Don't think the Colin Firth character was that well rounded or believable and the whole seemed somewhat underwritten.
I disagree. Firth's character, Edward, was well-rounded considering he wasn't the main protagonist.
The boy Fraser's coming-of-age parallels his father's maturing as an adult well into his 30s. Edward (Firth) is a likable inventor who runs the sphagnum moss business. He's fun, likable, loves Beethoven & the Bible and preaches at his church, which suggests that he's goodhearted, but he's resistant to change and refers to jazz as the devil's music. His spirituality is tested by the arrival of Heloise and is found wanting. Worse, he can't hide his childish infatuation from his wife.
Although Edward is right about the brilliance of Beethoven, he's wrong about jazz (if he thinks jazz is "of the devil," what would he think of today's black metal or gangsta rap?). And although his good side shines brightly, his glaring hypocrisy cannot be condoned (which explains Heloise's subtle rebuke at the dinner table). The way Heloise naturally arouses raging male hormones isn't just testimony to the power of a beautiful woman, it's testimony to the necessity of character and faithfulness for any man married to another woman, like Edward.
Edward's rash lie at Gamma's wake was a very ignoble thing to do and it made me lose respect for him, but it was the result of his unrestrained fantasies concerning Heloise and corresponding pent-up frustrations. Thankfully, he later humbly repents, to which his wife eventually forgives and they go on to blissful matrimony.
I hope he apologized to Morris (McDowell) and, especially, Heloise as well.
It wasn't until after watching "My Life So Far" that I realized how smart it is. It makes its points simply through showing the day-to-day life of the Pettigrew/MacIntosh family one season in 1930.
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