Summary of The Bucket List

   
The Bucket List is a comedy with Edward Cole played by Jack Nicholson,  and Carter played by Morgan Freeman who are roommates in a hospital that Jack Nicholson owns. Edward is a billionaire and Carter is a mechanic.  They lead very different lives.  While Edward has all the money that a person could want he has nobody significant in his life. Carter doesn't have alot of money but he has the love of his life and loving family.  While in the hospital they both find out that they have cancer and have less than a year to live. When Carter was younger and going to college his professor gave them an assignment called The Bucket List.  The Bucket List is a list that Carter and Edward come up with together that they want to do before they die. Carter’s wife who is an ICU nurse does not want him to go on the trip and thinks that he is giving up on himself, his wife and family.  Carter decides to go on the trip anyways with Edward paying for the entire trip.  They spend time together and go off and do the things that they have always wanted to do.  They go skydiving, get tattoos, drive a Shelby Mustang, fly in a private plane to France, go to the African safari, Egypt, and the Great Wall of China, and Hong Kong. When they were in Hong Kong Carter's wife calls Edward and Edward gets Carter to go home.  By doing what Edward does Carter realizes what's really important to him is the love of his wife and family. Carter tries to get Edward to do the same but Edward only has a daughter that he has not seen in years.  Carter ends up dying from cancer, which forces Edward to think about his life and ultimately goes and finds his daughter.  Much to Edward’s surprise he has a granddaughter that he didn't know he had.  Edward at the end of the movie dies.  The last scenes of the movie shows Edward's assistant Matthew carrying Edwards remains up to Mount Everest.  Carter always wanted to be buried on Mount Everest so he could see all the beauty around him and be close to God where Edward wanted to be buried up there because it was against the law! 
     The movie did a great job of displaying characteristics of the aging and the anger that the older adult goes through when they develop an illness. It went into how the aging adult dealt with illness, being in the hospital, frustrations of being in the hospital and being sick. It also went into the mentality of how it feels to be sick and dying.  The movie even went through the five stages of suicide. It also went into the positives of being older and not caring what other people think.  
      Both Edward and Carter are in the developmental stage of ego integrity vs. despair.  They are both looking back on their lives and wishing they had done some things different and wanting to do things that still want to do.  Carter always wanted to be a teacher but felt he had to make more money and keep food on the table for his family.  Edward, I feel, wanted to really have someone special in his life.  He was married four times and had a daughter but was never in a great relationship with anyone besides his work.  I think both Edward and Carter feel like they wanted to switch roles but in the end they both feel like their lives have been fulfilled. 
      I really liked the movie because to me it was about dealing with what life gives you and dealing with it the best you can and with the best attitude you can have. I like that even though they were old and dying that they still had goals that they wanted to do and they still got out there and did it even though they may not have felt great all the time.  It tells you that you should live life to the fullest everyday and to always have a goal to keep yourself going and looking forward.  It gives you something to look forward to. 
    I would give the movie 2 thumbs up!

Bob Miller