Young@Heart
Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: April 9, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews
Positive:
21
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Portland OregonianMarc Mohan
If Young at Heart were merely a cheeky presentation of codgers belting out inappropriate tunes, it would be a curiosity and nothing more. But by getting inside the lives of a few of its members, the movie ultimately paints a moving portrait of senior citizens who believe it's better to burn out than fade away. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
They also make joyful music, communicated, both by the singers and their playful, sensitive documentarian, with an authority that quite knocks off socks. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Vibrant and vivacious documentary. Read full review
88
USA TodayClaudia Puig
A heartening and poignant affirmation of the transformative power of music. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneJessica Reaves
An exuberant, affectionate documentary. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Sloppily made at times and it comes close to wearing out its welcome, but you can't blame Walker for not wanting to let his subjects go. And as the movie progresses, a viewer begins to understand why: These people are literally singing for their lives. Read full review
88
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
British director Stephen Walker approached this project with wide-eyed good humor. Read full review
80
VarietyJohn Anderson
An irresistibly joyous, tearful and, most importantly, musical doc about a band of senior pop singers whose repertoire includes "Golden Years," "Should I Stay or Should I Go" and "Stayin' Alive." Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen Holden
The movie offers an encouraging vision of old age in which the depression commonly associated with decrepitude is held at bay by music making, camaraderie and a sense of humor. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
The film’s appeal is at once sentimental and perverse: It’s not every day that you get to see a 92-year-old woman soloing on “Should I Stay Or Should I Go.” Not surprisingly, a feature remake is already in the works. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleSteve Davis
Young@Heart more than subtly suggests that the secret to growing old is to feel young, and – based on what you see in this film – there may be some truth to that platitude. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
It's truly inspiring to watch Fred Knittle, 81 and tethered to an oxygen tank, perform a riveting solo of Coldplay's "Fix You" after his singing partner dies shortly before the show. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
One of the most delightful movies to come along this year. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Likely to bring a smile to your lips and a bounce to your step. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
A tribute to the therapeutic powers of musicmaking and choral camaraderie. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerAndy Spletzer
If the chorus was the sole focus of the documentary, it would have been brilliant. Unfortunately, director Stephen Walker makes the movie as much about himself as it is about the singers. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kamal AL-Solaylee
Ultimately, though, it's the life-affirming sentiments of the documentary and not its backstage drama that may turn it into a popular hit, especially among boomers who can now legitimately fantasize about their impending retirements as musical stars. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
A liberating experience. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
What makes Young@Heart such an ingratiating experience goes far deeper than the novelty of seeing old people singing hard rock tunes. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
This may sound like a suspect enterprise, a musical gimmick impossible to embrace, but the reality is otherwise. For what the members of this uncanny chorus lack in pure ability they make up for in irrepressible spirits and a desire to simply have fun. Read full review
70
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Here are old people in all the magnificence of their elderliness. The movie doesn't pretend like getting old is any fun. But it's about the transcendental power of -- well, yes, music; and each of these folks has a talent whose expression is a fuel to survive. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
There's a wealth of great material here, especially a shattering performance of Coldplay's "Fix You" by a soulful mountain of a man named Fred Knittle. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The project reeks of commercial calculation, which is just tolerable until Walker, in search of a story arc, follows two chorus members with serious illnesses into the hospital. Read full review
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