Have you watched this movie? If not I recommend that you watch it regardless of where you are in your life stage. It is about a rich man (Edward) Jack Nicholson and a poor man (Carter) Morgan Freeman, who meet in an unusual place and became best friends. They develop a plan of doing interesting things before their demise which was ultimately coming soon.
Before they developed the BUCKET LIST both men have nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses, both had terminal cancer. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it Hospital) and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. In the process, both of them “heal” each other, become unlikely friends, and ultimately find “joy” in life.
Both Edward and Carter become friends as they undergo their respective treatments. Carter is a gifted amateur historian and family man who had wanted to become a history professor, but in his youth had been "broke, black, and with a baby on the way" and thus never rose above his job at the McCreath body shop. Edward is a four-times-divorced healthcare tycoon and cultured loner who “enjoys” nothing more than tormenting his personal valet/servant, Matthew, whom he calls Thomas. He makes Matthew serve Carter as well as him and orders his employee and doctor (Morrow) to familiarize himself with Carter's health.
Carter begins writing a list of things to do before he dies hence he calls it THE BUCKET LIST. After hearing he has less than a year, Carter folds the list carelessly and tosses it on the floor. Edward finds it the next morning. He urges Carter to do everything on the list, suggesting he add things like skydiving and offers to finance the trip. Which he did. Carter agrees, despite the protests of his wife, Virginia who thought that Jack is misleading Carter for his own gain. At some point Virginia is seen storming the hospital room shouting to Jack “ My husband is not for sale.”
In this moving movie both Edward and Carter are see in around-the-world vacation, embarking on race car driving, skydiving, climbing the Pyramids, and going on a lion safari in Africa. Both discuss a rare coffee and its unusual taste. Which sounds out of place based on the theme of the movie, but a keen ear and mind will understand it to mean their relationship with their families. They also confide about faith and family, revealing that Carter has long been feeling less in love with his wife and that Edward is deeply hurt by his estrangement with his only daughter, who disowned him after he sent some people to "take care of" her abusive husband hinting at physical assault, but ruling out murder. At this point the movie turns to be a pity to both of Edward and Carter.
One of the items in the list was to visit places like Hong Kong. While in Hong Kong Edward hires a prostitute for Carter, who has never had sex with any woman but his wife. Carter declines and asks to return home, and reciprocates by trying to reunite Edward with his daughter. Edward angrily storms off. Carter returns home to his wife, children, and grandchildren. The return home for Carter was short lived. Carter suffers a seizure and is rushed to the hospital where he dies during surgery. The cancer has spread to his brain. However before he dies Edward visit him in his hospital bed and they both are seen having light moment, which accomplished an item in the list, “laugh till I cry"
At Carter’s memorial service, Edward delivers a eulogy, explaining that he and Carter had been complete strangers, but the last three months of Carter's life were the best three months of his (Edward's). We see Edward crossing off "help a complete stranger for a common good" from the list. We see Edward finally attempt to reconcile with his daughter. She not only accepts him back into her life but also introduces him to the granddaughter he never knew. After greeting the little girl with a kiss on the cheek, Edward crosses "kiss the most beautiful girl in the world" off the list.
In the epilogue, we learn that Edward lived until the age of 81, and his ashes were buried in the top of the Himalayas Mountains. It turns out that Matthew, Edward’s servant is the one who places Edward's ashes alongside a can containing Carter's ashes, he crosses off the last item on the List "witness something truly majestic" and places it beside the remains of both Carter and Edward.
Both seemed to be happy with their endeavor to fulfill the list.
Critique: Both have terminal cancer with Carter having only one year to live. In the movie they don’t look sick people apart from the short time seen in the hospital. Edward is in remission, however his health improves daily. We don’t see him (Edward) going for checkups by his doctor which would be the case of cancer patients in remission. However it is only a movie.
In the opening of this summery I suggested that if you have not seen this movie, you make efforts to do so. It is an eye opener to doing all the things we would love to do in this life. Life is short, but if well lived there will be no regrets. Should one be sick to write a BUCK LIST? No.
This movie was suggested to me by a patient whom I was visiting, (Name and place withheld). He had watched the movie a few hours before I visited and he had his bucket list ready by the end of movie. I could remember one of the items in his list was to drive a truck (18 Wheeler) across the US. Unfortunately he died before he did this. However, he gave it a trial. The same with each one of us, let’s give it a trail and have our BUCK LIST.
