Film Review: The Bucket List: A Heart Warming Film That Needs to Be On Your Watchlist Now

Film: The Bucket List

Director: Rob Reiner

Language: English

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Plot (Spoiler Alert)

The movie "The Bucket List" has garnered its fair share of criticism, with some viewers finding it to be a contrived and unrealistic portrayal of two elderly men facing terminal cancer. The film opens with a narration by Morgan Freeman, a voiceover that worked in previous films like "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Million Dollar Baby," but feels out of place here. 

Freeman's character extols the virtues of a wealthy man named Edward, played by Jack Nicholson, who has been diagnosed with cancer and is sharing a hospital room with Freeman's character, Carter. This arrangement, where a billionaire doesn't have a private room in a hospital he owns, is just one of many details that the film gets wrong.

It's true that hospitals often profit from offering private rooms and concierge services, so Edward's insistence on sharing a room with Carter for a "Meet Cute" is hard to justify. 

They start off on the wrong foot but eventually embark on a whirlwind adventure to complete Carter's bucket list. This includes visiting famous locations like the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, Hong Kong, the French Riviera, and the Himalayas. Carter is married to his loving wife Virginia, who surprisingly tolerates her dying husband's impulsive journey. 

Edward, with four divorces under his belt, displays generosity but also comes across as egotistical and selfish. The film's attempt to portray his behavior as redemptive is one of its more peculiar fantasies.

The conversations between the two protagonists about the meaning of life feel forced, and Edward's transformation from a selfish man to a more compassionate one is predictable. The film, directed by Rob Reiner and written by Justin Zackham, seems to rely on sitcom clichés and struggles to break free from them. While I haven't experienced chemotherapy, I have had cancer, and I can attest that climbing the Himalayas is the last thing on one's mind during recovery. 

The top priorities are often mundane, like keeping down a meal, having a successful bowel movement, maintaining energy, expressing love to family, and managing pain effectively. The film includes scenes of toilet discomfort but shifts its focus once the characters begin their globe-trotting adventure.

During their journey, it's evident that most locations are created using special effects, making the film feel less genuine. We're left waiting for Edward to discover his inner humanity, reconnect with his estranged daughter, and absorb the life lessons Carter imparts. 

On the other hand, all Carter gains from this experience is time away from his family and the role of a moral guide for Edward's transformation.

It's tempting to imagine a different approach to the film, one where the Morgan Freeman character is portrayed as the great guy teaching Jack Nicholson's character, Edward, how to find hope and love. Instead, Edward's lavish spending and insistence that Carter join him in his escapades appear self-indulgent. 

The film's attempt to infuse humor into a story about cancer falls flat, especially when compared to movies like Mike Nichols' "Wit," which explore cancer with more depth and authenticity.

In the end, the only redeeming quality of "The Bucket List" is the consistent and commendable performance by Morgan Freeman, who manages to rise above the film's limitations. While it's not entirely Jack Nicholson's fault, his role in the film practically begs for an over-the-top performance, and it ultimately doesn't serve him or the audience well.

Written by: Richa Kumari

My rating: 3 out of 5