If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast

You've probably heard Carl Reiner's famous joke about his morning routine: "I read the obituaries. If I'm not in them, then I eat breakfast." The subject for this inspiring, touching, wonderful, and rare documentary is to celebrate people in their nineties or beyond who are still actively enjoying life. We see one woman running a race, another teaching yoga, one man digging into a hearty meat sandwich and another's wife preparing a pineapple salad. A large focus is on positive mental outlook and enjoyable friendships, two things many elderly people unfortunately don't have. Too many folks sit in a sea of depression because their family has moved away, and the extent of their conversation with friends is their various ailments and the downsides to getting old. Imagine how wonderful it would be to get together with friends and talk about good times, told jokes, and shared nice memories. When Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, and Norman Lear sit together and chat in front of the camera, they provide a healthy example for friendship in one's sunset years.

Many of the old folks featured are famous, but there are some "nobodys" included so you don't think it's impossible to achieve such a high quality of life when you reach ninety. Kirk Douglas, Stan Lee, Betty White, George Shapiro, Patricia Morrison, and Dick Van Dyke are all prominently featured, and Dick even gets a healthy plug for his fantastic memoir/self-help book Keep Moving. He and his lovely wife Arlene talk about their relationship and sing a sweet duet for the camera. We get to see snippets of Kirk's one-man-show talks, Betty's television work, and Tony Bennett, Dave Grusin, and Alan Bergman open and close the movie with musical performances.

As Iris Apfel mentions, so much of women's advertising is the message "anti-aging", which is so sad. Instead of being told that growing old is horrible and should be avoided at all costs (literally), women should be taught to prioritize their life enjoyment over their looks. What good is it to be beautiful and look twenty years younger than your age if you sit around miserable without any hobbies or motivation to get through the day? We should celebrate women and men who like to exercise, paint, play music, sing, dance, reminisce with their friends, write articles or books, stay busy around the house, go to events, continue working - and that's exactly what this documentary does.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll change your life. The morning after watching this inspirational documentary, I went for a two-mile walk with my mom. Hopefully this new routine will last, but if it doesn't, I'll just watch the movie again - and have a wonderful time!

This is a heartwarming film about people in their nineties, mostly celebrities, who discuss what keeps them going in life.

I enjoyed seeing all of the participants, especially Dick Van Dyke and Betty White, who I remember from the 1950s, both of whom are still lively past the age of 90.

What I did not like about the film is the implication that we can all be as fortunate as the individuals depicted. Medical problems are not discussed, nor is the fact that most people simply die before they reach eighty years of age. I did not like the fact that the film suggests that we can all stay alive and healthy with a "can-do" spirit. This idea is so simplistic and inaccurate, it's almost offensive.

However, I do recommend the film, due to the fact that the participants are all interesting and inspirational.

It was wonderful seeing the great celebrities I grew up with from the 1950's-1960's. The thing is that all these people are rich. They didn't find any washed up or middle class or poor celebrities. They found folks with trainers, dietitians, and all the money in the world to fix anything short of falling off a cliff. Nor did they mention if any of these folks had any serious health issues in their past. DNA and luck plays a huge part in this story. Still, in spite of the huge departure from reality (What am I saying? This is TV!)it was an enjoyable documentary if for no other reason to see all these wonderful artists talk about their versions of why they aren't dead yet. One last thing...while these artists put on a show for the cameras, you could see they were struggling to keep up. Clearly, they are doing well considering their age...but sharp? I don't think so.

This is a sentimental but effective documentary about famous figures who've surpassed the age of 90, and what keeps them going. It doesn't offer much by way of factual insights about longevity, and it generally stays away from people who live into old age with debilitating health conditions (the D-word, dementia, is not brought up here). It only really briefly touches upon some health issues during the section on Kirk Douglas, who survived a stroke and ended up living to 103.

But that's okay. I thought this would be fluffy, light, and easy to watch, and it was. It was in a way that didn't feel tacky as well, so there wasn't a need to feel guilty while watching it.

It's also bittersweet given the age of this means that many people featured in it have passed away, but it's nice to see them living out their final years seemingly content and happy. There are some nice things to take away from this, which is super syrupy, but not to the point where it started making me feel sick. It's just a nice little documentary.

This is the most powerful, uplifting, wonderful documentary I have seen in....well, maybe ever. It touched so many warm places in my soul that I can't even begin to relate them all.

Carl Reiner hosts celebrities who give us deeply personal glimpses into their thoughts at the age of 90 and beyond. Rather than being a showcase of past glory and faded memories by icons you might remember, this film is a celebration of all that has brought these people to this age and taught them how to live well and thrive. You might think that being celebrities with wealth and fame, their kind of happiness would be foreign to common folks like us. But as we visit with each celebrity, the common denominator of their humanity sweeps away the star stuff. They make it very clear we all face the same mortality, suffer the same losses, and find our joy in life through the same simple values. When you have lived to 90 and beyond, you have nothing more to prove. Live well and abide by the simple wisdom of just being yourself, giving, loving, and having purpose in your life.

In a world that seems to be increasingly marked by milestones of tragedy and loss, this documentary serves as a joyous reminder of what is really important in life. It has impacted me deeply, at age 60. And my 90 year old mother in law was just as moved when she saw it. She has asked to watch it again.

If I could, I would personally thank every one who was interviewed for this film for giving so much of themselves. Those who filmed, edited, and created the vessel to convey these messages did an outstanding job. This was beautiful, entertaining, and thought provoking in a way that makes you just want to burst with happiness. It was a truly unexpected gift. Thank you.