The Bucket List

Directed by: Rob Renier
Written by: Justin Zackham
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd, Rob Morrow

Score: 5/10

I’m always a little cautious of films like The Bucket List. There packaged in a way that just doesn’t appeal to me. There the type of films that try and pull on heart strings without having any real reason to do so. There Filled with corny jokes and incredibly cheesy moments, and are constantly trying to pretend there’s a deeper story than there actually is. Films like this tend to be the big screen equivalent of a Hallmark made for TV movie. While The Bucket List might deserve a little more credit, because of the two Oscar winners in the starring roles, it still has many of the same qualities of those cheesy TV movies.

Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) is a hard working family man and somebody who tries to live life to the fullest. He’s a walking encyclopedia and is always spouting out interesting facts. Carter is diagnosed with cancer and ends up stuck in a hospital bed for a few months, sharing a room with Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) who also has cancer. Cole is the complete opposite of Carter – he’s loud and speaks his mind whenever he feels like it. He also happens to be incredibly wealthy and owns the hospital the two are staying in. Over the course of sharing a room together, the two strike up a friendship. Realizing his days are numbered, Carter writes a Bucket List, consisting of all the things he wants to accomplish before he dies. The list catches the attention of Edward, and with his large bank account fueling the ride, the duo set out on their adventure.

The main problem I had with The Bucket List is that it’s never as exiting as it should be. You have these two characters who are close to death, trying to live life to the fullest, but that ultimately just turns into them taking a trip around the world. They skydive and hit the racetrack in a Shelby GTO, but the rest of the time there sitting in a private jet awaiting their next destination or having dinner in a fancy restaurant. There are some creative things on the list, like ‘kiss the most beautiful woman in the world’, but there aren’t nearly enough. You never get the sense that these two are actually trying to live life to the fullest. With Edward’s endless resources and Carter’s ambitious attitude one would expect them to come up with better things to do. The lack of interesting things Carter and Edward accomplish is made worse by the fact that the first forty minutes are spent in the hospital. The build up to the actual ‘Bucket List’ isn’t worth the wait.

Despite having limited material to work from Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman still turn in decent performances, which is to be expected from these two legends of film. Although Nicholson is basically just playing a rift on his character from As Good As It Gets, which wasn’t a problem for me, but other might find it to be a bit stale. As one final note to this mediocre film – please stop with narration by Morgan Freeman. It’s become a cliché all on its own.

Overall, despite having two amazing actors in the starring roles, this film isn’t going to blow anybody away. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman have proven themselves time and time again, but there’s not much they can do to save The Bucket List.