Movie review: A satisfying if sentimental ‘Bucket List’

Who doesn’t love Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman? Nicholson exudes mischievous glee from his expressive eyebrows to his infectious smile. Freeman’s easy gracefulness and rich voice give him an air of benign authority that is both comforting and charming. All these qualities are in evidence in their new film, “The Bucket List.”

Unfortunately, their combined charm is not quite enough to overcome the blandness of the script.

Nicholson and Freeman play men from two different walks of life — Nicholson’s Edward Cole has untold wealth and Freeman’s Carter Chambers is a mechanic — who end up sharing a hospital room and receiving the same prognosis: six months to a year left.

Having started and abandoned a “bucket list,” i.e. a list of things to do before one “kicks the bucket,” Chambers is ready to give up when Cole finds the list and decides they should set out together to do the list. After some initial resistance, Chambers agrees — much to the resentment of his wife.

And so the two, with Cole’s unlimited funds to make it happen, begin their adventure.

They do daredevil stunts and travel the world, crossing off and adding to their list as they go. They have such fun jetting off (in a private plane) from hither and yon that I, for one, wanted to tag along. I also felt that if Chamber’s wife (Beverly Todd) could see how much fun he was having, she would cheer him on rather than continually trying to undermine him.

The characters are well drawn in the sense that they always act in character. So when Cole sets Chambers up with a beautiful woman, that seems in keeping with his passionate and envelope-pushing character. And when Chambers tries to set up a reunion between Cole and his estranged daughter, well, that seems perfectly appropriate for a man who values family.

The dialogue is witty, and there are some genuinely funny moments in the film, especially one near the end involving Cole’s favorite coffee and the line “The cat beat me to it.” The characters laugh, and it is impossible not to laugh, heartily, along with them.

The film’s weakness comes from its inability to rise above predictability and sentimentality.

The film follows common conventions for films of this type: The men ask big questions, they have fun, they bond, they fight and they learn what is truly important to them. All of this, then, enables them to face their mortality, their families and themselves.

The problem here is the lack of depth. The movie is fine, fun, charming and even affecting, as far as it goes. But it could have been so much more.

The big questions they discuss (such as, “Does God exist?”) are given rather superficial treatment. They debate for a few lines of script, but there is little sense that they are actually grappling with these issues.

Though both men played their parts with a bit of an edge (each character had touchy issues that gave a little bite to their barks), it wasn’t quite enough to overcome the sentimentality that seems inherent in a buddy movie about two dying men.

On the plus side, the film did avoid making these characters self-pitying. The film may have played on the audience’s emotions, but it never asked them to feel sorry for the characters.

Though it was definitely necessary to establish a connection strong enough for these two total strangers to run off together, the opening act is overlong. Not only that, it doesn’t completely do what it is intended to do: Throughout the film, one can’t help but feel that Cole has a stronger bond with his assistant (the wonderfully understated Sean Hayes), than he does with Chambers.

Cole’s relationship with his assistant Thomas has a sniping affection, confidence (each in the other) and depth that is never quite achieved between Cole and Chambers. Though they are flippant with each other, as when Cole responds to a compliment from Thomas with “Nobody cares what you think,” there is the strong sense that they truly like each other.

Flaws and all, “The Bucket List” is a sweet film that, in the end, will make one laugh and cry (even in spite of oneself). There is even a slight surprise at the end as well as a funny last line, making for a film that ultimately satisfies: The audience I watched applauded at the end, and that hardly ever happens.

(Rated: PG-13; 3 stars)

Amanda Brooks can be reached at 737-1056 or abrooks@lompocrecord.com.