Jan 20 2009
Young @ Heart (2008)
Documentary featuring The Young @ Heart Chorus and its director Bob Cilman
Directed by Stephen Walker
Rated PG for some mild language and thematic elements
1 hour, 48 minutes
This delightful movie traces a few months in the lives of the infamous New England choir “Young @ Heart” as they get ready for their next rehearsal. Comprised of 70-, 80-, and 90-year olds with varying ailments and levels of hearing, the group shuns traditional music and instead opts for songs by the likes of The Clash, Sonic Youth, The Rolling Stones, and James Brown. Learning these unfamiliar tunes is extremely difficult and sometimes compounded by health concerns about group members, but the choir bands together to overcome the odds and deliver when it counts. This movie is almost impossible not to like, and if you aren’t moved by the performance at the prison or the Coldplay rendition by a gentleman on an oxygen tank, you probably don’t have a pulse. Although the filmmaking isn’t always brilliant, the story more than overcomes the minor flaws. See this movie and hope that you are as fortunate as its subjects in your golden years.
Grade: A-
Young @ Heart Trailer