Bob Jones (Michael Keaton) is dying from cancer as a P.R. guy in L.A. His wife Gail (Nicole Kidman) is pregnant with their first baby. He starts making videotapes to introduce himself to his future child. He is estranged from his family in Detroit even changing his last name, and has no close friends. His brother Paul Ivanovich (Bradley Whitford) is getting married. After being told that he has only 3-4 months, Gail directs him to a Chinese healer named Mr. Ho (Haing S. Ngor). He is powerfully effected by Mr. Ho and starts examining his unexamined life. Bob and Gail fly back to Detroit.

This starts very slowly and dourly. Bob is not an appealing character. He's closed off. Watching him doing the videos is pretty boring. This is screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin's only directing credit. The lacks any kind of drive for a very long time. It's a poignant concept and Keaton pours everything into this. It adds up to a tiresome cinematic experience.

If one can get past the contrived opening of this film, there's a slightly interesting story. What teacher or class of kids in 1963 or any year would believe a nine-year-old boy that an entire circus was going to be in his backyard after school and all are invited? Gosh, little Bobby is so honest and never prone to fantasizing, etc. Etc. Just as absurd, the audience learns later on, the boy gave up his faith and rebelled against his family because God didn't answer a prayer to have a circus there the next day?

OK, so, beyond the contrived opening, "My Life" has two plots. The first is Michael Keaton's Bob Ivanovich Jones making home movies, just to introduce himself and tell his as yet unborn son who he is/was. These are movies to make his son familiar with his dad. Bob has terminal cancer of the liver and won't live much longer. The second story is about family reconciliation and Bob and his dad and siblings coming together before he dies.

The latter is also considerably contrived. He changed his name and hadn't talked to his parents or any of his relatives since that fateful day in 1963 - 30 years before, when everyone showed up at his backyard and found there wasn't a circus. Judging from his total disavowal of his family over this, why didn't this film show all of the trauma and psychological repercussions of Bob's falling out with all of his class and the school for the rest of his school years? Instead, he's a very successful and apparently wealthy person from the home they have. Again - the contriving is much too obvious in this unbelievable plot.

The reconciliation is touching, but a small part of this film. The acting is good, so one can't fault the players. It's the far-out screenplay and implications of the story mostly that make this one hard to follow or get into.

For one viewing, this is highly recommend. If you want a movie you can enjoy over and over, I would reluctant to recommend it.

THE GOOD - This is wonderfully acted by the two leads, Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman, who play a married couple "Bob and Gail Jones." Keaton is dying of cancer and videotapes his last months on earth with his wife so that their new baby will have something to remember him by. The supporting actors who played Keaton's parents and brother also were excellent. For such a somber theme, the film moves remarkably fast for the two hours. There were good messages of forgiveness and compassion. There were some touching scenes, as you can imagine. The theme song is here is worth noting, too. It is beautiful, reminiscent of the magnificent title tune to "Out Of Africa." The language is pretty tame in here, too, except when Kidman is giving birth.

THE BAD - You would think that a younger man dying of cancer would be praying to God for a miracle, or asking God's help in dealing with the situation, or consulting a minister, priest or rabbi, but Hollywood is never going to go that route. Instead, Keaton goes to a New Age-type Chinese "healer." Eastern religions are politically correct in America but not Christianity or Judiasm, of which this country was founded. Also, in a nice film like this, it would have been more apt with the f-bomb Kidman throws in.

OVERALL - The good far outweighs the bad and the movie is good one. Recommended.