'Unfinished' Sympathy

Being Jennifer Lopez's father-in-law can't be an easy job. (Certainly, it's not one with a lot of job security.) So maybe it won't be too big of a stretch for her to play a woman who's estranged from her father-in-law in ''An Unfinished Life.'' Variety reports that she's close to signing on to shoot the movie, in which she'd play a struggling single mom who reluctantly moves in with said in-law for her daughter's sake. ''Chocolat'''s Lasse Hallstrom will direct.

The Revolution Studios/Miramax co-production would reunite Lopez with the studios behind two of her recent projects, Revolution's current release ''Maid in Manhattan,'' which is Lopez's biggest hit (having grossed $76 million so far), and Miramax's upcoming ''Jersey Girl,'' which she and fiancé Ben Affleck recenly wrapped. Hallstrom is a Miramax mainstay, having delivered year-end Oscar hopefuls for the studio in three of the last four years (''The Cider House Rules,'' ''Chocolat,'' and ''The Shipping News''). ''Unfinished'' is shooting in April, so maybe Miramax can get this one into theaters by Christmas as well.

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