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The Bucket List

The Bucket List

2008
Comedy about old age featuring elderly megastars Nicholson & Freeman. Written by a newbie and directed by Rob Reiner whom one might describe as good, not great.

Both corporate billionaire Edward Cole (Nicholson) and working class mechanic Carter Chambers (Freeman) are at a crossroads in their lives. They share a hospital room and discover they have two things in common: a desire to spend the time they have left doing everything they ever wanted to do before they "kick the bucket". Together they embark on the road trip ticking off their to-do-lists.

Starring Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd, Rob Morrow

Directed by Rob Reiner ('When Harry Met Sally', 'The Princess Bride', 'Stand By Me', 'This Is Spinal Tap', 'A Few Good Men')

Written by Justin Zackham

Comedy | 1hr 37mins | Rated (M) | offensive language | Origin: USA | Official Site »

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4 reviews

  • A little cliched

     2

    Brad Kreft

    Nobody (?)

    An all-too-familiar Morgan Freeman narration guides us into this rather soft attempt at an emotionally dense film about a pair of terminally ill oldies who try to have a last hurrah before they expire. For a film that relies so heavily on an emotional reaction The Bucket List delivers a disappointingly small amount of poignant feeling up until the final few scenes, by which time it is too late to save this weakly-written death comedy/drama.

    Now don’t get me wrong, I love Nicholson and Freeman as much as the next guy but these two screen titans had little to work with in terms of script. The beginning and middle stages of the film just didn’t seem to hit me with any real emotional weight. Laughter was MIA and the lump that I had expected to appear in my throat during this film never really materialised. The actors are not to blame though. Without Freeman’s smooth, intelligent style and the beautifully eccentric over-acting of Nicholson, The Bucket List would surely go down as one of the year’s biggest wastes of Hollywood funds. It’s just a shame they didn’t have a more powerful script at their disposal, as the idea is a solid one.

    So if you enjoy watching these two acting legends kicking around in their familiar styles then you may be into this film. Otherwise I think it should be best left to the oldies.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Amazing!

     5

    Jack

    Nobody (?)

    This was one of the best films i have ever seen. Two incredible actors, a great story line, beautiful cinematography and locations, i would highly recommend this movie!

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Aiming high at inspiration and positive death

     4

    Juliana

    Nobody (?)

    I thoroughly enjoyed this joyous blending of skills of two actors known for very different films and strengths. They looked like they were having a time full of camaraderie which made this a 'feel good' light comedy, despite its theme of dying...which let's be realistic we all have to face. The audience whom I sat alongside chuckled and laughed aloud and enjoyed the whole and left smiling (possibly indulgently). As an odler adult with a life-threatening condition I was right up there vicariously enjoying the idea of doing what they took on, wish fulfilment, time for themselves, which ultimately benefitted their families also.

    Agree? Disagree?...

  • Light hearted fun

     3

    Brian1

    Superstar (?)

    Worth going to, but it won't leave you totally fulfilled.
    You may wish to start your own bucket list, I wonder how many have following seeing Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman playing the 2 guys who meet whilst in hospital and see the world.

    Agree? Disagree?...

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Press Reviews

  • Chicago Sun-Times [Roger Ebert]

     1

    A movie about two old codgers who are nothing like people, both suffering from cancer that is nothing like cancer, and setting off on adventures that are nothing like possible.
    Read full review

  • Hollywood Reporter

    You'd think the team of Rob Reiner, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman might have had the right stuff. Alas, their labored efforts fail to lift The Bucket List out of its flatlining state.
    Read full review

  • Los Angeles Times

    Freeman and Nicholson make the most of Justin Zackham's script, but there just isn't enough substance behind their characters to prop up the carpe diem platitudes. The result is a semi-comedic, geriatric "Brokeback Mountain" minus the sex and with a Himalayan summit.
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  • Premiere Magazine [USA]

     1

    This terminally ill, terminally awful dramedy marks a sad cinematic milestone: The Bucket List is the first film in history to feature a truly wretched Nicholson performance -- and we're not talking about the character he plays.
    Read full review

  • San Fransisco Chronicle

    Emotionally false.
    Read full review

  • TV3 [Kate Rodger]

     3

    The film's not a complete waste of time, but certainly left me wishing it was so much more.
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  • Variety [USA]

    A feel-good film about death, a sitcom about mortality, "Ikiru" for meatheads. It's also a picture about two cancer patients confronting reality, and deciding how they want to spend their presumed last days, that has not an ounce of reality about it.
    Read full review

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