THE BUCKET LIST (2007)

 

The Bucket List (2007)

Genre: Drama, Comedy

 

Director: Rob Reiner

Writer: Justin Zackham

Stars: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman and Sean Hayes 

 

My score 3/5

Edward is a 70 years old billionaire who suffers from a terminal cancer and has no family of his own. Carter also suffers from a terminal cancer but a mechanic who has a loving family. These two meet up at a hospital and shares a room for a long time until they discover that they have reached the final year of their lives.  Then they decide to do a list of things which is called a ‘Bucket List’ before they die and sets off with. For Carter it was a trip of his life time with all expenses paid and for Edward it’s just luxury life style and temporary get away from the shadow of death. While in this journey they discover some meanings of life mixed up with experience and become very good friends.

As the plot sounds and the story goes the movie is quite entertaining. The old dudes played by Morgan Freeman (Carter) and Jack Nicolson (Edward) are gritty , miserable yet funny. The script is intelligently written at times which throw good lines out of each of them. Morgan and Jack being veteran reputed actors undoubtedly does their roles very well. Jack is mean and low at values at heart portraying Edward and Morgan is intelligent and patient portraying Carter. There are no other characters which is worthy of mentioning as supporting actors because the whole movie is strongly depend on the old duo throughout.

When you look at it from a point of a dying person who has regrets of his life and want to do something to at least to fix them while he can ‘Bucket List’ is a very emotional movie. Maybe even it will give you a tear or two at the end. But if you look at the whole movie and the plot in practical angle it becomes kind of a joke. That’s the main reason why ‘Bucket List’ will not be an all-time memorable drama. 

Take terminal cancer for example and how it effect the oldies. After they were told that they have only 6-12 months to live they go sky diving. I don’t have to be a doctor to understand that a patient at that age and stage of a cancer has more important and painful stuff to deal with every day of the rest of his life than going on a trip around the earth. And things which is less hassle to their health and practically achievable than trying to climb the Himalayas! And then it’s true that these two build up some friendship and does a thing or two to comfort themselves while still living but those things does not really have a weight to call as ‘life changing’. So if Carter thinks he has become a changed man after he met Edward then I got puzzled coz Carter was a good man any way. What the hell did Edward taught him that he already didn’t knew? 

My advice is to take ‘Bucket List’ for its surface value. Sit back and enjoy its interesting moments and emotional times rather than going in to detail. If not you might actually think that you can do all the crazy stuff after you get cancer and that is not good. You really need to stay at home and be with your family you know what I mean.

Trailer