If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast

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.

"If You're Not In the Obit, Eat Breakfast" (2017 release; 86 min.) is a documentary hosted by Carl Reiner, about the amazing number of people over 90 years old (himself included, of course), who continue to thrive in life and at work. As the movie's opening credits roll, Tony Bennett croons "The Best Is Yet to Come", just beautiful. We then catch up with Carl, who is starting out the day as he does every single day: he reads the obits to make sure he is not in them, ha! But the one day, when Polly Bergen passes away, there he is in a large photo of both Polly and himself ("I guess they couldn't find a single decent picture of just Polly by herself!" muses Carl.) That gives Carl and director Danny Gold the idea to make a documentary about people over 90 to whom age is just a number, starting with Stan Harper. At this point we are 10 min. into the documentary, but to tell you more of the 'plot' would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: Danny Gold is a veteran producer-director of documentaries. In his latest, he takes a fond and gentle look at some amazing people over 90 years old, including Mel Brooks, Dick Van Dyke, Norman Lear, etc. They all have their own reasoning for doing what they're doing. Irving Fields puts it like this: "I could work 9 days a week and not be tired!". Take that, lazy "Eight Days a Week" Beatles! But the consensus is more or less: exercise, genes, and good health. It's all brought with a wink and a smile, and you can't help but admire and being a bit jealous (in the nicest possible way).

I recently stumbles on this documentary at HBO On Demand. So glad I took the time to watch this. If you are in the mood for a lighthearted documentary about life over 90, by all means, I encourage you to check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

As someone skidding across the stage of life towards old age I found this feature truly heartening and uplifting. While the subjects featured were well heeled and in predominantly good health the reason they were comfortably off is because for their whole lives they have gone out and just done it. They didn't sit back and wait for things to fall in their lap, they have worked hard for their success and that zest and drive is still very much in evidence today. My particular favourite was the 100 year old lady who took up running in her 80's This is a documentary that gives hope and not a little incentive to get up and get going.

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.

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!