Rock of Ageless

You’d have to enjoy torturing kittens to dislike a documentary about spunky 80-somethings who sing in a choir, covering tunes by Sonic Youth and James Brown. But from the moment Young @ Heart (on DVD September 16) begins — with 92-year-old granny Eileen crowing quizzically, “Darling, you’ve got to let me know / Should I stay or should I go?” — the film's subject proves more than just a charming gimmick. As choir director/taskmaster Bob Cilman brusquely shepherds the chorus’ resilient members through rehearsals, hospital stays and the inevitable big-concert finish, it becomes a rock-fueled treatise on survival and community.

What’s most affecting is the fresh twist the Young @ Heart Chorus brings to familiar pop/rock songs. When an octogenarian wails out Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” it slams home an unforeseen message of urgency and desperation. After a beloved chorus member dies, Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” becomes a shattering eulogy. And 81-year-old Fred Knittle’s melancholy bass transforms Coldplay’s “Fix You” into a sucker punch of love, pain and loss. Suddenly, rock seems humane again.

Young @ Heart will be available on DVD September 16 from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

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