The Bottom Line
Director Rob Reiner apparently had a really easy job helming this comedy. Reiner let Nicholson be Nicholson and Freeman be Freeman, and that's what will draw in audiences. Even moviegoers who, like myself, think it's weird to see Nicholson playing an elderly man should appreciate what these two film veterans bring to these characters.
- Nicholson and Freeman make a formidable team onscreen
- Sweet and not overly sappy (although it edges into that territory)
- Absolutely forgettable
- The second half carries on at a snail's pace
Description
- Starring Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, and Beverly Todd
- Directed by Rob Reiner
- Written by first-timer Justin Zackham
- A Little Trivia: Morgan Freeman's real son, Alfonso, plays his son in the film
- Rated PG-13 for language including a sexual reference
- Theatrical Release Date: December 25, 2007 (Limited), January 11, 2008 (Wide)
Guide Review - The Bucket List Movie Review
What do you want to do before you kick the bucket? Wait, don’t answer that. Instead, write it down. There you go. Now you’ve made yourself a bucket list just like the characters in The Bucket List.
Dying cancer patients Edward Cole – a billionaire who owns hospitals but doesn’t want to spend his last days in one – and Carter Chambers – a working class mechanic who’s been married four decades – might come from opposite sides of the tracks, but they share a desire to do something special with their lives before they bite the dust. Cole’s got more money than Trump and he’s more than willing to spend whatever it takes to make sure he and his new best friend Carter can cross off every item from their joint list before they clock out for the final time.
After setting up the story, The Bucket List finds the two pals taking off on one big final adventure. Skydiving, racing cars, visiting the Pyramids in Egypt...nothing's off-limits as Edward and Carter check off things before checking out. Along the way they discover that life's really about relationships and not about conquering huge mountains and kissing beautiful women.
To Sum It Up
There's a small handful of supporting players in the film, but The Bucket List is really all about Nicholson and Freeman. Playing opposite Freeman really brings out the best in Nicholson, and vice versa.
A film designed for mature audiences, The Bucket List occasionally gets overly sentimental but that's excusable because, after all, it is a film about two men dying. The simple, sweet story is engaging and the acting's first-rate.
It's too bad the film changes tone and slows way down once the men leave their hospital beds. Prior to that, the interaction between Nicholson and Freeman is worth the price of a ticket. The way these two iconic actors play off one another is as good as it gets.
GRADE: B-
