MovieChat Forums > The Bucket List (2008) Discussion > So let me get this straight...

So let me get this straight...


A guy is so rich, he owns his own hospital, but when he is sick, he has to share a room, with this mechanic fellow, and not even get a room of his own? I mean even my insurance covers a private room, when I'm sick. So he befriends his room-mate, and decides to take him on a world tour of everything they'd ever want to do. Let's say that's believable, but the two guys obviously have no chemistry, or anything in common! There was no fun, not laughs, no nothing. It was as bland as whole wheat toast.

I felt it being so awkward, when any one of the two would talk to the other... I really had very high expectations before seeing this, but now I have to say, it's one of the worst movies I have seen.

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One of the worst movies you've ever seen? Sounds a bit harsh. Which other films does it rank among on your list?

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Morning sun, vanquish me!

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while it may be unbelievable, did you not watch the beginning of the movie? His PR people MAKE him share a room. They think it will look good.

Also..it's a movie..sheesh..

"In time you'll drop dead and I'll come to your funeral in a red dress!"

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Other than Morgan Freeman, I think Sean Hayes' character was the closest thing to a friend he had. And to me, anybody that won't talk to anybody any more than they need to because of differences is a snob or poopbird!

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Have you been to hospital recently? Visiting hours are restrictive, so you make friends with the people in the beds around you.

I was recently in a ward where there were three other beds - one seemed to be used for people who were only staying a night, one was occupied by a man who thought "nurse" was equal to "personal slave", but the man in the bed next to me... we talked. He and I had nothing in common besides our hospital room, but for the three or four days I was in there, we kept each other company.

Escalate that to a situation where two people have the same illness and are sharing a ward long-term, and it's easy to see how they'd become firm friends. That was one of the most believable parts of the movie.

"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die" - Linkin Park, Hands Held High

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Maybe he does not want to be alone...

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I am a nurse in a hospital. A lot of times, even if the same roommates are only together a couple days, they are friendly and start looking out for each other. It's really sweet. Also the PR guy said since he said no one gets a private room, he shouldn't either because it would look really bad.

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Nicholson's character said it himself early in the movie (before being hospitalized);

"Two patients a room. No exceptions."

One would assume, no exceptions includes himself.

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1. In the start of the movie they are actually in court and Jack's character makes it a big point about two in a room. When he goes to his hospital he needs to do that to set an example. Good PR like others have said.

2. Morgan Freeman's character was friendly and helpful to him when he started the therapy and getting sick off of it. I doubt he was able to get much sleep because of being sick so they ended up getting to know each other.

3. Jack didn't have any actual friends because he was a business man first. Being in that hospital for all that time made him realize how lonely he was. So he invites the only person that he didn't have to pay that was nice to him for the adventure.

4. I found them to have great chemistry together. Even when they had conflict they still worked out well together.



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1. In the start of the movie they are actually in court and Jack's character makes it a big point about two in a room. When he goes to his hospital he needs to do that to set an example. Good PR like others have said.

2. Morgan Freeman's character was friendly and helpful to him when he started the therapy and getting sick off of it. I doubt he was able to get much sleep because of being sick so they ended up getting to know each other.

3. Jack didn't have any actual friends because he was a business man first. Being in that hospital for all that time made him realize how lonely he was. So he invites the only person that he didn't have to pay that was nice to him for the adventure.

4. I found them to have great chemistry together. Even when they had conflict they still worked out well together.


Agreed.

"I am the ultimate badass, you do not wanna `*beep*` wit me!"- Hudson in Aliens.

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The fact that you didn't realize why they were sharing a room pretty much makes the rest of your opinion of the film worthless to me.

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I've always wondered if his assistant set it up without him knowing. Its kinda what he needed, a reason to carry on living.

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In 1967 at the age of 13 I was burned in fire. 45% to be exact. since my road to recovery was to be many months with nothing to look forward to but constant pain. I was not an agreeable sort. I treated nurses with disdain. They were the purveyors of pain. (BANDAGE CHANGES) I was miserable. For some ungodly reason to add to the torture, Mass G.H. put the terminal pediatric cancer patients in the same ward as us burn patients. In the beginning I wanted to "know" my roommates. They came and they went, some to quickly. It was depressing. I avoided watching this movie for a long time because of this. Those memories were hard to fathom after I grew older. When I was 13 not so much. In the beginning I, like the two main characters did have a common bond with the cancer patients in the pain dept only. But after a while and approximately 25 or so comings and goings I began to feel guilty that I was going to live and there was nothing that was going to change that fact or their fate. Being "IN" that very scenario I can tell you that nothing written in this script is anywhere near off base. When you are at that stage in life you actually "Do" talk and think as the two men did. Screw the holes in the plot. If two men or women shared the same room with the same prognosis they would say the same things to each other. Take it from someone that has been lucky enough to realize what Nicholson's character realized while giving the eulogy. I am lucky that I was burnt and was miserable. It made me live more. When the end of the movie came I wondered, Who would "Get it" I'm lucky I learned early. Nicholson's character not quite too late, but late none the less.

"At age 4 success is...not peeing your pants.
At age 12 success is...having friends.
At age 17 success is...having a driver's license.
At age 20 success is...having sex.
At age 35 success is...having money.
At age 50 success is...having money.
At age 65 success is...having sex.
At age 70 success is...having a driver's license.
At age 75 success is...having friends.
At age 80 success is....not peeing your pants."

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That was a poignant story. I appreciate that you took the time to share it. I hope your life has been kinder since your lengthy hospital stay.

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You missed the part that he wanted his own room and his Assistant stated that there would be a huge PR backlash if he didn't follow his own rules "I run hospitals, not Health Spas. Two people to a room, no exceptions"

I thought the two had great chemistry. While they had different backgrounds, religions, etc., they had one common ground ... they were both dying from cancer.

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