British director Stephen Walker’s 2007 documentary Young @ Heart tells the story of a New England senior citizen’s chorus that belts out its own renditions of songs by Radiohead, Flaming Lips, The Ramones, The Bee Gees, The Clash, Coldplay, David Bowie, and others. The Young @ Heart Chorus, led by choral director Bob Cilman, makes international appearances as the world’s oldest cover band.
The Music of Young @ Heart
Cilman, chided by some chorus members as the ultimate taskmaster, mixes his passion for good music with his commitment to the nurturance of the chorus and its individual members. His idea of teaching rock music, punk, and R&B to seniors (with an average age of 80) who favor classical music and show tunes allows intergenerational audiences to embrace the seniors, instead of being limited to entertaining only other seniors. Essentially bringing young music to older singers allows them to stay young at heart.
Watching the chorus’ first impressions and later performance of Sonic Youth’s “Schizophrenia,” taking an erratic car ride with one of the aged drivers, and listening to spouses talk about how their mate’s dedication to the chorus helps them overcome health problems makes for highly entertaining viewing. In fact, the entire documentary surrounds the weeks leading up to a big concert performance billed “Alive and Well.”
The People of Young @ Heart
Since 1982, The Young @ Heart Chorus has performed for audiences around the world. The members come and go as they age, sicken, and die. That just comes with the territory for choral director Cilman. He agitatedly tells the chorus that he needs to drop a song from the show because they can’t get it right, but he also calls each member on the telephone when they miss rehearsals because of sickness and gently encourages them to do whatever it takes to get better.
Beyond the gimmicky concept and larger-than-life choral director, the members of The Young @ Heart Chorus are presented as fully developed characters, real humans trying to find purpose in their declining years. These delightful extroverts steal the show both onstage and behind the scenes. It’s irresistibly funny watching Stan Goldman and Dora B. (Parker) Morrow struggle with the lyrics of James Brown’s “I Feel Good” and the entire group stumbling through Allen Toussaint’s “Yes, We Can Can.” Other touching scenes in the film will bring you to tears.
Like any good documentary, Young @ Heart delivers the information, the entertainment, and the message, all wrapped up in 108 minutes of toe-tapping music, poignant moments, and fun surprises.
- Young @ Heart
- Director: Stephen Walker
- Run time: 108 minutes
- Rating: PG
Also read reviews for these documentaries: Air Guitar Nation, Midnight Movies, and Pageant.
