It’s hard not to fear the worst after watching the first five minutes of “Young@Heart,” the new documentary about senior rockers out Sept. 16 on DVD.
The opening sequence finds the veteran singers, average age in the low 80s, belting out The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
Or rather talking out The Clash’s punk anthem.
The group’s oldest member, Eileen, essentially reads those incendiary lyrics. And suddenly the whole project – both the band and the movie – feels like a gimmick, an “aw, aren’t old people cute” exercise.
Good thing “Young@Heart” improves dramatically from that early low point.
The documentary focuses on the New England group’s comeback tour, of sorts. Two of the chorus’s key players are trying to rejoin the band if their aging bodies will let them. Both suffered serious health complications but have rebounded nicely. Or have they?
The elders, to a person, are warm, witty and embrace the challenges before them. They struggle mightily with the songs, from tongue twisters like Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can” to simple jams like James Brown‘s “I Feel Good.” We’re never told why the singers, who prefer Bach to the Beatles, don’t have more say in the song selections.
“Heart” is far from ideal. The narrative meanders, spiked by the real life tragedies that hit the band. And the film’s narrator asserts the obvious in between asking inane questions of the chorus members.
“Young@Heart” features a few wickedly shrewd music videos featuring the aging stars, and the chorus proves on more than one occasion that it’s not just a novelty act but a bona fide group deserving of our admiration.
(Photo: “Young@Heart” chronicles a chorus of senior citizens who take on punk, rock and R&B favorites.)
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Stand by for much more of this kind of thing. The “it’s all about me” generation will not go quietly into the old folks home.
They’ve got chutzpah, no doubt, but there is something about rock ‘n’ roll that works best for those under 70!
I enjoyed it.
I thought it was a refreshing look at aging in a society obsessed with staying young.
It is also a reminder about how important it is to keep our minds and bodies active ~ give ourselves something to live for ~ not only when we’re “old” but every day of our lives. It’s a hard lesson to follow, but a good one nonetheless.
I am excited to see this. We shall not go quietly into the night… and some of these folks don’t look much older than Keith Richards… (your tell the Stones they can’t get no satisfaction after 70)…
Music is what defines us. Regardless of age. And if you look in other cultures, the elderly are much more revered than here. My mom, 80, has a dance class she is in and they go and “perform” at senior centers and everyone has a real good time.. and it keeps her young.. though she don’t dance well.. but she enjoys it.