Jack Nicholson still has the unflinching ability to make me laugh hard enough to spew water from my mouth. Fortunately, as with another Nicholson opus, Something’s Gotta Give, there was no one in the seat immediately north.

The Bucket List is his latest film, and it’s a tour de force. A touching comedy about a serious issue, this film ponders the question, if you knew when you were going to die, what would you do about it? And I’m delighted to say, the answer is live every second with purpose.

Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson are roommates in a hospital Jack owns. Together as they battle their cancer into remission, the shared experience forges an unexpected friendship. When Jack discovers a discarded list of items Morgan wanted to accomplish before he dies, he convinces Morgan to not only finish writing the list, but do as many of the things as they can immediately.

And so the two elderly cancer patients skydive, race classic cars, go on Safari, and travel the world, taking the audience on a great ride and a heartbreaking conclusion.
The Bucket List is funny and moving and has a great message. Above all it’s a great film.

What works:

1) Cast. Come on it’s Uncle Jack and Captain Morgan! What more does a film need?

2) Story Arc. Believable and well-crafted.

3) Rob Reiner can direct a great film. After nearly twenty years of half-ass flops, this is the narrative bookend to Stand By Me.

What needs improvement:

1) Maybe you have not seen The Bucket List yet. Yeah, fix that!

Verdict: Theater full price and buy the DVD.