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In his book America In The Movies, author Michael Wood wrote that films are “a rearrangement of our problems into shapes which tame them, which disperse them to the margins of our attention.” This is certainly true of The Bucket List. Fueled by the charismatic presence of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, director Rob Reiner orchestrates a touching and funny film that treats a serious subject like mortality with a featherweight hand. It is implausible and illogical and, for that reason, it will be vilified by critics but likely well-received by the general populace.

Nicholson stars as Edward Cole, a crusty curmudgeon millionaire who, in his own words, “runs hospitals, not health spas.” His policy of “two beds to a room, no exceptions” ends up biting him in the backside when he is diagnosed with a terminal illness and finds himself paired up with Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman). Chambers is a blue-collar mechanic who has also been given a grave prognosis. After initial wariness and irritation, the two strike up an unlikely friendship; the only thing they have in common is their illness. Remembering an academic exercise from his youth, Carter creates a “bucket list”: things one wants to do or experience before one “kicks the bucket.” With a little revision to spice things up a bit, Cole and Chambers (against the wishes of the latter’s wife) set out on their adventure to fulfill the list. From there, the film becomes a typical road film of two men—truly an odd couple in every sense of the word—jet-setting around the globe to experience such things as skydiving, getting tattooed, visiting the pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal.

Predictable and far-fetched, the scenarios play out like a sit-com with few of the rough edges of real life health challenges present. This is suffering-with-cancer lite—only a few glitches along the way remind us that these two are even sick. Because of this, it is easy to wrap up this package in a tight little bow in 97 minutes—and Nicholson, Freeman and Reiner do so nicely. Is it reality? Absolutely not—but the film cannot be faulted for that.

The frailty of humanity and the fragility of life is what lies at the heart of The Bucket List. The contrast between Cole and Chambers is glaring—Cole a man whose wealth has seemingly come at the cost of personal relationships and, ultimately, his own soul. Chambers, by contrast, has lived a life of quiet ordinariness—a faithful husband, a dedicated father, and provider. Cole is a skeptic, unsure and even hostile to the idea of a creator. Chambers remains steadfastly a man of faith who gazes out an airplane window and knows that the beauty he sees is not an act of random chance.

Cynics may despise such simplicity; some may even call it manipulative. Yet it is precisely this simplicity that makes The Bucket List fulfill its purpose as a film. It is a film that does not try to be anything that it is not—it is not groundbreaking filmmaking. But for anyone who has gone through any sort of health challenge in the past or currently, either personally or with a loved one, it is a great escape to live vicariously (and victoriously) through the lives of Edward Cole and Carter Chambers. Everyone knows that it is appointed for each person to die. The fact that it can be faced head on with no regrets resonates deep within the human soul—reconciliation, resolution and, finally, forgiveness are within grasp. Nicholson and Freeman prove that it can be done with a smile.