The Bucket List

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two men (Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman) both find themselves in a hospital, with only a few months to live. They decide to live out the remainder of their lives by doing all the things they always wanted to do. They begin checking things off their "bucket list," but find much more than they ever imagined.

Review:

Tim: I felt a compelling emotional tug towards this movie from the first time I heard of it. I just knew this would be an entertaining, memorable film. First, the title is great. I love the concept of having a bucket list. Secondly, the cast is great. Pitting Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman together is a brilliant move. Third, the film is about capturing the essence of life, of finishing one's life strong. This movie had my recommendation in the bag. However, a funny thing happened while I watched. I realized that although all those great qualities are present, the movie still manages to disappoint. The emotional impact that so easily could have been present is nonexistent. No, this film definitely flawed.

I need to start out by saying that I never really bought the Nicholson-Freeman friendship. Part of this is due to the script. Freeman's character is a bit hard to like, a caricature of that hard-luck man who should have been so much more. His absurd level of intelligence (knows all the answers on Jeopardy) is way too over-the-top and he never really connects with the audience. Nicholson is far more grounded, as we expect him to be a bit over-the-top. Nicholson also gives the better performance, remaining believable throughout most of the film. Freeman, however, did not bring his "A" game, as he very often appears silly or hard to take seriously in his role. The supporting cast isn't even worth mentioning, as this film is really about the two leads.

A cheap feel to it also hurts the movie. Several scenes are obviously against a green screen (did anyone really believe Nicholson and Freeman were sitting atop that pyramid?) that jar the audience out of any emotional state they might have been feeling. Too much of their travels afar are either cheapened by special effects or Freeman's incessant droning on and on about some obscure fact he's memorized. Not enough time is spent on developing these characters' friendship.

I will credit the movie will coming together in the end. The film's beginning is strong, but the movie then takes a turn that feels like it is just wasting time until we can get to the end. Despite the film's may flaws, the movie does give us the powerful, emotional ending we had been waiting for. For this reason, I was able to forgive The Bucket List for many of its previous inadequacies. While I still maintain a fairly high level of disappointment, I'll admit that this movie still has a lot going for it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Green Mile, Life is Beautiful, Life as a House, The Shawshank Redemption