The Bucket List

The Bucket List (Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes) – Two exceptional actors.  A fascinating premise.  Excellent writing.  Phenomenal cinematography.  No-miss director.  The Bucket List has attracted reviews ranging from scathing (Roger Ebert) to exceptional and lots in between.  I liked it a lot, mainly because the interplay between these two great actors is magic.  The story is contrived: two men (a billionaire executive named Edward Cole played by Jack and Cater Chambers, a mechanic played by Freeman) find that they are dying of cancer, assigned to the same hospital room, and develop a fast friendship through their mutual tragedy.  The premise – that you should prepare a list of all the things they want to do before they “kick the bucket” – sets up the personal adventure of a lifetime for the two men.   Using Cole’s private jet, the two men travel the world to fulfill the wish list.  While the banter between the characters is reminiscent of Neil Simon’s Odd Couple, it’s the photography of France, China, Hong Kong, and the Himalayas that provide compelling vistas of self-discovery.  Admittedly, there are inconsistencies in director Rob Reiner’s film.  There are mistakes related to the illness, treatment, and condition of the patients, making the story melodramatic and improbable.  But it is easy to forgive Reiner (who first directed Nicholson in A Few Good Men) because he delivers a wonderful character study that deserves good box office.  Go to the movie for the acting and not the insight.  You can wait awhile to start your own “bucket list,” but don’t forget to do the things you always wanted to do.