Review of ‘The Bucket List’ Film: Portrayal of Death and Messages About Coping

Film Summary

The movie The Bucket List is splendid and laden with comedy and drama. It involves two aged gentlemen with contrasting personalities. Billionaire businessman Edward Cole and skilled mechanic Carter Chambers are diagnosed with terminal cancer. They end up sharing a ward according to the hospital’s policy. They are given about a year to live.

Carter prepares a to-do list of how he wants to spend his last days. However, he disposes of it, and Edward finds it. Edward adds a few things to the list, and they set off to achieve it despite Carter’s wife being against the trip idea. They tour Tanzania, the Gaza pyramids, Spain, and the Himalayas Mountains.

On one of the trips, they quarrel after Carter insists Edward should visit his estranged daughter. They part ways, and Carter goes back to his family. Unfortunately, Carter passes away on the night of his return, and Edward is left to clear off the list. He goes to his daughter’s house and kisses his granddaughter, the last thing on the list. After that, Edward dies and is buried in the Himalayas mountain.

The Portrayal of Death in the Movie

Death is viewed as an inevitable and pernicious event in everyone’s life. It is detrimental to the family of the victim and whom he loves. Death has been used to teach the importance of family togetherness, true friendship, and love (Reiner, 2007). It emphasizes that money should not be supreme in our lives; rather, we should nurture every relationship as they are our solace when death knocks. Friends and family are important in one’s life as they bring meaning to the person’s life. Death is a life-changing event, and we should be prepared to face it at any moment.

Overt and Covert Message About Coping

The movie’s open message is that one should be aware that death is an inexorable event. When death knocks, one should enjoy their last moments with their family and achieve all their wishes they have ever had rather than being sorrowful (Reiner, 2007). In the face of death, one should strive to mend broken relationships with the family (Reiner, 2007). The victim should treasure their family to show family love, which can bring comfort during mourning (Reiner, 2007). Family is all we got on our deathbeds.

The movie’s covert message is that society should embrace family closeness, friendship, and the sacrifices made by those we love for our success. In the movie, Edward and Carter sacrifice for the family’s comfort (Reiner, 2007). The movie accentuates that we should strive to love and maintain true friendship rather than our selfish interests. Throughout the movie, friendship, family, and love bring peace in every storm the actors face. The movie emphasizes the importance of our social relationships in our lives.

Personal Insights

The movie reflects our daily lives as we face the world. We should not be consumed by our daily struggles and forget to nurture our social life. It passes a critical message about money and how it distances us from the important things in our lives. We are urged to repair broken family relationships to have a community to help us cope with death. It allows us to reflect on our lives, achievements, and vision. It highlights the importance of preparing to handle such situations.

Reference

Reiner, R. (Director). (2007). The bucket list [Film]. Warner Bros Pictures.

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StudyCorgi. (2025) 'Review of ‘The Bucket List’ Film: Portrayal of Death and Messages About Coping'. 5 August.

1. StudyCorgi. "Review of ‘The Bucket List’ Film: Portrayal of Death and Messages About Coping." August 5, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/review-of-the-bucket-list-film-portrayal-of-death-and-messages-about-coping/.


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StudyCorgi. "Review of ‘The Bucket List’ Film: Portrayal of Death and Messages About Coping." August 5, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/review-of-the-bucket-list-film-portrayal-of-death-and-messages-about-coping/.

References

StudyCorgi. 2025. "Review of ‘The Bucket List’ Film: Portrayal of Death and Messages About Coping." August 5, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/review-of-the-bucket-list-film-portrayal-of-death-and-messages-about-coping/.

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