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Two Hollywood veterans unearth a surprising chemistry in The Bucket List
• by Russ Carr • Film still, ©2007 Warner Brothers
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“Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
If you’ve ever seen The Shawshank Redemption, that quote sticks with you, the words of the wrongfully imprisoned Andy Dufresne to his fellow inmate and friend, Red. He says them at a crucial point in the story, when his future seems devoid of hope. Red fears Andy means to kill himself. But Andy’s words are soon revealed as a declaration of faith, spiriting him beyond the walls of Shawshank Prison, and inspiring Red to do the same.
Of course, if you’ve ever seen The Shawshank Redemption, you know that Red was played by Morgan Freeman, and that his rich baritone narrated the tale. “Get busy living, or get busy dying,” he intones to himself as much as the audience near the end of the movie, when he stands at an emotional crossroads, weighing Andy’s injunction against his tired soul.
That brief scene, that moment of consideration, is at the heart of Freeman’s latest movie, The Bucket List. By now, they’re probably running commercials for it, a buddy picture co-starring Jack Nicholson. The premise: The two stars play terminally ill cancer patients who come up with a list of outrageous things they’ll do before they “kick the bucket.”
Given Nicholson’s propensity for scenery chewing and over-the-top antics, I was expecting a goofy buddy comedy, maybe with a bit of wistfulness tossed in. Something like that ridiculous Space Cowboys that Eastwood et al. did a few years back, a “last hurrah of the old farts” flick.
I was amazed and thrilled to have my expectations shattered. Yes, there are a few moments of exuberant silliness – you can’t have Nicholson without a certain amount of “Jack” leaking out – but for the most part, The Bucket List plays things thoughtfully. And, as with Shawshank, Freeman provides a running narration.
Freeman plays Carter Chambers, a hard-working mechanic who has spent his life putting his dreams on hold in order to assure his family’s well-being. When he learns he’s sick, he accepts it with the same resignation he’s faced every other crisis with, putting his head down and soldiering on. Then one evening, Edward Cole (Nicholson) is rolled into Chambers’ room on a gurney, bitching and cussing over the lack of special treatment he’s accorded. Cole, in fact, owns the hospital and many others just like it. But Cole has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and the drastic nature of his treatment soon leaves him helpless and compliant, albeit with the occasional acerbic comment.
As weeks of treatment stretch on, the two men bond over their shared plight. They discuss their feelings of denial. Suicide. Missed opportunities. And then, just as they are regaining their strength and contemplating their future, they both learn that their cancers can no longer be treated; both men are terminally ill, not expected to live another year.
Seemingly undeterred by the thought of death, Cole seizes on an idea that Chambers had been working on before his diagnosis – a list of things to do before he dies. At first Cole dismisses Chambers’ goals – “witness something majestic,” “laugh until I cry” – as too ephemeral and advocates more tangible pursuits, like skydiving. After some give and take and a heart-wrenching argument between Chambers and his wife, the duo agrees to cross off as many items as possible in the time they’ve got left. In short, they’re going to get busy living.
Bankrolled by Cole’s considerable fortune, they set off around the world. But neither man is as healthy as he believes, and each hides an emotional cancer inside that will test their friendship and threaten how they each approach death.
Considering that neither Nicholson nor Freeman is a young man anymore, it’s a shame they haven’t been paired against each other prior to this, and I certainly hope they find the opportunity to act together again. The pair has astounding chemistry together, the scholar and the joker. Nicholson brings a surprising gravitas to the first 20 minutes or so, playing Cole as a deconstructed person, trying unsuccessfully to preserve some bit of dignity as he shambles around in a hospital gown, his body wracked by chemotherapy. Sean Hayes stands out of a distinctly small supporting cast as Cole’s long-suffering but fiercely loyal aide-de-camp.
While I certainly don’t intend to kick off anytime soon, this column breathes its last this month. So in keeping with that and The Bucket List, Reels and Meals’ last repast – a chance to dine, drink and then die well – must be at Carl’s Drive-In in Brentwood. Damn the fat and cholesterol; give us a triple cheeseburger, onion rings and a towering mug of root beer. Now that’s something majestic.
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