The employment rate of younger generations is annually decreasing. They are terrified by their uncertain future, and it leads many young people to sacrifice their 20s to a never-ending job search. However, our youth is too short and valuable to be just suppressed by the three words: Job, TOEIC, and certificates (license). For the precious youth of students, I want to introduce a movie called "The Bucket List.”
*What is a bucket list? A bucket list is a list of things to do before death. The expression originated from an English idiom "Kick the bucket," which comes from a method of execution, such as, hanging in the middle Ages. A noose is tied around the neck while standing on an overturned bucket. When the bucket is kicked away, the victim is hanged.
The movie "The Bucket List" is about two men facing death, given only six months. The main character Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) is a car mechanic who spent his whole life taking care of his family. Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) is a billionaire who has worked his entire life. These two meet in the hospital, after both have been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. They become friends as they go through the treatment, and decide to create a list of things to do before they die. Their bucket list is shown below.
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Carter and Edward’s Bucket List
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Laugh until they cry
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Kiss the most beautiful girl in the world
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Help a complete stranger
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Drive a motorcycle on the Great Wall of China
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Fly over the North Pole
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Eat dinner at Chevre d’Or in France
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They fly over the North Pole, eat dinner at an expensive restaurant in France, and ride motorcycles on the Great Wall of China. As Carter and Edward go through the bucket list, they both feel the small happiness of life. In Hong Kong, Edward hires a prostitute for Carter, who has never been with any woman but his wife. Carter declines, and returns home realizing his only love is his wife. On the way home, Carter recommended Edward to reunite with his only daughter, who left him after he drove her away from her abusive husband. However, Edward angrily refuses. Carter returns home to his family where they have a nice dinner sharing stories while Edward stays home eating frozen dinner alone. After the short happiness, Carter suffers a seizure and is rushed to the hospital. The cancer has spread to his brain. Edward visits him, and they share funny stories about their bucket list trip. Carter crosses off "laugh till I cry" from his list and tells Edward to finish the list without him.
Carter goes into surgery, but he ends up dying. After Carter's death, Edward finally attempts to meet with his daughter. He meets his daughter and his granddaughter. After giving a kiss on the cheek of his granddaughter, Edward crosses "kiss the most beautiful girl in the world." off the list. At Carter's funeral, Edward delivers a eulogy, explaining that he and Carter were complete strangers, but the last three months of Carter's life were the best three months of his as well. The movie ends with Edward crossing "help a complete stranger" off the list.
Do we have to make the bucket list because we do not have enough time to live like Carter and Edward? No. We are young college students with many days ahead of us. What I am trying to get at here is that when we get old and look back at our lives, we would feel like we have lived a heartless life. Elementary school students spend their lives studying to enter decent middle schools, middle school students study for good high schools, and high school students strive for good universities. Moreover, we, university students spend our youth to build decent portfolios for jobs. Realistically, if you get a fine career, chances are, you may live a satisfying life. However, our lives do not exist just to have a job. It is for people to experience a lot of things. These days, young people think that even a single second is a big deal and we need to use that one second to search for a job. Is life without any pause truly good for us? How about a life with a little rest? With the movie "The Bucket List," I recommend everyone to fulfill their lives with diverse and special experiences.
Similar movies are "The Last Holiday" with Queen Latifah and "Now Is Good" with Dakotah Fanning.
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A Sample Bucket List of university students
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Build a house in Jeju Island
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Sleep all day
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Drive a scooter along the coast
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Eat at the most expensive buffet.
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Travel with mom.
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Surfing on the California beach.
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Have a presentation in front of 300 or more people
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