Style and Grace: The Right Way To Go Out.

The Bucket List
Warner Brothers





One would assume Jack Nicholson's heyday had long since passed. His younger days spawned bedazzling films such as One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and The Shining; both now are the pillars of cinema. But don't count old Jack out yet.

His latest film is The Bucket List, directed by Rob Reiner, who directed such treasures as The Princess Bride and Stand By Me. His films are presented in a balance that leaves many a director envious of his style. A little action here, a little romance there, a little horror here and more genres for all palettes. In this film's case, Edward Cole (Nicholson) and Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) are terminally-ill cancer patients who escape the hospital ward and use Cole's wealth for a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they "kick the bucket." Nicholson comes off as a cold-hearted grump who just wants some peace and quiet in his dying days, while Freeman comes off as being grateful for his life, but not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

I am envisioning elements of Grumpy Old Men, but with a spark of lifetime regrets. We can all admit old people are funny, and I can expect a good deal of comedy between Nicholson and Freeman, but layered with facing the facts that there are a lot of things these old timers didn't have a chance to do in their lives. Jack Lemmon (RIP) and Walter Matthau (RIP) lived as old children in the two Grumpy films they made, but I expect this upcoming movie to be an enlightening tale of these two men coming terms with their lives, whether it be a good life lived or a bad one.

I hope Nicholson lives vicariously through Freeman in order to redeem himself; for all the pain he has caused other people and to himself. With every check-mark on the list comes another chance for Nicholson to be a better man. Cole now has the chance to look back on his life in joy, because we all want to feel that way before we meet the man upstairs.

The Bucket List opens December 25th, 2007.