Einar (Redford) has a lot to feel sorry about. His only son died aged 23, a tragedy which drove him to drink…and drove his wife away.

Sozzled on Jack Daniels, he was helpless when a bear mauled his best friend and ranch-hand Mitch (Freeman), crippling him for life.

Now his days are spent trying to eke a living out of his tumble-down Wyoming farm and shooting syringes of morphine into Mitch's butt.

Suddenly, daughter-in-law Jean (Lopez) - the woman he blames for the death of his son in a road accident - turns up on his porch, begging for somewhere to stay.

She's on the run from her abusive boyfriend Gary (Lewis) and has brought with her 11-year-old Griff (Gardner), the granddaughter Einar never knew he had.

Director Lasse Hallstrom has become something of an expert in this sort of unsubtle, unchallenging yet never less than engaging type of drama.

Redford is always a compelling screen presence as the grumpy old git you know hides a heart of gold while Freeman can be relied upon to deliver a steely shot of gnarled dignity.

In one of the more amusing scenes, Griff convinces herself there's a Brokeback Mountain scenario between the two old-timers, an observation which elicit hoots of laughter.

Elsewhere, Lopez is fine as the battered mother re-born thanks to uncomplicated cop Josh Lucas's attentions and the simple country virtues of the good ole' folks of the town.

Hallstrom is not a director of nuance so we're seldom dealing with anything other than careworn stereotypes…but it's a style that's served him well in the likes of Chocolat and Cider House Rules.

Largely thanks to the services of an A-list cast, fans of those movies will find plenty to savour...even if it's really Little House on the Prairie with added grit.

Tim Evans