Bucket List

The Bucket List

The Bucket List is a 2007 comedy starring Academy Award-winners Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. 

When blue-collar mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) and billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) share a hospital room together, they both get the bad news that they have terminal lung cancer. The pair decides to go on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they "kick the bucket."

The movie's premise struck a chord with audiences, many of whom have their own wish list of things they would like to accomplish in life.

Life lists have become popular on the internet – your100things.com, 43things.com and superviva.com – to name a few.

Travel and relationships top many lists.

Vocabulary

terminal lung cancer - advanced cancer in which death is inevitable
kick the bucket - (slang) to die
struck a chord - reminded

Discussion

Q: What's on your bucket list?

Movie Dialogue

Edward Cole: I run hospitals, not health spas. Two beds to a room, no exceptions.

Carter Chambers (narration): There was a survey once. A thousand people asked, would they want to know the exact day of their death...

Edward Cole: Who the hell is that?

Carter Chambers: Who the hell are you.

Carter Chambers (narration)... 96% of them said no.

Edward Cole: Oh God. What am I, in the morgue?

Carter Chambers (narration): That was the first time I laid eyes on Edward Cole.

Edward Cole: I want my own room.

Man: You run hospitals, not health spas. Two beds to a room, no exceptions.

Edward Cole: Damned if I’m going to spend the next three weeks laying in bed next to “zombie boy.”

Carter: My freshman philosophy professor assigned this exercise and called it a “bucket list.” We were supposed to make a list of all things that we wanted to do in our lives before we kicked the bucket.

Cole: Cutesie

Carter: Pointless now!

Cole: We could do this. We should do this.

Cole: This is living!

Carter: I hate your rotten guts!

Carter: Is he insane?

Man: depends.

Cole: You gonna drive it or buy it a dress?

Carter: Just getting to know each other.

Woman: I don’t understand how you can just run off with a total stranger!

Carter: I’ve got forty-five years greased up under the hood of a car. I think I’ve earned some time for myself!

Carter: You got kids?

Cole: I don’t see her.

Cole: Why are we uh…oh my g-d.

Carter: What are you so afraid of?

Cole: Just because I told you my story does not invite you to be a part of it!

Carter: Dear Edward, there’s no way I can repay you for all you’ve done for me.  But rather than try, I’m just going to ask you do something else for me…find the joy in your life.

Cole: Do you hate me?

Cater: Not yet.

Cole: We live, we die. The wheels on the bus go round and round.

Man: I’m proud of you.

Cole: Nobody cares what you think.

Vocabulary

laid eyes - saw

kick the bucket - (slang) die

pointless - waste of time

greased up - got dirty from working around grease (from cars) as a mechanic