MOVIE REVIEW: The Bucket List
Directed By: Rob Reiner

I'm glad I waited awhile to see this movie. I knew going into it that it might be a difficult subject for me to watch just based on my dad's own cancer story that I'm seeing unfold in front of me. Why would I pay $4.50 to see it on the big screen? Well, because I like the idea of the bucket list and I was ten minutes too late to see 27 Dresses, which would probably have been a better movie to see based on my fragile mental state.

The bucket list is one of those narrator films that Morgan Freeman seems to gravitate to (like Shawshank Redemption - which I've seen probably 150 times because it's one of those movies when flipping channels, that I will stop and watch.)

The first quarter of the movie was all about being sick. Setting up the older men, the horrible nature of cancer and chemo and the premise that Carter (Morgan Freeman's character) was the deep thinker and Jack Nicholson's character was not. The rest of the movie was about the journey through the bucket list that these strangers take.

Jack Nicholson bugs me. Maybe it's just because I really can't stand his voice and the fact that he has to use that "you can't handle the truth" intonation in every movie he is in. Maybe it's also because he just has this creepy old man lecherous vibe to him but seeing him old and sick and then a few rather unfortunate and completely editable moments just made me have a rather ill opinion about watching him. I understand that he was portraying the character but c'mon, do we really need the implication of sex in an airplane to really make the story unfold? I think I get it, he's not that nice of a man. I'm far from being a prude, but ewwww.

What I did appreciate in the movie was Morgan Freeman's portrayal of Carter. A smart man who gave up everything for his family who when faced with his mortality chose to chase after joy - not only for himself but for this stranger. Sure in going on this bucket list trip, he robbed his family of time with him, but somehow that choice to me was admirable illustration that faith and love need to be lived even if it's more about making a stranger realize the gift of faith he's been given is there all along.

Then there's the whole idea of joy. Do you feel joy in your own life? How do you bring joy to others. What broke my heart during the movie was thinking about dad and wondering how he'd answer the question at the stage of life he's in right now. Does he realize that he still has joy left to receive and to give? And if that ever does happen how much more time will there be to live it?

I probably scared the people walking out of the theater as I was still leaking tears as I walked out thinking about the movie and the ending.

My parents received the video A Walk To Remember as a gift for Christmas. Mom opened it and didn't have a clue what the video was about and so we told her the premise of the movie and her response was - why in the world would someone want to remind me of terminal cancer by giving me a movie about terminal cancer? And so I called mom and told her she probably should keep 27 Dresses or Juno on her list and skip The Bucket List. To the rest of you who might want to watch it ...it's probably a better movie to rent...or better yet - create your own bucket list and spend the time fulfilling that list.

**1/2 (two and 1/2 stars - some interesting writing but probably would have been better for me if they would have picked ANY other actor than Jack Nicholson.)