A Disappointing Continuation

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Wow; a documentary that is never boring. Directed masterfully by Stephen Walker, Young @ Heart is almost two hours, but I could have watched much more without losing interest. Many filmmakers don't edit enough out of their work, but Walker uses his camera perfectly and keeps things moving.Twenty two senior citizens, averaging eighty years of age, are encouraged to sing in a chorus run by the demanding Bob Cilman. He is the Vince Lombardi of choir masters. We follow their progress for two months as they practice material ranging from James Brown to Sonic Youth to Cold Play. During that period, two of the members die, but the show must go on, and does it ever. The personal life experiences of the residents are compelling and when they are at a prison, the inmates are so overcome with emotion that they embrace the choir. By the time the finale rolls around, with a performance of Cold Play's Miss You, by a severely handicapped man, your heart will be ripped out of your chest; it is that powerful. I cannot praise Young @ Heart highly enough and I hope to see more good things from Stephen Walker.

*Spoiler/plot- 2007, A 80's+ year old group of diverse women and men work and sing in a traveling performance group run by a music master. You see their day-to-day lives in this public endeavor and get to know each member.*Special Stars- Joe Beniot, Elaine Fligman, Eileen Hall, Bob Salvini, and MORE.*Theme- You're only as old as you wish to be.*Based on- Senior citizen Center singing groups *Trivia/location/goofs- Documentary shot in New England.*Emotion- A somewhat unforgettable and charming film covering a extreme age group of retirees that sing in a unique choral group. They sing new hip, rock, and punk songs. And you experience their hard work, triumphs and sometimes the deaths of their singing mates. But, never fear; this film is really an upbeat and up-tempo celebration of life from those people who still have accomplished what they want to do for fun, entertaining others with a lively song and energetic stage performance. This is a tonic for your day's problems and should be seen by anyone with parents of this age range. Don't miss this film!

I had seen this advertised in the local theater and then I caught the second half of it on HBO. So, I ordered it on Netflix and took it with me to my Mom's house on Christmas day. We watched it and were thrilled with it. It will make you laugh and cry alternatively. My 12 year old daughter cried and laughed along with us while we watched people in their 70's-90's get up over and over again and try no matter how many time they failed before. It is so nice to see seniors in a whole different light. You won't regret watching it. I am going to purchase it so I can watch it again. The scene at the local prison is incredibly touching. But, then again, all of it is incredibly touching. These are people who could just be relaxing and doing nothing, but they are choosing to go out of their comfort zones to still live life to its fullest. Wonderful.

In the supreme story of elderly people who won't let their age get them down, a group of senior citizens in a Massachusetts retirement home form a chorus and perform popular music from the twentieth century. "Young at Heart" is occasionally bittersweet, as some of the members pass away over the course of the documentary. But these men and women, getting on in years, not only do a great job singing Jimi Hendrix and The Clash (among others); they have some really neat things to say about their experiences over the years.Probably the most awe-inspiring thing that occurs is that the chorus performs in a prison. You have these elderly individuals who look as though they would be afraid to go near the wrong people for fear of getting mugged, but they sing to the inmates and nothing bad happens.All in all, Stephen Walker made a really good documentary here. I recommend it.BTW, did you notice that one of the chorus members was named Steve Martin?