Imagine learning that in a few short months, your time in this world will be up and you will be passing on into the great beyond. How would you come to terms with such dire circumstances? Would you spend your last days counting down the inevitable, lamenting over regrets and what ifs, or making the most of your time and living life to the fullest?
The Bucket List explores these questions through the lives of two men: working class, salt-of-the-earth mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) and egomaniacal, billionaire hospital executive Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson).
After being diagnosed with cancer, Chambers checks into Cole’s hospital for treatment. Ironically, during a hearing addressing the living conditions of his hospital (in particular, its mandate of two patients per room, no exceptions), Cole begins coughing up blood and discovers he too has developed cancer.
As fate would have it, he is assigned to share a room with Chambers, and over time the men forge an unlikely friendship through their adversity. After learning they each have only a few months to live, they devise what Chambers calls a "bucket list:"- a list of things they want to do or accomplish before "kicking the bucket."
Their list includes everything from getting a tattoo (one of Cole’s contributions), to witnessing a moment of perfect beauty (Chambers’ biggest ambition). Through the means of Cole’s wealth, the men are able to travel the world and experience a wide variety of delights and thrills.
The more fascinating journey, however, is their personal one, as the new friends have many intriguing discussions about life, death and the afterlife. Chambers is a man of faith, while Cole is a cynical skeptic, believing only in himself. During the time they spend together, they influence each other in ways more profound than most people think possible, and when it’s all said and done, the most important lesson learned is what it means to be a friend.
As always, Nicholson’s comedic timing is excellent, and it can be argued that he once again "plays himself," but that is exactly what the role calls for. Some of the most effective scenes are those in which his character deals with not being in control of his life as he once was, and realizing that at the end of the day, his shallow lifestyle leaves him empty and alone. In fact, one wonders if Nicholson recognizes these things in his own life and will take the film’s message to heart.
What really stands out performance-wise is both actors’ portrayal of the harsh realities of cancer treatment and its side effects. There is no glamorization of the life of a chemotherapy patient here, with aching, vomiting and the general discomfort of spending week after week stuck in a hospital bed hooked up to wires and IVs.
Some of the best scenes are those in which Chambers and Cole talk about faith. Freeman’s character is vaguely Christian, with mention of his pastor and his family praying together before meals, but it is a Hollywood-ized faith in which he tells Cole that in regard to the afterlife, we are all on different streams headed toward the same lake.
This is not exactly accurate according to Christian theology, but, regardless, many of their good-natured arguments are classic believer-versus-skeptic discussions that touch on points applicable to many faiths.
If you want to think, laugh and enjoy great performances from two of the greatest actors of our time, then The Bucket List is worth checking out. At the very least, you should add seeing it to your list of things to do before you, well, kick the bucket.
