The Bucket List

NEW YORK (CNS) -- "The Bucket List" (Warner Bros.) is an unremarkable, formulaic, only mildly entertaining story about two cancer patients: wealthy, womanizing tycoon Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and middle-class garage mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman).

When, rather uncomfortably sharing a hospital room, they learn they are terminal, these polar opposites decide to hit the road and experience all their wildest dreams in the year or so they have left, that is, until they "kick the bucket." A less grandiose version of such a list had been Carter's brainchild in college, one abandoned when family responsibilities got in the way of his dreams.

Billionaire Edward, of course, has the bucks to make it all happen, and in locales as diverse as Africa, Egypt, France and Hong Kong they get to experience everything from sky diving to race-car driving. These stuntman-based sequences, however, are neither particularly enlightening nor amusing.

On the domestic side, Carter must leave his frustrated wife, Virginia (Beverly Todd), and family behind, much to her understandable incredulity, and though the much-married Edward seemingly has no family ties, we eventually come to learn of an estranged daughter, Emily.

The adventurous codgers are assisted by Edward's long-suffering flunky, Thomas (Sean Hayes), who gives it as good as he takes it from his autocratic boss.

We've seen all this before. The movie's main pleasure comes in seeing the two stars in standard reliable form, with Nicholson especially shining in some later scenes when his character undergoes a turnabout.

Director Rob Reiner's film from Justin Zackham's script is predictably routine, though imparting a positive message about finding the joy in life and bringing joy to others. This theme is sullied, though, by some problematic elements mainly having to do with Edward's hedonistic lifestyle (there's an implied encounter with a stewardess and later, in a "well-intentioned" act of generosity, he hires a call girl for Carter, who admirably declines).

Family values ultimately prevail in the film's sentimental, feel-good wrap-up.

The film contains an instance of the f-word; some crude expletives, crass expressions and scattered profanity; a vulgar gesture; an implied nonmarital sexual encounter; sexual references and innuendo; and domestic discord. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops