The Bucket List
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| The Bucket List | |
|---|---|
 Promotional film poster |
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| Directed by | Rob Reiner |
| Produced by | Craig Zadan Neil Meron Travis Knox Justin Zackham |
| Written by | Justin Zackham |
| Starring | Jack Nicholson Morgan Freeman Sean Hayes Beverly Todd Rob Morrow |
| Cinematography | John Schwartzman |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 2007 (limited) January 11, 2008 (wide) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $45 million |
| Gross revenue | $141,218,795 |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Bucket List is a 2007 American film from Warner Bros. Pictures written by Justin Zackham, directed by Rob Reiner and starring Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd, and Rob Morrow. The story follows two terminally ill men (Nicholson and Freeman) on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they die.
The film received its premiere on December 15, 2007 in Hollywood. It opened in limited release in the United States and Canada on December 25, 2007 and was distributed by Warner Bros. The film opened in wide release in the United States and Canada on January 11, 2008. It was released in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2008. The film was released in Australia on February 21, 2008.[1] [2]
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Blue-collar mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) and billionaire hospital magnate Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) meet for the first time in the hospital after both have been diagnosed with cancer. They 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 (named after a healthcare consultant and friend of the writer) body shop. Cole is a corporate tycoon, eccentric loner, four times divorced, who enjoys nothing more than tormenting his personal valet/servant, Matthew, whom he calls Thomas (Sean Hayes). He quickly befriends Carter, making Matthew serve Carter as well as him and ordering his doctor (Rob Morrow) to familiarise himself with Carter's health.
Both are diagnosed with a year or less to live. Carter begins writing a "bucket list," or things to do before "he kicks the bucket." After hearing he has less than a year to live, Carter wads it up and tosses it on the floor. Matthew comes in the next morning and picks it up with other things that are on the floor. Cole finds it among the items and reads it. Cole pushes Carter (by suggesting he add things like seeing the world, sky diving, "fun things," etc.), and promises to finance the trip, as he is very wealthy. Despite the protests of his wife, Virginia (Beverly Todd), Carter eagerly agrees.
The pair then begin an around-the-world vacation, embarking on race car driving, sky diving, climbing the Pyramids, and going on lion safari in Africa. Along the way they discuss faith and family, and learn from each other that Carter has long been feeling less in love with his wife and Cole 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.
In Hong Kong, Cole hires a prostitute for Carter (Rowena King), who has never had sex with any other woman than his wife, but Carter declines, he finds that the love he had for his wife is still strong. He asks to return home, and in gratitude for helping him, he tries to reunite Cole with his daughter, but Cole lacks the courage to face her. He angrily storms off and Carter returns home to his wife, children, and grandchildren.
The family reunion is short lived. Carter relapses and is rushed back to the hospital. The cancer has spread to his brain. Cole, who is now in complete remission, visits him there, and they share a few moments together where Carter reveals the origin of the "world's most expensive coffee" (Kopi Luwak). They share a good laugh and Carter crosses off "laugh till I cry" and insists Cole finish the list without him. Carter then goes into surgery, but the procedure is unsuccessful and he dies on the table. Cole delivers a eulogy at his funeral, and finds the strength to face his daughter. Much to his surprise and joy, she not only accepts him back into her life, but she also introduces him to the grand-daughter he never knew he had and he crosses "kiss the most beautiful girl in the world" off the list.
Cole goes on to live till he was 81 years old. When he finally passes away, he has his ashes, which were placed inside a Chock Full o' Nuts coffee can, placed alongside Carter's, also in the same type of can, on the top of Mount Everest, which Carter (who has been narrating the film) mentions that Cole would have liked, as it was against the law. Matthew does this and as he does so he crosses off the last item on the Bucket List (witness something truly majestic) and places it with them and closes the small black box and reburies it in the snow.
It must be noted that there is a certain irony pertaining to the coffee can. In the beginning of the movie, one can see Carter flick the ashes from his cigarette into a Chock Full o' Nuts can in the body shop, just before he receives the call that informs him he has lung cancer.
[edit] The Bucket List
- Witness something truly majestic
- Help a complete stranger for a common good
- Laugh till I cry
- Drive a Shelby mustang
- Kiss the most beautiful girl in the world
- Get a tattoo
- Skydiving
- See the pyramids
- Get back in touch with ...(a daughter)
- ???
[edit] Other titles
In Spanish the film is named "Ahora o nunca", which means 'Now or never.' In Russian, "Пока не сыграл в ящик", which is an idiom, and may be translated as 'Before I'll Die.' In Armenia, it has two titles — "Քանի դեռ կանք," 'While we are alive' and "Քանի դեռ ոտքերս չեմ ձգել" — an idiom which may be translated as 'While I'm Alive'. In Hebrew, its title is "metim al ahcheem" '; meaning 'dying on living'; a phrase of 'crazy about life.' In Brazil it is titled "Antes de Partir", which translates to "'Before we leave.' The Italian version is called "Non é mai troppo tardi," translating as 'It's never too late.' The German version is titled "Das Beste kommt zum Schluss" which translates to "The best comes at the end".
[edit] Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 41% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 147 reviews. It also has a 24% rating from their top critics.[3] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 40 out of 100, based on 33 reviews.[4] Roger Ebert (who is battling thyroid cancer) in particular criticised the films portrayal of cancer sufferers, writing in his review that "'The Bucket List' thinks dying of cancer is a laugh riot followed by a dime-store epiphany."
[edit] Box office performance
The film opened in wide release in the United States and Canada on January 11, 2008 and grossed $19,392,416 in 2,911 theaters, averaging $6,662 per theater, and ranking #1 at the box office.[5] The film closed on Thursday June 5, 2008 with a final gross of $93,466,502 in the United States and Canada, and an additional $77,600,000 in other territories for a total worldwide gross of $171,066,502, easily covering the film's considerable $45 million budget, and turning a sizable profit for distributor Warner Bros. Pictures. [6]
[edit] Awards
Named one of the Top Ten Films of the Year by the National Board of Review.
[edit] Soundtrack
A score album was released on January 15, 2008, from Varèse Sarabande featuring composer Marc Shaiman's original score for the film as well as a selection of newly recorded themes from Shaiman's previous scoring projects including City Slickers, Simon Birch, The Addams Family, Mother, North, Sleepless in Seattle, South Park, Mr. Saturday Night, Stuart Saves His Family, along with a re-arranged version of a classic Bond song, "Goldfinger", titled "Printmaster" with Shaiman's own voice and lyrics in which he tries to spoof industry's habit of tracking music in scenes where they don't belong to. The full list of 23 tracks is as follows:
- Hospital Hallway (from the movie)
- Like Smoke Through a Keyhole (from the movie)
- Best in L.A. (from the movie)
- Really Bad News (from the movie)
- Vie en Rose (from the movie)
- Hotel Source (from the movie)
- Did You Hear It? (from the movie)
- Flying Home (from the movie)
- Homecomings (from the movie)
- Life and Death (from the movie)
- The Mountain (from the movie)
- End Credits (from the movie)
- Theme from American President (A Seed of Grain)
- Theme from City Slickers
- Theme from Simon Birch
- Theme from the Addams Family
- Theme from Mother
- Theme from North
- Sleepless in Seattle/A Wink and a Smile
- South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut/Blame Canada
- Theme from Mr. Saturday Night
- Printmaster (After John Barry's "Goldfinger")
- Theme from Stuart Saves His Family (What Makes a Family)
[edit] DVD Release
The film was released on DVD and Blu Ray Disc June 10, 2008.
[edit] References
- ^ The Bucket List (2007) - Release dates
- ^ The Bucket List (2007) - Release dates. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
- ^ The Bucket List - Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2008-05-4.
- ^ Bucket List, The (2007): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
- ^ The Bucket List (2007) - Weekend Box Office Results. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
- ^ The Bucket List (2007). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2008-03-18.
[edit] External links
- Official site
- The Bucket List at the Internet Movie Database
- The Bucket List at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Bucket List at Metacritic
- The Bucket List at Box Office Mojo
- The Bucket List at Allmovie
- The Bucket List at Yahoo! Movies
| Preceded by National Treasure: Book of Secrets |
Box office number-one films of 2008 (USA) January 13, 2008 |
Succeeded by Cloverfield |
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