Plot
Bob Ivanovich, a young Ukrainian-American,[4][5] prays one night for a circus to be erected in his backyard the following day. After school the next day, he runs home eagerly, followed by his friends. To his disappointment, no circus awaits. Angrily, Bob retreats to the closet in his room, his personal retreat space.
Bob has shunned his Ukrainian-born parents due to their customs and traditions, leading him to move far from his family in Detroit and change his last name to Jones. 30 years later, Bob Jones now runs a Los Angeles public relations firm. He is happily married to Gail, who is pregnant with their first child. Bob is horrified to be diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer so might not live to see their baby born.
Bob begins to make home movies, so his son can know who his father was, showing him how to cook spaghetti, how to drive, etc. He also begins to visit the Chinese healer Mr. Ho, who urges him to listen to his heart. It is calling him to forgive, and that life is always giving him invitations if he would only listen. At his wife's urging, they fly to his hometown Detroit to attend his brother Paul's traditional Ukrainian wedding.
While in the area, Bob visits his childhood home. They also attempt to mend fences with his estranged family, which does not go well. Bob criticizes his brother for not moving to California like he did, and his father resents Bob's moving thousands of miles away and changing his name.
Bob returns to California with a heavy heart, sadly telling his wife, "This is my last trip home." At his next visit to the healer, Mr. Ho advises Bob to go into his heart "soon." Bob teaches his son by camera how to shave, play basketball, and start a car by jumper cable.
Also confronting a childhood fear, Bob finally rides a formidable roller coaster (filmed on Twisted Colossus). During the ride, a young companion urges him to let go of the railing as the descent begins, but Bob firmly holds on. (A metaphor of his fear of letting go of life.) He is living on borrowed time—beyond the date the doctors gave him, as he says to his wife after getting off the coaster, "Today is D-Day. Death Day. I was supposed to be dead by today."
Gail's contractions increase, and soon she is in the hospital to give birth to their baby. Bob and Gail have a happy time with their newborn Brian, but soon Bob's condition worsens, now that the cancer has reached his brain. Hospice care is arranged for him. Bob makes a final visit to Mr. Ho, and asks him what the light is he keeps seeing. He replies it is "the life of the self" and urges him to get his "house in order (life and personal affairs)."
A hospice nurse, Theresa moves in to help, as Bob's health continues to deteriorate. Bob and Gail finally call his family to inform them of what's going on. Bob's family comes west for the first time to visit, and he finally makes peace with them. His childhood wish is finally granted by a circus in the backyard.
As his father shaves him, Bob shows that he has at last made peace by telling his father he loves him. Bob finally comes to terms with his life as he dies peacefully, surrounded by the loving, supportive bosom of his family.
Next is shown Bob on a metaphysical roller coaster, this time letting go of the railing, raising his arms freely in the air this time, metaphorically letting go of life, and finally enjoying the ride of life. Bob rides toward a beautiful, shining, ethereal light. A year later, Brian and Gail watch him on video, as he reads Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham to him.
Reception
Box office
My Life opened at number 3 at the US box office behind The Three Musketeers and Carlito's Way.[6] It was number one in Italy for two weeks.[7][8] It grossed $27 million in the United States and Canada and the same internationally for a worldwide gross of $54 million.[9][2]
Critical response
The film received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 44% based on reviews from 25 critics.[10] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A on scale of A to F.[11]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2.5/4 and wrote: "My Life should be a more rigorous and single-minded film; maybe it started that way, before getting spoonfuls of honey to make the medicine go down."
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