PopSyndicate.com

Most films, especially documentaries, consciously select a specific route to deliver their message. But Young@Heart is different in this respect, as director Stephen Walker seamlessly blends the narrative with elements that are equally music and character driven. Not an easy feat, since music and characters abound plenty!

In case you haven’t hear about them until now, Young@Heart is a New-England based senior citizens chorus that has been inspiring audiences worldwide, singing rock and roll songs that range from Sonic Youth’s Schizophrenia to Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark. The enthusiastic group is composed of two dozen energetic social-security card holding members who perform their own heartfelt renditions of rock, punk and a smattering of classic songs.

The chorus is comprised of singers ranging in age from their mid 70’s through their late 80’s. Some have had prior professional theater or music experience, others had performed extensively on the amateur level and still others (unbelievably!) never stepped onto a stage before turning eighty. The film concentrates on the seven week period prior to a sold-out concert in their hometown.

The upbeat film opens with the SRO performance in Northampton, Massachusetts as a wildly enthusiastic crowd is cheering. Ninety-two-year-old Eileen Hall steps up to the microphone as she belts out her version of the punk rock band The Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go?  The answer from the audience is a resounding, “STAY!” Just what are we talking about here? The moment transcends the music. They want her to stay – forever.

The movie audience then goes backstage for rehearsals where the chorus is struggling to learn new material. Remember the Pointer Sisters song, Yes, We Can Can? In Young@Heart it becomes an anthem, sort of a vocal version of the children’s book, The Little Engine that Could (I think I can, I think I can). It was one of the more difficult songs to learn (you should try wrapping your brain around 71 “cans”).  But in the end, it was one of the most satisfying to hear; a heartfelt rendition of optimism and self-discovery.

Director Stephen Walker narrates the film and deftly shuttles between rehearsals and interviews with colorful chorus members and local gigs. He weaves their stories with a big dollop of humor and then surprises us by interjecting music videos. Dressed in housecoats and pj’s the chorus hysterically sing The Ramones I Wanna Be Sedated while racing down corridors in wheelchairs and laundry baskets. The music videos are clever, perfectly timed and stand out as highlights. David Bowie’s Golden Years, captured at an amusement park reveals the vocal range of some of the more talented singers. But my favorite would have to be Fred Knittle‘s rendition of Saturday Night Fever (the Bee Gees), complete with a Travolta-like white suit as he drags his oxygen tank behind him.

For all its light-heartedness, the film is not without its more poignant moments. Although the chorus has entertained many luminaries, including the King and Queen of Norway, they also head out on a road trip to sing for the inmates of a local jail. The performance includes a tribute to a recently fallen band member, as they sing Dylan’s, Forever Young in his honor. It truly takes your breath away.  The prison audience would at first seem an unlikely crowd to entertained, but when the hour-long concert is over they enthusiastically cheer and embrace the chorus members. Tissue please.

We’re lucky. Young@Heart has been touring Europe for years, but now we can see them a little closer to home. Young@Heart is coming to a theatre near you and I promise, you’ll be dancing in the aisles and making additions to your IPODs.

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