Is The Life List based on a book? Here's what we know

Sometimes, parents find a way for their children to go after what they wish for. This is what The Life List is about. Released on March 28, 2025, and written and directed by Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) writer Adam Brooks, it is still the number one film streaming on Netflix.

As for the original story, the credit goes to Lori Nelson Spielman, who wrote the bestselling novel that serves as the foundation for the film. The plot revolves around its protagonist, Alex (Sofia Carson), who has to find "the one", which is one of the tasks that she must check off her bucket list.

Although a streaming success, it hasn't quite fared well with the critics. It currently holds a 44% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating mixed reviews. However, audiences seem to be more receptive, as evident from the better IMDB score of 7/10.

Was The Life List a bestseller?

Oh, you bet; The Life List was an international bestseller. Going by the ratings, it currently holds 4.4 stars based on nearly 6,000 reviews. On Goodreads, the rating is slightly lower at 4.1, but it is reliable too, given a base of over 25,000 reviews by the readers.

It appears like Lori Nelson Spielman didn't initially know that the book would be adapted into a film, but she remained hopeful. In a Goodreads "Ask the Author" discussion, she responded to a fan who had asked about a movie adaptation by stating,

"I would LOVE to see my stories made into movies! I cannot imagine how thrilling that would be. THE LIFE LIST was actually optioned for film by Fox 2000 in L.A.. We shall see if it ever actually becomes a movie, but it is still hugely exciting to know it's in the hands of "Hollywood."

As of now, Spielman is just 29 days away from turning 64. What's interesting is that she didn't start writing until she was 48. She began working on The Life List in October 2009, which was eventually published in July 2013. That's a nod to the ones starting out late in their lives.

What is The Life List movie about?

The film revolves around Alex, whose mother, Elizabeth (Connie Britton), leaves her what one could call a game before passing away: finish a series of tasks and inherit her mother's wealth. But here's the catch: the tasks come from Alex's own bucket list from childhood, which her mother insists she finish.

The premise echoes a theme one seems to be familiar with from the Karate Kid films, where the mentor assigns the student daily mundane tasks, and the student, like Daniel LaRusso or Dre Parker, initially does them reluctantly. Yet, by the end, those tasks transform them. Similarly, as Alex checks off each item on her list, she undergoes a metamorphosis as well, emerging as a changed person.

While The Life List may not be a must-watch film, due to its feel-good factor, it can certainly qualify as a one-time watch. While Alex doesn't face the threat of having a fatal disease like Edward (Jack Nicholson) and Carter (Morgan Freeman) do from 2007's The Bucket List, the film surely reminds its viewers that they need to start checking off things from their own bucket list. And if they don't have one yet, maybe it is time to create one.