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The Bucket List

Seeing this movie is not something you need to do before you die

By Matt Pais

Metromix
December 25, 2007

Critic's Rating:

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With only a year left until cancer gets the better of them, wealthy executive Edward (Jack Nicholson) and average mechanic Carter (Morgan Freeman) leave the hospital to follow their own bucket list—a rundown of things to do before kicking the bucket, like skydiving, flying to France, driving fast cars, etc. Freeman narrates, since his contract apparently has a clause requiring him to do voiceover if he wants to be on camera.

Big question: Can director Rob Reiner finally recapture the long-gone magic of "This is Spinal Tap" and "When Harry Met Sally," or is "Bucket" as painful as Reiner's recent work like "Rumor Has It" and "Alex and Emma"?

Skip it: Hollywood rarely makes movies about the dying wishes of poor people, since that might actually teach something about life lived to the fullest without global traveling. While Edward tries to reconnect with his daughter and Carter hopes to rediscover his passion for his wife, "The Bucket List" is just an excuse to trot out lines like, "I know that when he died his eyes were closed and his heart was open," that don't sound good even when coming from Freeman's mouth.

Catch it: If you're eager to see physical comedy like Nicholson falling while trying to get into a hospital bed or earnest pursuits like Carter's desire to "witness something truly majestic." Is it sappy in here or is it just us?

Bottom line: The reliable veteran actors notwithstanding, this is still the kind of movie you hoped Nicholson and Freeman wouldn't make and the kind Reiner's been making for a while. By the time Carter's able to cross off laughing until he cries, you're less likely to sob along than laugh at how forced everything feels.

Bonus: Good news for anyone who, like Edward, fears being buried because they're often claustrophobic. We really shouldn't have to explain any further.