Young @ Heart

This movie is not like anything I have seen in years. In Northampton, Massachusetts there exists a group of senior citizens that refuse to take aging sitting down. They sing rock and roll songs with such surprising gusto and élan that even prison inmates stand up and cheer. The play list is especially varied and surprising. The songs range from the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" to James Brown's "I Feel Good." Along the way we get to know a few of them and why they do it. Sad to say, the chorus looses two members during the filming. But the show must go on. And indeed it does. By the end of the movie you will find yourself on your feet and cheering as you choke back your tears. This movie is a brilliant testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.

The premise for this movie sounds a little cloying and frankly wasn't a big draw for me, but I've just seen Young at Heart and I believe! This energetic bunch of septua-, octo- & nona- genarians dive into rock, punk, disco and more, and you'll be surprised what a goldmine they find. Seemingly wacky choices for music to be sung by a choir of oldsters (I Wanna Be Sedated, Golden Years, I Feel Good, Stayin' Alive, etc.), these familiar "youth" oriented songs become revelatory in their hands. Watching them cope with the aging process while making time to rehearse rock is amazing, and it's great fun to get to know all of them in the process. Now I believe that you can be 90 and still be young at heart.

(Synopsis) Over the last 25 years, there has existed a group of senior citizens living in Northampton, Massachusetts, who refuse to let age and ill health get them down. Young@Heart is a documentary based on the lives of the current singing group of 24 senior citizens, brought to the big screen by British filmmaker, Stephen Walker, who saw their performance in London. Young@Heart is not your ordinary singing chorus, because they sing rock, punk, disco, and the average age is 81 with the oldest being 92 year old Eileen Hall. The documentary follows the group over a six-week rigorous rehearsal schedule, plus practicing at home for an upcoming sold out concert in their home town. The group has many songs in their repertoire, but Bob Cilman, the stern but sympathetic chorus director, has added several songs for the new concert. These are not easy for the group to learn such as "Yes We Can," "Schizophrenia" and "I Got You or (I Feel Good)". After several weeks of practice, the group is on their way to the local jail to give a performance, when they learn that one of their members passed away the night before. It is devastating for them, but they have learned that the show must go on. They all pull together and practice even harder to get ready for their evening performance. That night, their concert is a rousing success, and ends with a standing ovation.

(My Comment) This movie is for people who want to see the real thing. Several of the senior citizens in this documentary open up their lives to us. You get to know them in just a few minutes, and you know that they are good people. The songs that they sing are not from their generation, yet they are willing to try something new. The seniors believe the old saying, "Use it or lose it," and that is why they love singing in the chorus. Plus with perseverance and teamwork, they have become part of a second family. I laughed, smiled, tapped my foot, and even shed a few tears during the whole movie. I saw the movie twice: The first time I liked it, and the second time, I loved it. The younger audiences may not get it, but I know the adult audience will understand and love it. Young@Heart is truly an inspirational, entertaining, heart-felt, and wonderful documentary. This is an incredible story that needed to be told. You will absolutely love Fred Knittle's rendition of Coldplay's "Fix You." This is one of those sleeper movies you will hear about. (Fox Searchlight, Run Time 1:47, Rated PG)(10/10)

I am not one for documentaries or nonfiction as they usually don't allow me to escape inside the film to get a release from the life I'm living. I generally enjoy fiction because of the fantastical and its ability to bring me into a world that I wouldn't otherwise enter. With that said, I can't tell you how surprised I was at how much I enjoyed this chorus of old folks that are truly Young@Heart. Straight from the get-go, this choral troupe inspires, entertains, and just lives life to the fullest. Acting as though they are still in their twenties—taking shots at each other, flirting, and singing their hearts out—the Young at Heart chorus shows its audience what it means to grow old and enjoy every minute of it. Credit filmmaker Stephen Walker for keeping a somewhat unobtrusive eye on the proceedings, infusing himself into the group, joining the family. He says how he has gained 24 or so more grandparents through the process and I would also say they all gained one more grandchild. The comfortability with their documentarian is 100%, allowing this film to inspire us all for the future and show how pure the heart can be.

These elderly crooners are a blast to spend time with. When shown the new songs for an upcoming concert, all have a mixture of excitement and confusion. During the first run-through of Sonic Youth's "Schizophrenia" we see fingers going into ears, face-cringes, and what could be described as disgust. However, they all welcome a challenge and although they don't understand the song, nor have a clue at where it's going, they never give up. Credit music director Bob Cilman for having the patience and skill to mold these performers into an act of shear professionalism and entertainment. He knows his group and their abilities, placing certain solo responsibilities on some, duet partnerships on others, always knowing that they will give their all no matter what. At first you may think he is just a vessel for them to have fun, joking around and partaking in the laughs, but as the time gets closer and closer to the performance, Bob shows his taskmaster side. He wants the best show possible and is unafraid to let his singers know it, whether telling them what he needs or threatening to cut a song. The group never falters, though. They take the criticism and run with it. When challenged to come back after Easter with the words to Allen Toussaint's "Yes, We Can Can" fully learned, the Northampton, MA troupe show their mettle and eventually hit it out of the park.

The music is fantastic for sure, I think I may purchase their disc from CDBaby.com before the night is over, but it is really the people involved that shine on screen. Every member is an integral cog to the system and just brimming with life and energy. From Steve "Sexy Beast" Martin and his exuberance, to consummate professional Joe Benoit and his ability to memorize a song in one afternoon, to his best friend and confident driver Len Fontaine, to the flirtatious 92-year-old Eileen Hall, there is no one you won't you love afterwards. Their bond is unbreakable and they all help each other through the good and the bad times. Just to see them dance and move when listening to a new song, performing their dance steps at a prison gig, and unabashedly showing their emotions when tragedy strikes helps show how real they all are. These guys aren't hamming it up for the camera, they truly know how to have fun and aren't afraid to show it.

Despite only taking place during the course of a seven week rehearsal schedule, having a group of people averaging 80-years-old is ripe for life to rear its ugly head. All the good times—the reunions, the rejuvenation, the singing, dancing, and laughing—are countered by devastation. While the film's trailer shows an uproarious good time, and by God it is, don't be caught off-guard for the poignant moments of clarity and sadness. Unfortunately tragedy does strike, sometimes at the most inopportune moments, yet all march on for their fallen comrades, creating a touching portrait of humanity. These moments also bring some of the most powerful songs including a stirring rendition of Coldplay's "Fix You" by returning ex-member Fred Knittle with his Johnny Cash-like baritone.

In the end, though, Young@Heart is really an uplifting tale of perseverance and life at its most simple and pleasurable. This is an internationally traveling chorus, touring Europe each year to complement their US dates. Never afraid to have fun, we are given some snippets of music video style shoots interspersed throughout the film. "Stayin' Alive" is fantastic and during the performance for "Golden Years" one can't help but laugh to the point of tears for Stan Goldman. Go see this film while you can and don't be surprised to see it winning a best documentary Oscar at next year's show. I heard the rumblings that this was becoming quite the phenomenon and now I can say first hand that it is more than that. Young@Heart is something we can all relate with and a film we should see to attain hope for the future and a template for how to live out our retirements, not sulking at home, but out enjoying all the things we did the years past. Maybe life really begins at age 70.

I just saw this movie at the Philadelphia Film Festival. This was an excellent feel good movie. I highly recommend it. It's the type of movie (documentary really) that more Hollywood Studios should make. In the Q&A afterwards, the director commented on how hard it was to get musical releases for the various songs. When you see the movie, you will understand why because the songs were sung by many famous performers and the producers got all of the releases but one, U2's One. During the scene in which one of the characters is in the hospital the scene was supposed to show the character singing One in a past performance interlaced with the current event. Alas, since U2 didn't agree to release the rights, it will never be shown. The director commented that so many people on the production staff would stop in the editing room just to see it. Once you see the movie, you will understand why I say, U2 sucks!