The Bucket List

Carter Chambers and Edward Cole, two men from different worlds, meet for the first time in a hospital owned by Edward after both are diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Their initial encounter is uneasy, but they quickly sense a shared humanity as they face mortality. The hospital room becomes the unlikely birthplace of a deep friendship.

In the hospital, Carter, a family man and amateur historian, begins writing a list of experiences to complete before he dies. The bucket list becomes a lifeline, a way to imprint meaning on his remaining days. It reveals his priorities: family, knowledge, and adventure.

After learning his prognosis of less than a year to live, Carter becomes despondent and discards the bucket list. He confronts the weight of mortality and the limits of his life. The act signals a turning point before their plans are rekindled.

The next morning, Edward finds Carter's discarded list and urges him not to waste his remaining time. He offers to fund every item and even adds his own entries, transforming a private wish list into a shared mission. A renewed sense of purpose begins to bloom between them.

They set out on their globe-trotting final vacation, starting with a skydiving experience. The jump is fearless and funny, redefining what it means to live with limited time. In the rush, their unlikely friendship deepens.

They test the speedway in a Shelby Mustang and a Dodge Challenger, savoring speed and camaraderie. The ride is a playful rebellion against illness and a moment of pure exhilaration. Laughter comes easily as worries fade for a time.

They take a breathtaking flight over the North Pole, drinking in stark, sweeping vistas. The moment blends awe with the awareness of mortality, strengthening their bond. It becomes a shared meditation on life’s wonders.

Atop the Great Pyramid, they open up about faith and family. Carter admits his growing distance from his wife, while Edward reveals how his estrangement from his daughter has haunted him. The exchange deepens their understanding of each other and themselves.

In Hong Kong, Edward hires a prostitute to approach Carter, hoping to push his experiences into a new realm. Carter refuses the offer and insists they stop the bucket list and head home. The moment tests their boundaries and priorities.

Back home, Carter tries to reconnect Edward with his estranged daughter, believing reconciliation could heal wounds. Edward sees this as a breach of trust, chastises Carter, and storms off. The rift underscores how fragile trust can be when you’re racing against time.

Back home and amid preparations for a quiet moment with his wife, Carter collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Doctors discover that the cancer has metastasized to his brain, complicating the last chapters of his life. Edward, still grappling with his own health, comes to visit him, a rare moment of vulnerability between two unlikely friends.

Edward, who has seen a temporary remission, visits Carter in the hospital to reconcile. Carter shares a quirky fact about kopi luwak coffee, and the two laugh together as they confront mortality once more. He asks Edward to finish the bucket list, and they reaffirm their commitment to honoring what they started.

Carter dies during surgery, leaving Edward to confront his own loss. After the funeral, Edward reconciles with his daughter and is introduced to the granddaughter he never knew. He kisses the little girl on the cheek, a quiet, hopeful moment amid heartbreak.

Edward delivers a heartfelt eulogy at Carter’s funeral, crediting him with the best three months of his life. The film closes with an epilogue: Edward lives to 81, and their ashes are placed on a Himalayan summit, completing the bucket list’s final, majestic item. Carter’s voiceover muses that being buried on a mountain would be funny because it’s supposedly illegal.