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Prof. L. Raymundo
SUBMITTED BY:
L. Dimailig
A bucket list, and why it is called a “bucket list” per se is still debatable at the moment with several
conflicting theories existing, but it is universally known as a list of experiences and achievements that you
want to accomplish before you die. I could say I have made a bucket list of my own, too many times and
too many revisions. I though wish I could say I have cross out some but realizing now, I haven’t at least
even crossed out one yet and I keep adding more, which made me now question what I’ve been doing in
life.
As obvious as the title is, I expected it’s about going through a person’s bucket list and discovering
how to live your life to the fullest. And as I’ve seen the trailer first, I know what I’m already getting from
the movie (because really, trailers back then are so bad it always feels like you’ve seen the whole movie
already). It’s about two strangers who are nothing alike, both terminally ill, decides to spend their
remaining life going off their “bucket list”, comprising all the things they have never tried before, get to
know each other, becomes friends, and find the joy.
Going through the movie, first off, there is no better way to start a movie than a monologue
narrated by Morgan Freeman that I thought I was set up to watch a movie about a deep and thought-
provoking documentary. But of course, it is not a documentary, but if it is a deep and thought-provoking
movie? That I will try to go into in this narrative as I write this while watching this movie on 3 am (because
I just thought there is no better way to get emotional and deeply invested in a movie to be motivated to
write a reflection so long I will be able to pass this course and of it to become so original than the reflection
and reviews I’ve already googled up, than of course watch it on 3 am with no sleep, caffeinated,
unnecessarily oversharing, and also on the day that it is due).
At the beginning of the movie, I get how they set up Jack Nicholson’s character ‘Edward’, which is not hard
to pick up because it’s just so like the other characters he worked on in the past, the kind of character that
is cocky, grumpy, arrogant, but also a comedic relief for middle aged men. And same goes with Morgan
Freeman’s character ‘Carter’ who is religious, especially with Freeman’s reputation of doing voice over
and being the wise and good that is in this world. It’s the irony of life how Edward’s belief that “no one is
special, each hospital room will have two beds” that he also ended up in that situation, when he was
diagnosed with cancer and had to share a room with a stranger, that is Carter. The scenes of how they go
through chemo therapy and cancer itself is not as morbid as I expected it to be, or maybe I just have seen
better representation of cancer on other movies, but still I didn’t notice it took 30 mins. and more to set
up how badly their disease were and how different their life was, Carter being someone who has a family
and Edward who does not have any. All Edward had was his corporation, money and personal assistant,
and the most expensive coffee of his.
When finally, the news that they are going to die soon came, the question if you would like to know when
you will die or not was brought up. If it were me, I too would like to know when will my time will be up
par cause de I could plan out how my funeral would turn out, like please no goddamn balloons, it’s
pollutant! And, I may sort out what and which are to prioritize and do. But maybe, I wouldn’t also know
how I would feel if it happens to me.
Carter creates a "Bucket List," things he wants to do before he dies. Edward willingly offers to finance this
endeavor and added some of his own desires to the list. Carter’s wife, Virginia, was opposed to this as this
was so unlikely Carter’s character, but as Carter confessed, he wants to do something for himself now
before he dies as he lived all his life for his family but never for himself. This sets up Carter’s character
who is all good into questioning his life decisions. And as a viewer I also questions, was it worth living for
if it’s living for other people but not for yourself?
As they decided to go off on their road trip, which is as highly unrealistic as it is as bad as their CGI was
(but I remembered this is not for me to criticize it on how it is technically made out to be and reminding
myself 2007 is a decade ago so their CGI must be forgiven and also I need to reflect on the movie on
philosophical viewpoint for Philosophy subject), my first thought was Edward was kind of jerk for egging
Carter for doubting and thinking of his wife during the skydive just because he doesn’t have someone like
Carter’s wife, but he was a jerk already in the first place. And I don’t find their supposed to be funny antics
“funny”, maybe because I couldn’t relate, or I was just not on the mood. It’s ironic how the destination
they decided to visit of all places in the world are mostly just graves of other people, like the Great Pyramid
of Giza and the Taj Mahal. They fulfill some of their wishes: driving a fast car, sky-diving, singing as they
drive through the wilds of Africa surrounded by animals, or sitting atop the Pyramids in Egypt. But the
quester in Carter always has a new question for his buddy. He claims that the Egyptian gods had two
questions for people: (1) Have you found joy in your life? (2) Has your life brought joy to others? Now
there's a two-edged sword to cut away all the dreck of existence! Carter professes a faith in God whereas
Edward admits that he has trouble with the concept. His belief is: "We live, and we die and the wheels on
the bus go round and round." Edward then shares personal bits of his own life: He’s been married three
times, and has a daughter, from whom he’s estranged. The daughter married an abusive husband, who
beat her once in the past. When the husband abused her a second time, Edward stepped in and drove
him off, causing his daughter to disown him.
I now see how ironically the questions are pointing to each of them, “(1) Have you found joy in your life?”
was the question Carter is trying to find, whereas Carter had not lived a life beyond being a mechanic and
being a husband and father and so therefore his life could also be viewed as unexamined as well. While
Edward and his conflict with his daughter questions if he “(2) Has brought joy to others?”. The quote also
can be viewed also as a form of utilitarianism. When Carter asks if his life has brought joy to others this
could be viewed as utilitarian in the fact that finding joy in your own life is just as important as others
finding joy in your life. What have you done not only for yourself but for the joy of others? What in your
life might generate the greatest net good for the greatest number of people?
On one point of their travels, Edward arranges a prostitute for Carter, who refuses, but in the process
finds a renewed love for his wife. Like a stranger before he left, Carter decided to return to his old self as
a loving husband. On their way back to States, as Carter understands that Edward longs for his family
arranges a meeting at his daughter’s home. Edward was furious and responded by saying that he doesn’t
need anybody. And this put their friendship at a halt. Carter goes back to his family, while Edward returns
to his lonely life. Sadly, Carter's cancer has spread, which requires surgery. They did reconcile and at the
same time had crossed out one thing on their checklist which is “Laugh until I cry” when Carter shares to
Edward that the most expensive coffee he had been drinking was made from a cat poop. This had me
laughing too, a bittersweet laugh knowing what’s ahead.
When Carter passed away, a letter he left moves Edward to reconcile with his daughter. The greatest twist
that is, in their checklist it says, “Kiss the most beautiful girl in the world” and Edward crossed it out when
he finally met his granddaughter and kiss the most beautiful girl in the world — his granddaughter. Edward
speaks at Carter's funeral, while crossing out “Help a complete stranger” on their list, citing the
importance of his friendship with Carter and how he taught him the basics of life. Edward lives a long life,
and eventually has his ashes, along with some of Carter's placed in the Himalayas, where Edward's
assistant Matthew, crosses off the final item of the bucket list, “Witness something truly majestic”.
In real life, I think many people are also like this—fighting for the sake of other people, regretting things
that have happened in the past. Imagine you’re faced with terminal illness. Aside from despair, what else
would you feel? This movie touches very much on ethics and the meaning of life. There is also a correlation
with this movie and Socrates quote “the unexamined life is not worth living.” This quote goes well with
the plot of the movie in the fact that both men still had a lot of learning to do before they passed away.
This made me question myself too, “Were I ever happy?” This emphasizes an important point:
The purpose of life is happiness, even to the last moments. It doesn’t matter how much money you make;
what matters is whether you’re happy in the process of making it. At the end of the day, the goal of making
money should be to increase your own happiness, not accumulating wealth just for the sake of becoming
wealthy. You should live your life according to your own standards, go with the flow, and never place
material things over your own personal happiness. And I think I need to review and revise my bucket list.