Publication Date: 12-15-2025

The Bucket List (2007) review

Dir. Rob Reiner

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★★

Remembering Rob Reiner

1947 – 2025

Rob Reiner has proven in his thirty year film career that he can make just about any film from any genre. He created vibrant and lovable characters in Stand By Me, a melody of beautiful, uncertain romance in Flipped, and now, he creates a film that gives hope and optimism to Cancer patients old and young. The Bucket List is a wonderfully wholesome exercise with two amazing actors playing their roles with gratitude and bravery.

The story revolves around selfish billionaire Edward Cole (Nicholson) and blue collar mechanic Carter Chambers (Freeman). The men both have a very serious form of terminal lung cancer, and share a hospital room while they undergo their separate treatment. Edward owns the hospital they are staying in, and Carter has been working as a mechanic for years since he had to give up his dream of being a historian because of an unexpected child. He possesses a shocking amount of knowledge and loves his daily Jeopardy! where he manages to get almost all of the answers correct.

Edward and Carter inevitably become friends and it isn’t long before Carter concocts a bucket list after hearing they both only have months to live. The list is a lengthy checklist of things they both want to achieve before they “kick the bucket.” Such things include “help someone for the good of it,” “laugh until you cry,” and travel to the Taj Mahal.

Of course one couldn’t do those things if really occupying a very rare form of Cancer. That’s the part that makes The Bucket List a bit far-fetched. I’m sure an able-bodied person, with a perfect health record would second guess tasks that both of the men want to achieve. But the film’s point is to provide loads of optimism to people in the same shoes as Edward and Carter. In that retrospect is succeeds, but not in mass amounts.

While believability is stretched to its limits, the script by Justin Zackham is the highlight. It gives the characters much to work with, and with gifted actors such as Nicholson and Freeman the possibilities and the payoff are worthy of recognition. However, no real emotion is conceived to the point of tears. A trait I was hoping the movie would occupy. I felt sad at the end, but not wholeheartedly upset. It seems the writing limits itself to cross emotional boundaries.

And alas, it is not a perfect film. But a very hopeful one, occupying great leads and a memorable score. The script runs its course fluently, hitting very rare bumps in the road and the narrations are welcomed and endured. The Bucket List is yet another faithful film by Reiner, including his key elements; strong characters, delightful scenic backdrops, and a story worth telling.

Starring: Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Directed by: Rob Reiner.