Movies that bare their soul and beg for sympathy usually inspire the harshest of reviews from critics and hence The Bucket List has received some scathing criticism for its upbeat view of depressing times, namely cancer treatment and death. One can certainly question the plausibility and spot the manipulation in The Bucket List, Rob Reiner's maudlin film about an Odd Couple that decide to escape the cancer ward, cheat another six months to a year of chemotherapy and go on an international "road trip" doing everything they always wanted to do before they die. Edward Cole (played by Jack Nicholson) and Carter Chambers (played by Morgan Freeman) are the two easy-riding patients and each actor does his worse in terms of overacting and under-acting to a quiet dignity.

One really has to stretch the plausibility factor in order to enjoy The Bucket List. Are we to believe that two men recovering from cancer treatment could realistically go skydiving and drag racing? Secondly, are we to believe that a hedonistic rich man would really throw his life savings away on a total stranger (and that the stranger would willingly follow the white man who is generous enough to pay his way)? At least screenwriter Justin Zackham was in touch with reality enough to realize that this bizarre, homo-erotic road trip would disturb Carter's wife who throws several drama queen fits throughout the movie, as if to remind us that this is no delusional fantasy.

That said, I never accepted The Bucket List as a realistic depiction of growing old or facing terminal illness. For a far better film on the subject see Emma Thompson in Wit. However, the film can work as a buddy comedy and better yet, as an exciting exchange between two screen icons that we often take for granted. Each actor is 70 years of age and both are making the transition from handsome leading man to Hollywood relic. The transition is sweet, sad and yet handled with class. Tribute this to director Rob Reiner, who always attempts to make a mature film, even if he stubbornly directs with a meathead mentality that reeks of studio influence.

Moviegoers obviously don't take these two great actors for granted and have made the film the #1 movie in America, flocking to theaters to hear Morgan Freeman's comforting and overused narration introduce a predictable story that assures us it's going to be all right. Freeman's narration is starting to become a gimmick by now, and if he's not careful, we might well become addicted to his somber voice. Imagine developing a compulsion to hear Freeman's voice and showing shaking symptoms of withdraw when we don't get it! Shrewd theater owners should prepare for this inevitability and start selling Freeman's voice on CD along with popcorn and soda.

The Bucket List is a crowd-pleaser and a bit fantastical about reality at times. Nevertheless, unless we're that stubbornly pessimistic then we probably allow ourselves to indulge in a little bit of fantasy when we're about to die--it makes the waiting so much easier. Grade: B