ANTICIPATED on DVD

THE BUCKET LIST:
I am eagerly awaiting this one on DVD! I went to see two of my favorite veteran actors, Morgan Freedman and Jack Nicholson in "The Bucket List" when it came out on the large screen. I loved this movie. Once you ignore the fact that the back-story is about the main characters on the precipice of death by cancer, the story is genuinely endearing and at times, many times, laugh out loud funny. Without giving the entire storyline away, the main characters, played by Freedman and Nicholson, meet when fate brings them together as roommates in the hospital. Sean Hayes, formerly the "flaming" Jack of the popular television sit-com "Will and Grace." plays Nicholson's deadpan assistant.

This was an excellent transitional role for Hayes, who obviously is trying to break out of his pigeonholed character of Jack. Hayes is very believable in his role as the "serious" assistant to Nicholson's billionaire character. Hayes totally takes the viewer away from being reminded of his small screen role in "Will and Grace." Nicholson and Freedman do the same on the big screen. This is largely because the large screen is unkind. Besides knowing Freeman will indelibly be, "Easy Reader," my childhood icon from the Electric Company -- the show that launched Irene Cara -- and, Nicholson plays himself -- he always plays himself in every movie, these two actors are undeniably the poster boys for why you might need Botox -- really, really wrinkled! They have, as may peaks and valleys in their faces as the landscape did in the skydiving scene. (Don't worry, I didn't give too much away. That scene was in the trailers and in television commercials) By the way, that particular scene is a crying good laugh.

Freedman plays a man who had aspirations of being a history professor but, ends up as a mechanic when his college sweetheart, later wife, becomes pregnant. Nicholson plays a self-made billionaire financier of state-of-the art publicly accessible hospitals, including the one he is admitted to. Freedman's character, initiates the "Bucket List." At first, the list is largely esoteric. However, Freedman's' character dashes the list when he finds out that his latest test results number his days to months. Nicholson's character, which earlier got a similar bad report, picks up Freedman's crumbled list. In his usual "I'm Jack Nicholson" style, he proposes that the list should included items that embody a living on the edge "joi de vive." (Fr. Sp?) Overall, I would recommend buying the "Bucket List." instead of renting it. The "wonders of the world" featured in this movie are truly majestic! I laughed, I cried, and I took inventory. I give the "Bucket List” 4/5 SMOOCHES