Bucket List Essay

Different people might react differently to different news. Obviously, the news about the nearness of death would cause a reaction beyond extraordinary. Most are likely to be shocked, but how they spend the rest of their lives depends on the individual. Someone might get depressed and isolate themselves from the world, and someone will do things he did not dare to do all his life, such as travel around the world. Bucket List in this regard teaches a great lesson that it is never too late to start living life to the fullest, even if there is very little time left.

Summary and Analysis

The film The Bucket List (2007) can be called the ideological brother of the German film Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door released 10 years earlier. In both movies, previously unfamiliar neighbors in the hospital ward learn about the disease and that they have little time left to live, so they decide on the biggest trip of their lives (Reiner). But this film is more of a life story about the desire of two people to live life to the fullest.

Billionaire Edward Cole buys and modernizes hospitals. It makes them more compact, which is profitable, but less convenient for doctors and especially patients. Ironically, he finds out that he is terminally ill, and finds himself in one of his clinics in a joint with a neighbor by accident, a mechanic Carter Chambers who is dying of cancer. Lying in a hospital bed, Chambers makes a list of things he would like to do before his death. But in a fit of sadness, throws him out. Cole picks up a piece of paper. He finds this idea interesting. He adds his points and asks Chambers to do everything from the list together. He also promises to sponsor the trip. Carter did not doubt for long but eventually accepted the offer (Reiner). This makes a turn into one of the general themes of the movie. Two different people with different attitudes and life goals join together for the trip of their life.

The main characters of the film will have to go through, perhaps, the happiest time before the inevitable end. They will have vivid impressions, the opportunity to reconcile with relatives and discover those traits that have been hidden through the daily hustle and bustle. The story told in the film turned out to be fascinating in its own way, it is very interesting to watch how two old people from different walks of life and views find common ground and help each other to understand their problems. And this despite the fact that the film is not a drama. Of course, there are some sad scenes in the film, but most of the time the film is full of bright humor, which sometimes gets darker. The main characters go to India, Nepal, Egypt, and drive sports cars. And all this is complemented by funny comments or conversations on philosophical topics (Elias). This adds another dimension to the movie making it more bittersweet rather than simply funny or tragic. At the same time, this combination does not make the movie overly complex and, thus, more accessible to audience.

Morgan Freeman’s acting duo as Carter Chambers and Jack Nicholson as Edward Cole is another reason to watch the film. Both actors already have fame and acting experience, so the film played wonderful (Elias). Freeman portrayed a wise and seriously good man, while Nicholson is more like an ironic cynic, who is also not without kindness. Of the actors, I would like to mention Sean Hayes in the role of Cole’s assistant, who accompanies the main characters almost the entire journey and it seems that his character has a symbolic role of a guide to another world.

Conclusion

With such a rich plot and such wonderful actors, the film came out extremely successful. As a result, we see two amazing actors, sentimentality, and a good mood. Interestingly, critics blew up The Bucket List, while viewers praised the film and gave it a good box office. In general, The Bucket List is a very good film with a classic but very good idea that stimulates the audience to take a more relaxed stance in their lives and live it to the fullest.

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Works Cited

Elias, Debbie Lynn. “The Bucket List”. Behind The Lens Online, 2022, https://behindthelensonline.net/site/reviews/the-bucket-list/.

Reiner, Rob. The Bucket List. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., 2007.