On the surface, The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, may seem like a buddy-comedy, a sort of Grumpy Old Men for the new millennium. Nicholson, known for recent comedic turns in As Good As It Gets and Something’s Gotta Give seems to slip into grouchy mode in the previews, with his witty comeback to his assistant’s compliment; “Nobody cares what you think.” Freeman, on the other hand, appears to be the movie’s Danny Glover, suckered into a situation way outside his comfort zone.

 

Though there’s room for humor, the movie’s serious tone may come as a surprise to viewers, touching on subjects of faith, family, selfishness and friendship. Morgan’s Carter Chambers, a deeply religious man, is anchored in the hope of where he’ll spend eternity, although conflicted on the home front. Nicholson’s billionaire Edward Cole is a (typecasting alert!) womanizing playboy determined to suck the very last minute out of his rapidly fading life.

 

The duo devise a list of activities to do and things to accomplish before their deaths, taking them around the world driving race cars, jumping out of an airplane, motorcycling on the Great Wall of China, attempting to scale the Himalayas and soaking in the city of Tokyo.

 

Narrated by Freeman, the film offers plenty of food for thought about what’s really important when push comes to shove: “You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you.”  When does carpe diem come at the expense of those who love you most? At one point, Carter and Cole spend a few moments discussing eternity and although it’s never fully resolved, you’d like to think that Cole was eventually drawn by the hope in his friend’s eyes.

 

Funerals are a time when people take stock of their lives, wondering how they’ll be remembered; what type of legacy they will leave. Tracing the steps of two men rapidly approaching theirs, The Bucket List will give viewers a chance to reflect on themselves, not only highlighting friendship but hopefully also bringing resolution to areas they’ve been neglecting.