I don’t think
cancer should be something to joke about, let alone make a laugh-out-loud movie
about. I also don’t think death should be made fun of. But regardless of what I
think, The Bucket List is a movie I enjoyed when it first came out in
2007, and I still found myself laughing when I watched it again in 2015.
For me, the cast
was a golden pair. The story could have been better, but when you look at the
events in the movie and the unfortunate way the two leads (Jack Nicholson and
Morgan Freeman) met, you can’t help but laugh.
After the film,
the term “bucket list” became a permanent part of the English dictionary. So,
if you’re wondering where the term came from, there you go.
The movie didn’t
start off great. The introduction of the leads could have been given a grander
gesture, but the director went for a subtle intro for Morgan and a loud,
obnoxious one for Jack. The director’s aim—plain to see—was to make you feel
sympathy for one and a nagging dislike for the other.
The movie’s plot
revolves around these two guys, Carter Chambers (Freeman) and Edward Cole
(Nicholson). Both have cancer and have been given less than a year to live.
Feeling sad and
down, wishing they could get more out of their lives, they decide to go on a
once-in-a-lifetime trip with a list of things they want to do before they die.
In the end,
you’ll either hate it or love it, but this was a good film. Although it
received mixed reviews, and Roger Ebert—himself a cancer patient—didn’t like
the film because he didn’t fancy the idea of his ailment being turned into a
joke, the movie is a keeper for fans of both leads. It was also a financial
success in its own right. If I come across this movie again on cable, I’ll sit
tight and give it another watch. It is not a cinema movie, it is a sit down and
laugh movie, with a cast that tries hard enough to make sure you enjoy your
viewing.
It was fun
seeing what these old guys were up to, now that they knew they had only a few
months to live. If it were me—or if it were you—the question I’d like to ask
is:
Wouldn’t you also want to go out with a bang?
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