Knowing that "The Bucket List" was directed by a clearly fading Rob Reiner, and furthermore having seen the less than inspiring previews, I was more than a bit apprehensive as I sat down to watch it. Despite the presence of the legendary Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, it seemed way too cute and emotionally fluffy to sustain any meaningful interest.

Thus, you can imagine my shock at not only being entertained, but indeed entirely overwhelmed by this incredibly fine human drama. Like a jet beginning its take off, this superb film consistently builds speed until you are all but whisked away into your own little state of nirvana.

The story is simple and sparse, which is its strength. Having literally nothing in common, Nicholson and Freeman find themselves in the same hospital room, both diagnosed with terminal cancer.

A veteran of four failed marriages, Nicholson is a fabulously wealthy corporate merger tycoon who has no friends, having left nothing but a trail of human debris in his wake. Freeman, married for over forty years, has labored as an auto mechanic sacrificing himself for his wife and children.

Mutually, they form an improbable friendship centering around Freeman's "Bucket List", which is a list of things to do before one dies. Initially incredulous (his response to Freeman was "cutesy"), Nicholson eventually embraces the idea. Together, they set out on a road trip where they individually rediscover meaning in life through their developing friendship.

Like Kevin Costner's "Field of Dreams" (1989), this movie is essentially a romantic picture for men. Quite frankly, most women that I have talked to concerning "Field of Dreams" consider it hokey to the point of irrelevant. After all, what is remotely appealing about a financially struggling farmer destroying a significant portion of his crop to build a baseball diamond simply because he "hears voices?"

However, men embrace the romance in that movie. It wasn't about practicality, it was about an adult male remembering his love of baseball as a kid. Furthermore, it not only allowed ostracized greats like Shoeless Joe Jackson to once again play the game, but it finally allows Costner to play that game of catch with his deceased father that had previously eluded the two of them.

Similarly, "The Bucket List" is a platonic love story where two dying, grown men reconnect with life as they connect with each other. Nicholson sees that despite his money, he has effectively wasted his life. Not only does he have four ex-wives who want little if anything to do with him, but he has remained ostracized for years from his only daughter.

In Morgan's case, he is much like the Burt Lancaster character, called Doc, in the aforementioned "Field of Dreams." While Doc gave up his dream of hitting in the major leagues to pursue a worthwhile career in medicine, Freeman dropped out of college to support a pregnant wife. Possessing an obviously brilliant mind (look for the reoccurring scenes where he answers every question correctly while watching Jeopardy), he has spent his life as an auto mechanic in order that his children could go to college and succeed in life where he basically could not. In his own way, he too never got to hit big league pitching.

There are some truly remarkable moments in this movie. For example, as both men face their imminent death, and while Freeman expresses reluctance about joining Nicholson on their quest, Freeman wistfully states that the past forty-five years have just "flown by." To which Nicholson responds, "How quickly do you think the next year is going to fly by?"

And there are some splendid stops during their journey. They safari through the plains of Africa; motorcycle over the Great Wall of China; ponder the Taj Mahal; and dine at the base of Mt. Everest and in sumptuous style in Hong Kong. The cinematography capturing these moments serves as a perfect backdrop to these two doomed characters finding a rich friendship in the face of death.

This is basically a two-actor movie, with Sean Hayes (sensationally over the top in TV's Will and Grace) giving his best movie performance to date as Nicholson's loyal, put-upon assistant. In addition, having truly loved him for his performance as the angry doctor in TV's "Northern Exposure", it was nice to see Rob Morrow back on the big screen, even if it is only in a cameo as the doctor for our two doomed heroes.

Finally, it was also a pleasure to see Rob Reiner regain his touch as a director. As talented as he is, he has been roaming in a cinematic wasteland since directing such memorable movies as "This is Spinal Tap" (1984); "Stand by Me" (1986); "The Princess Bride" (1987); "When Harry Met Sally" (1989); "Misery" (1990) and "A Few Good Men" (1992). It is not an exaggeration to say that "The Bucket List" deserves to be included in that exalted list.