The Bucket List (2007)

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writer (WGA):

Justin Zackham (written by)

Release Date:

11 January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

When he closed his eyes, his heart was opened

Plot:

Two terminally ill men escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die.

Plot Keywords:

List | Hospital | Friend | Mechanic | Cancer

Awards:

3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 12	9:45 AM	MAX
Tue. Nov. 17	8:15 PM	MAX
Mon. Nov. 23	4:50 PM	MAX

Cast

Jack Nicholson	...	Edward Cole
Morgan Freeman	...	Carter Chambers
Sean Hayes	...	Thomas
Beverly Todd	...	Virginia Chambers
Rob Morrow	...	Dr. Hollins
Alfonso Freeman	...	Roger Chambers
Rowena King	...	Angelica
Annton Berry Jr.	...	Kai
Verda Bridges	...	Shandra
Destiny Brownridge	...	Maya
Brian Copeland	...	Lee
Ian Anthony Dale	...	Instructor
Jennifer Defrancisco	...	Emily (as Jennifer DeFrancisco)
Angela Gardner	...	Female Administrator
Noel Gugliemi	...	Mechanic

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, including a sexual reference.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43762) | Germany:o.Al. | Norway:A | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Sweden:Btl | Canada:G (Quebec) (theatrical rating) | Hong Kong:IIA | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | South Korea:12 | Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:S | Netherlands:AL | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:7 (original rating) | Iceland:L (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

California Speedway - 9300 Cherry Avenue, Fontana, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Justin Zackham wrote the script with Morgan Freeman in mind to play Carter.

Goofs:

Continuity: The very first thing on Carter's list is "see something majestic." At dinner, above "see something majestic" he writes "get back in touch." When Edward crosses that off, his pen is in the middle of the paper, and not at the top where "get back in touch" is written.

Quotes:

Edward Cole: Here's something to remember when you're older Thomas - never pass up a bathroom, never waste a hard-on, and never trust a fart.
Thomas: I'll remember that when I start "decrepitating" sir.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Girls Next Door: Kentucky Fried (#5.7)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

As much silly as serious

"The tragedy of old age is not that one is old, but that one is young." Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Now and then I should rethink what I've been learning all these years as a critic because I predicted The Bucket List would have all kinds of holes in it. It did, but they were tiny blemishes in an otherwise solid frame. This is a good movie, as much silly as serious. And therein lies the skill of director Rob Reiner, who makes sure Jack doesn't kill the lines with bluster and Morgan doesn't drown them in vocal sweetness.

Edward (Nicholson) and Carter (Freeman) meet in hospital where they have been given less than a year to live because of cancer. They bond, create the "kick-the-bucket" list of ten things to do before dying, and then do them. The hokey process shots at several of the world's wonders indicate the surety of Reiner's direction where he evokes the old Hope and Crosby road pictures and emphasizes that the journey is the important thing, not the destination.

Both men laugh and cry and change in subtle ways that make this not a maudlin exercise in death denial but rather a celebration of love through friendship, regardless of the grim future. Although Justin Zachman's script is overall weak given the actors' worth, there are lines that save it all from mediocrity: As Edward the cynic says, "We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round." As Carter the humanist says, "You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you." The two philosophies, fate and love, caress in a slow dance to recognition of life's true value.

The Bucket List is not half as sappy as I sound so far; it is a sober rendering of life's lessons at the end by two different men who find their common humanity.