Warner Bros. Pictures presents a 97 minute PG-13 film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Jack Nicholson (Edward Cole), Morgan Freeman (Carter Chambers), Sean Hayes (Thomas), Beverly Todd (Virginia Chambers) with Rob Morrow (Dr. Hollins), Alfonso Freeman (Roger Carter), Rowena King (Angelica), Annton Berry Jr. (Kai), Verda Bridges (Shandra), Destiny Brownridge (Maya), Brian Copeland (Lee) and Jennifer Defrancisco (Emily).
What a way to start the year for movies? Rob Reiner has hit one out of the ball park with this film, the actors, the writing, the cinematography and overall the content. It answers questions in life that the average person ponders or at least should in order to consider their life fulfilled. Does life have meaning? For some maybe we measure our lives by how many people measure us! But for many when death comes knocking your eyes may be shut but hopefully your heart will be open!
Edward Cole was a bit of a scrooge to say the least. Married several times with a daughter he no longer speaks to and one of the wealthiest people alive who owns hospitals with the belief that staff should be minimal, two beds in each room and those beds should be filled at all times. Well death calls in many forms and many ways. Edward's call came in a board of directors meeting when he started to cough blood which was not caused by his cat number two coffee!
Carter Chambers was a very kind soul who worked all his life as a mechanic so that his wife and children would never want for anything but rather live a middle class life and grow up to be well rounded and educated adults. A daughter and two sons, Carter fulfilled that task in life but throughout the years found that things were missing in his marriage. Although, no matter how much money you own or how little for Carter, his message came in the form of a call. One of a few calls that lead his wife to become even more unhappy with the fact of loosing her husband to cancer but also to Edward.
Both men end up in one of Edward's hospitals and yes sharing a room which according to Edward's assistant Thomas was a good PR move on behalf of his company. Both men shared one thing in common and it was not wealth but rather the fact that they had only months to live due to cancer. They laugh together, cry alone, play cards, and support each other through the chemo and pain. Eventually due to a bucker list created by Carter they both soon leave the hospital and America and travel the globe to fulfill their list of to do's before they kick the bucket! "Oh, the smell of chemo in the morning" not a pleasant scenario! This film holds back on nothing but brilliantly does so with an abundance of humor which even draws you into the story even more rather than chasing you away. It reminded me in many ways of the suffering felt while my own mother was in a coma, wishing her to wake up or stop going through the pain. She chose to stop going through the pain. Many lessons are to be learned in life and this meaningful and emotional film has a way of helping you reflect on your own mortality and morality.
For Edward and Carter the dark journey of cancer led way to the growth of a new friendship and the creation of their bucket list. Sky diving, car racing, magnificent cinematography footage throughout Africa, Egypt, China, Hong Kong and the Himalayans to name a few. What struck me the most were the conversations between the two men. They spoke of the Egyptian proverbs of joy and the fact of if you have it in your own life, if so, have you brought joy to others. Burial, cremation or Walt Disney style is also discussed which makes one wonder about their own choices. But yet one of my favorite quotes from Edward, "never pass a bathroom, never waste a hard on, and never trust a fart" is truly an inspiration. The writing in this film is impeccable and a director could never ask for a better team than he received with the lead actors in this film. In the end, death is like a chuck full of nuts found only on the top of a majestic mountain surrounded by the heavens above.
This film is a must see by all, worth every 97 minutes of your life. Nicholson and Freeman were spectacular surrounded by a deserving supporting cast. The writing was some of the best evoking moments of laughter into tears and tears into laughter. The narration by Freeman throughout the film was almost as if a message from heaven was sent in the form of this phenomenally directed film which also contained a wonderful score to go along with some breath-taking photography. Overall this film is enlightening, fun, spiritual and inspirational. So, don't wait for death to come knocking on your door but rather make a date with not only just Jack but Morgan as well.
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.