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The Bucket List Our rating: Rate this movie   MPAA rating: PG-13 (for language, including a sexual reference) Genre: Comedy, Drama Theater release: December 25, 2007 by Warner Bros. Directed by: Rob Reiner Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes Cast: Jack Nicholson (Edward Cole), Morgan Freeman (Carter Chambers), Sean Hayes (Thomas), Beverly Todd (Virginia Chambers), Rob Morrow (Dr. Hollins), Rowena King (Angelica) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) is a car mechanic and a loving family man with a penchant for trivia. Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) is a billionaire with an appreciation for the finer things, but with an unsympathetic, boorish attitude. The two end up sharing a hospital room due to a corporate policy that Edward himself instated. Cue the theme to The Odd Couple.

Actually, in spite of their obvious differences, the two men share something important in common (besides being portrayed by popular Oscar-winning actors): both are terminally ill with the prognosis of mere months to live.

Morgan Freeman as Carter

As they endure chemotherapy treatments together, Carter and Edward forge a friendship and begin talking about life and death. Recalling an assignment from his college philosophy class, Carter begins to write a "bucket list" of things he'd like to experience before he kicks said bucket. Staring at mortality, their deadlines looming, wealthy Edward makes some additions of his own and proposes that the two begin fulfilling their checklist, a journey that takes them around the world despite the protests of Carter's wife Virginia (Beverly Todd).

From there it's pretty obvious where this movie is headed. There are laughs to be had as the men live out some of their childish fantasies. Tears are shed, lives are changed. One man learns that in spite of what little he's experienced in his life, he's always had all he ever wanted. The other has everything, only to discover he has nothing. Predictable? Perhaps, but if nothing else, this movie reminds us of the importance of the journey.

The Bucket List strikes a nice balance between comedy and drama, favoring humor and poignant conversations over weepy developments. And it probably wouldn't have worked as well without two veterans like Nicholson and Freeman. Not that their performances are ground-breaking. In essence, both are doing what they do best, but in a way, that helps their characters seem more believable. We relate to them because they're so familiar.

Jack Nicholson as Edward

Freeman is the friendly everyman, extolling sagely wisdom and virtue. He even narrates part of the film a la Shawshank Redemption and March of the Penguins. Carter is the model of tranquility, even when he gets the bad news about his condition. But I love the frustration he expresses as a man who gave all his time to his family for 45 years, yet now is faced with missing out on the joy and majesty life has to offer. And it also helps that Freeman's smile and laughter is so contagious.

In contrast, Nicholson is the mischievous grouch, often recalling his fine work as the aging retiree in About Schmidt. Though it's fun to see young Jack light up—signature grin, raised eyebrows—as Edward starts telling Carter about all the fun they can have together. Admittedly, you want to see Edward suffer a bit because of his attitude, and yet we feel for him as he copes with the agonizing cancer treatments. When he says, "I've never been sick before," it's delivered as a sympathetic epiphany from an unsympathetic man who to this point has no idea what it means to suffer physically. Now is that good writing or acting to draw such a dynamic response from us to Edward's character?

Skydiving is one of the first things on their list

For sure, the writing is sharp. Nicholson gets the most laughs, though some of them only work through his astute interpretation. When Carter asks how Edward proposes to kiss the most beautiful girl in the world, he simply replies, "Volume." Equally funny is Edward's assistant Thomas (Sean Hayes from TV's Will & Grace), matching his cantankerous employer barb for barb. When Edward tells Thomas to handle his death by treating it as if it was his own, his witty response is priceless, without missing a beat.

Kudos to director Rob Reiner, who has had his share of triumphs (When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride) and failures (North, The Story of Us). The Bucket List is closer to the first list, and is more accessible than 2005's Rumor Has It, his keen sense of comedic timing and heartfelt delivery back on track here. And there are inventive touches, such as the weird shot of Nicholson wearing special reading glasses for lying in bed—it makes him look like some kind of bug as he receives the prognosis from his doctor.

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