Young @ Heart (2007)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Directors:

Stephen Walker
Sally George

Release Date:

2 October 2008 (Germany)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

Rock 'n Roll Will Never Die

Plot:

A story of the Young at Heart Chorus, a group of senior citizens who perform contemporary and classic rock and pop songs.

Plot Keywords:

Chorus | Massachusetts | Rock Music | Elderly | Cancer

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Joe Benoit	...	Himself - aged 83
Helen Boston	...	Herself - aged 76
Louise Canady	...	Herself - aged 77
Elaine Fligman	...	Herself - aged 83
Jean Florio	...	Herself - aged 83
Len Fontaine	...	Himself - aged 86
Stan Goldman	...	Himself - aged 76
Jeanne Hatch	...	Herself - aged 79
Eileen Hall	...	Herself - aged 92
Donald Jones	...	Himself - aged 76
Fred Knittle	...	Himself - aged 80
Norma Landry	...	Herself - aged 78
John Larareo	...	Himself - aged 74
Patricia Larese	...	Herself - aged 75
Miriam Leader	...	Herself - aged 87

Also Known As:

Young at Heart (USA) (alternative spelling)
Young@Heart (USA) (new title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild language and thematic elements.

Runtime:

USA:107 min | Germany:109 min (European Film Market)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG | Switzerland:0 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:0 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:6 (f) | Germany:6 | Ireland:G | New Zealand:PG | South Korea:All | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Aerostat Promotions, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Movie Connections:

References The Sound of Music (1965)

Soundtrack:

Fix You

Fantastic Mix Of Humor, Sadness & Inspiration

It may sound like it, but this is no cliché: this movie will make you laugh and cry. It's true.

In a day with so much garbage being put out, this was a refreshing film to view - something true, too. It's a documentary about a group of old-timers (senior citizens, if you will) from Northampton, Mass., who tour and sing rock 'n roll. There is something absurd, outrageous, comical and entertaining about seeing an 89-year-old imitating James Brown and screaming, "I Feel Good!" What we witness in this two-hour documentary is both funny at times, but also sad. Hey, it's reality; life is hard, especially as you get older and older. Some of the members of this group die during the filming of it. The other men and women have to deal with these losses. "The show must on," as the old saying goes, but it's not easy.

The group sings rock standards and stuff that is pretty recent. It's hardly just Brown, the Ramones, Beatles, Bee Gees or Stones songs. It's also these old folks performing Sonic Youth, Coldplay, The Clash and the like.

Of all the members, one can't but be most impressed with the voice of Fred Knittle, who has to sit and sing while having an oxygen tank next to him. His voice is really, really good. Then there is 92-year-old and spunky Eileen Hall and then there six-time cancer patient Joe Benoit, probably the nicest man you'd ever meet. All the people here are interesting.

The more I watched this, the more respect I had for Bob Cilman, who directs this group. That man must have tremendous patience and a big, big heart for older people. It's frustrating when members keep forgetting their lines time and time again, but Bob presses on. He's called a "taskmaster" a few times but the group has great respect for him.

Director Steven Walker does a super job putting this film together, holding some shots and cutting others off just at the right spots so we get the full effect of the humor or drama of a particular situation. Your emotions will run the gamut watching this. The more sentimental you are, the more it will affect you.

If you have a sense of humor and compassion for people, this is one of the few movies I guarantee you will like.