The Bucket List

This is a "chick flick", but in a way, it's for guys. First of all let me say I loved it. Bring hankies. I cried all the way through it. How can you lose on a movie with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman? How can a movie miss with Rob Reiner as the director?

This is a movie about life and facing death and friendship between two completely different people. Morgan Freeman plays Carter Chambers, a man who, 45 years ago, had to marry his girlfriend and drop out of college because she was pregnant. Chambers comments that he can't believe how fast 45 years has passed. Jack Nicholson plays Edward Cole, an irascible corporate billionaire who sees everyone as idiots and views only the bottom line on anything. Life has passed him by without any joy, with the exception of a very expensive gourmet coffee. The two meet in the hospital, both suffering from terminal illnesses. At first Cole is very unfriendly. Chambers is very laid back and ignores the digs and snide comments. As the time passes in the hospital, they slowly warm to each other. One day Chambers is writing something. Cole wants to know what it is, but Chambers is reticent to tell him. While Chambers sleeps, Cole finds the paper on the floor ands reads it. When Chambers wakes up, he asks him about it. Chambers explains that, as a Freshman, his philosophy professor suggested that his students compose a "bucket list", a compilation of all the things they wanted to do before they "kick the bucket". They discover that between themselves they had two things in common: an unfinished need to figure out who they were and the life choices they'd made, and a pulsing desire to spend the time they had left doing many of the things they had always wanted to do. Against the doctor's advice, and Chamber's wife's objections (she's a nurse and realizes the gravity of the situation), they take off on a wild roller coaster adventure. They visit places they've always wanted to visit and do things that they've always wanted to do. As all this happens, they become close friends. After prodding from Chambers, Cole confesses to an estranged daughter that he is sure hates him. Chambers comes to realize that family is very important and cuts their romp short.

I don't want to spoil the ending. It's obvious that, with terminal illnesses, they both die. Cole gives one of the most moving eulogies I've ever heard (right up there with the eulogy from 4 Weddings and A Funeral). The ending is a tear-jerker. Both men finally realize the importance of friendship and family and ultimately act on that revelation.


This is a phenomenally good movie. It won't be a classic, and it probably won't win any awards; but it is damn good. This is one of the few films for which I'll buy the DVD when it comes out. I heartily recommend it. On Jim's scale of 1 - 10, I'd give this an 8.5