The Bucket List: Difference between revisions
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The pair begins an around-the-world vacation. They go skydiving together, drive a [[Shelby Mustang]], fly over the [[North Pole]], eat dinner at Chevre d'Or in [[France]], visit and praise the beauty and history of [[Taj Mahal]], [[India]], ride motorcycles on the [[Great Wall of China]], and attend a lion [[safari]] in [[Africa]]. Atop the [[Great Pyramid of Giza|Great Pyramid]], looking out over the pyramids of [[Pyramid of Khafre|Khafre]] and [[Pyramid of Menkaure|Menkaure]], they confide about faith and family, revealing that Carter has long been feeling less in love with his wife and that Edward is deeply hurt by his estrangement from his only daughter, who disowned him after he drove away her [[domestic violence|abusive]] husband. In [[Hong Kong]], Edward hires a prostitute ([[Rowena King]]) for Carter, who has never been with any woman but his wife. Carter declines and, realizing that he loves his wife, asks to return home. On the drive back, Carter reciprocates by trying to reunite Edward with his daughter. Edward angrily storms off. Carter returns home to his wife, children, and grandchildren where they have a nice family dinner telling stories and sharing jokes while a frustrated Edward stays home eating frozen dinners alone. |
The pair begins an around-the-world vacation. They go skydiving together, drive a [[Shelby Mustang]], fly over the [[North Pole]], eat dinner at Chevre d'Or in [[France]], visit and praise the beauty and history of [[Taj Mahal]], [[India]], ride motorcycles on the [[Great Wall of China]], and attend a lion [[safari]] in [[Africa]]. Atop the [[Great Pyramid of Giza|Great Pyramid]], looking out over the pyramids of [[Pyramid of Khafre|Khafre]] and [[Pyramid of Menkaure|Menkaure]], they confide about faith and family, revealing that Carter has long been feeling less in love with his wife and that Edward is deeply hurt by his estrangement from his only daughter, who disowned him after he drove away her [[domestic violence|abusive]] husband. In [[Hong Kong]], Edward hires a prostitute ([[Rowena King]]) for Carter, who has never been with any woman but his wife. Carter declines and, realizing that he loves his wife, asks to return home. On the drive back, Carter reciprocates by trying to reunite Edward with his daughter. Edward angrily storms off. Carter returns home to his wife, children, and grandchildren where they have a nice family dinner telling stories and sharing jokes while a frustrated Edward stays home eating frozen dinners alone. |
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The family reunion is short-lived. In the preparation for a romantic interlude, Carter suffers a seizure and is rushed to the hospital. The cancer has spread to his [[brain]]. Edward, who is now in [[Remission (medicine)|remission]], visits him and they share a few moments, where Carter reveals with great amusement |
The family reunion is short-lived. In the preparation for a romantic interlude, Carter suffers a seizure and is rushed to the hospital. The cancer has spread to his [[brain]]. Edward, who is now in [[Remission (medicine)|remission]], visits him and they share a few moments, where Carter reveals with great amusement how the [[Kopi Luwak]] Edward enjoys is grown in a Sumatran village, is eaten and defecated by a jungle cat, and is harvested because of the special aroma of the gastric juices. Carter crosses off "laugh till I cry" from his bucket list and insists Edward finish the list without him. Carter goes into surgery, but the procedure is unsuccessful and he dies on the operating table. |
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As Carter dies and the news is given to his wife and family, Edward finally attempts to reconcile with his daughter. She not only accepts him back into her life but also introduces him to the granddaughter he never knew he had. After greeting the little girl with a kiss on the cheek, Edward crosses "kiss the most beautiful girl in the world" off the list. Edward delivers a eulogy at the funeral, explaining that he and Carter had been complete strangers, but the last three months of Carter's life were the best three months of his. He crosses off "help a complete stranger for the good" from the list. |
As Carter dies and the news is given to his wife and family, Edward finally attempts to reconcile with his daughter. She not only accepts him back into her life but also introduces him to the granddaughter he never knew he had. After greeting the little girl with a kiss on the cheek, Edward crosses "kiss the most beautiful girl in the world" off the list. Edward delivers a eulogy at the funeral, explaining that he and Carter had been complete strangers, but the last three months of Carter's life were the best three months of his. He crosses off "help a complete stranger for the good" from the list. |
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Revision as of 22:12, 20 July 2012
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2009) |
| The Bucket List | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rob Reiner |
| Written by | Justin Zackham |
| Produced by | Craig Zadan Neil Meron Travis Knox Justin Zackham |
| Starring | Jack Nicholson Morgan Freeman |
| Cinematography | John Schwartzman |
| Edited by | Robert Leighton |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $45 million[1] |
| Box office | $175,372,502[1] |
The Bucket List is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Rob Reiner, written by Justin Zackham, and starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The main plot follows two terminally ill men (portrayed by Nicholson and Freeman) on their road trip with a wish list of things to do before they "kick the bucket." The film received its premiere on December 15, 2007 in Hollywood. It opened in limited release in the United States and Canada on December 25, 2007 and was distributed by Warner Bros.. The film opened in wide release in the United States and Canada on January 11, 2008 and was released in the United Kingdom on February 8, 2008, and in Australia on February 21, 2008.[2][3] It received mixed reviews from film critics, but was a box office success, opening at the top of the box office, and grossing a total of $175.3 million worldwide.
Plot
Blue-collar mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) and billionaire hospital magnate Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) meet for the first time in the hospital after both have been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Although Edward is reluctant to share a room with Carter, complaining that he "looks half-dead already," they become friends as they undergo their respective treatments.
Carter is a gifted amateur historian and family man who had wanted to become a history professor in his youth, had been "black, broke, [and with a] baby on the way" and, thus, never rose above his status as a mechanic at the McCreath body shop. Carter loves showing off his knowledge and his favorite show is Jeopardy!. Edward is a four-time divorced health-care tycoon and cultured loner who enjoys nothing more than tormenting his personal valet/servant, Thomas (Sean Hayes), who later reveals his name is actually Matthew. Edward prefers to call him Thomas because he finds the name Matthew "too biblical." Edward drinks a specific variety of coffee called "Kopi Luwak", one of the most expensive coffees in the world.
Carter begins writing a "bucket list," or things to do before he "kicks the bucket" (i.e. dies). After hearing he has less than a year, Carter discards the list. Edward finds it the next morning and urges Carter to do everything on the list (and adds more things to do), and offers to finance the trip for the both of them. Carter agrees, despite the protests of his wife, Virginia (Beverly Todd).
The pair begins an around-the-world vacation. They go skydiving together, drive a Shelby Mustang, fly over the North Pole, eat dinner at Chevre d'Or in France, visit and praise the beauty and history of Taj Mahal, India, ride motorcycles on the Great Wall of China, and attend a lion safari in Africa. Atop the Great Pyramid, looking out over the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, they confide about faith and family, revealing that Carter has long been feeling less in love with his wife and that Edward is deeply hurt by his estrangement from his only daughter, who disowned him after he drove away her abusive husband. In Hong Kong, Edward hires a prostitute (Rowena King) for Carter, who has never been with any woman but his wife. Carter declines and, realizing that he loves his wife, asks to return home. On the drive back, Carter reciprocates by trying to reunite Edward with his daughter. Edward angrily storms off. Carter returns home to his wife, children, and grandchildren where they have a nice family dinner telling stories and sharing jokes while a frustrated Edward stays home eating frozen dinners alone.
The family reunion is short-lived. In the preparation for a romantic interlude, Carter suffers a seizure and is rushed to the hospital. The cancer has spread to his brain. Edward, who is now in remission, visits him and they share a few moments, where Carter reveals with great amusement how the Kopi Luwak Edward enjoys is grown in a Sumatran village, is eaten and defecated by a jungle cat, and is harvested because of the special aroma of the gastric juices. Carter crosses off "laugh till I cry" from his bucket list and insists Edward finish the list without him. Carter goes into surgery, but the procedure is unsuccessful and he dies on the operating table.
As Carter dies and the news is given to his wife and family, Edward finally attempts to reconcile with his daughter. She not only accepts him back into her life but also introduces him to the granddaughter he never knew he had. After greeting the little girl with a kiss on the cheek, Edward crosses "kiss the most beautiful girl in the world" off the list. Edward delivers a eulogy at the funeral, explaining that he and Carter had been complete strangers, but the last three months of Carter's life were the best three months of his. He crosses off "help a complete stranger for the good" from the list.
The epilogue reveals that Edward lived until age 81, and his ashes were then taken to the Himalayas by his assistant Matthew. As Matthew places a Chock full o'Nuts coffee can alongside another can, he crosses off the last item on the Bucket List ("witness something truly majestic") and places it between the cans. Carter's narration reveals the two cans contain their ashes and that Edward would have loved this, because he was "buried on the mountain, and that was against the law."
Reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 41% of reviews were positive, based on 147 reviews. It also has a 24 percent rating from their top critics.[4] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 40 out of 100, based on 33 reviews.[5] Roger Ebert, who had thyroid cancer, spoke for himself when he criticized the film's portrayal of cancer sufferers, writing in his one-star review that The Bucket List "…thinks dying of cancer is a laugh riot followed by a dime-store epiphany."[6]
Box office
The film opened in wide release in the United States and Canada on January 11, 2008 and grossed $19,392,416 in 2,911 theaters, averaging $6,662 per theater and ranking #1 at the box office.[7] The film closed on June 5, 2008, never having a weekend decline of more than 40%, with a final gross of $93,466,502 in the United States and Canada and an additional $81,906,000 in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $175,372,502, easily recouping the film's considerable $45 million budget and turning a sizable profit for distributor Warner Bros. Pictures.[1]
The film was well received by audiences, resulting in a user score of 7.5/10 at the Internet Movie Database, a 76% approval rating from users at Rotten Tomatoes, a user score of 8.0/10 from users at Metacritic, and a B grade from users at Box Office Mojo.
Accolades
Named one of the Top Ten Films of the Year by the National Board of Review.
Soundtrack
A score album from Varèse Sarabande was released on January 15, 2008, featuring composer Marc Shaiman's original score for the film as well as a selection of newly recorded themes from Shaiman's previous scoring projects, including City Slickers, Simon Birch, The Addams Family, Mother, North, Sleepless in Seattle, South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut, Mr. Saturday Night, and Stuart Saves His Family. It also features a rearranged version of the James Bond theme "Goldfinger" (titled "Printmaster"), with Shaiman's own voice and lyrics in which he spoofs the industry's habit of tracking music in scenes where they don't belong.
The full list of 23 tracks is as follows:
- Hospital Hallway (from the movie)
- Like Smoke through a Keyhole (from the movie)
- Best in L.A. (from the movie)
- Really Bad News (from the movie)
- Milord - Édith Piaf (from the movie)
- Hotel Source (from the movie)
- Did You Hear It? (from the movie)
- Flying Home (from the movie)
- Homecomings (from the movie)
- Life and Death (from the movie)
- The Mountain (from the movie)
- End Credits (from the movie)
- Theme from The American President ("A Seed of Grain")
- Theme from City Slickers
- Theme from Simon Birch
- Theme from The Addams Family
- Theme from Mother
- Theme from North
- Sleepless in Seattle / A Wink and a Smile"
- South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut/"Blame Canada"
- Theme from Mr. Saturday Night
- "Printmaster" (After John Barry's "Goldfinger")
- Theme from Stuart Saves His Family ("What Makes a Family")
The theme song, John Mayer's "Say," is not included on the Bucket List soundtrack.
Home media
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc June 10, 2008.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "The Bucket List (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- ^ The Bucket List (2007) - Release dates
- ^ "The Bucket List (2007) - Release dates". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
- ^ "The Bucket List - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ "Bucket List, The (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ^ "The Bucket List". Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ "The Bucket List (2007) - Weekend Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
