The Bucket List (2007)
Directed by Rob Reiner
Corporate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers are worlds apart. At a crossroads in their lives, they share a hospital room and discover they have two things in common: a desire to spend the time they have left doing everything they ever wanted to do and an unrealized need to come to terms with who they are. Together they embark on the road trip of a lifetime, becoming friends along the way and learning to live life to the fullest, with insight and humor.
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17 films that influenced The Bucket List
What critics say influenced The Bucket List
If nothing else, Reiner seems weirdly tuned into the Baby Boomer zeitgeist — in the early ’70s, his role as Mike “Meathead” Stivic on “All in the Family” made him America’s hippie; in the early ’90s, his Castle Rock Entertainment gave us “City Slickers,” which put a big smiley-face on male menopause; and now that Woodstock Nation is pricing nursing homes, we get “The Bucket List,” which plays like Ingmar Bergman’s “Wild Strawberries,” reimagined as an uninspired sitcom and travelogue.
Frequently, the screenplay by another newbie, Sergio G. Sanchez, seems like it's merely a compendium of stellar moments from other horror hits: In addition to Pan, there are elements that strongly recall The Devil's Backbone (also by del Toro), The Others, The Innocents, The Omen and – I hesitate to add – Friday the 13th.
Cue the theme to The Odd Couple.
Nicholson and Freeman, both 70, had not worked together before, but they are as in step as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly hoofing together as old-timers in "That's Entertainment!" Sometimes, you just have to trust the chemistry.
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When Ron Howard’s retirees rediscovered their youth in Cocoon, there was a joyous wonder in their remembrance of it and the passion they still carried.
Yet Denzel Washington's previous film as director, 2002's admirable Antwone Fisher, failed to grab the Academy's attention, and I suspect the same fate will befall this inspiring if overly familiar story that owes its allegiance not so much to history (it alters many facts) as to Dead Poets Society, Hoosiers and countless other "Carpe Diem" flicks.
Some of them show incredible bravery, as in Mike Nichols' "Wit," with its great performance by Emma Thompson .
Rob Reiner proved bewitching and insightful on pre-adolescence (“Stand By Me”), on-the-road youth (“The Sure Thing”) and adult love and lust (“When Harry Met Sally”).
How does a filmmaker go from making gems like “This is Spinal Tap,” “The Sure Thing,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “Misery” to the likes of “Alex and Emma,” “The Story of Us,” “Rumor Has It” and now this wallow for the aging Me Generation?
In films from The Sure Thing (1985) to The American President (1995), he examined the eternally—and wonderfully—youthful hopes, fears and dreams of budding romance that stay true whether you're a college student or the guy in the White House.
RUMOR HAS IT..., ALEX & EMMA, and THE STORY OF US, not to mention the notorious flop NORTH, are far cries from his work on THIS IS SPINAL TAP and THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
This is a mild comeback for Rob Reiner, the once can't-miss director of "Spinal Tap," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally" and "A Few Good Men." His script chooser suffered lapses in judgement that led to "Rumor Has It," "Alex and Emma" and "North."
Rob Reiner, whose last really good film was in 1995 (“The American President”), does not improve his directorial losing streak with “The Bucket List.”
Considering Rob Reiner's output lately (twelve years since The American President , his last decent film), it's tempting to call The Bucket List a triumph, if only on the grounds that it's not awful.
In films from The Sure Thing (1985) to The American President (1995), he examined the eternally—and wonderfully—youthful hopes, fears and dreams of budding romance that stay true whether you're a college student or the guy in the White House.
Finally, it represents a surprising return to form for Rob Reiner, who hasn't delivered a film this effective since 1995's The American President .
This is why The Princess Bride and Stand By Me work so well for so many people, though I am personally also fond of The Story of Us.
How does a filmmaker go from making gems like “This is Spinal Tap,” “The Sure Thing,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “Misery” to the likes of “Alex and Emma,” “The Story of Us,” “Rumor Has It” and now this wallow for the aging Me Generation?
RUMOR HAS IT..., ALEX & EMMA, and THE STORY OF US, not to mention the notorious flop NORTH, are far cries from his work on THIS IS SPINAL TAP and THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
Truth to tell, The Story of Us (1999), Alex & Emma (2003) and Rumor Has It... (2005) haven't added to his reputation, and The Bucket List isn't likely to either.
Rob Reiner proved bewitching and insightful on pre-adolescence (“Stand By Me”), on-the-road youth (“The Sure Thing”) and adult love and lust (“When Harry Met Sally”).
This is why The Princess Bride and Stand By Me work so well for so many people, though I am personally also fond of The Story of Us.
Director Rob Reiner comes close to recapturing his form of the 1980s, when he made "This Is Spinal Tap," "Stand by Me," "The Princess Bride" and "When Harry Met Sally. .
Director Rob Reiner -- who, in the days since "Spinal Tap" and "Stand by Me," has become one of Hollywood's more reliable hacks -- is so unimaginative that when his heroes race Shelby Mustangs, he scores their daredeviltry to a bar-band cover version of ZZ Top's "Tush"; when the men go on a sightseeing safari in Africa, the soundtrack choice is "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
He gave us "Spinal Tap," "Stand By Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally," and other such confections.
After a formidable collection like that—not to mention he freaking debuted with a comedy classic, This Is Spinal Tap (1984), and directed the much-liked Stand by Me—maybe it's unfair to expect more from him.
But he stumbles badly in tackling geriatric blues in “The Bucket List,” a manipulative look at dying with dignity and a lame yarn about as realistic as the fantasy in “The Princess Bride.”
This is why The Princess Bride and Stand By Me work so well for so many people, though I am personally also fond of The Story of Us.
Director Rob Reiner comes close to recapturing his form of the 1980s, when he made "This Is Spinal Tap," "Stand by Me," "The Princess Bride" and "When Harry Met Sally. .
RUMOR HAS IT..., ALEX & EMMA, and THE STORY OF US, not to mention the notorious flop NORTH, are far cries from his work on THIS IS SPINAL TAP and THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
He gave us "Spinal Tap," "Stand By Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally," and other such confections.
This is a mild comeback for Rob Reiner, the once can't-miss director of "Spinal Tap," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally" and "A Few Good Men." His script chooser suffered lapses in judgement that led to "Rumor Has It," "Alex and Emma" and "North."
Fortunately, director Rob Reiner, (A Few Good Men, 1992, and When Harry Met Sally, 1989, among others), and screenwriter Justin Bakeman are too smart to screw this one up.
Still, though, this is easily Reiner's best work since the last time he directed Nicholson, in 1992's A Few Good Men.
This is a mild comeback for Rob Reiner, the once can't-miss director of "Spinal Tap," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally" and "A Few Good Men." His script chooser suffered lapses in judgement that led to "Rumor Has It," "Alex and Emma" and "North."
With A Few Good Men (1992) and Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), he captured average-guy ire at simple injustice.
"The Bucket List" may not be quite as moving as those gems, but it unfurls with the momentum and depth of character his last couple films, "Alex & Emma" and "Rumor Has It . . .
RUMOR HAS IT..., ALEX & EMMA, and THE STORY OF US, not to mention the notorious flop NORTH, are far cries from his work on THIS IS SPINAL TAP and THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
Truth to tell, The Story of Us (1999), Alex & Emma (2003) and Rumor Has It... (2005) haven't added to his reputation, and The Bucket List isn't likely to either.
With A Few Good Men (1992) and Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), he captured average-guy ire at simple injustice.
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Opening as if it’s going to be some misplaced parody of The Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman narrates his 157th film as Carter Chambers; a career mechanic who has provided for his family for 45 years and now receives the big phone call about the “C” word.
Freeman's narration is a little too reminiscent of "The Shawshank Redemption," and his spiritual observations are remindful of "Bruce Almighty."
Geezer No. 1 is Morgan Freeman, playing a fact-filled wise man offering sage advice in the pious baritone phrasing we've known since "The Shawshank Redemption," complete with similar heart-tugging narration.
His voice takes on a sort of wonderment, as he speaks of the man's greatness; it was a note that worked in " The Shawshank Redemption " and " Million Dollar Baby ," but not here, not when he is talking of a character, played by Jack Nicholson , for whom lovability is not a strong suit.
There is no one better than Freeman at occupying one-half of a mature male friendship - with Tim Robbins in "The Shawshank Redemption," with Clint Eastwood in "Unforgiven" and, particularly, "Million Dollar Baby."