The Show, Like Life, Must Go On
The 70 and 80-year-old singers from Northampton , Massachusetts
British film director, Stephen Walker shows the sassiness and struggles of a handful of the 24 choir members, spotlighting their particular idiosyncrasies, their quotable quips and their health problems to give us vibrant portraits of each. The Young @ Heart chorus has built its reputation upon morphing contemporary rock tunes into their own musical genre.
This film is heartwarming and hilarious, not a depressing visit to an old-folks home. The Young @ Heart singers have traded their rocking chairs in for rocking out.
The singers are led by their demanding chorus leader Bob Cilman, who at 53, is a generation younger than his students. Cilman, a genius when it comes to song selection, knows just how far to push. He has the patience of a saint, yet can be a demanding authority figure and tough on them when necessary. Young @ Heart begins with Cilman preparing the chorus for a gig, which will include five new songs and mark the return of a pair of chorus veterans who had been sidelined due to health reasons.
These septuagenarians and octogenarians possess the characteristics that translate into longevity: a positive attitude, a reason to get out of bed in the morning, an appreciation of the challenge of learning new things, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with loss and death:
Positive Attitude
The oldsters have a sense of humor about themselves.
This spirited group of people is determined to live life to the fullest. The messages conveyed in the film include:
· Every moment counts
· Nothing is impossible
· Have you hugged an old person today?
A Reason to Get Out of Bed in the Morning
The camaraderie of the fellow singers and performing for others give their choir members a reason to get out of bed every morning. They are having the time of their lives as they travel the world, entertaining audiences that range from the crowned heads of
The Challenge of Learning New Things, such as Complicated Song Lyrics
Although most members of the group prefer classical music, opera or Broadway show tunes, they do punk, classic rock and a wailing R&B. They give songs whole news meanings.
Ramones' song about drug burnout, "I Wanna Be Sedated," morphs into a commentary on aging.
"Just put me in a wheelchair, get me on a plane
Hurry hurry hurry before I go insane
I can't control my fingers,
I can't control my brain!"
Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" becomes not a lament to lost love but a farewell to a dead companion.
Bob Dylan's "Forever Young," sung to a group of prisoners, is no longer about a parent advising a child; it's the voice of a passing generation begging the people coming along behind it to straighten out their lives.
In James Brown's "I Feel Good," the two selected to lead never get their rhythm and lyrics in sync. The male singer repeatedly tries and fails, to wrap his mouth around the two lines he has to sing.
They’re a determined bunch as they attempt get the rattling tune “Schizophrenia” by Sonic Youth just right.
But that’s nothing compared to Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can,” which they have trouble memorizing because of tricky lyrics that repeat the word “can” 71 times in various combinations.
The Ability to Adapt to Change and Cope with Loss and Death
The members of this choir can see the Grim Reaper in the near distance but keep on singing.
"Did you see the white light everybody talks about?" one chorister asks another who's had a near-death experience.
"No" she replies. "I refused to look."
Two other choir members return to the group following long illnesses and are greeted with open arms. But one suffers a relapse that makes his performance at the new show they’ve been working on doubtful. In fact, there are two deaths that occur in one fateful week just before the big show. These moments are handled touchingly, and with dignity. The deaths put a damper on things momentarily. In the end the message is clear: like life itself, the show must and does go on.
For more information about Young @ Heart check out their website at: http://foxsearchlight.com/youngatheart/
Check your local listings for theaters and times near you.
