The Bucket List --- Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman bring home the magic

They came from different walks of life, one being a family man who prided himself on being so involved in their lives, and the second one content with leading a life by himself. The former, Carter Chambers, had been married for 40+ years, father to several children, and still worked as a mechanic in a local garage. The later, Edward Cole, ran a hospital, dealing with billions of dollars, and had enjoyed the solace of being able to control everything in his life. They were complete strangers up until the day they would first meet in a hospital room. The central link between them turned out to be that they were both diagnosed with terminal forms of cancer, neither being given much time left to live. Now they find themselves sharing the same room, and through a twist in fate, will get to know each other as good friends.

The movie isn't about what brought them together, but rather what they were able to do with the time they had left. The movie is called the Bucket List, because together they would create a list of things they would want to do before they died. It may seem like a dark and dreary subject, but the movie does a great job at lightening up the mood at times, and the character acting of the two stars really give you something to care about in the story. The rest of the movie is of self-discovery, as both Edward and Carter set out to complete the list, and experience things that they had only dreamed about in their lives. Along for the journey is the audience, as we see these two men learn something not only about each other, but about themselves as well. It is a great journey, and one that becomes quite rewarding to both the characters and the audience.

Putting Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in the lead roles of Edward and Carter was a perfect casting choice because of just how opposite the actors are in real life as well. Within the story, Nicholson plays his "loner" character quite well, and likewise Freeman is extremely believable as the devoted family man who has never taken the time to do anything for himself. They are both powerhouse actors, and together they are able to combine their strengths in a story that plays out quite well on the big screen. In a supporting role, I was also quite impressed with Sean Hayes (from Will & Grace) who didn't over-do his role, but rather was able to shine beside these two acting giants. With Nicholson carrying the tough emotional scenes and Freeman lending his perfectly timed narration, the film really succeeds on many different levels.

Bucket List can be a difficult film to watch if you have known someone who has gone through what they are experiencing, but it is also a film about hope and overcoming your own personal fears. It isn't meant to be a surprising film with twists and turns, and you can probably guess the ending just by knowing the premise of the film. It is a very emotional film, and it doesn't try to hide behind any clichés or jokes when delivering its most important moments, and for that I give the film a lot of credit. The third act itself played out really well, and even I have to be honest that I was touched by some of the closing scenes. Nicholson, Freeman, and Hayes all put in top-notch performances, and help make this an extremely enjoyable film. I liked just about everything about it, and while it won't stand alone as Oscar worthy or anything like that, it is still truly a good film.