guilt-ridden than usual) as his daughter-in-law, Jean, who fell asleep at the wheel that awful night. Apparently, except for initial recriminations, they haven't exchanged a word since.

To punish herself, Jean has gone on to a series of abusive boyfriends. But when she finally flees the latest batterer with her 11-year-old daughter, Griff (Becca Gardner), there's no other refuge than Einar's gone-to-seed ranch. The old coot doesn't want to see her, but, surprised to learn that he's a grandfather, reluctantly takes the females in.

You just know that plucky little Griff will warm Einar's petrified heart. To help the process along, Morgan Freeman has been assigned his frequent wise-adviser-to-troubled-white- folks duties again. This time, he plays Einar's trusty ranch hand Mitch Bradley, who was mauled by a grizzly bear a year before Jean and Griff showed up. He's been tenderly cared for by the, yes, also guilt-wracked Einar, who was too drunk to help at the time of the attack. Mitch wants to forgive the bear who left him an invalid, too.

OK, that's a little distinctive for an otherwise cliched effort. But it's in keeping with the closure-happy agenda of married writers Mark and Virginia Spragg's screenplay (she's a former therapist, and the script's hyped-up emotional confrontations and earnest reach for trauma recovery show it). This is the kind of movie in which even supporting characters are coping with horrendous losses, and usually right when Jean or Einar need to hear about it.

``Unfinished Life'' was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, the master of superficial cinematic sensitivity responsible for ``The Cider House Rules,'' ``Chocolat'' and ``The Shipping News.'' If the Danish side of my family is any example, the Swedish filmmaker and Redford do manage to hit a few major behavioral notes truly: Einar's cussed, Scandinavian genius for placing blame and nursing grudges. Other than that, the scenery has more definition than the people.

Bob Strauss, [phone]

bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com

AN UNFINISHED LIFE - Two and one half stars

(PG-13: violence, children in jeopardy, sex, language, drug use)

Starring: Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, Morgan Freeman, Becca Gardner, Josh Lucas.

Director: Lasse Hallstrom.

Running time: 1 hr. 48 min.

Playing: In wide release.

In a nutshell: Trite family drama set on a Wyoming ranch rarely convinces us it's about fully fleshed-out people.

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Photo:

Robert Redford, left, is a ranch owner, and Morgan Freeman is his ranch hand in ``An Unfinished Life,'' set in the beautiful Wyoming foothills.