Nicholson and Freeman; An Unlikely Pair

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman have proven to be big-screen powerhouses in the last few decades.  Director Rob Reiner brought the two actors together for his 2007 Comedy/Drama, The Bucket List. 

The movie begins with Carter Chambers (played by Morgan Freeman), an auto-mechanic of 46 years who once had dreams of becoming a history professor and the first black president.  Though children and marriage intervened on his young dreams, Carter begins a list of more realistic things to do before he “kicks the bucket” while in the hospital with cancer.

We then meet billionaire Edward Cole, played by Jack Nicholson.  Edward owns the local hospital, and has been criticized for his lack of funding for expansion.  “I run hospitals, not health spas. Two beds to a room, no exceptions.”  Edward made this statement numerous times, but regrets it when he finds himself terminally ill, with no privacy, in a room next to Carter.

The differences between the two men are apparent.  While Carter correctly answers every question on Jeopardy!, Edward complains and drinks his gourmet coffee.  All differences aside, the one-year-left prognosis for the men creates a bond between them.

Edward and Carter combine forces to make the ultimate “Bucket List.”  Against the doctor’s orders, they leave the hospital to travel the world together.  Determined to live out the list, the men participate in adventures such as race-car driving and sky-diving.  Carter and Edward seek the joy of life and become the best of friends.

Nicholson and Freeman were certainly typecast for their characters in the movie.  When you think of Jack Nicholson you think of comedic sarcasm.  Morgan Freeman tends to deliver a more serious, heart-warming tone.  This movie reinforces those roles.

The audience at the Regal Cinema in Christiansburg, Va., skewed 50 years of age and older.  The movie provided a mature message that is probably more appreciated by mature viewers.  As I looked around the theatre after the movie, the audience seemed truly touched by the sincerity of The Bucket List.

The Bucket List gives us an extremely unlikely scenario.  The idea of two strangers, who are complete opposites, deciding to leave their families for the last months of their lives, seems a little absurd.  The movie might be a little melodramatic, and the idea of sky-diving and traveling the world before you die is definitely cliché.  However, the tone of the movie is wonderfully set.  If you are looking for a good chuckle with heart-warming sincerity, The Bucket List is for you.