Review of The Bucket List (2007) by Chads. — 11 Jan 2008

A billionaire like Edward Cole(Jack Nicholson), a man who can afford to cancel luncheons with glamorous movie stars, in all likelihood would be beyond the formality of being discreet. But there he is, being discreet, tiptoeing back to his airplane seat after f****** the stewardess.

Is Edward simply being courteous about not wanting to rouse Carter(Morgan Freeman) from his mile-high slumber, or is he fearful of making his new "friend" jealous? In another scene, the two men have dinner at a restaurant Edward uses to wine and dine women.

Carter is his first man. Back at the tycoon's palacial estate, Carter takes a luxurious bath in a porcerlain tub. All that's missing is the bubbles. In Egypt, Edwards asks Carter if he can call him "my main man, Ray"(a possible code for "my best girl"?).

After awhile, you stop watching the official narrative(which is depressing and sentimental), because the subtext is a lot more interesting. Since 2005's "Brokeback Mountain", there hasn't been a serious gay-themed movie backed by a major studio, even though the Ang Lee-directed film was a box office success and won three Oscars(albeit not "Best Picture" as expected).

"The Bucket List" is a lot like watching William Wyler's "The Children's Hour", in which audiences speculated about the nature of the friendship between Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine.

What does it say about major studio films in their treatment of homosexuality when virtually every scene in "The Bucket List" is fraught with a nudge and a wink like it was 1961 all over again? After returning from his travels with Edward, Carter is surrounded by his family at the dinner table.

He looks happy, but given the context, you wonder if that smile is genuine, or a domesticated mask? Sometimes the true feelings of these two men aren't even all that subtle. Listen closely to Edward's eulogy, and watch with amusement at how the screenwriter prevents Carter from sharing an intimate moment with his wife.

Their final resting place is practically a homage to the Ang Lee film, and Annie Proulx short-story(from the short-story collection "Close Range: Wyoming Stories"). Two good friends- wink, wink, nudge, nudge- finally, at peace.