Now here's the "clever" part of the script. As Cole and Chambers are forced into friendship by their common condition and close quarters, Cole discovers a list Chambers has been writing. Chambers calls it the "bucket list" because it represents all the things he wants to do before he kicks the bucket. Chambers, who was once a philosophy major, has lived a modest life and the things on his list reflect that. But billionaire Cole poo-poos Chamber's list. He says that if you're going to make a list of things to do, make it big and aim high. But that's easy for a rich guy to say. So, since Cole has the money to do whatever he wants he offers Chambers a chance to fulfill an ambitious bucket list. Chambers, who has a family, initially scoffs at the idea, but Cole, who has no one that he's very close to, encourages his new buddy to join him for one final fling. After all, he suggests, it's about time Chambers realizes some of his dreams. So the two escape from the hospital, concerned family members and chemotherapy to travel the globe, sky dive, and make the most of the short time they have left.
Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson in The Bucket List (Warner Brothers)
A feel good movie about death is tricky. Usually, such fare wallows in syrupy sentimentality and forced emotions. The Bucket List joins P.S. I Love You , which is already in theaters, in pursuing this oddball combo. P.S. I Love You involves a dead husband who tries, from beyond the grave, to teach his wife how to move on without him. The gimmick in this case is a series of letters he has left behind that keep him "alive" on screen. Then there was Whose Life Is It Anyway? in which a paralyzed artist cheerily begs for death and makes everyone feel good about euthanasia. It's ads promised: "You'll have a lot of laughs... before you cry." Well that's the attitude that The Bucket List presumes to take. Only problem is that it's neither very funny nor very emotional.
In The Bucket List , you have a pair of superb actors that are expected to compensate for the weaknesses of the script, and to a degree they do. There is an undeniable fun factor in seeing these two actors play off each other. It's just a shame that they are trapped in a bad sitcom. The fact that they manage to make us care about their characters despite the stupidity of the plot is a tribute -- of sorts -- to their talent.
The film ends up being little more than a big budgeted sitcom that desperately wants to wring genuine emotions from its uninspired material. Zackham's script calls on Nicholson to do his best "Jack" performance, widening his eyes and acting crazy. Director Reiner doesn't do much to control him or guide him. Nicholson's manic antics are meant to carry the lame script. Meanwhile Freeman has the thankless task of playing straight man to Nicholson's eccentric Cole. Together they are a predictably odd couple. We are forced to watch such tired gags as seeing them sky dive and watching Freeman's Chambers freak out while Nicholson's Cole takes delight in his friend's terror.
Morgan Freeman and Beverly Todd in The Bucket List (Warner Brothers)
Freeman's Chambers actually does have some interesting dimensions but they never get developed. He's a man with potential and intelligence but he has passed over his own desires and interests in order to take care of his family. Yet he never seems to resent or regret his choices. The problem with the story is we don't buy that he'd leave his family to go cavorting around with Cole. It's a selfish act from a selfless man, and therefore comes across as not believable. But then there is a lot contrivance used to keep this film moving along.
Reiner has given us such comic delights as The Sure Thing, This Is Spinal Tap , and The Princess Bride , and such sweet dramas as Stand By Me . But The Bucket List does nothing to test his talent, and he seems to make no effort to bring much inspiration to the film. But then most of his recent work, such as Rumor Has It, Alex and Emma , and The Story of Us , seem to lack inspiration. It's been a long time since Reiner has displayed the charm and freshness that marked his early work.
The Bucket List (rated PG-13 for language, including a sexual reference) is for people who thought Grumpy Old Men was high comedy. If you want a funny, uplifting, and genuinely touching film about death, go see Harold and Maude. As for The Bucket List , it dies long before the characters do.
Companion viewing: Harold and Maude, Whose Life is It Anyway?, About Schmidt, Street Smart
