Young@Heart
(DVD)
DIRECTED BY - Stephen Walker
As early as autumn 2006, surreal and hilarious video clips of Stephen Walker's documentary (which originally aired on the BBC) were making the rounds on YouTube and in email inboxes all over the U.S.--tantalizing, out-of-context glimpses of the Young@Heart vocal choir, composed of elderly men and women, having a go at chestnuts by Sonic Youth, the Clash, and the Ramones. It seemed that the feature film, re-released for the screen in 2008, would perhaps be an uncomfortably comic look at a bunch of geezers set up to look ridiculous for the smug delectation of hipster audiences everywhere. The reality is not so far off-base, at least on first glance, but Walker's film, tracking the progress of the chorus as they prepare for a big gig, provides enough good-natured humor, personal narrative, and intimate details to inspire respect and admiration--and some major heart-string-plucking--in filmgoers.
Film Info
RUNTIME - 108 minutes
RATING - Not Rated
YEAR - 2008
FORMAT - DVD Region 1
SPECIAL FEATURES (DVD Only) -
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.33
Widescreen - 1.85
Director
Producer
Director of Photography
Editor
Executive Producer
Press
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "YOUNG@HEART focuses on a few engaging performers and gives us a window into their lives and philosophies on aging."
- Claudia Puig, USA Today
"The irresistible New England chorus of senior citizens proves you're never too old to rock....It's as much of a heady tonic for these folks to take on these unlikely lyrics as it is for us to watch it all go down."
- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
