"Well Worth A Look..."

I am reluctant to use the word "good" in describing anything of personal preference...too often expecting everyone else to equally share in my evaluation. The arts & croissant crowd apparently disliked this movie intensely, based on the number of critics from across the country who panned it for a myriad of reasons that, in my opinion, had very little to do with the message of the movie. Bottom line...I liked it very much and unabashedly recommend it to those people who appreciate an exploration of the indomitable human spirit.

Both Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman have been two of my favorite actors for years. I particularly liked Nicholson in Easy Rider, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and As Good As It Gets. As for Mr. Freeman I have yet to discover any character role in which he has not excelled, particularly enjoying Glory, Driving Miss Daisy, and The Shawshank Redemption. His distinctive voice of narration is unequal in its mellow, fatherly and comforting voice that can give credence and authoritative believability to even the most mundane of subjects. Freeman's role as God in Bruce Almighty and its sequel Evan Almighty made those films decidedly more enjoyable as light-hearted fare. Both Nicholson and Freeman thespian abilities easily excel in their latest acting venture, The Bucket List.

Without unintentionally revealing too much of the movie's underlying theme and purpose, the intended memorable lines in the film are uttered by Freeman's character, Carter Chambers, as he relays to Nicholson's character, Edward Cole, the two most important elements of living one's life: to find true joy in ones life and to share that joy with others. Brought together by fate and sharing a mutual realization that they were both terminally ill with cancer, the two forge an unlikely bond and decide that together they would set out to accomplish a list of things they deem of value before each "kicks the bucket." Their journey is not so much about the far-flung destinations in the world they visit, but about what they realize they have left behind.

I was unashamedly emotionally stirred by this movie...so much so that I intend to purchase a personal copy when it is released on DVD. Hardly an epic film like To Kill A Mockingbird or Schindler's List, but a moive of significant import that should be viewed by any person who questions the reason and purpose of their earthly existence. It is a 137 minutes of your life that could not otherwise be more wisely spent.