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Old Age and New England Countryside Essay

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Young@Heart “Young@Heart” is a documentary that takes you to Northampton, MA, and presents a glimpse into the lives of the members of the Young at Heart Chorus. The setting is primarily in Northampton, MA, with several scenes of the beautiful New England countryside. The film, which was directed by Stephen Walker for the Fox Searchlight production company, opens with a scene from one of the group’s concert performances. The film’s opening images are of an old, gray-haired woman that is performing a rock song by the Clash, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” It creates an impression of senior citizens that are behaving badly. But as the film continues on, it reveals more about some of the group’s individual members; their old, interesting …show more content…

In spite of his declining health, he does what he loves most; sing. His deep, steady baritone voice sets him apart from the rest of the group. Although he is frequently seen as a source of comic relief in the film, his brilliant, heartfelt performance of Coldplay’s “Fix You”, is without a doubt one of the film’s highlights and will have everyone in the audience struggling to hold back tears. Fred’s strong, straightforward, and joyful personality overshadows his health troubles. Two of the members of the chorus who died just days before the concert were Fred’s best friends, Bob Salviny, and Joe Benoint. Bob endured a long illness and died the day before the group’s performance that was at the minimum security prison. Joe who had the ability to memorize a whole song in an afternoon, died a few days later. He was highly devoted to the chorus and his determination could be seen when he attended rehearsal on the day after he was discharged from the hospital. Despite their different backgrounds, the members develop strong bonds of friendship. Eileen Hall, the oldest member of the chorus, shares a ride with Lenny and Joe. They travel many miles in order to attend rehearsals up to three times per week; of the three, only Lenny has good enough eyes to drive. It is hard to believe that Eileen is ninety-two years old, but a close-up camera-shot of her face bares the evidence of her old-age. At first, she gives the impression of a sweet, innocent old lady who

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